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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TBJ
Fantastic gesture on behalf of our very own Mikibhoy,much respect to your good self
See when I went to work in a new place I was brill and everybody loved me to bits!!
Get a grip Bhoys on these new players. Give them time. Baldie’s goal v Killie showed hes got the confidence!!
Morning Timland from a warm hun free mountain valley.
Juve cost me a serious bundle tonight, easy come, easier go.
I saw a fair bit of Amido last season, didn’t impress me to the extent of, wow, but he knows the way to goal, his goal at the weekend was welcome, the earier option was the pass to Anto, but he had confidence in his ability, and he was proven right.
He is raw, in a strange land, can’t speak the lingo, etc, etc, he will come good imo.
Pukki, no idea if he will justify his time at the club, he looked good when he came on against Milan, he was compitent against hartz, time will tell.
The Derk fella will imo be a star for us, once he realises that football in sectarianland is a different ball game, a game where you get fouled with total impunity, no protection from the referees, when he realises that, he will do the biz for us.
Nir Biton, not seen anything of the young fella bar a few mins as a late sub, he gave the ball away once, and that was enough for some on here to castigate him as a haddie.
VvD will be sold for mega millions, end of.
The big Moyokolo fella, unlucky, a different injury, won’t be costing the club anything as insurance will be paying his wages.
All in all a disaster of a window early doors, but given time, it may well prove to be a very decent window, who knows.
HH
Good evening cqn,
A big thanks to Butsy Bhoy for sorting tickets
First European night in 37 years with ( two more to come )
First time at Celtic park for my boy he loved it ( who wouldn’t )
Took him to Stevenson st to show him where I was born houses gone ( no 44 )
Went into the Squirrel for a pint, brilliant sweat was running out me. Magic the dog
Popped into the Phoenix ,trying to get served mad but funny .
Should we have got something from the game ? maybe , but it was Barca ,10 men etc
We beat them last year, are we going backwards ? not in my opinion .The crowd as usual were
Special. Anyway sun was shining when I got back to Bognor after a very hectic 30 hours im off to bed
TBJ hat doffed sir
The Dukes Of Montrose great lead dont think i’ll catch you
SydneyTim
23:04 on
2 October, 2013
Two players both of similar ability one is playing for Scunthorpe in the Championship. One is playing for Schalke 04 in the Bundesligue.
Who is most likely to make an impact?
I’m prepared to give the younger of the two, who has already played at a higher level a chance.
You on the other hand are not.
Morning from a rainy Melbourne
Thought the team did well the other night. We were defending very well until broonie had his walk on the wild side
Samaras had a great game holding the ball up where possible
Stokes and pukki are both supporting role strikers it’s a shame we don’t have a leading one… Hopefully balde can shake off his nerves and become that player…I’m sure all the non-supporters will help him settle in
We have come a long way in Europe but we must start believing in ourselves….KTF
Ho! TurkeyBhoy @ 23:08
DON’T Be Upsettin’ Oor Ena…Noo !
“Ten ‘Dirty Blonde’ Boattles…..
Just Fell Off The Wa’…….!”
Anybody Got Tickets……
For The Dry-Humping Extravaganza…
At The Crossgates Round-A-Bout….?
AlbertTatlockEventsManagement CSC …
( ThumbsUp ?)
A mere 400K euros…..
I wonder if it was in the latest accounts……
http://www.ouest-france.fr/2013/05/25/normandie/Des-Glasgow-Rangers-au-chateau-de-Marcei–65218311.html
Jude
Well said, it seems a lot now want instant success. Give the new Bhoys time, and support at the match.
TET – I think Google Translate might be one of us – ‘patron saint’, ‘mythical club’
“Charles Green has bought the castle Marcei, near Argentan. The businessman left the presidency of the Scottish club Glasgow Rangers to pursue his passion for horses.
History
Football and horses are both passions of Charles Green. Last year, he became the patron saint of Glasgow Rangers. . Quite by chance “In March 2012, I was contacted to take the club that had been placed in receivership, but I refused : I just wanted to buy a property to live in Normandy with my 30 horses. ” He even found the perfect place to Marcei near Argentan, but the sale dragged. So when the stimulus in May to lead the consortium to buy the club from Scottish football, this time he said “yes.”
49,000 spectators for a game of 4th Division
“The club had a debt of 100 million pounds ! A round table with investors gathered 25 million, the directors agreed to pay off the rest. ” In June, he and the head of a mythical club (54 national titles, a European Cup in 1972) but … administratively relegated to fourth Scottish division.
