At the end of last month, looking ahead to the Miydjitlland tie, I predicted, “a Halloween movie awaits”. Home and away, Miydjitlland created few chances until late in normal time, when Celtic tired. They were unable to sustain periods of pressure and will surely not lay a glove on PSV Eindhoven in the next round. Still, we endure Halloween in July.
The young and inexperienced defenders performed well, this one was not on them. As did Scott Bain, whose confidence to drop the shoulder before playing a 30-yard forward pass, created our best chance of the game. He also made two fine saves, which makes me wonder what could have been had we never embarked on our Greek Odyssey.
Callum McGregor’s goal was sublime; he placed rather than blasted his shot, one of the few occasions we tested a keeper who never convinced. Anthony Ralston reminded us why we had such high hopes for him a few years back, while Stephen Welsh and Dane Murray outperformed expectations.
James Forrest should have put the tie beyond the Danes shortly after coming on but poked his shot wide. Within seconds, Miydjitlland were level.
Like Celtic, Miydjitlland were short of reinforcements, but started extra time with four substitutes on the field, including an 18-year-old debutant, Victor Lind. The teenager repeatedly mishit the ball whenever he got near it, but he and the other subs managed to provide what proved to be crucial energy. Celtic made only the one change, Forrest for Liel Abada, until after they went a goal down in the 94th minute. When energy sapped from ever-busy Ryan Christie and David Turnbull, the writing was on the wall.
Even though Celtic closed the game unable to pass out of their half, Ange Postecoglou stuck to his game plan. Teams on their way out of a cup invariably go Route One in the final minutes, not so this time.
I am sure none of us had Champions League expectations; we are not at PSV Eindhoven level, but Europa League group stage qualification is crucial for financial, competitive, coefficient and recruitment reasons. That would have been achieved with a win last night. Two qualification rounds now have to be negotiated, you have more fraught evenings ahead.
I remain hopeful the squad we have on 1 September will be significantly better that that available last night. Whether that will be sufficient to take the Champions League bounty available to this season’s Premiership winners is another story.
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If I can make a wee push again:-
Marc (Celticrollercoaster) has provided me with access to the former “Walk with Shay” account so that all monies raised can be accounted for by both of us. We have a nominated charity, Sean’s Trust, that Marc has approached and gained permission to fundraise on their behalf. Details on this are supplied below :-
” Sean Ryan was stillborn on 3 July 2000. I was always troubled that I would never hear his name so in 2013 I decided to launch a fundraising campaign to help other families affected by stillbirth.
We decided to launch Seans Trust in October three weeks before the launch Seans Daddy George Ryan died very suddenly of a heart attack on his way home from a Celtic game.
I went on anyway it seemed even more important to honour Sean. Since 2013 I’ve done a lot of fundraising. I provide a £300 grant to families affected by stillbirth who are struggling financially, I keep in touch with the families and help out in any way I can, I never turn anyone away.
In the nearly 8 years I’ve organised and paid for (with fundraising) at least two big social events every year where families can meet up, we take a table at the Kano foundation dinner dance to allow 10 mums to have a night out we pay for all expenses and buy outfits for mums who can’t afford it. We also take a table at The Celtic Ghirls good dinner again all expenses are covered.
We have also financially supported SImba by attending their events we’ve given over £2000 to Simba ad well as £700 to Sands.
We have bought every type of furniture item you can think of, paid for carpet and decorating, toys, rent arrears, computers, children’s clothes and shoes.
Probably the biggest event we’ve organised to date was a white wedding at Ibrox for a stillbirth couple. Dad was terminally ill. The family had 4 young children their son Scott was stillborn. Rangers FC were very kind to us providing the pitch, trophy room and their chaplain to marry the couple, Derek Johnston attended to represent the club. Rocks jewellery provided rings and a local wedding shop gave dresses, kilts were provided by McCalls. The carnbooth hotel gave the whole extended family an overnight stay as well as a full wedding breakfast, and reception. All in all we managed to get the full wedding (over £20,000) for free for the couple.
