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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War Cabinet?
So who’s Dr Strangelove?
..hmm on second thoughts, maybe not inter cos they didn’t qualify!!
If the huns made a War Cabinet sure they’d only break it
We need a bit of unity if CQN is representative of the Celtic support we are currently divided.Next Wednesday we need to fill Parkhead and we need to raise the roof from the start to the finish.We need to help our team put the fear of death into Shaktar and truly turn Parkhead into Paradise.H.H.
Will take Ajax instead
larsson80
That was a beautiful read. Thank you for sharing it.
Árd Macha
larsson80 – Árd Macha got to ‘beautiful’ and ‘thanks’ before me. But it was a beautiful read. And thank you for sharing it.
Imatim and so is Neil Lennon and May God Bless Wee Oscar
13:07 on
22 August, 2013
Surely you mean parapet?
——
Let’s not enlighten him.
Clink\o/
13:09 on
22 August, 2013
If the huns made a War Cabinet sure they’d only break it
——
What they need is a medicine cabinet.
THM
What do you want me to do, call you names, would that make you feel better.
You have admitted you feel superior, I bow to your superiority, that better..
I posted my feelings, never asked anyone, nor commanded anyone on how to post, so you have a better way with words, fine, as I said, if it makes you feel better to put me down, carry on.
Have a nice day.
HH
Shakhter Karagandy have already eliminated BATE Borisov from this years CL qualifiers. BATE Borisov are three places above Celtic in the UEFA rankings.
BATE Quick News has only seen 1,345 unique hits since their elimination. I suspect we are over-reacting, especially when we have yet to play the home leg.
“PL and his board have gambled big time, again. Even the most pro PLC fans would admit that.”
I have to disagree. The money that has been spent on the current squad dwarfs that of this Kazakh mob.
This wasn’t a case of us being outclassed because we are not good enough. This is a case of a manager failing to put the right team out and the players failing to perform close to their potential.
A striker would be nice but don’t fall into the old Steven Fletcher trap.
Marrakesh Express.Why not look at the situation positively ? We are at home we have more experience we have the support on our side.So we stand on the brink of greatness with qualification to the Champions League proper.H.H.
Imatim 13.07
I think you mean parakeet
timaloy29
At least Steven Fletcher laughs at training….
No fighting in the War Room
“We need a bit of unity if CQN is representative of the Celtic support we are currently divided.Next Wednesday we need to fill Parkhead and we need to raise the roof from the start to the finish.We need to help our team put the fear of death into Shaktar and truly turn Parkhead into Paradise.H.H.”
I fear we don’t have that in us anymore.
Too many times have I seen Celtic go behind in games and the Celtic support would rather abuse their own team than encourage.
Makes my blood boil.
the long wait is over
12:40 on 22 August, 2013
Dexter and Cultsbhoy.
I agree – I am surprised P67 hasn’t been more critical.
OTH perhaps he’s not holding back for any reason other than it is only half time and the first leg result is irrelevant in many respects as long as we get through.
Look, the post is not intended to be ungrateful to Paul for this great site where we are offered a forum for debate agus craic.
However, the idea that “it’ll be all right on the night” or “it’s only half time” is missing the point.
WE SHOULD NOT BE IN THIS POSITION AT HALF TIME AGAINST A TEAM RANKED 362
(Both in the context of transfer failings and tactical failings by management)
We ought to pump SK next week. I so hope we do- but if we do, I will not feel embarrassed about today’s opinion- I say it again- no matter what the result next week, WE SHOULD NOT BE IN THIS POSITION.
The thing we must do on Wednesday,is to get as many shots/ crosses into their keeper in the first 5/10 mins.,I don’t think he has the ability / confidence to handle a high pressure game.If he panics so will their defence.5-0 Celtic.
CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & ever
12:58 on
22 August, 2013
NatKnow – Supporting Wee Oscar
I’m aware P67 intends to give his views on the result after the tie is complete…
I’m interested on his view on the spending strategy so far and the impact of taking us to the point of a MAJOR GAMBLE in the last game. Regardless of the outcome of the match my view is that it is a stupid gamble.
You could ask him that question directly.
But what you were expressing appeared to be disappointment that Paul wants to talk about something else :
“I too was disappointed that P67 hasn’t developed and shaped what is clearly an important debate among CQN-ers in today’s article.”
He can write his “lead” on whatever takes his fancy. It’s not as if there’s going to be a lack of opportunity to present a spirited counter argument or indeed to drive the debate in a different direction. It’s a open forum – sweary words aside.
The good thing lads is that the Celts have the opportunity to make up for their poor performance. It is only half-time! Rather be in the position we are in, than be complacent/play poorly going into the second game.
