Two clubs from outside the top five wealthy leagues reached the quarter finals last season but Benfica were drawn against another team from outside the big five, Zenit St Petersburg. Apoel Nicosia eliminated Lyon in the last 16 on penalties (we should be practicing penalties every week between now and then).
Two teams, Basel (who earlier eliminated Manchester United) and Bayer Leverkusen (who eliminated Valencia), lost seven goals in one game in the first knockout round last season. This tournament retains an ability to be harsh and unforgiving at every moment. Leverkusen actually conceded 10 to Barcelona over two games.
Apoel Nicosia conceded eight to Real Madrid in the quarters. The Cypriot team held things together for as long as they could but failed to reach group stage of the Europa League this season, going out at the hands of Neftchi Baku (Azerbaijan).
Our seven potential opponents, all from the top five leagues, will each present an enormously difficult challenge but some are easier than others. Our biggest advantage is our own position. Those seven clubs will each underestimate Celtic, we have by far the lowest coefficient of all teams left in the tournament.
Thanks for the great support for the CQN Annual. You can order online here!
We are enormously outgunned and inexperienced at this level but we know a few things:
We can defend under incredible pressure.
We can score, home and away, against anyone.
We cannot retain possession. This is not a good thing, but it is an acknowledged weakness, so we know not to plan to retain possession. If in doubt, laces through the ball and get into position.
Our opponents will know we have the tallest team in the competition. Height is an advantage until your opponent learns how you use it. During the first half on Wednesday Celtic tried to repeat the corner kick success we enjoyed against Barcelona and Benfica but Spartak had read the script. We will be unlikely to score the same goal again in Europe. A fresh plan is needed.
The Spartak goal is a real lesson. This is not a goal we would have conceded against a far superior Barcelona. We had a 1-0 lead and our entire left flank was exposed, compromising a winning position. We can leave our left flank exposed at Kilmarnock tomorrow but this kind of laissez-faire defending came within 8 minutes of eliminating us on Wednesday and will do so in the next round if repeated.
Penalty kicks determined the outcome of 50% of Champions League knockout ties last season (20% after games, 30% during games). No amount of practice is too much.
Planning for the quarter finals starts now.
The next issue of CQN Magazine will be out next week. If you would like to advertise get in touch, advert@cqnmagazine.co.uk.
[calameo code=00039017193b8a8bbd612 lang=en page=126 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
1,417 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 31
- 32
- 33
- 34
- 35
- 36
- 37
- 38
- »
BLANTYRE TIM,PF AYR
Bath is particularly stunning at this time of year.
The students are all still there………..
I would like tp congratulate all sevcovians on celebrating their history today. A mighty achievement cramming 140 years of history into 178 days. A new world record in fact.
Bt
No going near the parkville
Al be nowhere near the parkville
No going near the parkville
Al be no where near the parkville
Mon you bhoys in green
summa at 04.51
?
Are you looking for nessie? No, nor am I. the only monster I’ve ever looked for on Loch Lomond was of the Esox lucius variety. Good work in taking the quote I posted from hun media earlier and trying to attribute it to me to me You show your class with that effort .
I’ve no idea what your caledonia canal drivel was about so cant respond to that. but thanks for the lessons in english and metallurgy, both should come in handy. Do you do lessons in gibberish, you should because you post enough of it.
And yes I’m still trying to sell my wee toy and will do up until I do. She’s out of the water for the winter and my insurance is due in January so I’m hoping to offload her before then. Thanks for your concern and stop being such a snob. Post me some pics of your tub.
Mon the hoops.
BMCUWP
What are offering some paternal advice :))
Big Georges Fan Club
go to the standing order on george street, they should be showing it and its a typical weatherspoons family pub
if for some reason they arent, then just go round to rose street and pop your head in the numerous pubs there, some of them will be showing it and be family friendly
im sitting in my edinburgh office working a rare saturday and wont even be able to see it, nightmare!
