Indiscipline could determine Champions League outcome

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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.

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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.

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918 Comments

  1. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    CANAMALAR

     

     

    I would search for them,honest,but the pub’s open.

     

     

    Already late on parade.

  2. BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS

     

     

    11:12 on 4 December, 2012

     

    ________________________________

     

    Stop biting and calm doon !

     

    Hugh Keevins reported that – Celtic would be playing a game in honor of club Legend

     

    Sean Fallon in Ireland v’s Sligo Rovers(I think).

     

    Unfortunately….Celtic PLC changed their minds and cancelled SF’s tribute game and,

     

    decided to hawk DD’s plaything – Celtic FC – over the pond to play Real Madrid with a

     

    £1 million bounty at stake.

     

    So…in other words – “Stuff you SF. We’re away to swally a £1mill and, do the SB holders out of a saturday game v’s Dundee Utd so, the fans can trudge along on a freezing winters night but, who cares aboot them anyway ? We’ve made wur dough and, if the fans don’t turn-up….who cares again cos…we’ve already goat their money…so there!”

     

    Or words to that effect. imo

  3. Hearts have agreed to pay £1.5 million over the next three years to settle a tax dispute as the debt-laden SPL club try to clean up their finances.

     

     

    The Edinburgh club cleared a separate tax bill of £450,000 on Monday, lifting the immediate threat of liquidation.

     

     

    Money is tight in Scottish football which is reeling from the downfall this year of 54-times champions Rangers, who have been forced to relaunch from the fourth tier after collapsing under a pile of debt.

     

     

    Hearts had been in dispute with the tax authorities over the treatment of players loaned to the team from Lithuanian club Kaunas. Lithuanian businessman Vladimir Romanov is the majority shareholder in Hearts and a number of players have moved between the two clubs in recent seasons.

     

     

    In a statement on their website (www.heartsfc.co.uk), Hearts said they would pay £1.2m in tax and national insurance contributions, plus £300,000 in interest. Payments would begin in May 2013 and be spread over three years.

     

     

    “We believe that the payment terms agreed with (tax authorities) HMRC allow the club to manage repayments in a way that will not be detrimental to longer-term development of the club,” club director Sergejus Fedotovas said.

     

     

    Hearts, who have debts of £24m, are hoping to raise more than £1m from a share issue this month, funds which the club hope will secure their short-term future.

     

     

    Hearts are ninth in the 12-team SPL and were knocked out of the Scottish Cup by city rivals Hibernian at the weekend.

  4. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    Len..,

     

    We did go through that one in detail, I remember that one, went something like this

     

    The trusts are a separate entity from deadco so any repaid loans would stay with the trust for the benefit of the employees family.

     

    So BDO don’t have access.

     

    Trick being I expect BDO can question what happens on a trust being wound up as has happened previously. Also if there is no mechanism for returning money to the club after a trust is wound up say under tragic circumstances. Then trust status might be questionable.

     

    There is also one called gratuitous alienation, that BDO can chase money hived off while the deadco were in distress.

  5. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    kevjungle – murdo’s 30 yds title winning boots 1979

     

     

    10:40 on

     

    4 December, 2012

     

     

    Do you always talk shoite, or do you reserve it for coming on here..?

  6. KevJungle

     

     

    Ps the huns were nae put in div 3… the Huns died,there is a current tribute act think they are call The Huns.,who like any new team ,had to start in Div3

  7. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    weeminger,

     

    Cheers, but as I was saying, we were being told the judgement could not be appealed only minor details, remember it wasn’t worth appealing.

  8. saltires en sevilla on

    Canny believe anyone would play Hooper tomorrow night.

     

     

    He disney look interested and hasn’t for most of the deason.

     

     

    Tony Watt has much more to offer than Hooper.

     

     

    Strong, skillful, good first touch, an eye for a goal and LOADS OF ENTHUSIASM!!!!!

     

     

    Don’t tell me Hoopers got the experience!!

     

     

    It count’s for hee haw if you are still not interested.

     

     

    ——

     

     

    I agree with your view on Ghoops

     

     

    Earlier I posted the team I think Lenny will play based on previous:

     

     

    Forster

     

     

    Lustig Ambrose Wilson Mathews

     

     

    Brown Kayal Ledley Mulgrew

     

     

    Samaras

     

     

    Hooper

     

     

    My own preferred team would see Kayal and Hooper on the bench with Broonie away having an operation.

     

     

    If Izzy is fit I would go with following;

     

     

     

    Forster

     

     

    Mathews Lustig Wilson Izzy

     

     

    Ambrose Ledley

     

     

    Samaras Commons Mulgrew

     

     

    Lassad

     

     

     

    With Watt and Miku utilised as game stretches ..then Hooper and only if we are desperate .

     

     

    I would expect Kayal on for Commons when we go 2 up -he would sit beside Ambrose and Ledley and Mulgrew in a midfield 4 – with A combo of 2 from Sammi, Miku, Lassad or Watt stretching them for the vital 3rd goal

     

     

    Nae bother the Celts

     

     

     

    Bring on Spartak!