I have amazing support from the public and volunteers no one is paid any salary or expenses, every penny raised goes to families I stay with the families for the long haul, I’ve watched their rainbow babies grow over the 8 years. This is a wee testimony from a mum
‘ Seans trust (Linda) is literally a life saver, we first met Linda after we lost our son and daughtethrough stillbirth a year apart. She has not only helped us financially, we’ve had cookers, beds, tvs, food, clothes for our children we went on to have❤️, toys, Christmas Easter and birthdays they are never forgotten…she is more than just a friend She is family now, I’ve been very low and struggling, and seans trust always manages to help even when funds are low. I trully hope I can repay in the future to help other families going through the devestating loss of stillbirth and the traumatic life change that occurs afterwards. Linda thank you for all you do we appreciate you x’
I hope this is okay I fine it hard to talk about the things we do, let me know if you need any more Marc
Thanks and best wishes Linda.”
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Once we know the sums collected, we will set the prize money allocations. At present, I am considering 3 prizes for the leaders by the end of December and 3 more for the leaders when the league ends in May. To this end, I would suggest two separate fees of £10 to cover both competitions. Players can choose to pay the £20 up front or £10 now and £10 before the first January game. Players can also chose to take part in the game without donating or being eligible for prize money, if they so wish.
The details for payment are:-o
Account name: Walk With Shay
o Account number: 15326765
o Sort code: 80-22-60
o Bank: Bank of Scotland
All of this is in relation to my original message below.
We are still looking to boost the numbers way beyond the current level.
I have registered a closed pool on the Superbru site, which is a Score Predictor game for the SPFL fixtures in 2021/22.
The site is http://www.superbru.comand the code for joining is roomuser
Please use your CQN or Sentinel log in name for identification.
First fixture is 31st July and your predictions have to be in before kick off on the day.
If you fail to make a pick you get the default pick, so you get to play even if you forget.
Join CQN Sentinels, my Scottish Premiership league on Superbru!
You can find my pool here:
https://www.superbru.com/scottishpremiership/pool.php?p=12367961or by downloading the Superbru app and searching for the pool with code:roomuser
Do the people in charge realise that winning the SPL this season Guarantees 30 40 million .??!!!!….because it seems they don’t realise that winning qualifying games does ….now we only have one team to get the better off ….that should be the total focus……when MON came …he built a team specifically to beat the huns ….everything else fell into place …..you get players to compete …physically, players with heart…..players who will run through brick walls for the team and support …..then and only then can skilfull players strut their stuff ……
KJAM on 29TH JULY 2021 12:28 PM
I think season ticket holders need to use their influence to change our corporate structures as they are clearly failing. How? I am not entirely sure but to petition the board now that renewals are dependent on more fan involvement and board accountability would be a start.
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In case you missed it, that window closed on 25th June.
PUNKROCKBHOY67 on 29TH JULY 2021 12:28 PM
heres my prediction . Celtic to win league , Furuhashi top scorer , getitroonye huns
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Good for you !!
The PLC love you.
We sit here today, not remotely surprised at last night, but more bewildered how we ever got so poor, so quickly
The easy answer is recruitment and retention of poor or underperforming players. That may be down to the managers but is more likely down to Mr Lawwell who’s legacy at the club is one of underinvestment in key areas and overinvestment in others – his own salary included.
The other is hunger.
Last season the huns gambled everything on stopping the 10 and they cashed in big time. This season they will gamble everything in reaching the CL groups and will likely do so and then they will then go flat out to win the Title again to achieve automatic qualification next season.
All in all, they could make upwards of £100m as a result, whilst, conversely, our gamble in the showers at Hamden has cost the club the same amount- if not more.
As ever, the blame lies at the top and our PLC needs removing and replaced by younger, ambitious Celtic man- of who there are many with CVs that far exceed Bankier et al.
Strap yourselves in folks, we’re in for a revolution in many shapes that will make the early 90s Rebellion seem like a kids picnic.
Not one comment about how DD, Lawwell and Lennon(with a compliant and useless Board) have landed us in this shitstorm.
Management, recruitment and football operations are a joke. All dictated by tyrant and his accountant.
Soon they won’t need to ballot for match tickets.
Criminally negligent but still no criticism.
Of course the real huns are in the Boardroom and those that support them.
We’re in the dog days of the Desmond and Lawwell empire of which this Lord Haw Haw blog is a part, which is increasingly S writ large in the articles and pro-Board posters.