BMCUW
PF beat me to it… o))
jinkster
down club for 2nd half..
29/10 minus 2 with ladbrokes today
Think we will be reading about gratuitous alienation today!
The Record (I know I know) today claim Celtic are interested in Ryan Fraser as he isn’t signing a new deal at Pittodrie.
In all honesty I’d tak him. If he goes down to England he’ll disappear and if he goes to Sevco he’ll be throwing away a career.
The boy looks a player and he was excellent when he played against us recently (the only Don to cause us trouble).
Would be a good outside left at Celtic.
BLANTYRE TIM,PF AYR
Just looking for one with a white stick and a guide dog-who stays a bit nearer Swindon than Chepstow!
Oh and The Sun ( I really know) claim Liverpool want a Celtic striker but it isn’t Hooper, it is Sami.
Deary me.
hoopy-do
09:33 on
8 December, 2012
Big Georges Fan Club
go to the standing order on george street, they should be showing it and its a typical weatherspoons family pub
—————-
Thanks mate – thats a plan. Sorry you’ll not see it yourself; hope work goes quickly and you have a nice day thereafter.
HH
BGFC
Morning all. Wet and bleak in North Ayrshire today. Quite a contrast from yesterday. Hope the Celtic brighten up the day at Kilmarnock.
Has any of our accountants waded through thon deid team’s latest charade? Has the prospectus any merit or chance of making sevco solvent? Hope not.
Mornin CQNrs
Its a grey looking morning here in the upper reaches of Glasgow.
Still, I dont care I am still buzzing from Wednesday night.
have a great day.
C’Mon the Celts, lets take some Kilmarnock scalps along with the bunnets.
HH
BMCUW
yes mate i will pop in for a few beers hail hail
While I don’t think Sammi will go to Liverpool, he is the type of player that would fit in to Brendan Rodgers way of playing. Sammi is a football player, like Ki, who seems to be playing well at Swansea, which I was sure he would. We need to begin to appreciate the class FOOTBALL players we have; not the blood and snotters type that are valued in Scotland and are destroying our game.
NEILYBHOY
Magic,buddy. Once I fight off all these students-s…ty stick all packed-,you’ll have my undivided attention………….
Gretnabhoy,
Re. the asbestos stuff about Ayebrokes. Unfortunately there is no problem there. The firm who checked it out a few years ago was owned by a tim (my son’s father in law in fact) and, while he was surprised he got the gig given his obviously timmy surname, his firm carried out the full survey of the ground and he assures me there was no problem.
No European hangovers Celtic – a good solid performance and gub Killie.
Morning CQNland
I’ m looking forward to the experts analysing the share prospectus for us laymen.
Anyways, I predict that there will always be A Rangers……. It just won’t be this version !
Snake
Its been a while since sammi was mentioned in tranfer talk
I wonder how much liverpool would value him at … Carrol £30m .. Henderson £18m… Sammi ????
Big Sami has risen above the criticism and abuse he’s had over the years (i mind one particular episode at tynecastle). A while ago my bro and I spoke about how he had KB’d opps to go to Italy. He’s shown more loyalty and commitment to Celtic than most. He may be frustrating at times but he loves Celtic and no one in our team deserves success and adulation more than him. Credit to Lennon for bringing him on.
God bless you big man.
Celtic Underground @celticrumours
“@RhebelRhebel: Another Celtic article in the English Press – http://bit.ly/RgL27T – Mirror – Lennon’s Lions” <- Lots of press down south…
You would never get a journalist from here writing this.
hereh it is, https://www.rangersshareoffer.com/Application/ApplicationCountrySelect.aspx
Emerald bee. I will take your word and thanks; shame!
Monsoon —– way down south .
Note the posts re the Feyenoord Final .
I went to a wedding in Rotterdam in late 69 ..
Went to the football —— Feyenoord 2 —– Milan 0 . Feyenoord absolutely humped an excellent Milan team .
