If you caught Leigh Griffiths’ post-match Radio Scotland interview you’ll have noticed the profuse support offered to Brendan Rodgers. We’ll discuss that in more detail tomorrow, but what was clear to Leigh and the rest of us last night, was the Celtic dug out an excellent result from a position which would likely have seen them eliminated a year earlier.
We were well on top early on against Legia, Maribor and Malmo but crumbled when the going got tough. Not anymore.
It’s hard to know what’s gotten into James Forrest, one of six Scots in the starting lineup, but I suspect the arrival of Scott Sinclair has had as big an impact on him than that of Brendan. Wide players are always subject to fluctuations in effectiveness levels, but in James and Scott we’ve a standard which is clearly higher than we’ve had for years.
There was a moment late in the game when James was easily robbed attempting a take-on in the final third, but this was a symptom of having run himself into the ground over the previous 80-odd minutes. He played a big part in the result and left nothing on the field.
One of James’ more important contributions was the dinked cross for Leigh’s header which made it 2-0. The goal was technically difficult, but was eclipsed by Leigh’s second. That free kick was in a perfect position to whip at the far post, allowing players to attack the ball, with the keeper not knowing if he should stay on his line to defend the shot, or come out to block a header.
That was the play we all expected, including the Hapoel keeper. Instead, Leigh played an incredibly difficult free kick into the top near post. Brendan Rodgers must have had no idea the player was capable of work like this when he arrived in June.
Scott Brown has been transformed from the player we watched end last season, quite probably because he’s now fully fit. His goal was a worthy acknowledgement of his best game in a year.
Brendan was right to express concern after the game that we let a halftime winning position slip so easily. There were mistakes throughout the team leading to the first Hapoel goal, but I suspect experience will tighten things up.
Kolo Toure was immense. His rampaging run setup the second goal, but when he was caught ahead of the ball on the 55th minute, the defence behind him didn’t have the organisation to prevent a goal. We’ll not see this happen often from now on.
The second half arrivals of Nir Bitton and Moussa Dembele proved decisive. Nir brought a calmness to central midfield as Callum McGregor tired, while Moussa outjumped defence and keeper to score what was a priceless goal.
Craig Gordon’s been under pressure in recent weeks. There was little he could do about Hapoel’ second, a fabulous shot which nicked between Brown and Toure, but he’ll be annoyed their first nipped in at his near post.
This tie, however, turned the moment he made a point-blank save to stop the score going to 4-3. We’ll be able to look back later this season and say that was the moment we secured our Champions League adventure.
Feeling good about last night, but if only we’d a player like Patrick Roberts, or Erik Sviatchenko to come in and take things up a notch……
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AYRSHIRE TIM
You around?
If I invite you too my house for dinner and you shit on my lounge carpet, I most certainly would not want you back in my house ever again.
Makes sense to me.
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 18TH AUGUST 2016 2:34 PM
Gerrybhoy
And you are telling me what?
What i can say or discuss?
Forget that Napoleon.
If you want to keep politics out of Celtic…..start with the rabid Tories on the Celtic board.
I dont know if you have picked up on this….but, we dont always agree on CQN.
Live with it.
Been on this blog a long time…..and you aint telling me jack s***,…do you understand?
You have nothing to say that I could dignify by attempting to understand it. You accused me of blaming the victims. Where is your evidence for that? There is none. I don’t even think that, much less post such bollox. Unless you can back up your assertion (which you obviously can not), your credibility is shot. You should be ignored and that is now what I intend to do.
CLOGHER
I think you highlight the kernel of the problem.
If we don’t like UEFA for the reasons you give then what the hell are we doing playing in one of their competitions ? If we play in their competitions, we accept ALL of their rules until we can achieve emendation of these rules.
If we buy a ticket fora EUFA match we do so on the promissory acceptance that we, as spectators, will abide by THEIR rules. Now, we might all agree that their rules are mince but if we don’t like the conditions attached to the ticket, IMO, we should not attend the match.
Whataboutery being raised by some posters IMHO only conflates issues.
A question for the wider audience : Should Celtic refuse to play in EUFA matches under present EUFA regulations? Simple yes or no answers will suffice.
DELANEYS DUNKY on 18TH AUGUST 2016 2:47 PM
Babasonico
This is a money v morals debate.
Some here value money more than life. Sad
================
Ich bin damit einverstanden mein Führer. ;))
Sorry,couldn’t resist that.
