Celtic were not the only seeds to get a bloody nose in this week’s Champions League play-off round first leg games. Lyon and Real Sociedad looked well matched before the game but Lyon’s 0-2 home defeat suggests the seeds were outclassed.
Austria Vienna were the team I wanted this round but despite indifferent domestic form they upset the odds and beat Dinamo Zagreb 0-2 in Croatia. Perhaps the biggest surprise was Schalke’s 1-1 home draw with Poak Salonika.
Our defeat was, apparently, an historic sporting occasion for a country who are only a decade or so into their relationship with the game. Kazak prime minister, Serik Akhmetov, went into the home dressing room after the game on Tuesday to congratulate Shakhter and bask in the fruits of his sports development policies, but I hear there is trepidation ahead of their trip to Glasgow.
Top Russian TV analyst, Vasily Utkin, predicted, “Celtic will solve all the problems before second game, they will learn what mistakes they did in Astana and they will show their real power. If this happens I’m pretty sure Celtic will go through.
“In the previous round Shakhter beat Albanian champions Skenderbeu 3-0 but in Albania they were down 3-0. They are the team whose emotions are very important. If Celtic start the game well at Celtic Park, with all their songs from the stands and support given by their fans, the players from Karaganda may start the game on their knees.
“Their only chance will be on the counter attack. Whether this will be productive is the question for Celtic. A goal for Shakhter would complicate Celtic’s situation.
“I see Celtic reaching the Champions League group games. They are Champions League quality. Whatever Shakhter will do they are not Champions League quality, at least not yet.”
“This… is a question for Celtic” is the key phrase. Champions League qualification is in our own hands. Beat Shakhter Karagandy by more than 2-0 at home is as good an offer as anyone will get to qualify for the Champions League.
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Players stalling on lucrative transfer offers pending finding out who is going to be in the CL – while some players might do that I think many would be inclined to take the money on offer and move while they can in July and early August rather than risking potential buyers switching to other targets or their getting injured in the meantime and losing the chance to move.
As I say – Boruc, Nakamura, Kayal, Izaguirre and Wanyama all joined Celtic knowing no CL football would be on offer that season. Gary Hooper and Joe Ledley joined knowing there were 2 qualifying rounds to negotiate to get to CL in 2010 and in Ledley`s case he joined Celtic rather than go to the Premiership with Stoke.
Deals can be done with good players before the CL situation is sorted – provided the will to do so is there.
Conversely – we signed Ambrose, Miku and Lassad on deadline day last year after qualifying for CL. Does anyone think they had been sounded out throughout the summer and didn`t want to come until we secured CL football – I think not. None of these players had any prospect of European football at the clubs they were at. Its my opinion that the board waited until we had guaranteed CL income before signing them.
James Forrest nails McCoist.
On the head.
Spot on.
http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/a-step-too-far/
Delaneys Dunky
22:28 on 22 August, 2013
Hun skelp
Loan deal for Ki? Yes please.
===
Reports say he is off to Sunderland on loan.
Bada bing
Don’t disagree with you, though Ledley much better at breaking up opponents play. Ki was meant to be creative but didn’t do it nearly enough.
Ki supposed to have posted a picture of Celtic top with his name on it and the message ‘In life never say never’
Might have mentioned b4. I take it Celtic will be moving the boards 3yds nearer the pitch to hinder the long thrower guy?
burnley78
22:15 on 22 August, 2013
Just to support your view on this ….. I sometimes despair atsome of the views expressed on CQN…..
Haha ….. Just listened to sally on SSN re betting……he’s lost the plot altogether…”let’s just start again” …….yeh, wipe the slate clean just because one of his hooligans, sorry players, has been nobbled…..hahahaha
Stienreigns,
It’s all down to opinions and interpretation eh
Joe Ledley is proberly our best player we’re lucky to have him.
Jude2005 – UEFA regulations on pitch dimensions and distance of advertising hoardings from pitch means that we can`t do that.
My solution would be to track down the guy who patted El Hadi Diouf on the head when he played for Liverpool at Celtic Park and get him to use his long arms to tap the Karagandy players on the shoulder when they take a throw in and put them off their throw!