I bored the ass off people with talk of how good Feyenoord were . .
Come the final — I upped my Feyenoord are a real good team line . That tended to get a ” we humped Leeds — who are Feyenoord ? ” response .
Hitched to the final —– I can still see the guy next to me shouting [ at the kick off ] — ” C’mon Celtic get intae these copulating diddaes “.
I can still hear those klaxons .
Hubris is a terrible thing.
Finishing runners-up to Barcelona, and gaining more points than any Scottish team ever has in the Champions League group stages, is a resounding triumph of player spirit over ego and supporter passion over presumption. Here is a real team representing a real club with a history and standing that has nothing at all to do with a stranger’s billions. Here is a manager who’s not a sugar daddy’s latest flavour-of-the-month, but an unglamorous man who’s battled death threats, and used exceptional motivation skills to get the best out of a group of players that cost a pittance.
Hoop dreams: Commons celebrates goal that sent Celtic through
AP
In a humiliating year for British football, when national sides have flopped, clubs have gone to the wall, racism has re-surfaced and overpaid, under-performing individuals have been shamed by Olympian heroes, here is the case for the defence. And it’s a refreshingly honest case.
When asked what this triumph means, Lennon didn’t spout cliches about Celtic now being re-assessed as a proper European force and thus able to attract the world’s best talents. Because he knows that’s garbage. He simply said the progress will be a great experience for the players and fans and that the extra millions generated will safeguard the jobs of many back-room staff at a time when Scottish football is taking a serious financial hit.
Celtic’s success is a massive psychological boost to a country which has often defined itself through its footballing heritage, yet has been diminished by the Rangers scandal and is effectively out of the 2014 World Cup before the group stages get interesting.
Other cheek: Lennon has never walked away from the game
David Ramos
Lennon’s tale is a timely reminder in a year when football has been scarred with racism that bigotry will never triumph. But those who stand up to it can.
For it’s doubtful anyone in British football has ever had more hatred forced down his throat than Lennon. As both a player and a manager the Catholic from Lurgan has been sent bullets, letter bombs and serious death threats.
He’s been physically attacked, subjected to the vilest chants, seen his name written on a wall next to a hangman’s noose, had his family abused, his home put on 24-hour police watch and told before one game that if he captained Northern Ireland he’d be murdered.
Yet he never walked away from the game. He never let them win.
The dubious morality of modern football may make you despair to the point where you question why you invest any emotion in it at all.
And then you come across a story which leaves a glow among the non-sectarian affected neutrals, and thousands, possibly millions, of Celtic fans. And you realise that for all it’s faults, football can still inspire with an intensity no other sport generates
There’s no denying it, Celtic are a special club, and what the team has achieved so far is remarkable considering their finances.
Hail Hail.
Just looked over the Sevco share prospectus.
Jackanory, tell me a story comes to mind…
Dontpatmadug
Thanks very good ( honest and objective) coverage…
Lenny is the guy we need to keep. I hope Lawwell is squaring him up. Would be interesting to know if Lenny has a performance element to his contract. I hope he does as he deserves to be handsomely rewarded for his achievement.
Just got text saying rumour game is off,hope its nonsense….
Unconfirmed. But this is from the jambos head of comms who also says jabba introduced to staff today……
Paul Kiddie (@paulkiddie)
Jim Traynor joins Rangers to head up Comms dept. Remarkable scenes.
rangers 140th anniversary was actually back in March but it was postponed as they were in the process of being liquidated…
Bada bing
The weathers fine down here ….it was cold this morning a bit frosty but not frozen
I’d like to wish a very sincere hearty ‘Happy Birthday’ to Third Lanark who will be 140 come Wednesday.
BSR
only four days younger tha our quiz master CRC…
Pfayr -thanks for that,in Letterkenny for the weekend,forecast looked similar.hh
Lionroars67
Brilliant.