SAN LUIS on 29TH JULY 2021 1:04 PM
We sit here today, not remotely surprised at last night, but more bewildered how we ever got so poor, so quickly
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I’m not in the least bit bewildered by what has happened.
Well said James Forrest. The Celtic Board – Custodians of continual European failure. CQN – bastion of subterfuge.
“I remain hopeful the squad we have on 1 September will be significantly better that that available last night. Whether that will be sufficient to take the Champions League bounty available to this season’s Premiership winners is another story.”
————
Seasoned Kerrydale-ologists interpret today’s press release as suggesting there will be no significant change to current thinking, practices and policies, despite the dissatisfaction and protests among the population.
The use of 1 September within the release means that European status likely remains a crucial factor in the club’s transfer policy, but the over-riding issue is what loan scraps can be picked up from the EPL table, most likely MC, or from others in the City Football Group, after their footballing betters have sorted themselves out.
The spokesman’s use of ‘hopeful’ maybe indicates a degree of uncertainty within the club as to how effective this plan may be.
Dermot Desmond is 70.
The issue we have is that DD aka The Irish Raj is not interested in the football.
All he wants is his Brucie Bonus …
Buy @ SPL money.
Sell @ EPL money.
Nothing else matters.
We will get funding if he needs a credible club to get into the EPL.
If the door is shut on the EPL then it will be more of the same.
Running a surplus through a hand picked CEO with suitable KPIs.
DD has no desire to see us grow as a club unless it suits him.
He is not a man to forgive and he has made quite a few sharp / derogatory statements regarding the support — all the way back to 2004/05.
Consequently we will get nothing from him unless it makes him money.
The only levers we have at the moment is humour — we need to rip the pis* out of him.
He will take the criticism but he will not be able to handle ridicule.
Leftfield hope — Bloke controlling Brentford and the Danish mob.
He knows value when he sees it and he has a growth agenda.
Somewhere in his business brain he must have seen who we are and what we have?
The Danish mob are the ICT of Jutland — he has taken them a long way..
Brentford are the 10th / 12th best supported team in London — Is Watford in London?
We have a bigger support in London than they have.
He knows value / he knows potential — hopefully DD won’t be that difficult to deal with?
Ange will be hurting today.
I wonder in whom he confides?
His trusted lieutenants in his backroom team?
The DoF who recruited him and whose Job it is to shoulder much of the footballing responsibility?
Or, like Neil before him, is he exposed? Unsupported? Alone?
The Celtic board certainly do like compounding errors.
How many owners of top clubs are supporters of that club? Very few.
Some sh1 stirrers on this blog. They stand out like a sore thumb.
Dear, oh dear, oh dear. We’re in a tight bloody mess. I don’t think the anger of our supporters is going to dissipate any time soon.
We’re still adopting the agonising approach to recruitment. There have been no structural changes at the club that we had hoped for. Still no Director of Football or Head of Recruitment. Ange hasn’t got his own back room staff either. Those tarnished by last season’s failures are still around. To make matters a thousand times worse they’ve got our season ticket money too. I renewed too, fool that I am.
I’ve posted about a thousand times on here that I see Celtic as a European team. The domestic scene and trophies is only a means to an end. Look after Europe and domestic trophies will take care of themselves. I’ve read some brilliant posts on here from fans who have devoted great thought to the matter that they genuinely free us as being a Europa League team due to the way UEFA have loaded the dice against us.
I respectfully disagree with that viewpoint. I think that we are still a huge club but one that is impeded by the people running it ………. our Custodians (where have we heard that term before)?
I’m fairly sure that there are a lot of fans like me who are finding it difficult to adequately articulate how they feel at the moment. I didn’t really expect us to go through last night (I had hope in my heart). We didn’t yet I’m almost apoplectic with rage. I’m not able to suck it up any longer the way I did when the were winning NIAR. The Board have lied, lied and lied again to us.
To my total and complete horror, the Celtic that I see as a Champions League team are now on a collision course with the European Conference League. The Petrofacac Cup, The Harry Ramsden’s Chip Shop Cup of Europe. If we ever play in that tournament, given the size and resources of our club then that’s the point at which I’ll call it a day.
