“We are not adapting to anyone.” The words of Real Madrid forward, Vinicius Junior, at yesterday’s media conference. When you are European champions, when you are Real Madrid, you can afford to think this way.
We need to get beyond this mentality early. Compete, confident in our own ability, without the mental fragility that crept in, in Europe, last season. Our opponents may be Real Madrid, but every player in green and white hoops tonight, is a Celtic player.
I was born in May 1967, so missed the era when we were genuine European giants. In our European Cup quarterfinal against Real Madrid in 1980, we were under no illusion that the glory days were coming back. We reach that stage having beat Partizan Tirana and struggled past Dundalk and knew our level.
The only previous time in my Celtic supporting life when that was not true, was when we travelled to Turin in 2001. Juventus went 2-0 ahead but we pegged them back to 2-2, before a dive and penalty denied us a point. Right at that moment, anything felt possible. We didn’t know how far Martin O’Neill’s Celtic team could go.
Today feels like then. We have no right to expect anything more than an honourable drubbing at the gifted feet of Real. But with confidence in Hatate, Jota, Abada, McGregor, Cater-Vickers and the rest. With supreme confidence in Kyogo, a talent we have watched blossom before our eyes, we again can only wonder, how far can this Celtic team go?
I have never known so many Celtic fans look ahead to a Champions League game against a European giant with absolutely no fear. We know we have a great team; we know we are on an upwards trajectory; we have earned the right to have a go at the European champions. Let me at them!
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Niiice
B/G looms large — if we are not on point the results will be poor.
Nothing to fear except fear itself
Go to it Celtic
HH
For the record — CMcG was a lot better in the second half on Saturday.
Still not consistent enough but was involved in a few big plays.
We have an interesting couple of months coming up with.
2 new blokes to show their stuff.
TFOD2.1 changing their MF changed the game.
First half was all about MO’R managing to link up with the front 3.
A faniel.
AP has managed to get an active squad together with only a couple of gaps — well really only one.
Two for each position — SH would appear to be MO’R understudy for this week anyway.
Then you have the spare GK and three spare Pivots / DM’s.
OA vs YI vs JMcC — discuss at length.
Better to have another defender / one MF’er / one forward but we now have 26 active players.
Hopefully SR doesn’t get forgotten about.
He seems to have something just a case that we don’t know exactly what it is.
Celtic vs Real Madrid
HH
Home game vs anybody — we need to be competitive.
Tonight will tell us if that is now or after another transfer window.
I think we are very close to something “not bad / half decent”.
We look to be more dangerous against good teams who want to give it a go than defensive teams who just want to play in their own 18 yard box.
Tonight should be perfect for us.
Big Jimmy at 7.03
Todd R wasn’t really my bag but I did see him supporting Zeppelin at Knebworth many moons ago
Vinicius Jr is the danger man. We’ll need to deal with a different sort of danger, two of the best long passers in the game passing from deep to him cutting in from the wing. A massive test for Jura and the center halves.
HOT SMOKED on 6TH SEPTEMBER 2022 11:50 AM
Nearly 40 minutes worth hear but Marc Bosnic speaks very well:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weKWvWwPz9U&ab_channel=TheCelticWay
Thanks, very interesting and a great watch
What a superb post Paul67! No doubt the players feel the same.’Let me at them’ Indeed.
T
BoJo is gone — how he ever got there in the first place shames the nation / reality.
Three things holding us back — the press / the Treasury / identity politics.
Will we ever learn?
A great occasion to look forward to, we’ve nothing to lose.
You have to play the long game in these CL qualifiers, so the minimum I’m hoping tonight is a performance that puts a marker down and makes some teams think twice.
Ultimately, we’re aiming for third place and hoping for second. We need Real Madrid to be fully engaged in a tough qualifying process right up and including match day 5 when they play RBL away. Ideally I’d want Real to secure both qualification and group winners on match day 5, then they can drop their guard on match day 6 at home to Celtic.