I get you brother,know the price of everything and the value of nothing.
HT…
I was at the demo with my daughter and her friend that day, it was in my eyes just a mix of people that were unhappy about the treatment of supporters of all clubs.
Compassion and solidarity begins with your attitude towards people around you.
It’s easy playing the hero from afar
Gerrybhoy
Did you not…to paraphrase, say that you considered those flying flags…not to be Celtic supporters?
Im sure you did.
Cant be bothered scrolling back though.
I disagree with your posts, and vice versa…..its no big deal.
Although its quite possible, that tomorrow you might say something i agree with….and i would tell you i agreed.
Thats how a blog works.
If we agreed about everything….it would be very boring, would it not?
TGM
The “I’m alright Jack, sod the rest.” attitude of some posters on here, stinks.
As long as Celtic don’t incur a fine, to hell with compassion. Sickening.
AN TEACH SOLAIS on 18TH AUGUST 2016 2:56 PM
Of course not.
If someone chooses to breach widely publicised UEFA rules by eg waving a flag, then they should have no complaints about being ejected on that basis but that doesn’t mean the club should be punished for their actions too.
It also doesn’t mean they shouldn’t breach the rules in the 1st place. Some things are more important than watching a football game.
CELTIC40Me
And its easy to criticise and moan from the safety of your home, with your slippers on….while children are being killed, wherever that may be.
Watch the news….you might see what im getting at.
People that want to isolate Celtic from politics.
Well, you better take that up with the Tories on the board.
You cant have it both ways.
NATKNOW on 12TH AUGUST 2016 11:04 AM
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 12TH AUGUST 2016 10:52 AM
A couple of quick questions.
When we played Hapoel Tel Aviv in the Mowbray era at CP, were there any “political” incidents and any fines levied by UEFA?
Then, why do you think there will be this time?
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There may be a “incident” because a Facebook group called “Fly the flag for Palestine, for Celtic, for Justice” has been set up to arrange a flag display on the day of the game and has 500 members. They state they intend to hand out flags at The Celtic Way to fans entering the ground. It won’t convince me, but may well convince others – if it happens..
There may be fine because Dundalk were fined €18k when someone flew a Palestine flag at one of their games against a team from Israel previously.
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 12TH AUGUST 2016 11:08 AM
Nat Know
There was an equivalent of the Facebook Group organising and agitating at the Hapoel game.
They had no impact.
I never queried the idea that UEFA would not levy a fine for displaying a Palestinian flag.
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SFTB – you convinced yet that someone might fly a flag??
:-))))
kevinlasvegas on 18th August 2016 2:08 pm
Yeah, an opportunity to bask in a good performance, fight-back (mini) and result, so what do we do? We decide to saw of our own foot with a rusty pen-knife!
GlenD- i think their first goal came after a very poor corner from Rogic, just as we lost so many in Europe in the last few years .I thought someone should have taken a card when the guy took up possession in his own half, Sinclair did in first half when Toure was caught upfield.We need to get a bit more streetwise in Europe.I would take that ref every week btw.HH
Edinburgh International fringe focus of World attention and plenty of impressionable international tourist click clicking away on their cameras
https://edinburghfestival.list.co.uk/event/607230-international-shalom-festival-gala-concert/
Where was the protest at this event yesterday
There again as said earlier the flag waving last night was about about Look at Us and a poor attempt to have the world believe that Celtic Football Club and the majority of the Celtic Support are aligned to their so called political beliefs
Correct me if I am wrong but did the stadium to a man last night stand and applaud the display of the flags in that wee corner
There were 52,000 others there last night ,just too watch a game of football and felt no need to join in
HAMILTONTIM on 18TH AUGUST 2016 2:35 PM
Macjay
It’s now tedious in the extreme.
If you’re able to come up with a solitary example or even better someone from either organisation who can substantiate your assertion then we’ll discuss it fully.
Until then it simply looks like you have a transparent agenda supported by nout more than a desperate desire to be right.
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Aaaah , Hamilton.
Did you read what I wrote ?
The example I gave.
The corroboration from Doc.
The agenda I professed.
Never mind.
Davido
Wot not parsnips- there’ll be Hellmans to pay
WEEMMINGER
Whilst I agree with your first point I would disagree on your second.
