Hungarian champions Ferencvaros are seed and have home advantage tonight over Sweden’s Djurgardens for the right to face Celtic in next week’s Champions League qualification second round. Notwithstanding that, the Swedes are likely to be far more difficult opponents.
Djurgardens are 16 games into their season, whereas Ferencvaros have played only one competitive game since June. Djurgardens also overcame stronger opposition to win their first Swedish title in 14 years than Ferencvaros faced in Hungary; there are no teams as good as Malmo in Hungary and I don’t think I have recovered from facing them five years ago tonight, so I hope home advantage favours the Hungarians.
Last night’s demolition of KR Reykjavik was far easier than I expected. Celtic looked sharp from the off, perhaps chastised by sitting on that draw at Kilmarnock for so long, and the wave of negative publicity that subsequently came the club’s way. KR were awful, worse than any Scottish lower-league team I can remember facing. Though like Hamilton, they still made chances….
Still, you can only beat the team in front of you and Neil Lennon’s men did the necessary. If Dundee United manager, Micky Mellon, was watching, he may have asked for a tractor to plough Tannadice ahead of our game there on Saturday.
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Celtic
FoD @ 11.29
Opinion of an egg chaser who gave up football at 12 due to sight issues …
Consequently open to challenge.
BFE can play two roles — trad No.9 / speciality is coming deep to do a bit of link up play.
Second striker coming in off the left — GS style but with a more clinical finish but less pace.
I think he will go further in the game playing as a second striker.
However his talent is such that the trad No.9 role may not be his main strength but he is hugely effective in that position and has added something to it with his close control.
would like to see ajeti smile , looks a dour so and so.
After 16 games played where do Djurgardens sit in the league table?
Hungarians are no mugs Paul67
results would suggest especially decent away from home
2020 EL G CSKA Moscow Rus Ferencváros Hun 0-1 0-0
2020 EL G Ferencváros Hun Ludogorets Razgrad Bul 0-3 1-1
2020 EL G Espanyol Esp Ferencváros Hun 1-1 2-2
2020 EL Q4 Suduva Marijampole Lit Ferencváros Hun 0-0 2-4
2020 CL Q3 Dinamo Zagreb Cro Ferencváros Hun 1-1 4-0
2020 CL Q2 Ferencváros Hun Valletta FC Mlt 3-1 1-1
2020 CL Q1 Ferencváros Hun Ludogorets Razgrad Bul 2-1 3-2
T29 @ 11.55’ish
JF is currently not playing up to his potential and is worse than a man down as he fills space and stifles attacking play on the right wing.
His 5 minutes of effort sometimes delivers but his 85 minutes of sloth does not.
We should be trying someone else on the RW — we had more threat from HAE for long spells of the game.
Some effort at the start of the second half seems to be the way JF plays at the moment.
He needs to do more.
Last time I looked they were a close 4th.
Tend to agree with Paul.We know these kind of teams can be awkward for us.The Hungarians who knows.At the moment,our game,if it is the Hungarians,will be at home,so hopefully,they get through.
Ferencvaros — oh the nightmares.
Played them twice in the same calendar year in the 70’s.
From memory we won the 71/72 QF.
Then lost the 72/73 2nd round tie.
The talk at the time was that we caught them cold in the sprind after their winter break.
While we aere a bit slow of the mark at the start of the next season.
Although a bit of over confidence might have been involved.
Lazy James….dour Ajeti…too wee Greg…
Is it the same on other sites?
Would rather play the Swedes in the next round — oh the nightmares …
However we probably have a bigger game on Saturday.
Probably tougher as well.
Unless Lenny plans on starting Broonie in everyone of our 70 games this season, I would suggest Ntcham should start ahead of him on Saturday. El Hamed in at RB also – Tannadice is definitely a banana skin and we should start our best players on merit – that means a start for Ntcham at very least.
Madmitch
are you not thinking of Ujpest Dosza ?
If we’ve concerns over our defence then we should possibly try and sign a commanding CB before the next round…
JC2 @ grey moment
You are correct — the memory fades but the pain lingers.
Anyway I would rather play the Swedes.
On last night, IMO.Maybe just rustiness,but ,Christies passing was very hit and miss.Great energy,getting about,but not everything needs to be rushed.3 times last night,perfect position to slip the ball through,to put us in.Pass was like a shot.Woefully overhit.Contrast with Ntcham.Everything seems measured,and thought out.Calmac links up beautifully over on the left.Endless service to Moi,and Taylor,who was very good.Jamesy,is just being Jamesy.He will explode sooner than later.El Hatem has to be the RB,he plays like one,gets forward like one,and is tall,as one should be.Wee Jerry,plays like a winger,just filling in.Could do with a wee shot replacing Jamesy,even as a Sub,on wing.Ajetti needs a month getting up to speed and fitness.
You would have to go a long way,to see a better pass,than Julliens to Moi.He has this.We need a big battering CH,to allow him to do these things.He is quick on the recovery as well.Barkas,great early recycling of the ball.Maintains the pace of the team.
Very happy,Eddys goal,still has me beaming.
Initials are baffling I thing JF means James Forrest GS I think is George Samaras but BFE is unknown Big French eddy perhaps.
I was delighted by the 6-0 win and thought Celtic went about the task well after a lay off and no sign of rustiness
AN DUN,
Probably agree about Broony,but he was superb last night.Liked Lenny bringing him off.Long ,long season ahead.One thing,Ntcham must stay.Class act.
Whether you’re a oister or a lurked, please make your opinions on last nights game count by sticking the names of your 3 best performers in an email to me before 10pm tonight, at CQNPOTY@GMAIL.COM
Oysters may vote too! Along with posters. And roasters… ;-)
If we did sign anyone before deadline for next Wednesday, chances of being match fit are slim.
