Someone asked me a few weeks ago if this was a must-win game. Clearly it’s not, the cup games are must-win, as is the coming league game against Aberdeen, but tomorrow night is an important weathervane, indicating if the club is on the road to recovery.
Since that great high against Barcelona, we have faced Italian opposition twice, both in 2013, losing home games 0-3 to Juventus and Milan. You can trace the decline in European performances through a subsequent Champions League group stage which concluded with five defeats, and last summer’s abject qualification campaign.
Indications are we are a better team now than we were in August, or even when qualifying from our Europa League group, but there is still an almighty task ahead tomorrow night. I suspect none of this recent history will affect Ronny and his players. The manager has told the players they can win. Most of them are playing like they have a point to prove, all of them are looking forward to the challenge.
Inter will know they’ve been in a game.
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Ronny can lose heavily tonight and he’s still in with the bricks.
What a difference a winning streak (against sub-standard SPL sides running on fumes) can make.
Tom McLaughlin – With all due respect and I hope you don’t take this the wrong way :-) but you are far too practical. This is important, I don’t want to blame my wife if we get beat tonight and this new scarf will never get another outing…
I’ll keep it for Sunday….
borgo67
10:52 on 19 February, 2015
south of tunis
Kind of wish you hadn’t posted that team , looks a strong side .
—————————-
Looks more like a cast list from a Kieślowski film!!!
Let’s hope they don’t kick 3 colours of —- out of is tonight.
tallybhoy.
That line up isn’t confirmed.
Spoke with old codger earlier.Fretting about their defence.Hopes Kovacic is playing but worried about his Hollywood tendencies.
Hoping to get finished my split-shift in time for tonight’s match. Jealous as always of everyone who is going!
Any win will do,it’s a difficult tie so the twelfth man on “the terraces” could be crucial.
Offski,pouring rain to welcome me back to work,bliddy marvellous.
MACANBHEATHA,dropped you a mail.
Have fun,y’all…
Morning all
I did not sleep well last night. Personak matters and Celtic matters jostling for position in the napper are not good for helping insomnia.
It is unusual in this day and age to know relatively little about such a famous team as Internazionale of Milano but other than a match against Juve and highlights on the Europa League roundups I have hardly seen them this season. Their pedigree and the names in their team suggest high quality, their results mostly suggest otherwise. Celtic are a team that is still developing , playing well against weak opposition but which has played dreadfully in all its European matches at Celtic Park since beating Ajax16 months ago. Anything could happen.
I have to confess that there is a desire for revenge in my heart. The loss on penalties to Inter in 1972 in what is quite possibly the biggest match played at Celtic Park ( a 2nd leg is bigger than a first I would contend) was surpassed for me in the sense of crushing disappointment by Feyenoord in 70 and Black Sunday in 2005. Atletico was too scandalous for the main emotion to be grief and equalled only by Milan in 69.
That Inter progressed with the most cravenly defensive I ever witnessed – the one time an Italian team actually played like they are supposed to. Aside from one shot that surprised a possibly sleeping Evan Williams which hit a post they camped inside their own third. Had big Billy slipped as he had against Prati and Milan 3 years before. They were good at what they did for sure and showed that the team we had was not quite there. But it did not seem like football to me. That team of ours in 72 seemed poised to match the team which immediately preceded it but broke up way too early. We have had some very decent teams, dozens of very good players and perhaps 3 truly great ones since. But we have never been as good a team since that bitter, sad night
Tonight wont ease the memories of 1972 but I think we are at least due a really good European night once more.
Mon the Hoops
Jimbo67
‘cravenly defensive display’ it should reaD
Apologies for the other typos.
Jimbo67
Reading CQN, I am relieved to know that I am not the only one pottering around and getting things together in preparation for the big game . . . 6 hours before I am due to leave.
What are we like eh?
☺
JIMBO67
Spooky,FFM sent me this last night. It sums up your post,haha!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=VKNYJx9Ekpw
And ‘had big Billy slipped…there would not have been an Inter player within 30 yards
Jimbo67
BMCUWP
Schweinhund! ( mind you after a couple of smarty pants posts after typos by Jungle Jim and Hamilton Tim I deserve it.) I could blame nerves, sausage fingers or my phone but a lack of basic literacy is nearer the mark
Jimbo67
Before we take on our visitors from the San Siro might be worth remembering a magnificent gesture from our Club one week before we played in the San Siro in our second European Cup final. A full strength Celtic side traveled to Fraserburgh to play the local Highland League team in a benefit match to support the town who had lost their lifeboat crew and to raise money for the disaster fund..
Celtic won 7-0 .I was at the game as an eleven year old and met the great man in the street walking to the game. Kind of sums up what our club is about.No one believes me when I tell them it was a week before one of the biggest games in our history.What other club would do this?
Tom M
I’m working, but canny keep my mind off this biddy site or the game…..
And it’s no like I’m no busy!!!
