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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Father to son…
“Answer that phone”
Son to father…
“Dad, it’s a Mr. Carmel Log asking if there’s any room left in the tin”.
A Stor Mo Chroi
Point taken amigo. This isn’t a psychiatrists’ forum.
Tommysbhoy,
It’ll be difficult now but keep the photos handy – they’ll give you many smiles in the future. HH and God Bless.
FFM
Our previous duglet was standing by the window.
Wouldn`t stop barking.
The rest of us all shouting at her to stop.
I went over to her and found that there was smoke coming from the hidden electrical attachments.
You can`t pay for that.
Well maybe an extra large bone.
FFM, mickboy’s 01.11 post on pet funerals is actually not too bad. We had an incident a few years back where my son’s tortoise escaped. We searched daily and eventually gave up. About three months after, the boy came running into the house holding what was left of the tortoise. Unfortunately it had been run over by a tractor and was a bit messed up. That’s putting it lightly btw!!
It was still alive and we took it to the vet and he tried to glue it’s shell back together but it was broken up inside and it died the next day. The boy was distraught. We had a wee ceremony and buried that wee reptile in a pizza box at the bottom of the garden and both my kids although upset got a chance to say bye bye to their wee pet.
Never allow a tortoise to escape in a rural area where tractors are likely to flatten them.
I’ll tell you my dug story in the pub, although it’s not as funny as the tortoise one.
Got a ticket yet bro?
macjay
:)) She’s barkin “Macjay, ya stoopit bollocks, there’s a fire here ffs !”
:))) Love them to bits :)
ACGR,
FFS. Aye, mister “just bury it in a pizza box” :)
Bought two tickets today for 409, then found out a good pal had got us hospitality tickets as a wee surprise for moi (so he says :)))
So I don’t know how to arrange around this hospitality pish, never been there/ done it before. If I meet ex-rozzers I might get chucked out before the game starts! Not got the details, but from what we know, need to be at CP 2 hours before the game. Which means I’d need to meet you at 16:00 hours to give you my F@@@ UEFA banner so you can sneak it in and display it for me :))))
FFM – txt Mack83 £? to 70070 – God bless Oscar & Mackenzie
01:34 on
23 August, 2013
macjay
:)) She’s barkin “Macjay, ya stoopit bollocks, there’s a fire here ffs !”
She was right.
The wee bitch.
Loved the chat,pal.
Affoot.
FFM? I’ll not be taking your banner this time, ffs I’ll have my boy with me and he’s the sensible one:-)
Good to see you got fixed up for tickets. I’ll not be getting to fun city till about six o’clock so by that time I’d imagine you’ll have all that hospitality bevy sloshin aboot and be makin a right dick of yerself. I’ll catch up in September bruv. Enjoy the game and give me a wave at half time from your posh booze nest. Naw naw, I’m not jealous at all:-)
The tortoise pizza box story is gen btw. It was sad at the time as my son was about eight and was really upset, but if you cant laugh at how you deal with the death of a pet then it’s a sorry day. The ACGR mutt story is a good one too but she’s gone and I’ve a big grin right now thinking of some of the stuff she did over the 14 years we had her.
Loved the stories about your wesite.
HH
macjay
HH Amigo.
I might have been unfair there – dugs are usually crying out at me for my stupiditiy but not your good self. You know what I mean.
My dog story is not so pretty.
Wife bought a wire fox terrier but then would not have anything to do with him.
I travel out the country for work so I used to put him in a kennel in New Paltz NY that only had his breed.
One December I was leaving for 2 weeks so booked him in.
It was a journey of about an hour to get there.
My 2 kids aged 9 and 7 asked if they could come with me and I said only if you don’t rile the dog up as he gets car sick.They promised so let them come.
Set off in foul weather as it was sleeting.
Of course they failed on the promise and I kept warning them about noising up the dog.
We were in a Jeep Cherokee and the dog in the boot was bouncing around.
Then the inevitable happened he leant over backseat and puked on my son who was directly behind me.
My son let out a scream then puked everywhere including the back of my head.To make things worse my daughter yells that’s disgusting and promptly joined the puking party.
Cue me pulling car over to shoulder and screaming like a loony.
Take off all our tops and clean up as best I could with the shirts and threw them away.
Drove fuming about ten miles in a stinky car with windows open and snow falling to a place called Woodbury commons which is a shopping outlet.
Walked into the Calvin Klein store in what was now a blizzard topless and bought 3 tshirts.
Think they didn’t no wether to sell me them or call the police.
That wife is now an ex!
BRTH
The gamble players take when listening to their agents ‘advice’ is that the buying club can always move on and often does and sometimes the player, who was looking for a move, dependant on his conduct, is left to the wrath of his own supporters.
