Two honourable defeats, away to Milan and at home to Barcelona, confirm that Celtic can compete at this level, but the two points which only just eluded us could prove crucial in determining qualification for the knock out stage. Barcelona and Milan are in the driving seat.
Two home wins, against Ajax and Milan, could change all this. If Celtic can achieve this, Ajax could still be on four points after playing (and beating) Celtic in Amsterdam, but will be odds against to reach six points with a visit to Milan and a home game against Barcelona to come. Milan bloodied Barcelona’s nose last season, but are not certain to take anything against the Catalans this time, although the outrageous decision which gifted them a draw last night suggests we cannot take anything for granted.
It’s possible that Milan could finish with seven points, which is not an unsurmountable target for Celtic. For now, we can ignore all the ‘what ifs’, the only thing that matters is facing Ajax at Celtic Park in three weeks. This is our cup final.
It has been said repeatedly since last night, but deserves repetition, Georgios Samaras’ performance was nothing short of incredible and stands comparison with any individual Celtic performance in Europe over the last 20 years.
Efe Ambrose and Virgil van Dijk looked more every bit as secure as Efe and Kelvin a year ago. Efe can be particularly pleased with the way he recovered his form after shading last season.
Some months ago I heard a numpty on Radio 5 Live describe Fraser Forster as a ‘Match of the Day goalkeeper’, the implication being that he was more show than substance. Yet again Fraser demonstrated that he is by far the best goalkeeper in Britain. I couldn’t care less who in England is aware of this fact. I hear he released Neymar from his pocket late last night.
Adam Matthews and Mikal Lustig are a terrific right-side partnership but from the opening seconds they were taxed to the limit last night. The more they play at this level the better they’ll get.
Despite deserving more from Milan last night Ajax are in a state of flux at the moment. They will not travel to Glasgow with anything approaching confidence but it will still require out best performance of the season to overcome them.
Bring it on.
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crc & Doc
I would never invest money on a bet against Celtic but, in a competitive predictor competition, you bet I thought Barca would win last night.
My heart would have been delighted to have been beaten on the prediction though.
Pogmathonyahun aka Laird of the Smiles
22:01 on
2 October, 2013
Pog-I was close though and I need those 2 tainted pts :-)
HH
CRC
CRC, just had a wee sneaky look at week 8, I’ve Creeped 4 pts ahead of Jobo, and we’ve predicted same results in remaking fixtures, but with different scores
Canny believe I was suckered into that EPL phish, and took Citeee
Hail Hail
Gene
No interest in the English national team ..but Hart is becoming a bombscare
Mind you with the arrogance of the English they’ll pick someone from the EPL
This is absolute utter nonsense. The lunatics are running the asylum. Next they’ll be banning ‘ dead mans fall ‘ . Loved that game as a kid. ( anyone for a bazooka? )
Ps Sammi better watch out with his goal celebrations. 10 years hard labor on the horizon!!
Wonder if this sentence happened in North Korea what the reaction would be?
Celtic fan Paul Clark given football ban over gun gesture
A Celtic fan who made a gun gesture with a flag during a game against Rangers has been given a 12-month football banning order.
Paul Clark was captured on CCTV pointing the object and making a motion towards Rangers fans during the game at Celtic Park on 29 April 2012.
The 30-year-old, from Cambuslang, South Lanarkshire, denied gesturing in a manner “suggestive of a firearm”.
He was found guilty following a trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court.
The court was shown footage of Clark at the football match.
‘Inflammatory behaviour’
Sheriff Bill Totten accepted the Crown case that Clark was seen holding a flag and making a movement with the pole towards Rangers fans as though it was a rifle.
The court heard that after being captured on the footage, season ticket holder Clark was arrested at a later date for the offence.
Speaking following sentencing, Stephen Ferguson, football liaison prosecutor for the West of Scotland, said: “Paul Clark behaved in an unacceptable and offensive manner and will now have to face the consequences of his actions.
“Attending football matches should be about enjoying the match event and most certainly should not somewhere you are subjected to offensive and inflammatory behaviour.”
SFTB
Confirm receipt of your £7.50 investment for the predictor competition, ha ha :-)
We’rejustjealousyougot7ptsCSC
See you tomorrow at 5s
HH
CRC
POG..a bit left field……..bist du venezuelan?
SFTB, I know mate, I think more predictors had a negative result than a positive one.
Pog’s just havin a laugh.
Realistically, not many would believe we were going to win yesterday.
I predicted with my heart, not my head, and lost the points, might turn out to be crucial.
Derk B. 2m
Balde 1.6m
Pukki. 2.9m
6.7m for forwards that will be lucky to score 15 goals between them and
Why oh why oh why are we heading to Amsterdam toothless
6.7m that could have been spent on a 1st eleven player. Something none of the above will never be
Transfer window opens in jam
That is when we bring a goal scorer in
And next transfer window we bring our 2nd one in
Last year we needed one
This year we need 2 goalscorers
And ship out the rubbish
I hope Mr Ferguson has requested the video footage of the bigotfest from The Bigotdome last Saturday
D D
Brill!! No he was at footy training with his Bhoy and his phone was switch off!
Burghbhoy.20.42
Nice post.
No need for me to add any more.HH.
Cowiebhoy
22:06 on
2 October, 2013
Still time for both Jobo and yourself to change predictions for remaining games as well.
Tactics for the second leg start coming into play.
