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
- ...
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- ...
- 38
- »
ernie lynch – You find out a woman has died and you immediately launch into a bitter mini rant fueled by your dislike of a young couple you’ve never met.
Pretty nasty stuff Ernie. (thumbsup)
Have to agree with Ernie regarding our “special relationship” with Barca. IF it were true why did they not put out a full team against Benfica? Surely if it were the case the players would have demanded it to ensure a better chance for us qualifying. I’m afraid to say I’ll still enjoy watching them but if they win or lose it won’t matter a jot to me. There’s only one team looking out for Celtic…….n that’s Celtic…..”Special Bond?”….don’t think so
Having said that I would hate to play Barca again, doing so means that we will have qualified for at least the last 8.
I shall retract that but those games were awful to watch from a tension point of view.
They would be capable of putting 6 past us given fortuitous circumstances.
Keano-16
Senior Member
Join Date: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,404
Last 16 Draw
PSG cant play Porto
Schalke cant play Arsenal
Malaga cant play Real Madrid/Valencia & Milan
Dortmund cant play Real Madrid
Juve cant play Donestk or Milan
Bayern cant play Valencia
Barca cant play Valencia/madrid or the hoops
Man U cant play Galatasary/Arsenal
So we have increased chances of facing Malaga, Juve and Man U
For all those who thought the Spartak fans were ‘great’
http://local.stv.tv/glasgow/204673-spartak-moscow-fans-breached-peace-in-fights-on-day-of-celtic-game/
Kayal33@15:14
Cheers mate, just good to see him back!
HH
/Bishop B
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
15:14 on
7 December, 2012
BMCUW,
I’m actually enjoying it, and I’m afraid you cany claim to speak for most, you can’t even claim to speak for most moon howlers.
~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~
I did not suggest that I did. Read it properly.
Everybody – well almost – loves us!
http://www.thecelticwiki.com/page/Quotes+-+About+Celtic
HH!!
Ernie…,
Here here on both issues, romanticises fooling themselves on the barca front and masons trying to ingratiate with the royals
canamalar – Philvis,
Yer point mason ?
My point is that, although I have no doubt you are technically a fully functioning adult, if I’m being kind your observations are often abstruse. (thumbsup)
canamalar – Here here on both issues
Did you mean “hear, hear”? (thumbsup)
voguepunter
My first thoughts when I heard about the prank was if there would be any repurcussions for the staff involved. I’d have hoped that the bosses would have put a metaphorical arm around their shoulders and told them not to worry about it and leave them to get on with their jobs.
Mort
philvisreturns
15:19 on 7 December, 2012
The ‘bitter mini rant’ wasn’t directed at ‘a young couple you’ve never met’ but at the obsequious way they are treated.
And in a way your knee jerk reaction has helped to prove my point.
BMCUW,
The just as far as I could see was that izzy and his merry little band should bugger off and start his own blog because you are intolerant, no ?
“the nasty streak in you.”
philvis – You find out Ernie has said something against the royal family and you immediately launch into a bitter mini rant fueled by your dislike of a CNQ poster you’ve never met.
Pretty nasty stuff Philvis
Quite apart from any ‘ special relationship’, why did a club with so much debt feel so cavalier about the 1 million euros of prize money available for a CL group win ?
What arrogance it was for them to field a reserve side.
ernie lynch
15:09 on 7 December, 2012
;))
PeteTheBeat
15:09 on 7 December, 2012
:((
This site is awesome, possum.
Kilbowie kelt- Good news and thanks for doing that, you are great poster with high standards and values, maybe we will get a chance to meet up at some point in the future.
HH GS10
Mort
You would hope so,but these high heid yins probably seeing their OBE’s slipping away.
Without looking to start another rammy,
Can someone enlighten me as to what edward ursus has said or done to offend some of the bloggers?
To be honest ive always found the guy able and willing to debate or explain any point he has made, whether thats about the club he supports or anything else,
from what I can gather edward ursus is known to our host who holds him (as T4 said earlier) in some regard,
Is it really because hes not a Celtic Supporter?
voguepunter
I wonder how a statement from the hospital will be worded. With a story like this it won’t be too long before we have information from a family member of the nurse.
I’m thinking there are probably news hounds outside her house now.
Mort
CANAMALAR
You take being disingenious to new levels.
The equivalent of agitating for ROCKAGAINSTRACISM being faced down by the forces of ROCKAGAINSTROCKAGAINSTRACISM.
Grow up,ffs.
ernie lynch – The ‘bitter mini rant’ wasn’t directed at ‘a young couple you’ve never met’ but at the obsequious way they are treated.
Anorexic stalker and dimwitted?
At least let the body cool before you use it as a stool to climb on board your high horse.
And in a way your knee jerk reaction has helped to prove my point.
You’re a twister Ernie. (thumbsup)
The Comfortable Collective – And you are? (thumbsup)
I only logged on to post an inflammatory statement.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS – You take being disingenious to new levels.
He’s in the Witless Protection Scheme. (thumbsup)
Philvis..,
There’s no questioning you grasp on the English language that’s a fact, however you moral code and your allegiance with Masonic values leaves a lot open to question.
It’s ok to joke about the tears of the dispossessed but leave the royals alone, Masonic is as Masonic does.
Most of us discovered by the age of 9 that all Rangers fans are in denial and Totally delusional. The condition leads to a smokescreen finger pointing avoidance mentality to deal with any pertinent issues. I am convinced there is a gene there somewhere that will be isolated and identified.
Ed for me is not a hun because love not hate is his over riding emotion. He loves his hoop wearing grand weans and I am certain they love him.
All these discussions have been done to death with Ed by my good self and many others.
That many on here have not yet worked out the moral sommersaults that need to be practised by any person wanting to support Rangers is a worry.
They are quintessentially lazy journalists as they obviously never sussed them out by age 9
I prefer Ed’s civilised contributions to CQN rather than those who still seek those answers. LOL
HH
philvisreturns 15:29 on 7 December, 2012
“The Comfortable Collective – And you are? (thumbsup)”
Pulling your chain old boy, pulling your chain.
philvisreturns
15:29 on 7 December, 2012
You have a perverse sense of priorities.
Any time, Goldstar.
It would be a pleasure.
Good luck.
canamalar – How are you dispossessed, exactly? (thumbsup)
BMCUW,
only as disingenuous as you are being
The sovereign’s official expenditure in 2011-2012 was £32.3million, up £200,000 on the previous year. Never the less, while we tighten our purse strings It has just been announced that the Queen has been given a pay rise totalling £6Million. Meanwhile children in this country, i.e. her subjects, are going hungry.
Che – 15:28 on 7 December, 2012
Some people just can’t entertain the possibility that they’re might be a single Rangers supporter that’s a normal person. That you can abhor a size able part of the clubs associations but still find yourself unable to lose your love for them.
Put it this way, I fell in love the with Celtic Football Team, long before I fell in love with the Celtic Football Club. If the club and the majority of it’s fans were to adopt a stance I couldn’t agree with, I doubt I’d lose my love for the team.
The Comfortable Collective – You got me. The biter bit. (thumbsup)
Awe_naw
Ed IS always civilised…..But…as far as The Rangers are concerned….there’s no denying……He’s in denial…..and that obviously upsets a whole lot of people…
izzy,
That’s only part of the cost of the monarchy, which is cunningly split into different budgets and different payments.
The total cost to the country is around £200M per annum.
izzy
15:35 on
7 December, 2012
Good point