I can’t see why we dance around a price. The selling club has a value on its player, if Celtic, in time of need, want that player, then they make a fair best offer (not a derisory offer if you want to be taken seriously), no negotiations, put the offer on the table with a three day table life, and move on.
Simplistic I know (there are other parameters to be considered, agreement with players terms, etc., but the process could be repeated) now it works in most other walks of life.
The world knows Celtic are good for the dosh.
Often all the procrastination just reminds me of Walter going to Italy on the last day of the window.
Google Celtic We won’t be held to ransom
ACGR,
Now you’re really putting me off this hospitality pish.
Can I not even give you a “Sack the Board” flag to wave? :)))
Am not comfortable with this.
Can see me telling the waiter, “These runner beans don’t have enough pace….”
Then getting chucked oot when I unfurl a “Selfish Bollocks” banner pointed at all around me :))))
Hi FFM & macjay1,
I hope you fine lads are keeping well.
The olde Counterstrike GO CQN clan still only consists of me and the wee man, we are definitely Getting Better at the game itself, well he is. I’m flatlining but played all the older versions and basically getting older, it certainly isn’t the legs that go in this game. :P
Favourite game
Favourite game when I was a kid was Cowboys and Indians, Hollywood is instep with the Globalist agenda, obviously the Indians were the baddies back then, just like, take yer pick of any ME Country now. I’m sure they will be demonised by the same forces.
Luckily enough I was @ work on Tuesday and never got to see the game, I have it taped and I watched about 25 minutes or so before chucking it the other night, not because I was disgusted or anything, I just had to get up early. In those few minutes Celtic played OK I thought but lost a dreadful goal defensively.
Looking at the team, Neil got it wrong IMO, we all make mistakes, especially me, I am hopeful though that Neil will rectify this at Celtic Park next week.
It shouldn’t be the Biggest game of the Season but unfortunately it is, I hope I can make it, because if we start well, there will be no better place to be. If we start poorly, the players will really cop it from the boo brigade, they may need to develop the rhinoceros hide their Leader has undoubtedly preached to these youngsters about.
fan-a-tic
:)) You’re right to blame the ex :))
Although, you should have taken more precautions to ensure dug-a-tic was more comfortable.
Dugs don’t puke easily, which makes me think you’re also a poor driver.
HH
:))
fan-a-tic, meanwhile yer mutt was in the back of the jeep doing this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uSTOHa4Im4
The club are on the right path. However nothing in football is straightforward. 5 years ago, we lacked a strategy and we seemed to make reactive decisions. Criticism was a valid response to the end of the Strachan era and the Mowbray era.
However, if people only speak up to criticise , and don’t acknowledge the good that has been done, then they are not playing fair.
The club now has a sustainable and viable strategy. There will be elements of that strategy that frustrate. Thats just too bad . Look across the City. Look at the collection of Hooks, Crooks and comic singers who have owned and run that Club ( and tribute act club) .
They have ended up in the horrible place ( for them) in part, because an ego maniac wasn’t strong enough to stand up to the baying of the crowd. He was so allergic to any kind of personal criticism, he borrowed, spent, and cheated his way to the Corporate Mortuary.
Naturally some decisions that are made by our board seem at odds with logic. However you have to caveat that by stating that all the facts are not in the public domain. £2 million on a panic buy striker is likely to produce a Mo Bangura. How on earth would that have helped us beat Shakter !
£5 million strikers want to leave us, not join us. We need to start dealing in a little reality. The market for us is in unproven ambitious talent ( Wanyama & Van Djick as examples) or guys with something to prove ( Sammi & Derk)
The only way to entice a proven talent, is to pay him more, probably much more than an EPL or Bundelsiga club would pay him. Is that really what is being advocated on here ? Because the club have to deal in reality, not hypothetics.
Take a guess a what Schalke’s budget is ?
It’s the 2nd highest in the Bundesliga. Their revenue is €174 million (thats €100 million more than ours), and their annual player wage budget is €85 million , or in laymen’s terms 3 times ours.
They drew at home with PAOK , conceding PAOK a vital away goal. Schalke are ranked 14th in Europe , Paok 67th. The Paok annual player wage budget is €5 million . In addition FIFPro have just advised all members to excercise extreme caution before signing for any Greek club.
What does all this prove ? Spending vast amounts more than your opponents is a guarantee of nothing in a one off match, and a guarantee of very little in a 2 legged tie.
The strategy is working, has worked for 3 years and will continue to work. What will derail it though is knee jerk signings to please a baying crowd.
The club has earned the right to be trusted. It’s time we all did that.
Pedro,
Lenny always rises to the biggest challenges.
MIBs allowing, we’ll win this one I think.
Either that, or UEFA want to see us in the EL to re-invigorate its appeal.