The challenge is twofold. Restore financial surface and club sports level worthy of his standing “In December, I introduced the club traded in London was obtained 25 million poundsviainvestment funds, and 6000 fans added 5.5 million by becoming shareholders. ” An IPO is already applied to the English club Sheffield United he directed between 1996 and 1999.
The bet also works in the field, the fans and the club after recording a world record attendance for a match of 4th Division, with 49,118 fans … The next season, the Rangers will play well in 3rd division, but Charles Green will no longer be president.
“It was not easy,” he admits. He failed in his plan to transfer the Rangers to the lucrative English league, “while the Welsh clubs Swansea or Cardiff will play well ! ” A trial with former club owner does not help. “There was constant daily pressure … Saving club was a challenge that I do not regret having conducted, but once the rise in 3 e acquired division, I resigned (April 18, Ed) . My life is elsewhere … ”
Specifically in Normandy. “I’ve always been fascinated by the thoroughbred. Normandy is the epicenter of the horse world, this is where I decided to start a new life. ” For two years, the Mont-Saint-Michel to Lisieux, he visited thirty properties and falls under the spell of the castle to Marcei Cordey, town of 200 inhabitants in the Argentan output. “On each of my visits it is as if the castle told me : “Buy me” ” smiled the young sixties.
For a little more than € 400,000, he became the owner of this little castle of the eighteenth century and the 27 acres of meadow and woods that surround it. “I hope to have finished the work within three months, bring my horses. ” Not a chance to see him plunge in French football, then? “Passing the Argentan point my son teased me saying that it would be a nice challenge. But it was just a joke. ” If he says …
François BOSCHER.”
THE EXILED TIM
23:30 on
2 October, 2013
A mere 400K euros…..
I wonder if it was in the latest accounts……
http://www.ouest-france.fr/2013/05/25/normandie/Des-Glasgow-Rangers-au-chateau-de-Marcei–65218311.html
I see they manage to get the story wrong – mention of the deid club being relegated!
weeminger
I did wonder >}
Still, had he not been at rabearz, I doubt he would have been able to afford it.
Great to see the season ticket money going to good use !!!
HH
NatKnow
Aye, some things never change, probably asked the record for their inside info.
HH
It amuses me when lads are analysing our narrow defeats to Milan & Barca, they keep harping back to “We should have bought Fingbasson” and not Derk & Pukki. First of all we don’t know if Fingbasson had any interest at all in coming and secondly we are playing teams who have players such as Balotelli & Iniesta & Neymar just to name a few. As if Fingbasson would suddenly redress the balance and frighten the sh**e out of Milan & Barca.
People should take a reality check we cannot afford to buy top quality players. We will always have a skills deficit when taking on top European Clubs. Unless and until we get into the EPL or a European League where we can earn comparable money this will be the case. If people can’t understand & hack that, they should go support a rich Club somewhere otherwise they will be permanently unhappy and bore the crap out of the rest of us.
“François BOSCHER” translates in Google as “Jingle Jangle Jackson”
corkcelt
Aye, they could go and watch Man Cty. >}
HH
Thats my point TET. They got in a “top coach” spent barrowloads of cash and got humped. However only for Lenny being a bad coach and our failure to land Fingbasson we would walk away with the Champions League.
Lived in Coatbridge for all of my 40+ years.
Never knew this …..
Jock Cunningham (1903 – 1984) was a British volunteer in the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. He became a battalion and brigade commander.
Born in Coatbridge, Scotland, he lived at 77b Whifflet Street, Whifflet, Coatbridge. Cunningham was imprisoned for participating in a mutiny of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. He led an unemployed march to Brighton in 1933. He worked as a miner.
After going to Spain he served in several units: the Commune de Paris and the No. 1 Company of the British Battalion. He joined the Machine-Gun Company of Commune de Paris Battalion, XI International Brigade in November 1936. Member of No. 1 Company XIV International Brigade at Lopera.
The small 34-year-old played a key role in the February 1937 Battle of Jarama. In order to fight at Jarama one report says that he “left hospital with a fever to go and fight”. He was wounded in January ’37 at Los Rozas. Along with Frank Ryan he rallied the remnants of the British battalion in a defensive action which held the line outside Madrid, thereby blocking Franco’s attempt to seize the capital. One of the principal military actions of the war, it cost the battalion nearly 500 of the 600 men who had fought.