Celtic players time to show what you can do! Mon the Hoops!
Clink\o/
13:09 on
22 August, 2013
If the huns made a War Cabinet sure they’d only break it
Maybe it’s instead of a trophy cabinet.
See this long throw weapon thingummy…
Q. How many did they have?
A. Hunners
Q. How many did they score from?
A. One
In other words, a weapon of a mass of nothing (except 1).
We will PROGRESS.
Dispatches from the first cabinet meeting:
“See if our club got its act together, together with other likeminded Rangers people. To meet and discuss all things Celtc, we could bring the whole lot down.”
——
“We have a massive battle on our hands against those dirty corrupt fenians.”
——
“The SFA are corrupt [chaps] and are being continually owned by Lieswell and other high profile Taigs in an attempt to ruin Rangers FC”
——
“Or John Reid, Dermot Desmond, Regan, Doncaster, Rod Petrie (his boss is a Papal Knight), or even the likes of Rod McKenzie or similar “low level” types, like BBC folks?
Maybe Lawwell too?
Maybe nothing in it but there is a feeling of orchestration from somewhere”
——
“Tommy Burns was a member of Opus Dei so you might not be far off.”
Chocks away!
glendalystonsils
13:24 on
22 August, 2013
Clink\o/
13:09 on
22 August, 2013
If the huns made a War Cabinet sure they’d only break it
Maybe it’s instead of a trophy cabinet.
———————————-
The huns have invested heavily in a new German cabinet.
Its keeps sallys steak bakes and pies warm all day long without drying them out.
They reckon it will save them hundreds a week in taxi fares furra warm steak bake
Monaghan1900
We just don’t produce the worker ants that the [RC’s] do from age 5………..
That’s where the ‘Hoops’ originated!
C’mon the Ants! :-)
I’ve got an old cabinet in the shed made of mahogany..realy dense wood,do you think the sevcovian war cry could put it to a better use than storing tools?? H.h
For the record my instinct is that we can qualify on Wednesday.
BUT…. I’m probably basing a bit of that instinct on what I want to happen. Truth is we are in the middle of a big gamble that could have been mitigated more than it has.
Monaghan1900
13:28
Brilliant. Opus Dei orchestrating a campaign to “ruin Rangers FC”, but the FollowFollowers are onto them. This is what gave it all away: “Maybe nothing in it but there is a feeling of orchestration from somewhere.”
You can’t get anything past FollowFollow. Except maybe for the fact that Rangers FC has already ruined itself. They’re on the case now, though. That’s the main thing.
Dan Brown should “write” a “book” about it all.
weeminger
as we approach the end of the transfer windae
i can sense that you are turning a little more into a mineshafter with each passing day
cumon doon, its amgic doon here theres a big echo
and from doon here in the darkness ye can see the light
:-)
Not feeling very confident about Wednesday night. Our main hope seems to be the crowd – never seen the crowd scoring a goal yet.
Reasons to be nervous:-
1. Our goalkeeper seems to have lost his confidence.
2. No settled back four – take your pick of 4 from 7.
3. No settled mid-field – pick any 4 from 8.
4. No settled pairing up front, and lack of goals so far this season.
On the plus side – maybe big Derk will get a game and come good.
Here’s hoping !!
HH
Cultsbhoy….
timaloy29
At least Steven Fletcher laughs at training….
I’d laugh at it also if I was on the money he is
But assume you meant during training
The only way I see us getting through guaranteed is if WE fill Celtic park for a proper european night and scare the beejesus out of them before they even kick off – its happened many times before to teams a hell of a lot bigger than these un’s
Why wait on our bored possibly getting a player who might get us through – we have the ability to push the team through all we need to do is turn up !!!!!!
If we don’t do it then we will all be able to let the bored know how we feel and it is a very foolish Celtic bored who don;t listen to the fans !!!!!
So, who’s all the new trolls and is Jack Irvine still buying them Ribena?
Never seen a crowd score a goal but I’ve seen them drive a team to scoring one and making another team totally s@#t itself manys a night !!!!!
GLASGOWS GREEN & WHITE
Celtic_First
13:35 on
22 August, 2013
Question is – do we need our own war cabinet? I don’t think we ought to be complacent. Who’s going to raise his head above the parakeet?
monaghan
war cabinet…pulpit
you`ve taken that too far …yer at it …:¬))
tommysbhoy
13:33 on
22 August, 2013
I’ve got an old cabinet in the shed made of mahogany..realy dense wood,do you think the sevcovian war cry could put it to a better use than storing tools?? H.h
I think if it’s really dense it would suit them perfectly.
Clunks
Sally doesn’t need a German cabinet to keep his stakebakes warm, theyare usually down his neck before they get a chance to get cold!