Now the latter’s got you thinking hasn’t it.
Who would be the best club to re-ignite interest in the fading Europa league?
barcabhoy,
We seem to have swapped sides of the fence.
Your summary is good, and I think most supporters get that.
Other issues you skirted are equally important though.
No judgements at my end, but eyes wide open.
Did the GB get the shortbread and tea at the last meeting?
Barcabhoy
02:06 on 23 August, 2013,
As ever, an excellent post.
Barcabhoy:
One of the things that beats me is why so many people use Rangers as a benchmark for us. We are not Siamese.
A lot of Supporters do not think it is good business acumen to allow four specialised employees, all from the same department, to leave at a crucial time, and replace them with a prospect.
Voicing that concern is not knee-jerk.
There is nothing wrong with scouting the other end of the age spectrum in the player market; there are players there that could prove valuable assets to Celtic.
Why restrict your ambition and potential by being myopic, unless ambition never was part of the equation.
Lubo.
FFM,
As the Auldheid says, let us wait and see.
The PES 14 promotion video would not want Celtic in the Europa League. Celtic beat Bayern.
Pedro @ 02:19,
Ah! So how do they promote an EL computer game from now on?
Come on amigo, you usually have yer googles well wide :)))
We’re going to the EL and will progress. The question for me is, who knows this.
a stor mo chroi
02:17 on 23 August, 2013
—————
I’m not using them as a benchmark, quite the opposite. I’m using them as an example of a lunatic strategy.
I believe there is a place for experience within our strategy, such as Miku ( didn’t work) and Kelvin Wilson( worked well).
The strategy isn’t Cookie Cutter, it has fluidity, however the bulk of signings will fit with main criteria
FFM, see if you take the canes oota yer banners you can smuggle them both into the posh area up yer jooksies. Just don’t be letting of any pyro’s at the table you’ll give us all a bad name.
Enjoy your night, they tell me the foie gras is exceptional when eaten at altitude and 409 is pretty high up there.
I’ll be in coia’s at 1 o’clock on Saturday before the game if you fancy a swally.
I’m off to have a conference call with some greedy hydrocarbon foreigners, blah blah work etc. Catch you later.
Hail Hail. We Are Celtic.
FFM,
You are going to the game knowing we are going to the Europa League? ;)
Keep the Faith young Padawan.
Where can I get a bet on Celtic winning the Europa Cup @ this stage? :))
Just bid adieu to the bhold Teuchter of this parish who is back in the old country for a family wedding.
Great to see u brother .
5 hours chat on all things Celtic and a rake of lager to boot.And on a school night.
Lets all hope corporate Celtic is a phase and we are soon back to what we should be……a club that represents a people and a cause.
Hail Hail
Morning Celts, great night on the French red. Unfortunately up at 6:15am for work. Speak to you all thwn and I’ll tell you how to beat the Kazaks…….nytol
Petec,
Yagguwafice??
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geH5cm1HiD0
Tele.
Left there, Bach ten Brave men
For BMCUW:
http://youtu.be/rvBCmY7wAAU?t=57s
Pedro @ 03:52,
FFS..
That song means a lot to me – many heartbreakers, disappointments, stories of embarrassments.
Mrs FFM Numero 1 has since apologised.
Mrs FFM Numero 2 still regrets my masculine prowess.
I do of course, talk shite. :)))
Mrs FFMs 1, 2 and 3 have all rescused me from drunken nightmares and deserve nighthoods for doing so.
I live to tell the tale, thanks to their kind hearted souls.
WTF? Odd Thursday night :(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuonsuR3j9E
Evil half-wit rozzer clowns win?? >:(((
Surely not !!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8XEebRviKo
FFM,
[ I Am ] that is being promoted all over frae a New Age paradigm.
I noticed you knocked off the K from knighthood, that does indeed SKEWER the English Gematria accolade of 666. You my Friend, are rocking like a rhinoceros, Like I knew you would. I am not very well educated but I know what is right and what is wrong. I know that everything that has went wrong in my life, has in the main, been down to me, making wrong choices, usually from a MSM.
The Future is uncertain. Celtic is something that should be put on a pedestal at this moment in TIME. F*ck Geo Politics. Thankfully the GB will be back starting Songs, hopefully they are not harrassed anymore. If they persist harrassing the GB, they might as well cut to the chase and start harrassing MOI.
Take that to the bank ya big dug hatin, inhumane, power trippin, superior fudsworth secret society exclused waste of space, ye… Mwahh xx
Pedro, when it comes to me missing the “k” from “knighthood”, you dramatise it very well :))) On looking back now, it seemed so obvious.
Remind me never to get involved in a debate with your pernickety elf :))))
@ 04:46,
Apols, should read ” Big Dick”.