  9. All this talk of Ogilvie had me thinking (difficult, I know). Is it not established that he and the other recipients of the EBTs are directly responsible for thon deid team’s demise? Shurely, shurely, public demand will be made (by the meeja) for his ilk to return those famous “loans”, so that the honourable thing is done and the creditors get back something of what is due to them??? I won’t hold my breath but he had an ounce of moral fibre, he would be going cap in hand to BDO and demonstrating his good faith. Ragtag. No wonder our football is in a mess when scoundrels like him are in charge.

  10. The huns fans sneak on to Celtic websites to try to weaken the fabric & morale of Celtic Supporters.

  11. saltires en sevilla on

    philbhoy – it’s just the beginning!

     

     

    10:48 on

     

    4 December, 2012

     

    Canny believe anyone would play Hooper tomorrow night.

     

     

    —–

     

     

    Philbhoy sorry my reply above was to your views on playing Ghoops

     

     

    HH

  12. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire

     

    11:35 on

     

    4 December, 2012

     

     

    Yep, and I’m not sure his piece was even in the sport section. So it may have passed a lot of people by.

     

     

    There’s been detailed analysis as to why they would have gone down without FTT, totally ignored by msm, as you’d expect.

     

     

    I think people might be surprised by the total bill presented by HMRC if they choose not to appeal. People seem under the impression it will be pennies. While it will be far lower than the original, I think it will still be at a level that *might* have been payable but would still have been crippling.

     

     

    They were finished as soon as the big tax bill was presented, for me it’s one of the reasons SDM was desperate to sell, despite the confidence of his lawyers about the FTT.

     

     

    HMRC will appeal, heads that have recently popped up to crow, will once again be buried.

  13. Barcelona have left Jordi Alba, Iniesta, Cesc, Pedro, Xavi and Mascherano out of their squad for the Benfica game.

     

     

    Mess is in.

  14. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire

     

     

    10:48 on 4 December, 2012

     

     

    ‘Ernie…,

     

    Not at all pal, just about everyone said it was over when the decision was made public.’

     

     

    ##########

     

     

     

    ‘The tax case result released yesterday afternoon was obviously a surprise. After reading the findings, it is still difficult to understand how two of the three judges arrived at such a decision. The third dissenting judge’s opinion was clearly more in line with expectations. However, in the First Tier Tribunal it is a case of majority rule.

     

     

    If an appeal is launched, it will take several more months before we get the next level of decision. Appeals are not automatically granted, but in this case- with a dissenting judge and where a dispute over legal interpretation exists already- it seems certain’

     

     

    RTC 21/11/2012

     

     

    http://rangerstaxcase.wordpress.com/

  15. Kev Jungle

     

     

    The Complete Stone Roses wore the same gear as the actual Stone Roses and sang the same songs and had many of the same fans watching them.

     

     

    As do ALL tribute acts and new hingers oan.

     

     

    I’d say that is a pretty accurate description of a tribute act.

     

     

    Bjorn again – that’s all they are and once United put them out of the cup their relevance to the season is at an end other than trying to win promotion and at that point who cares? They cannot be drawn with Celtic to give the media their deepest desire.

  16. Graham Hunter ‏@BumperGraham

     

    No Xavi, Mascherano, Pedro, Alba or Fábregas against #Benfica mañana but #Celtic fans will be pleased that Messi is in #Barça squad.

     

    Expand Reply Retweet Favorite More

  17. Seen the first Russian fans

     

    Very conspicuous by sunbathing in George Square in Bikinis and Trunks

  18. Is it daylight in Scotland?

     

     

    I thought Trolls turned to stone or exploded in those conditions.

  19. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire

     

     

    10:48 on 4 December, 2012

     

     

    ‘Ernie…,

     

    Not at all pal, just about everyone said it was over when the decision was made public.’

     

     

     

    #############

     

     

    Just to refresh your memory.

     

     

    The possibility of an appeal was discussed immediately after the decision, and you were involved in the discussion.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    ”ernie lynch

     

     

    19:09 on 21 November, 2012

     

     

    Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire

     

     

    19:05 on 21 November, 2012

     

     

    No. The money was paid to the trustees and that’s the end of it as things stand. If HMRC appeal and win it might open up other avenues.”

     

     

    http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/?p=10994&cpage=6#comments

  20. Another six teams in the Romanian first division are said to be in real financial trouble. Don’t know which ones.

     

     

    Rapid Bucharest’s main shareholder is a vice prime-minister of the country, which clearly hasn’t been enough help to see them survive (in their current form).

     

     

    I didn’t recognise many names from their squad but there are five Brazilians.

     

     

    Glib summary: rich man buys football team as new exciting toy, hires some mercenary players and it all goes wrong.

     

     

    Maybe they should print a warning on the title deeds of football grounds.

  21. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    Ernie..,

     

    That only identifies that HMRC will likely appeal, it does not discuss this mornings point, that we were told that the appeal could not overturn the judgement, that has stuck with me and as yet only the Thomo blog has implied it can. And that is after two weeks.

  22. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire

     

     

    12:09 on 4 December, 2012

     

     

     

    You’re at it.

  23. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    Ernie..,

     

    Honestly, the thing that stuck with me was that the appeal could not overturn the judgement because it was judges, that as I said has not been addressed yet, a least I’ve not read it anywhere.

  24. Snake Plissken

     

     

    11:59 on 4 December, 2012

     

    I agree,what paper do you think he works for ?