My strong advice to Ange, who the fans are rightly giving there support at the moment, is to walk into Dom McKay’s office and present him with a list of the 4 or 5 players that he feels he needs to make an impact and to help turn things around and to inform him that if they are not in place by 31 August then he will walk. One thing is absolutely sure, Ange will be dragged down by his superiors. If he hangs around he will become part of the problem unless he tries to change things around now. Fans are beginning to find fault – delaying his substitutions, not playing with two up front, replacing like for like. These thoughts occurred to me as I was watching the game. When I came on to CQN others had mentioned them but as sure as night follows day it will be open season on Ange not long after 31 August after a couple of painful defeats.
Let’s all hope for a miracle during the month of August.
I remain hopeful the squad we have on 1 September will be significantly better that that available last night.
Jesus wept.
Season ticket money is in the signings ain’t coming.
Timmy7
I’ll take that bet.
Of course there are signings coming.
However, when they come, they will be declared not good enough or projects the minute they have a bad game e.g. Abada
The current problem we have with any new signing is we’re expecting them to make a considerable impact as soon as they play, one Cb alone isn’t going to transform the team. If we had the other 3 positions filled adequately then he would have time to settle, sadly Carl is gonna have to be Madini and Baresi all in one, for younger viewers see Chiellini and Bonucci
We’re Not Half Of Anything.
Utter shambles.
I said last year, what decent player would want to come to the shambles that is us?
So it proved. No decent player came to us.
This year is even worse. (No keeper, no defence no leaders and no quality up front.) FFS we signed 2 players from the worst team in the English championship!
Our Board have got away with this omnishambles because we weren’t there.
I think they might be in for a very rough ride, very soon.
I hope so.
If we had had a decent keeper in the first leg we’d have gone through, which would have been an almost miraculous achievement by Ange. The DD, PL and NL triumvirate have landed us in this mess, especially DD who decides who the manager will be and stuck with NL far too long and then wasted months waiting for Eddie Howe.I don’t suppose DD will lose any sleep over last night’s result, he’s never been interested in European success. Fortunately we seem to have a good manager. Now get a goalkeeper. I’ve heard that Hearts have a good one.
Last year after a CL embarrassment, our manager proceeded to publicly attack his own players. Laid the blame at their feet.
This year after failure, our gaffer defended his players and called for greater urgency in brining in new players – he in effect laid the blame at the board.
Our board no longer has a puppet manager to defend them and laud them as Lennon did last season after the SC win. They’re now being called out by a real football manager.
If our board don’t heed this change in circumstances then their days are numbered.
I usually quite enjoy this site, win or lose there are always opinions to enjoy or shout at, but either way I think it’s important to be respectful to our host.
However, just a couple of points today:
1. Speaking of respect, Paul, it would be good to spell the name of last night’s opponents correctly – Midtjylland.
2. “…you have more fraught evenings ahead.” Well in case you haven’t noticed, so do you.
79 Caps – Hearts have a terrific goalkeeper, and if we take a look at him we should also consider a right back who was playing out in Belgium for Gent but I think he’s now at AIK Stockholm. No spring chicken but he still plays for Sweden, I believe – and a very good guy in the dressing room as well, a leader you might say.
What’s that? We had someone just like him and let him go as well?
Two questions for our new CEO,
1) How do we identify possible signings
2) Who carries out the negotiations
Q2 is particularly important because there’s something very familiar with us being linked to players, having weeks of talks and getting nowhere.
Waiting until our European season is finalised before signing players is also very familiar as is the now annual selling of our top players to ensure a healthy balance sheet without adequate re-investment.
It’s all so familiar…
Edouard did not play well last night. He did not play well in the first leg. He obviously lacks confidence in front of goal and the front 3 of Christie, Edouard and Abada still haven’t, and probably never will mesh into a coherent unit.
However, as pointed out on Twitter did put in work. He tracked a player’s run from the edge of their box to deep in our half at the 112-minute mark.
I think the accusations of him being lazy are in fact a bit lazy.
He’s just not playing well. Maybe it’s a lack of confidence. With a competent striker, we maybe would have won the tie. Certainly, Edouard, Christie, and Forrest have missed sitters.
It is clear that after last night’s performance that we are in desperate need of a goal scorer or two. The young team that was fielded did their best at the back, we go up two nothing, and we see it out.
The team was genuinely tired and legless the longer the game went on. We are not up to the expected fitness levels of Ange but this will take time, you will have to be in top shape to play his style of football.