Cunningham was hospitalised from March 15 until May 1937 after which he was promoted to Captain. He was sent back to Britain in August 1937 and didn’t return to Spain.
Just in from pub so judgeMent might be a wee bit clouded
Happy clappers will have us believe we faced the best team in the world last night
But from what I witnessed tonight I think that Man City may have faced the best team in the world on present form
corkcelt
23:45 on
2 October, 2013
It amuses me when lads are analysing our narrow defeats to Milan & Barca, they keep harping back to “We should have bought Fingbasson” and not Derk & Pukki. First of all we don’t know if Fingbasson had any interest at all in coming and secondly we are playing teams who have players such as Balotelli & Iniesta & Neymar just to name a few. As if Fingbasson would suddenly redress the balance and frighten the sh**e out of Milan & Barca.
People should take a reality check we cannot afford to buy top quality players. We will always have a skills deficit when taking on top European Clubs. Unless and until we get into the EPL or a European League where we can earn comparable money this will be the case. If people can’t understand & hack that, they should go support a rich Club somewhere otherwise they will be permanently unhappy and bore the crap out of the rest of us.
Spot on. Just an excuse to bump their gums at the club. Boring.
Would not judge any of the new signings yet.
Time will tell though VVD looks an absolute cracker.
Something about Balde tells me he may shock a lot of people.
He has pace and size and once the nerves settles who knows?
Stringer Bell
23:51 on
2 October, 2013
Lived in Coatbridge for all of my 40+ years.
Never knew this …..
Jock Cunningham (1903 – 1984) was a British volunteer in the International Brigades in the Spanish Civil War. He became a battalion and brigade commander.
Born in Coatbridge, Scotland, he lived at 77b Whifflet Street, Whifflet, Coatbridge. Cunningham was imprisoned for participating in a mutiny of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. He led an unemployed march to Brighton in 1933. He worked as a miner.
After going to Spain he served in several units: the Commune de Paris and the No. 1 Company of the British Battalion. He joined the Machine-Gun Company of Commune de Paris Battalion, XI International Brigade in November 1936. Member of No. 1 Company XIV International Brigade at Lopera.
The small 34-year-old played a key role in the February 1937 Battle of Jarama. In order to fight at Jarama one report says that he “left hospital with a fever to go and fight”. He was wounded in January ’37 at Los Rozas. Along with Frank Ryan he rallied the remnants of the British battalion in a defensive action which held the line outside Madrid, thereby blocking Franco’s attempt to seize the capital. One of the principal military actions of the war, it cost the battalion nearly 500 of the 600 men who had fought.
Cunningham was hospitalised from March 15 until May 1937 after which he was promoted to Captain. He was sent back to Britain in August 1937 and didn’t return to Spain.
From Coatbridge myself and never knew that. Amazing stuff!
mickbhoy1888
23:53 on 2 October, 2013
Just in from pub so judgeMent might be a wee bit clouded
Happy clappers will have us believe we faced the best team in the world last night
But from what I witnessed tonight I think that Man City may have faced the best team in the world on present form
==========================
So?
My final word for the night, someone earlier quoting Pukki’s goal scoring statistics for last 7 years. The lad is 23 if he wasn’t a prolific goal scorer in his teens so what. Give the lad a chance, he has come to Celtic, he is wearing The Hoops, lets encourage him and the other new recruits. Good Night All Hail Hail.
Just home from the Rod Stewart concert at the Hydro,it begins with the Magnificent 7 theme tune and ends with “over and over” what a class act and what a concert HH
Mightily impressed by Bayern tonight.
TBJ be proud of yourself sir, you and people like you are what makes this place so special.
TGLFW thoughts and prayers are still with you and yours tonight is the 1st time I got to see Miki67s face but rest assured he left his mark on this place as you already well know.
Y.N.W.A.
I’m quite a positive bhoy and one of the reasons for it is that it was just too tiring being negative all the time ,some people must be exhausted when they come on here, their opinions are as relevant as mine and they are welcome to them in fact often they get me thinking but we are celtic surely every now and again there is something positive that you see even through the legitimate bad points.
I came on here and have stayed through the community spirit and the way we lean on one another in times of need, of course like all families the CQN one has many differing views but I worry if any of my family can only see negatives in the world.
A wise old man once said to me when I was in a dark place “If you come across more than 3 A**”H***S in a day its time to have a look at yourself” :))
Good night all and I mean all
May your days be blessed and your needs granted
corkcelt
I know it was, hence the >}
Football is a fickle game, you can throw all the money at it and still do a Man Cty.