I repeat myself by saying that the restriction on flying the Palestinian flag is stupid but by buying a ticket people agree to accept the stupid rules. If their conscience wont permit them to abide by the rules, simples, dont buy he ticket and certainly don’t expect others to pay the fine without their consent. Do we want Celtic to play in EUFA games? If we do we have to accept the baggage which comes with that decision, though, IMO, be agitating for a rule change.
It’s about morality too, if I make moral judgements which impinge on others perhaps I have to reflect on what is right.. In life there are often no easy answers and different solutions may have to be considered. HH
Till a sudden thought came to my mind to join a library
Reminds me of a Roger Waters song.
‘The bravery of being out of range’
HH
john james blog just now is a great read.
an honest assesment of our game, and a viewpoint on the flag waving.
‘The parsnip was much esteemed, and the Emperor Tiberius accepted part of the tribute payable to Rome by Germany in the form of parsnips.’
We should offer Bayern three dozen parsnips for Emanuel Neuer.
Word is reaching me that members of the UEFA Vexillology Committee are hijacking the #ThanksCelticFans hashtag on Twitter and posting pictures of caviar and Bollinger apparently indicating how they will spend the Celtic fine…
Or even another Waters song.
‘What God Wants’….brilliant playing by jeff back on that track…check it out,,,,especially the lyrics.
HH
bournesouprecipe on 18th August 2016 3:11 pm
Wot not parsnips- there’ll be Hellmans to pay
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Our chickens are coming home to roast, my fiend…
Ssssshhhhhhh!
Aye right…. here you all are a link to a pro Palestinian event which took place on a lovely summers day in Glasgow’s Buchanan Street in July 3 years ago judge for yourselves wether the numbers involved in the flag waving last night had the courage of their convictions to go and support the organisation. The organisers put the number at 200. Just to save you the bother I have checked and Celtic weren’t in action at Celtic Park that day
http://gphrc.org/index.php/glasgow-free-palestine-demo/
Dontbrattbakkinanger
Celtic don’t trade in parsnips any more, pal. We’ve got new potatoes….baby….
P8ddy and Mad Mitch? Like going back in time
MICKBHOY1888
You dont like people much…do you?
All suspects to you…arent they.
Offenders maybe a word you cherish, wouldnt be surprised.
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 18TH AUGUST 2016 3:06 PM
HAMILTONTIM on 18TH AUGUST 2016 2:35 PM
Macjay
It’s now tedious in the extreme.
If you’re able to come up with a solitary example or even better someone from either organisation who can substantiate your assertion then we’ll discuss it fully.
Until then it simply looks like you have a transparent agenda supported by nout more than a desperate desire to be right.
=====================================================================
Aaaah , Hamilton.
Did you read what I wrote ?
The example I gave.
The corroboration from Doc.
The agenda I professed.
Never mind.
——–
I accept your surrender! :-)
Scott Brown
Anyone who doesn’t agree with the Palestine flags last night, and considers it pointless, I suggest you go on Twitter and search the hashtag #thankscelticfans
The display meant a great deal to thousands of people on the other side of the world & I suggest we’ll have gain thousands of fans as a result of last nights display.
If UEFA consider the flying of a flag a political statement, perhaps they ought to reasses their stance.
Furthermore their time would be better spent investigating the whole sale corruption and embezzlement of millions of pounds by it’s top ranking officials.
I hope the club takes a stance against any fine UEFA try to impose.
For the record I was against the idea of this ‘protest’ prior to the game, but reading the thoughts of some genuinely emotional & heartfelt thanks from the Palestinian people on Twitter brought a tear to my eye & made me proud to be a Celtic fan.
KIDPYRAMID
Well said.
Good post.
HH
I’m always a wee bit sceptical of Twitter and it’s various groupings.
I see far too many middle class urban lefties who espouse various protests and agendas that have very little in common with the traditional left of centre working classes.
The divide has never been so stark, and the poorest in our soceity pay the price. What has this to do with Celtic and her fans ? Maybe nothing, maybe a lot.
HH.
HH.
You would think Celtic are some international aid agency the way some people go on. What’s so hard to understand about people breaking rules and there being consequences. It beggars belief. UEFA have these rules in place because it’s a football stadium. What the rules are telling you is take your politics elsewhere.
For the anti-flag people – take a look at the #ThanksCelticFans hashtag on Twitter to see the impact the display last night made. And ask yourselves if that level of impact could have been achieved with any protest away from Celtic Park. It was very much appreciated by Palestinians and by supporters of the Palestinian cause all around the world, so in my opinion it was well worth it. It was only a gesture but it helped.