Recruitment, well we all know what happened there. The waiting game for Howe and the penny pinching over the last few years have put us in this state.
I remain ever the opTIMist and always a Celtic supporter through good times and bad
HH
GSU
THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY on 29TH JULY 2021 1:27 PM
Very good and heartfelt post.
BANKIEBHOY1 on 29TH JULY 2021 1:39 PM
We’re Not Half Of Anything.
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https://media-exp1.licdn.com/dms/image/C4E12AQGo77ZQWrxUgw/article-cover_image-shrink_600_2000/0/1543838794903?e=1632960000&v=beta&t=Ozm9Lz22HIiU7L4Sz6zw3c212P0Kpwqu1O7KvzEyip4
Genuine question
The claim last season, we lacked fitness ??
Now reading we are dropping out of games after 70-75 mins again with lack of fitness
Now, do we not employee fitness coaches ??
So are these fitness coaches held responsible for anything ?
Another thing, the football coaches from last season, should have been able to identify lack of fitness as an issue, and rectified with these fitness coaches, even in 10 game period they managed
What advice and actions have they put in place to improve this area for this season ??
They were taking training before Ange arrived
Structural change neededif we cannot get our players to level. Of maintaining standard for 90 mins
Squire………..
I rarely, if ever click on links…………( can’t be too careful)
I bet it was brilliant tho!
HH.
BANKIEBHOY1 on 29TH JULY 2021 1:39 PM
‘We’re Not Half Of Anything.’
###
Given the current trajectories you might well be proved right, though not necessarily in the sense you intended.
Meanwhile TGD had a lovely day yesterday at the Galway races. Just in case anyone was wondering what he was up to.
Copied from twitter… Just a wee insight …any one else attend …
Only the ### are changed
Dalycfc
@Dalycfc1
We were invited to a meeting with lawwell 3 seasons ago, was a good 40 people at it from various buses. it was to do with fans behaviour at the time, after a few incidents (st mirren keeper and the like ) at the end of the meeting he let us ask questions fir about 20 minutes…
I asked what our plan was going forward as the Huns were throwing everything they had and more at stopping the 10. He laughed at me and said you’re worried about them? What they called? The three bears and started laughing with a good few in the room joining in. I said yes, very As to me we weren’t taking it serious. His reply was, don’t worry about them that well will run dry and again started laughing. I said is that seriously our plan going forward. We hope that well runs dry? The look he gave me and snapped YES!! And moved on. The guy was an utter W### and how he was allowed to continue to downsize our club was and is an utter disgrace. The lack of forward planning has always been a joke. We had a chance to bury them but our plan was “that well will run dry” is that right Peter??!!!A stain on our club and he’s caused this .At the same meeting he was boasting about knocking £9m back for Boyata from Fulham and how Armstrong wanted to go and that was fine and the £45k he would be getting from Southampton but he’d be on the bench 😂 A massive control freak and that was a major issue
Thanks Ernesto……….That’s the spirit!
HH.
Justice for the 97
He also made two fine saves, which makes me wonder what could have been had we never embarked on our Greek Odyssey.
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I see Paul has erased the Bain clanger in which he spilled a cross and allowed it to roll across the face of our goal. On another night they’d have had a two yard tap in to an empty net.
Barkas is bad but jaysus let’s not pretend Bain is a possibility.
CHAIRBHOY on 29TH JULY 2021 12:14 PM
DAVID66 @ 10:58 AM,
Thanks, I can see from your posts and with your relationship with Big Jimmy you embue a Glasgow characteristic that is heart warming, you probably see it as acting “normally”, to you that’s what it is.
But from an observation point further away, where such sentiments are in very short shrift, the qualities of the Glasgow people are really encouraging.
Hail Hail
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Chairbhoy – Thank you sir.
D :)
Just read back, and it’s not all bad news 👍
We gifted last year’s title to the huns and are in the process of doing the same this year.
The huns are happy with that. Obviously.
The PLC are clearly fine with it – otherwise they would change tack.
Only the Celtic fans get shafted.
Still, faithful through and through and all that.
SCULLYBHOY on 29TH JULY 2021 1:26 PM
How many owners of top clubs are supporters of that club? Very few.
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But they don’t lie about it.