Just on Sally’s histrionics today at the press conference. I reckon there was nothing in that bundle of papers other than the ketchup stains from his lunchtime pie.
One big bluff to put the wind up any official who’s ever had even 50p each way on a game to make them think Ally has the dirt on them so they better leave his team alone! Amateur dramatics from the Charles Green school of bad acting. It was so pathetic it was funny. I’d love to get some journo credentials and get into one of those gigs to ask him a real question. Very few of the reporters who go to these things seem to be interested in doing anything approaching that.
Marti
Twistsnturns
Inspirational, up for Wednesday now :-) good speach amigo
BRTH
Call me cynical, but its amazing that the agents to the dearly departed Celtic players did not work to that ethic C, or was this simply Celtic going ker—ching, and to heck with the CL as we have the £20m in the bank anyway . Still does not stack up for me why we needed to sell so early in the window and handicap Lenny and the team.
I understand that we will have 2 new signings if we make the CL and 1 signing for the EL.
HH
CRC
Twists N Turns – I will be there and I will be screaming myself hoarse
But it does not excuse the Board’s pathetic efforts in this transfer window. And lets face it its hardly the first time either.
They are out of excuses and without a striker we will be out of the CL – then the atmosphere will turn very ugly indeed.
It does feel a bit like a death in the family – but one where another relative caused that death.
Neganon & Others
Eh the guy I was speaking to has no connection to Celtic– does not speak on their behalf— is not trotting out an excuse on behalf of anyone ( nor am I by the way I am only reporting what I was told ) and in answer to your question about selling at the start of the window is because the selling club can be held to ransom by the players agent at the end of the window– just in the same way as the purchasing club.
It would appear that in negotiation– all the power rests with an in demand player if he has a year or less to run in his contract, because he can say to both purchaser and seller ” hey I am going nowehere unless I get a cut off you AND a cut off you.– If not I will run down my contract and next year I get a larger signing on fee and as there is no transfer fee to pay to the selling club, there will be more competition for my services and so bigger wages– so both of you cough up now!”.
Now this guy did not say what went on with who— but just stop and think what went on with Hooper and Wanyama.
Celtic named their price– early doors so that there was no cloak and dagger with the buying clubs– and then aid to the players– right YOU go and sort out what terms you want with those buyers— your business with us is done.
Both players had knew where they stood as did the potential purchasers.
Personally I think Celtic should have had replacements all but signed at that point…. but hey that is my opinion only.
All I am saying here is that from what I am told transfers are a very dirty business at times…… very dirty indeed.
Apparently on the day of Dirk’s signing there was to be another medical for someone else but it did not materialise and in the past we know of one player who had the medical, posed for the publicity photo’s inside the ground while standing on the turf with the scarf in the air—- yet who still never signed for Celtic!!
Dirty business.
But hey— if that is the case then you have to face up to it and get on with it.
BRTH
On another note, I see MacKenzie fund crashed through £100k today/
The CQN predictor fund is up and running and should raise at least £500. Not massive, but it all helps.
http://www.justgiving.com/cqnpredictor4MacKenzie
HH
CRC
canamalar prays Oscar can do it again 22:37 on 22 August, 2013
“It’s all down to opinions and interpretation eh”
The interpretation of a drunk.
When was that ever worth a light?
Bazzabhoy 22.07
Brilliant!! Looks like im switchin back to pes this year
B-)
CRC
Yes the Mackenzie total is moving with some bigger donations going in— and do not sniff at £500 as it is a brilliant sum and will be one of the bigger donations.
I have to be honest and say I am very fearful here as there are a lot of factors that point to a very uphill struggle for her– and I don’t say that lightly.
Hope, encouragement, good news, upbeat messages and all that can really make a difference depending on the person apparently so every penny and every separate donation really counts.
Thanks for all your help– you are a gem of a man.
hun skelper-posted last season ,Ledley is playing well within himself,seen nothing this season so far to change my opinion.Gets the ball with space to run in to and passes it square,a buck passer for me.HH
Don’t buy the spin.
