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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Remember this 17,822
Before cut price seats and media spotlight.
Loyal my arse!
natknow – supporting wee oscar
23:54 on 2 October, 2013
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.
…………………………………………………….
Eh????????????? “People should take a reality check we cannot afford to buy top quality players”
Are you serious. Have you been taking some chemical enhancement? We took in £40 million over the summer. We could have got Finnbogasson for £5million – the going rate for a decent striker. We weren’t asking for Neymar or Aguerro.
Just keep spouting the Board’s propaganda for them. We’ll never get anywhere. Oh aye and we should just wait until we are in the EPL before we hope to achieve anything in Europe. Why bother turning up at all?
God love us. I love all you goody goody guys who have a go at Celtic supporters who actually have some ambition for the team.
Oh aye, I forgot to add you’re boring the crap out of me.
setting free the bears supports celtic’s best fighter- wee oscar knox
00:24 on 3 October, 2013
………………………………………………
Sorry but you’re turning into another Board propagandist. The converse of what you say is that the experts who act on Celtic’s behalf signed Daryll Murphy, Nouioui, the wee Nigerian who plays for Kilmarnock, Bangura and Miku and we are ridiculed for suggesting that Finnbogasson would be an asset?
This blog is about giving opinions and in our opinion Alfie would do a hell of a lot better than some of the duds who have appeared in Celtic strips in recent seasons.
Apologies if I’ve broken the blog. Off to bed.
I remember paul67 posting an article written by a hun about Scottish managers.
And it made me think, they are all Scottish, not Irish.
Our Neil is the exception.
I think he has the Irish poets giving wind to his sails.
But then I’m a daft romantic.
Malcolm Gladwell, International bestseller, writes about people from the British borderlands being different.
And the behavior is repeated generation after generation.
His point being we are hundreds of years in the making.
Stein, Busby, Ferguson, maybe Moyes.
And our men, O’Neil, Lennon, Burns.
Anyway, read Gladwell and have a we think about it.
I did say earlier that Scott Brown was an idiot. While I still feel the same, I am very glad he is our idiot.
Mncelt
We are all Scott Brown right now.
Don’t dare mess with the family.
Mncelt
:)
tbj
Jinks well done mhate
Mickybhoy1888
No well done non mate,looking for a reaction as usual.what a prat.
.
Note to Self..
Next time We sing.. “Lets All do the Broonie”
Remember to Put my hands up Not my Leg Out..
Summa
Morning cqn..
As jobo told me on Tuesday it’s to dark to give a weather report. (Not a forecast)
Think I’ll have another wee half hour.
Strange…..
Summa
I think you may have been doing the hokey cokey
Good morning all from a damp and grey EK but where it’s not nearly as wet (yet) as last night’s forecasters predicted.
Just 2 more sleeps (power naps excluded) then another visit to the Holy Ground. Privileged.
BT – saw what you did there ;-)
Jobo
You don’t forecast you report..8))
Hi ho..
Good Morning CQNers,
Paul67’s stance on allowing anyone who wishes to post to his blog is to be applauded but I’d just caution about believing this poster is anything other than a hun. I use the term guardedly and in the sense “ a barbaric and destructive person” His obfuscation is also reminiscent of the tactics used by a defunct club.
Murdochbhoy supporting Fearless Oscar
17:43 on2 October, 2013
The Singing Detective Demands The Resignation Of Campbell Ogilvie
I searched high and low the other day for your thoughts on the disgraceful scenes at Ibrox at the weekend where the undisciplined military from your scepter’d aisle disgraced themselves and found nothing, perhaps I missed it, could you republish for my benefit.
Thanks in advance.
• Murdochbhoy supporting Fearless Oscar
17:51 on2 October, 2013
The Singing Detective Demands The Resignation Of Campbell Ogilvie
Unfortunately I can’t wait around for your reply but i’ll catch up with it in the morning.
God bless all true Tims.
********
• The Singing Detective Demands The Resignation Of Campbell Ogilvie
17:52 on2 October, 2013
Murdochbhoy….