I am delighted with the progress we are making.
We are even disappointed that we didn’t take anything from our last couple of CL games, that mi amigo is progression imo.
We are getting there.
HH
Mickbhoy1888
We were beaten by the second best team on the planet past night.
HH
Sleep well Timland.
Take care and god bless.
HH
KTF
the exiled tim
00:01 on 3 October, 2013
I am delighted with the progress we are making ??????
At this stage last season we had four points in the Champions league and were still in with a chance of doing a domestic treble
At the moment I think that is regression
But maybe I am missing something ?????
Cork Celt always give all celts encouragement
But we need a goal a scorer and we should have signed someone
Ps we have 20m to spend in January and we still won’t be in debt
Not saying we should spend it, but we can afford a goalscorer
fan-a-tic, 23:55 on
Agree entirely on Virgil.
I think Balde has shocked a lot of people already.
Every time I see him I’m reminded of Bill Shankly’s comment about Martin Chivers
His speed is deceptive. He’s slower than you think
Turkeybhoy@23:08
“SFTB,
You seem to take great delight in putting down Finnbogason,a guy that is rattling them in good style every week in the Dutch league,and scores at International level.”
You are mistaking the target for my ridicule. It is not the player I am aiming at but the certainty of his fans.
I am poking fun at the unrealistic certitude of those who “know” and “guarantee” that Finbogasson would have got us a different result in Milan and last night. I am also poking fun at their certainty that he would come and that his price was £5m.
None of his fans on here, all of whom have failed to land a job as a professional football scout or manager, have ventured to explain why all those professional scouts and managers all over Europe, failed to land such an obvious bargain.
Maybe he wasn’t going at £5m
Maybe he wasn’t willing to go to Scotland
Maybe he has things in his profile which are red cards to the scouts
The point is that I do not know, and I strongly suspect, neither do you.
I have stated in many of my replies to you that I am not decrying Finbogasson’s ability and I recognise that you may in the future be right and Alfie becomes the next Van Nistelroy or Huntelaar. Even, if that happens it does not undermine my points above.
Equally, if he becomes another Royston Drenthe or Alfonso Alves, it will not “prove” my point and disprove yours. It will just mean that Alfie, like many players before him, can be highly successful at one club and a dud at the next (like Heerenveen’s Giorgios Samaras at Man City).
We are bedevilled by monday morning quarterbacks bemoaning our failure to land Steven Fletcher and James McCarthy. These are the “big bets” that came in for the indiscriminate punter and they always boast of them. They fail to remind you of their other 100 bets which failed and lost them more money than the two winners earned them.
I’d estimate that CQNrs have put up about 3 to 4 thousand no-brainer punts that Celtic should have signed. Some are still playing at a decent level. Most are in obscurity or finished with football. It won’t stop the flood of future tips but the one post you won’t read on here is :-
“Guys, do you remember the time I punted player X for Celtic and said it would be a disgrace if our manager and Board didn’t land him. Well, you’ll never guess? He’s crocked and finished with football/ an alcoholic/ a chronic gambler caught up in a betting ring scandal/ playing for Sevco.
Thank God that Celtic never listened to an eejit like me!”
The rest of your post is a figment of your imagination and represents no words of mine so I do not feel a need to answer them.
It’s not about finding a goal scorer; it’s about hunting in packs a la Barca.
That’s modern football; that’s the modern way.
It’s the only way.
Interesting interview from Andres Iniesta
http://www.fcbarcelona.com/football/first-team/detail/article/andres-iniesta-its-clear-that-barca-have-a-good-player-in-neymar-for-years-to-come?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
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.”
=======================================
Stephen Ferguson’s nanny never let him play cowboys and indians or soldiers when he was a kid. And now he’s mad.
mickbhoy1888
00:12 on 3 October, 2013
the exiled tim
00:01 on 3 October, 2013
I am delighted with the progress we are making ??????
At this stage last season we had four points in the Champions league and were still in with a chance of doing a domestic treble
At the moment I think that is regression
But maybe I am missing something ?????
=============================
Basic intelligence, mate.
Memo to Sammi: get on the phone to Mitroglou – get him here.
setting free the bears supports Celtic’s best fighter- Wee Oscar Knox
00:24 on
3 October, 2013
:-)
:-)
Now.If only we could get you to think that way politically.