Indiscipline could determine Champions League outcome

918

Here is a prediction for you, Wednesday’s Champions League game at Celtic Park will not end with 22 players on the field.  Spartak and Celtic are both enduring awful form at the moment but with different characteristics.  The accusation against Celtic (valid or otherwise) is that they have failed to apply themselves sufficiently to overcome opponents.  Spartak, on the other hand, stand accused of indiscipline.

Zenit drove the proverbial horse and cart through their midfield on Friday night.  Two goals were conceded to players who carried the ball to the edge of the area and shot unchallenged, but Spartak went down running, kicking, heading, kicking and kicking.  Their failure is clearly not a lack of desire.  Celtic can use this indiscipline to their advantage.  Know to expect late or illegal challenges but don’t rise to the bait.

An hour into the corresponding game in Moscow Spartak were 2-1 ahead having lost 3-2 to two late goals in the Camp Nou in the previous game.  At that point Spartak were in the box seat to qualify for the knockout stage.  A professional foul on Gary Hooper destroyed that position as they were reduced to 10 men and Celtic thundered back to win the game.  One momentary lapse in discipline on Wednesday night could cost either team.

The CQN Annual, the perfect Christmas present, is available here

The loss of two goals through the middle on Friday will hopefully give interim coach, Valery Karpin, cause for confusion.  Celtic destroyed Spartak on the wings in Moscow, something we would expect them to tactically adjust for on Wednesday, but this recent loss might have them pondering which defensive frailty to concentrate on.

Aiden McGeady made his first team return as a second half substitute after a six week injury lay off.  He is a player who will be as much at home as any of the rest of us on Wednesday so I’d prefer he missed out on this occasion.

[calameo code=00039017193b8a8bbd612 lang=en page=126 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

918 Comments
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 7
  5. 8
  6. 9
  7. 10
  8. 11
  9. 12
  10. 13
  11. ...
  12. 25

  1. Stan Le Man ‏@RFCSwitcheroo

     

    .@STVkeith That’s a clever trick you got down pat, asking Q’s with your tongue stuck in yer cheek Keith. #SoCalledLoans

  2. CO on STV stutters when asked if he intends paying back his EBT, “Thats a private matter between him and the trust”. Clearly he was not expecting that type of question.

     

    More like it please.

     

    Soon to be shown on BBC ?

  3. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    hen1rik

     

     

    18:20 on 3 December, 2012

     

    The Samaritans will need to be called for Sevco fans, when someone calls them The Rangers they’re up in arms.

     

     

    What’s the chances of us drawing Sevco and our club calling them The Rangers :)

     

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    Our Club had better refer to them as ‘The rangers’……. since that is their name……..

  4. It sickens me that on the one hand we have falsifiers like Traynor proclaiming the sporting grace of legendary figures while castigating honest fans who stood up to his lies, and on the other we have Campbell Ogilvie, speaking in conciliatory tones about wealth distribution (!!!) and what is good for the game. This is a man who effectively conspired to deprive every club in the land of a fair sporting environment by passing the side letters so that Rangers could tilt the tables for a decade!

     

     

    Everything about this situation is wrong. Those who sought to fix the league now want to let bygones be bygones and talk of their love for pure football. Somebody should wash out their mouths with a ten foot brush. Meanwhile, those who do genuinely love the game should be up in arms.

     

     

    ‘We should focus on moving forward.’ You’d like that, wouldn’t you, Campbell?

  5. Jabba’s piece in the DR today was a ‘piece of pure utter unadulterated p***’!’

     

     

    Neck and blowtorch come to mind!

     

     

    HH!!

  6. 67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors

     

    18:45 on

     

    3 December, 2012

     

     

    Can’t wait that Erskine bridge is going to be busy if that day comes :)

  7. !!Bada Bing!!

     

    17:47 on

     

    3 December, 2012

     

     

    Bada ,I went on the haunted house in Gothenburg with missus and daughter,,they screamed all the way through ,folk dressed up like that wee lassie.

     

    Best bit young Swedish boy in front let oot a loud FFS in broad Glaswegian and Scottish guy outside,hyperventilating and panting”that’s the scariest thing ever”

     

    Great laugh for a big macho bloke like me.

  8. Zbyszek @ 18:17 on 3 December, 2012 Ntassoolla 18:03

     

     

    “On the Russian sources, I think I have learned well which are creditable which are not.”

     

     

    Thanks for your reply.

  9. I think Chico’s Masterplan of hurting teams who tell the truth,might come back and haunt them this time,with gate money being halved .Can DU withhold gate money if Sevco refuse tickets?