6 hours till the home bell then off tae Coias for pre match scran :-)
Right
Concentrate
Concentrate
Concentrate.
pedro
Had to google Kieslowski. Might treat Mrs Borgo to one of his films, then blame you.
Win, Lose or draw….we are Celtic. End of.
Borgo67
Well made, good films, but a bit of work in them…..must be 15/20 years since viewing them……good luck :-)
Tom McLaughlin 10:56
Think they are extra p’d off today after Mancini saying Scottish football has improved a lot in the last few years. Doesn’t fit their agenda at all….
Borgo67
The three colours trilogy, haven’t seen anything else.
up_over_goal
Do you think he’ll play Zaluska over Gordon…
I believe Celtic have invited the surviving members of the 1967 Inter side to the game tonight, several of whom also played in the 1972 semi.
HH!!
starry plough
Since when did I not rate Gordon?
You can’t wear a new scarf to a match like this, too much pressure, you need to ease in a new scarf, wear for the last 20 mins when we are 3-0 up against Hamilton.
Just want to congratulate peter lawwell on our successful move to the EPL.
At least according to the sports presenter on Irish Radio station Today Fm who announced several times this morning that 4″premier league” teams are in europa action tonight. Liverpool, everton, spurs and celtic
I have a real feeling that GMS will be the key man tonight. Over the years watching Italian sides they struggle with players running at them with pace.
I remember watching Giggs & Bale both rip Italian teams apart in their own backyard.
I am not saying for one minute that GMS is anywhere near that level but because the Italians usually play a fglat back 4 if you can get behind their full back by taking him on and beating him you have a lot of space to run into. Usually our full backs are tasked with this and it leaves us wide open at the back. I am hoping GMS is given the ball a lot tonight. Let him run his legs off for as long as he can.
Griffith’s will also be key tonight with his endless running. Depends of course who Ronny decides to start. He may decide to go with Guidetti and Stokes in the wide role and keep it tight.
If we are going out to try and win the game I would expect GMS & Griff to start and run at the Italians for at least 60 mins before changes.
I suspect there will be one inclusion tonight that will surprise people. Efe? Maybe?
Just got a feeling there will be a head scratcher out there. Not always a bad thing to mix it up a bit and try and catch out the opposition coach.
Personally I would go with the team below.
Gordon
Matthews
VVD
Denayer
Izzy
Bitton
Brown
Johansen
Armstrong
GMS
Griffiths
Mon the Hoops!
1-0 Celts.
LB
What is the Stars
When we lose, will we go back to being a Scottish side?
SSN mention Celtic v Inter, then proceed to interview McDowell about Minty Park being loaned to opposition. Couldn’t make it up.
Hail!Hail!
Well worth watching again
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zIUYyC60OA
HH
Pedro and Borgo
The 3 movies in Three Colours trilogy.
Very good movies, slow moving so if car chases and shootouts are your thing then forget it but they are engrossing and intriguing insights into the human condition.
Besides I get enough car chases and shootouts in real life.
WALTER MITTY CSC
Good morning Tims, day off work and just about to go for lunch, can’t wait for tonight’s game. It has a feeling of it being the final before the final if you know what I mean. As Ceasar said once Celtic have a fairytale element about them.
I believe in miracles CSC
Hail Hail!
Got to go.
Mrs S of T going to see Selma tonight.Seems that requires her to listen to Howard Tate beforehand . Instructed to find – I Learned It All The Hard Way.- now !
Catman
You ropin this st stivs character along tae the curry/beer night or is he feart tae enter the Johnstone? :-)
Pedro
Not seem him posting to ask
Beatbhoy
F.a.b.is sorting me out
If you could contact cowiebhoy yourself as WiFi on boat not great
https://twitter.com/thatshistory/status/461891297427853312
….T.HAT IS ALL…..!!!!!!!!
pedro&wits
Mrs B has just come into my work and said ‘ I am not watching anything one of those tubes from that bloody blog recommends’ . She’s lovely really.
Borgo67
Are we wife sharing?
Sounds familiar :-)
Some naughty language but this was always the fear with the Sheep not getting the tickets they wanted.
The closer the game gets the more attractive sitting in our end will be.
http://www.afc-chat.co.uk/forums/index.php?s=81e0f12379a67c6f38c18b0a054bfd42&showtopic=38567
LB
up_over_goal
10:57 on
19 February, 2015
Ronny can lose heavily tonight and he’s still in with the bricks.
What a difference a winning streak (against sub-standard SPL sides running on fumes) can make.
================================================================
What point is it that you are making?
Are you secretly hoping we get beaten?
Are you ‘champing at the bit’ to start a tirade against Ronny and those who appointed him, first thing tomorrow morning.
We must win our SPL games, regardless of the strength of the opposition, in order to be in a position to savour these wonderful European nights – please don’t attempt to spoil it before we have even got to CP.
The Celtic support are really ‘up’ for this game – it will be a great night!