HH
CRC
England have two home games that they must take something from in a tight group. They must play Montenegro and Poland at Wembley and currently the table reads:-
England- 16 pts
Ukraine- 15
Montenegro-15
Poland-13
There is no way that Hodgson or any manager would drop his number 1 keeper for these fixtures. Joe Hart will have to break his leg for Fraser to get a sniff. I suspect that, even if that happened, Ruddy or Foster (WBA) or Green (QPR) would get the starting jersey because they have played competitive internationals.
Big cup winners
A Lhad gets a banning order for that , I am sure those at the Bigotdome last weekend and in that walk the other week can expect lengthy jail time if proportionate punishments are dished out.
Unfortunately we both know sinister forces are at work with the only aim of criminalising one support and it ain’t the Sevconians.
Truly truly frightening
SydneyTim
22:10 on 2 October, 2013
Derk B. 2m
Balde 1.6m
Pukki. 2.9m
6.7m for forwards that will be lucky to score 15 goals between them and
good to see you are not pre-judging players you have hardly seen kick a ball yet
….pfayr supports weeoscar
22:11 on 2 October, 2013
I hope Mr Ferguson has requested the video footage of the bigotfest from The Bigotdome last Saturday
—
Indeed. ‘Football Liaison Prosecutor’ is his job title. Must be proud of that, to tell his kids. At least they’ll know what an oxymoron is :)
PFayr
What Mr Ferguson is that?
SFTB
Not at all interested …but fwiw I think you’re right
Quite enjoying the arrogant narcissists of the EPL getting stuffed in this current CL campaign
Arsenal could win the league this year ….the competition is poor year
CRC, but remember, no changing of games already predicted, we’d know you know!
ST
“6.7m for forwards that will be lucky to score 15 goals between them”
Considering that they have 3 goals between them already, I think everyone would wipe you clean if you were genuinely offering that bet.
I get that you do not rate these guys. I understand that you would want a striker that would have cost us more.
But I’ve told you a million times that hyperbole does not strengthen your argument :-)
Jude
Ach pity. Wish I had put all today’s pocket money on RT, rather than half on tonight’s fitba :)
A few reality CL checks tonight:
MegaMillions Man City 1 .v. Bayern M 3
Juve 2 (who KO’d us last 16) .v. Galatasary 2
PSG 3 .v. Benfica 0 (who finished below us)
NotOutOfThisYetCSC!
Jude
Barry ?
Can one of you smart I T guys not set up a petition we can sign about what went on at doom dome last Saturday and send it to Salmond?
Whats he bumping his gums about?
SydneyTim – you can take Derk B out of that list, because he was never signed to be a goalscorer.
So that leaves 4.5m for a top striker. One better than Pukki who arrived with a comparable minutes per goal ratio to Hooper and who has 2 goals in two league starts. His rate is 1 goal for every 104 minutes he’s on the pitch in a Celtic jersey.
I have a feeling he’ll get more than 15 goals by himself if he stays injury free.
I make no defence of Broonie’s red but I was watching the CL games on Sky red button tonight, dipping in and out as a goal was scored, and I saw the Leverkusen goalie, Leno, grab an innocent Sociedad player round the neck and throw him to the ground after he had failed to save a penalty.
He got a Yellow Card for a more sustained and violent assault than Broonie’s but the Sociedad player showed none of the reactions that Neymar showed.
Broonie’s red was fully justified under current football rules but the football rules are a bit of a mess.
Magnificent. God knows why we bought a wide player who does not like to mix it
A finish striker who has never been a goal scorer Balde would indeed be a project if we had goal scores. But we don’t and good chance he will never be a 1st team regular. But if the 3 I think he has a better chance
We needs a goal scorer. Neil wanted one and we made a pathetic bid for the bhoy from Iceland
False economics to be wasting our money on striking projects
It has indeed worked else where in team. But has been a financial disaster up front which has left us with zero goal scorers and millions down the pan
Change of policy and fast
Hurting Sevconian on 5Live slating Fraser. Apparently McGregor is better…..
jude
It was probably him who posted it on you tube
HH
Oh, and Marshall is no use either…..
big-cup-winners
You’re right, that’s the most absurd aspect of the story. If the boy had been doing this repeatedly in front of police at opposition fans and continued to do so ,say after a warning, you’d think the boy is a bit of a clown.
The fact that this has been picked up retrospectively after scrutinising footage then using more resources to track him down is a disgrace. What a silly little country Scotland is at times.
Jude
See report above re PF depute comment
Embdae got a link to lapdog Ralston being torn a new one on Snyde tonight?
SydneyTim
22:24 on 2 October, 2013
Magnificent. God knows why we bought a wide player who does not like to mix it
A finish striker who has never been a goal scorer Balde would indeed be a project if we had goal scores. But we don’t and good chance he will never be a 1st team regular. But if the 3 I think he has a better chance
We needs a goal scorer. Neil wanted one and we made a pathetic bid for the bhoy from Iceland
how do you know “the boy from Iceland” was ever a target or ever likely to come?? We can only buy players who are available and want to play for Celtic. It’s a pointless argument bringing up players we didn’t sign, you might as well say we would be better with Messi in our team
Ps, it’s a shame the police don’t put as much effort into tracking down burglars after arriving at a broken into house, jotting down a few details then buggering off never to be seen again!
champagnat
22:09 on 2 October, 2013
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Ja, so you’ll know who I am then!