TURKEYBHOY on 19TH AUGUST 2020 12:28 PM
On last night, IMO.Maybe just rustiness,but ,Christies passing was very hit and miss.Great energy,getting about,but not everything needs to be rushed.3 times last night,perfect position to slip the ball through,to put us in.Pass was like a shot.
_________
I was also thinking that Christie was a bit rushed at times last night. On his game, Ntcham is some player and would probably be more consistent in a more skilful league. I wish we had used all 5 subs and gave Frimpong a run in place of Forrest. Rogic also could have got some time.
If Djurgardens win, are we definitely playing in a neutral venue?
!!BADA BING!! on 19TH AUGUST 2020 12:36 PM
If we did sign anyone before deadline for next Wednesday, chances of being match fit are slim.
___
Generally, we don’t rely on new signings to get us through the playoffs. It’s the established players who carry us through.
Maybe a new signing will help come the playoff round.
Turkebhoy
Brownie was far from superb. He was Broonie. Good reading of the game at times (still there in the head), slow to the player who broke beyond him (legs are gone at the high level), literally passed it off to another midfielder (in a game like that what’s the point) and his offensive play was poor (and better teams will give him loads of time).
For my own health I need to stop. Neil will play him and we risk another Cluj contribution from him when the opposition gets better, faster and more skilful.
Play your best players in their best positions! Simple. That’s a midfield of Callum, Ollie and Moi (or Rogic). Christie is in danger of becoming the next Stefan Johansen – all running and little else.
Everything elses is just sentiment and sentiment creates unnecessary risk.
Mad Mitch at 12.02
I agree with your summation – but I’m also an ex-egg chaser, so what do I know. I’ll pass your comment on to my customer and watch him go off at a tangent again (actually, sat next to him at the League Cup Final vs Dundee Utd a few years back and learned more about football in 90 minutes than in the previous 30-odd years).
These may be famous last words but I think we will have too much for United.
They are light up front and if you watched the highlights against Ross County
they gave up chances I would expect us to score.
And please, no Bitton experiments at CH when the margins get thinner. Love the big man but slow as eff on the turn.
Get a CH in and ready for the big boys. Neutral on Duffy (some great qualities and some meh ones) and would rather a left footed, baby-eating, shaven headed iron curtain lunatic who devours pretty forwards…
Maybe I’m alone in thinking that Broonie was a waste of a jersey last night, we had so much of the ball we hardly needed him winning it back. We’d maybe have been better getting minutes into other legs. Ntcham was brilliant and as for Eddy’s dancing feet, he’s got more magic in his feet that David Copperfield has in his whole body.
Be interesting to see Christie’s passing stats, ie what percentage completed. He seems to waste a lot of the ball.
IMHO, he’s not as good a player as he thinks he is.
FieldofDrams,
You’re certainly not alone fella. The Broonie problem could define the small margins that prove the difference between success and failure this year. I’m not confident Neil will take that risk, which is what it will be for us.
I think champions league qualification will be the make or break of Eddie staying this season. We need him and we need to qualify to keep him. He’s a star who doesn’t really care that kuch for our wee domestic squabbles.
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HWGTIAR
On JF. He’s a quality player and shifted into a different gear when Brendan arrived.
However, like any ayer, he needs competition and he hasn’t had that since Paddy left.
If Neil intends to play 2 wingers, we need to think bout getting another decent winger in to provide competition.
Dumbell is an exceptional talent but couldn’t get off the bench against Kilmarnock, even when the whole team merited being subbed.
MJ is another great talent but still has yet to have his full breakout season; his injury record is lamentable and I don’t see it magically changing this year. Plus, he plays off the left.
Winger, LB and CB needed. The latter two are priorities.
Broony does the same thing every game,dont know why people think different.He takes the ball,he moves it on.Normally with around a 98% success rate.Always in position to help out,recieve a pass.Nothing spectacular.
How anyone can say he was poor last night,must have been watching someone else since he took up the role.Cant ever remember another playerI have seen play for Celtic be as consistent over so long a period.
Maybe thats the problem.
Jeff Hendrick to Newcastle
We had competition for Forrest in the lad Shevd , im sure we would all like to know what the problems with him was ? Anyway Lenny loves Forrest so that’s big factor imo :)
Just for balance there were a few players that just outpaced our players other than Broonie, see what you want to see. He’s def not at his peak and will be managed throughout the season but I bet he starts every qualifying game (caveat- unless he’s injured ) for all the intangibles that stats just don’t give.
Joe Ledley was anonymous last night – remember that was constantly regurgitated too
Barkas spilled the ball
El Hamed won’t stay fit
Jullien is a slow starter
Ajer is just sh%te
Taylor too wee
Brown’s legs have gone
McGregor’s invisible
Forrest’s a coward
Christie’s taking Ntcham’s place
Eddy’s hearts no in it
Klimala’s a dud
Ntcham must be gutted
One of the worst 6 nils ever recorded at Celtic Park
Sleeping CSC 💤
Turkeybhoy
“Nothing spectacular” is limited in my eyes. It’s getting slower and it offers little offensively. The Scott of yesteryear is not the Scott of today or tomorrow. That’s a fact. He’s aging and it shows when the opposition is better than last night’s. Nobody in the ECL plays a guy as old as that in a DM position. There’s a reason for that.
I’d like more personally.
Play your best players in their best positions. It’s what other clubs / managers do effectively in managing the greats. No disrespect to Scott or his past contribution.
Anyway,why the gloom about some players.Bada is now a millionaire,and Big Jimmy has just retired a Bookie.
HAPPY DAYS.