Our host is pushing the agenda, we have had big hitters pushing the same agenda for the past week or so re signings.
Soreeee just don’t buy it.
HH
Bada bing
Playing to instructions imo
Do we have any intention of replacing Vic
It was suggested that Kayal may step up
Clearly Lenny doesn’t fancy him at all
Vic was as big a miss if not bigger than Hooper on Tuesday
Breaking Bad fans, Vince Gilligan will be holding a masterclass at the Guardian Edinburgh International Television Festival . A last minute pass will only cost you just over three teenths (£780)
Hail Hail.
BT
You’re his biggest fan :-))
Instructions…what to be anonymous and do feck all
IMO he plays well when we play well …if we’re struggling he hides ..Tuesday was a prime example
Joe Ledley arrived at Celtic with a reputation for being a box to box midfielder and we have turned him into a defensive centre mid who’s main job is to break up play and keep the ball circulating, maybe I’m dreaming but when played on the left did he not have a great understanding with Izzy and cause chaos for other teams down that side.
I wouldn’t have him out of my team but I would let him be who he is, the guy that burst into the box at the sheep pen and forced Langfield into a great save…
Of course having another centre mid at the club who can actually pass the ball might help….
blantyretim is praying for the knox family
22:54 on 22 August, 2013
Agreed mate and posted same the other night…..he should be encouraged to play much higher up the park. Hope you are well on the way to full recovery.
….PFayr
We fail to qualify, we buy a cheap replacement for Hooper, or a loan deal.
We qualify, the board buy a striker for a couple of mill, and tell us we should be gratefull.
Happy days.
HH
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma
We were going to run the predictor anyway and were looking for a good cause. MacKenzie seemed appropriate in this instance. The gems are the Celtic family who continue to support and take part and donate. Some family.
I agree re your sentiments re MacKenzie and I hope that she gets the money for the treatment. Seeing close to hand, what Wee Oscar and his family are going through, I can still only try and imagine what this must be like. There for the grace…
How is the petition coming along and what are the next steps if you do not mind me asking?
HH
CRC
Good evening everybody.
Morrissey 23rd,
your voice will soon be in close proximity to Smokey Robinson’s! In other words, I will put the desert island show on my Ipod. Don’t let me down. I trust that you are worthy to share space with various soul legends! The BRHT, Paul 67 and George Galloway shows were all very enjoyable.
PF Ayr/BT
The whole midfield disappeared in the second half on Tuesday– absolutely extraordinary in my opinion.
Anyway— tomorrow is another day and next Wednesday is a world away from last Tuesday in time and place…… we should have enough to dump this mob.
PF
I like Ledley yes.
He plays the game simple the way it is.
Only commons deserved pass marks Tuesday
….pfayr supports weeoscar
22:56 on 22 August, 2013
In agreement with that comment.
Missed big Vic more than GH
BT – my mate who sits with me at Celtic Park, has been questioning NFLs tactics and team structure for past 2 seasons
Hail Hail
Delaneys dunky
Sorry bud, it was a paper cut and paste. Should have included author. Apologies
THE EXILED TIM
Don’t be so sure that qualifying will mean buying as a sop to the fans.
By my reckoning there will only be three days of transfer window remaining.
Perhaps it is time to accept that Celtic are a pretty poor side whose affairs are in the hands of men who simply want to do just enough to get by.
CRC
I am guessing with MacKenzie as I don’t know the detail and don’t know the family.
I think she will get her treatment ( I hope ) but will have to have reached a certain level of fund before that can start.
My concerns are that she is older than Oscar. Children of an older age have a far smaller chance of recovery and positive response than wee guys like Oscar.
As I have said before– I heard from Vanessa’s Granddad that at one point she was given less than a 14% chance of surviving due to her age and size etc.
Just surveying the messages etc I have my fears.
Re the petition it now has 8,653 signatures as of a moment ago but needs to be publicised more to keep the momentum up. It will grow exponentially the longer it is out there but I will maybe try and give it a wee boost or two.
Now the Celtic have relented on the 111 area issue will they allow the G B in to decorate C P the way they did for the Barca game?