  10. CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & ever

     

    18:48 on

     

    3 December, 2012

     

     

    How matey what did you say

  11. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    cultsbhoy loves being 1st forever & ever

     

     

    18:48 on 3 December, 2012

     

    Just gave Hugh a wee wind up on SSB..hahaha

     

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    Get back on there and ask them why they are not calling them by their right name …… It is not respecting them by giving them the name of a dead club ……..

  12. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    If my club gave CO, jabba etc an EBT, i would be accusing them of throwing my season ticket money away…..

  13. Been advised by mates in Edinburgh that O Connor is mad for the charlie

     

     

    He seems to have really lost his way

  14. fergus slayed the blues on

    Heard at the weekend that all the top men at NIKE were present for the Barca game and were blown away with what they witnessed .

     

    This is what the club excels at ,I have saw vids from the Barca fans and our own and the atmosphere was a great advert for Scottish football ,IMO if the blazers go ahead with the reconstruction (fast track ) we would be welcomed at any European reconstruction plan and if so we should make it our priority .

  15. CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & ever on

    Hen1rik

     

     

    I was seeking their comment and opinion on Traynor’s resignation and damning of Scottish football journalism…

  16. 67Heaven-Some of the EBT Huns are at Poundland on Saturday,think they will bring back the “loans” that ruined their club? Me neither…..

  17. James Forrest is Neil Lennon! We are ALL Neil Lennon! on

    http://www.onfieldsofgreen.com/a-fitting-farewell/

     

     

    Those who don’t read the man might have expected the final article of a journalist’s career to focus on the moments that made it all worthwhile. Those of us who do know him could have written it ourselves.

     

     

    Jim Traynor is gone, leaving a trail of slime out the door.

  18. Is there anything in the SFA rules and regulations(!!) concerning a SC tie where the away team caves in to its fans wishes and decides to boycott it?

     

     

    The away team does not ask for tickets but the home team sell all – let’s say 15,000 briefs @ £30 a pop = £450,000. The away team’s fans have contributed nothing. Is the club still entitled to its share of the gate receipts?

     

     

    Knowing how the SFA operates the answer is probably yes!

     

     

    HH!!

  19. I would happily go to see Dundee utd that day if I thought they would get all the money and I could see them hump sevco

  20. Alasdair MacLean on

    Really don’t get HOW The Rangers seem to be managing to pressurising the media and every other organisation to be dropping the “The” from their title – thereby passing off the false impression they are the same entitity as the former similarly named club.

     

     

    What are they all scared of?

     

     

    What if other famous brands had dropped the “The”?

     

     

    The Doors would become just a wee place near Inverness.

     

    The Smiths would become….crisp manufacturers?

     

     

     

    What are they ashamed of?

     

     

    The Evil Dead?

  21. what a weird season. i genuinely believe we have a chance of qualifying from the group stages and if we do, it will be fully deserved yet I fully understand why we drew Arbroath ! weird as !! can’t remember a season like it. sannabhoy, if you’re on, will be putting a booking request on the website at the end of this week or beginning of next, thanks for the help

     

     

    HH

  22. Alasdair MacLean –

     

     

    especially given the fact that ‘the’ holds a world record for being the most used written word ;-)

  23. Alasdair MacLean on

    Just picked up on FF that this guy doesn’t think their boycot wil work because “our support are too mis-jointed.”

  24. Kilbowie Kelt 18:39

     

     

    Lennybhoy,

     

     

    I had deliberately not read Jim the Jacker’s diatribe.

     

     

    I am very sorry that you have given it oxygen on CQN.

     

     

    I spoke earlier today about ‘tramp navvies’ JACKING on impulse.

     

     

    The difference with them & Jacker Jim is that they did not shame themselves before they walked away.

     

     

    They walked away with their integrity intact.

     

     

    _____________________________________________________

     

     

    You have me at a disadvantage mate. I have now posted three times this evening. I have not posted Jabba’s article or referred to it. Nor have I read it myself, when it was posted I scrolled on by. Was your post above for me?

     

     

    Keep the Faith!

     

     

    Hail Hail!

  25. Alasdair MacLean

     

     

    What are they ashamed of?

     

     

    The Evil Dead?

     

     

    *****

     

    The End?

  26. Doc is Neil Lennon

     

     

     

    17:17 on 3 December, 2012

     

     

     

    tomtheleedstim

     

     

    17:13 on3 December, 2012

     

     

    I hope Gary stays and refinds his form. If he does go I hope he has more ambition than a lower EPL team likely to be struggling to stay in the league.

     

    ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

     

    I hope he does too and I also hope he can rise above the materialism that governs him and his fellow professionals but on that day I would not see the sky for flying pigs.

     

     

    That lack of real character is why he will not become a higher tier player.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 7
  5. 8
  6. 9
  7. 10
  8. 11
  9. 12
  10. 13
  11. ...
  12. 25