The games that matter to us are taking points against Shaktar and at home to Leipzig, 9 points from those games would make the group very interesting. We’d then be hoping Real get close to a clean sweep, and perhaps Shaktar manage to nick a point from Leipzig. The omens aren’t bad, many of the shock results happen on matchdays 1 and 6, when teams either (respectively) aren’t yet in the zone or their fate is already sealed. On those days we have the toughest team and Leipzig have (potentially) the easiest, so a jolt to form may benefit us.
The respective managers are also interesting. Setting aside the all-conquering Ancellotti, both Leipzig and Shaktar have relatively new and unsuccessful managers. Leipzig appointed 36 yr old Domenico Tedesco in December last year, in his 4 club managerial career his only honour is the German FA cup equivalent which he won last year. His European performances at Leipzig are well known, with his only decent result beating Atalanta in the CL quarter finals, then being embarrassed by sevco in the semi. This is the sum of his European experience apart from a couple of qualifying rounds with Spartak Moscow which didn’t go too well.
Shaktar lost their Italian manager in July, who decided he didn’t want to work in a war zone. They appointed Igor Jovicevic shortly after, who has a very low key and quite chequered managerial history, his only other “big club” being Dinamo Zagreb where he managed for 7 games. He’s never managed a game in Europe. This is a very low key appointment for Shaktar, and probably indicative of their “holding position” status, they’ve probably already written off this season from a European perspective.
All that will take care of itself. A lot of miles to go in this group but I’m happy with the way the fixtures are falling. Enjoy Celtic v Real under the lights at Paradise in the knowledge qualification will not be won or lost tonight.
It’s a different sort of opposition to what we might expect – they had less possession than the opposition in every game in the knockouts last season. Even domestically they have less of the ball more often than not. Well organized like all Ancelottis teams, disciplined in defense, then quick counters with long balls to the quick wingers and Benzema.
We’ll see plenty of the ball, and they do concede
21st Century — our football peak was BM dancing on the pitch at P/head because they had managed a draw.
Close second was WGS efforts against ACM in 2007 — one sclaff away from putting them out before they went on the win the CL.
That is who we are.
That is where we need to be.
Anything else is second rate bean counter excuse making.
AP has got us climbing the mountain.
Others just wanted to walk on by and keep to the SPL hill.
https://twitter.com/Football_Scot/status/1567080029376364544?t=XlbCXYDOIS7cK6RrWomp2A&s=19
Zadoc the Priest, v Man City at CP
Incredible….
Celtic vs Real Madrid
Back in the champions league.
Soak it up Celts
https://twitter.com/cal67__/status/1566892185676644352?t=bd01ptNOyeB165l13500zg&s=19
HH
Big Jimmy- if you get the Firestick loaded with the app most folk have,you won’t need Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sky Sports, BT Sport,Premier Sports, Sky Movies etc etc
FRED COLON on 6TH SEPTEMBER 2022 12:20 PM
Big Jimmy at 7.03
Todd R wasn’t really my bag but I did see him supporting Zeppelin at Knebworth many moons ago
……………..
I didnt remember/know of him back in the 1970’s. and I can NOT claim to be a fan etc. However, Todd Rundgrens Song is recently played during a TV Advert for Gala Bingo ( i think ?). I heard the Song on TV and quite liked it. so I looked it up on Youtube.
The song is from 1972, when I was only 16 years old, and into T-Rex, Led Zeppelin etc. I dont remember being ” Taken” by the Song back then, but I do quite enjoy it now.
HH.
Gala Bingo vs CL tonight — what is happening to CQN?
!!BADA BING!! on 6TH SEPTEMBER 2022 12:46 PM
Big Jimmy- if you get the Firestick loaded with the app most folk have,you won’t need Netflix, Amazon Prime, Sky Sports, BT Sport,Premier Sports, Sky Movies etc etc
…………………
Cheers mate.
I am hoping that my PC Tech Guy will do the Firestick set up later Today or Tomorrow as he promised on the Phone yesterday?
HH Mate.
We’ll seeCSC
Celtic vs Real Madrid.