Away An’ Milk Yer Concrete Coos …
You PantyWaister…..!!!!
How’s The (Silent) Global Jihad Going,Then..?
You QUISLING & APPEASER….
“Hearth And Home,Stock And Stone..
Blood And Bone !”
Seems Good Tae ME…
Viva Oor Enchanted Sceptred Isles..!
Long-Live The Anglosphere…..!
God-Bless Tony Abbott…..
& Pope Benedict Too……!
(ThumbsUp?)
Forecast oooops report from Bannockburn
Light coming through but damp
Wonder how things will be in Manchester when I get there later
Hail hail
Top of the morning to you all from a wet and dark Fife.
After momentous events such as Tuesday night it is sometimes hard to get back to the dreary old routine, reading in the papers same old stories that we have heard for the last few years.
To paraphrase Winston Churchill: “But as the deluge subsides and the waters fall short, we see the dreary stands of Ibrox and Alastair emerging once again.”
Rangers’ crisis read all about the latest revelations, blah, blah, blah………..
Oh apparently there may be as many as 88 Masonic judges and sheriffs in Scotland!
http://www.saveourglen.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Do-Norwegian-statistics-show-that-88-Scottish-Judges-or-Sheriffs-are-Masons.pdf
Well who would have thought that?
Re FF
He has proved that he can do it at the highest level …the CL
Hart has shown he can’t
The others in contention don’t know what it’s like to play at this level
Big nan
Me
I could probably name you ten at least :-))
Catching up on the debate about forwards…
Does anyone know what Braatback’s stats were before he joined us?
….PFayr supports WeeOscar
07:19 on 3 October, 2013
Big nan
Me
I could probably name you ten at least :-))
………………………………
Do tell?
big nan
07:23 on 3 October, 2013
….PFayr supports WeeOscar
07:19 on 3 October, 2013
Big nan
Me
I could probably name you ten at least :-))
………………………………
Do tell?
..
He Cannae..
It’s a Secret..:-)
Summa
Big Nan
Not professionally appropriate to do so I’m afraid
Yorkbhoy
Very good
http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harald_Brattbakk
YORKBHOY.you were invited for a drink last friday!!!!! did you miss it or what???
….PFayr supports WeeOscar
07:34 on 3 October, 2013
Big Nan
Not professionally appropriate to do so I’m afraid
………………………
Quite understand old boy.
Jobo,
You must sleep like a log
It was absolutely belting it down in Nerston for a fair while overnight, there can’t be any more rain left up in them clouds.
Fav Uncle I saw your message late on Friday night… Sorry I missed it
Gene
Thanks for that.. A bit surprised he only played 44 games for us.
Yorkbhoy
And that he only scored 12 goals -although one against st johnstone comes to mind
yorkbhoy .no problem it will be snowing soon and you can come and help dig me oot.
Fav Uncle
Got a new snow shovel
Gene
Yes I vaguely remember that one.. Was in line with the 18 yard box suddenly becoming a huge fan of him that day…
Seems our police force is neither undermanned nor underfunded. Plenty of resources available to take serious cases all the way.
They are to be commended for this. Crime should be hammered,whether it be flagpoles used as an imitation gun,or this……
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/bartender-facing-criminal-charge-after-2333655
Morning all. Grey and very very wet down here.
What should have been the score in Manchester last night? 7/8-1? Could have been a cricket score. City were totally outclassed. Great team, Bayern. Like Barca at their very best.
Morning all.
Harald Brattbakk’s Celtic stats:
League appearances 27+17 sub Goals 12
All competitions 39+21 sub Goals 20.
HH!!
bobby murdoch’s curled-up winklepickers forza oscar and mackenzie
08:25 on 3 October, 2013
Seems our police force is neither undermanned nor underfunded. Plenty of resources available to take serious cases all the way.
They are to be commended for this. Crime should be hammered,whether it be flagpoles used as an imitation gun,or this……
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/bartender-facing-criminal-charge-after-2333655
“……………………..
Ya bassa!!
Unfortunately clicked on the link and what’s there?… Skwerr on a roll… One week to go