God bless every Celtic fan attending
You are Celtic to the core.
Now make some noise.
Shake the foundations.
You are watching Glasgow Celtic putting on a show.
Shout your head of true Celts
Support the team
And watch history in action.
God bless Celtic,Celtic fans in attendance and the global huddle that will gather in support of Celtic.
God bless Celtic
HH
Would Angeball be improved if it allowed for the occasional parking of the bus when the circumstances justify it eg if you’ve managed to snatch a lead against a better side?
BT Sport 2.45 What I Wore with Henrik Larsson, followed at 3 by Celtic v Real Madrid U 19s live
SONSOFERIN on 6TH SEPTEMBER 2022 12:38 PM
👍
Haksabanovic for the winner , there I’ve said it …..
Concentration is a must , no gifts and if they win make sure they earned it .
https://youtu.be/ruHNBNzNovU
Celtic 2 Madrid 0…..
U19’s game — is it being played out in Airdrie?
If yes then timely reminder that we need a B team stadium pronto.
Paul 67
The best post that you have put up in as long time 👍
FAO MODERATOR…
WHEN are YOU and or PAUL67 GONNA get rid of this Sick Vermin Poster on here who calls himself MAD BITCH or Mad Mitch ?
I sent an Email to PAUL around THREE WEEKS Ago about this SICK Poster and his attempt to MOCKING Folk ( like me) who just happen to be DISABLED, and as yet I have heard NOTHING back from PAUL67 on this issue.
Several OTHER Posters at the time, submitted Posts telling this MAD BITCH that he/she was/is a DESPICABLE Poster etc.
What is being done about my complaint ?
Mod88 — some win / some you lose.
Your gaff / P67’s rules.
I have no idea of how our current Celtic will measure up to Real Madrid tonight. I have little idea of how ready we are for Leipzig or Shakhtar either.
These are all more battle hardened outfits than us.
The Real player who said they have a 2nd 11 who could match Celtic’s first 11 was speaking a truism and was not at all arrogant. Not only did it cost more to assemble and keep that 2nd 11, those players have all played more competitive games against competitive teams than our lads have.
But on any given day………..
That is why we dream AHEAD…. because DURING and AFTER it will be reality and not a dream.
I am very relaxed about this fixture because any point will be an unexpected bonus.
I hope to see my team brave enough to play the game style they want to develop and puncture the Madrid defence on several occasions, maybe even scoring a few times.
But any parking of the bus, will be because Real have forced us back into defence and not because we want to be there or stay there.
I’ll take any result tonight bar a severe drubbing so long as we remain true to ourselves. Our guys tonight will mostly be getting their first taste of this rarified atmosphere. I want them to be looking forward to their second taste at the end.
That means being brave and being competitive, even if we end with no points to show for it.
We have earned the right to be there. Now we have to earn the right to perform there.
Sneaking my nine year old grandson out of school early in order to catch the start of the youth game at the Shyberry.
Don’t anyone tell the heidy 🤪
MAD MITCH @ Rumbelows
If I’ve learned anything about football over the last four decades it’s that the only way to assess both a team and individual performance, with any degree of accuracy, is to be there in person. There is no substitute for being in attendance.
Even with a state of the art, 60 inch high definition TV with Dolby surround, you do not get the full picture, as it were. Those why file through the turnstiles tonight are privileged indeed.
SFTB @ 1.12
Where does such chat leave Spanish football?
All this effort to find any angle to excuse our potential failure tonight is just the Scottish cringe making it in to the CL.
RM are not a great team but they get great results in the CL when they have to — that in itself should be generating questions about the way they are set up / conditioned.
We have a great opportunity tonight to show a CL audience who we are and what talent we have.
That is where our thoughts should be — not dredging for excuses.
They are there for the taking — hopefully we do enough to put them under pressure.
Our best at the moment is a couple of levels better than BR1 or 2 in the CL.
Just a case that we can be sloppy / wasteful at times.
They are only flesh and blood — some very young and some very old.
You give them too much respect.