Sarajevo started this season’s European campaign with a Champions League qualifying win in Wales over Connah’s Quay Nomads (CQN…), before losing in Belorussia to Dynamo Brest. They then eliminated Montenegrins Buducnost Podgorica from Europa qualification, a result that allowed them to progress to tonight’s playoff game against Celtic.
Last season we beat them home and away in Champions League qualification and they left the Europa in the next round at the hands of BATE Borisov. This is not a team with European pedigree.
You and I both know none of that matters come kick off, we have seen Celtic eliminated from Europe by far weaker teams too many times in the last decade to allow the lack of merit an opponent possesses to reassure us.
Sarajevo will have studied two templates, how Ferencvaros won at Celtic Park and how Riga took us to the 90th minute (they could also check games against Kilmarnock, St Mirren and Dundee United). Their game plan will inevitably follow the same pattern of defending deep and hoping to snatch something on the counter.
I expect a Celtic win. Jeremie Frimpong will play and Sarajevo will double up on him, which might not be enough to inhibit the wingback, but it will allow us more freedom on the left, an increasing feature of our season.
It is great to have Christopher Jullien back in the squad. He will inevitably replace Nir Bitton, but I am not sure of the wisdom of throwing him in tonight. We have suffered from a lack of consistency at the back. Neil Lennon will have to choose between keeping a consistent defence for tonight, or setting down the template he will hope to deploy in crucial games later this month. For me, the next game is always the priority.
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Hand of God,
What?! No cards have been handed to me. I knew I was ugly but this news is painful :)
I’d be hopeful that Berlin will be a goer for you but you can’t get too excited until your on the plane these days.
Re Griffiths –
It’s a wild shout having him start tonight. When did he last play?
I can’t see that happening but would be ok with him coming on later in the game either if we need to score or we’re a few up.
I hope we play with 2 up though and one isn’t Christie.
we should be able to go to B&H and easily a team from there. Should.
Neil will likely revert to a mix of his tired and trusted formation with DT getting a run if we’re comfy enough.
—.
we will beat them easily
if neil doesnt play his tried and trusted formation
which is why we are in the europa league qualies in the first place
but one of them isnt available so he has to change it
so a comfortable victory i think
cmon the hoops
Mafalda dice, QEPD Quino…
Joaquin Salvador Lavado (Quino) was an Argentinian caroonist whose most famous creation was a little girl called Mafalda who observed and criticised the adult world in which she was growing up with her razor-sharp wit. I still have more than a few of Quino’s books. I began reading the Mafalda comic strip almost fifty years ago when I was learning Spanish. I learned a lot from her :-) There are statues of her in Argentina and in Spain.
Quino, who left Argentina for Italy after the military seized power in 1976, considered himself a potential target of the Junta…he said, “If I had continued drawing Mafalda they would have shot me once, or four times.”
Weebobbycollins says, RIP Quino…
SFTB @ 12.34
The Scottish cringe strikes again …
Making a name for ourselves in Europe — not for the likes of us.
Born a Bronski — die a Bronski.
We are in the same virtual footballing league as Ajax — just a case that they are above us at the moment.
If the exec level focused on football we would be the same as them but they are only interested in DD’s millions.
Currently the only thing we beat them on is CEO compensation — funny that.
So who should we be comparing ourselves to in European football?
And on what basis would the comparison be valid?
C’mon the Celtic
Let the people sing.
ONENIGHTINLISBON on 1ST OCTOBER 2020 1:21 PM
I suggested young Turnbull be given a start tonight and was informed his lack of European experience would count against him. All the European experience in the team counted for nothing against Cluj or Ferencvaros….If you’re good enough and all that…….
……………………….
Totally agree with you. The boy has the class for tonight’s game. He stood out like a beacon on Sunday against Hibs whom I would rate as better than Sarajevo.
If the exec level focused on football we would be the same as them but they are only interested in DD’s millions.
—-
not sure that is right
they are only interested in their own millions
same as every other PLC
On September 24, Norwegian left sided winger Jens Petter Hauge played a blinder for Bodo Glimt against A.C. Milan in the Europa league. Precisely 7 days later, Milan signed him.
How long have we been fannying around trying to sign a left back?
Just when you thought things couldn’t get any worse — up pops Not-Jacinda to prove you wrong.
What country is the only one in the whole wide world to remove / close CoViD19 testing capacity in the middle of a global pandemic?
Answer is Scotland — Sturgeon has absolutely no clue what to do apart from blaming Westminster.
Not sure if she is trying to save money or is in thrall to the second rate public health numpties who have a badge but no ability.
Test baby Test is the story from the WHO but no Scotland know’s better.
I see SQN, Sarajevo Quick News, has a blog title today which translates as ‘Lack of merit in opponents in Europe is no reassurance’. 😊
Let’s not have any complacency tonight Celtic and continue to have at them in the same (2nd-half) vein that helped us to see off Hibs at the weekend.. . 😊
Would like to see Bitton play well tonight, Frimpong to roast them down the wing, and Griffiths to come on as a substitute to smash in a free kick with his first kick of the ball!
IDreamOfCeltic(andJeannie!😊) CSC 😊🍀
LADTH @ 2.52
Looking after DD’s big millions gets PL his small millions.
No plan apart for waiting for the call from the EPL — no matter how long it takes.
Hibs — the green shoots …
We actually started to play the ball forward through the middle with a bit of imagination / fluidity.
Pass and move I think it is called.
More of the same and we will win 4 – 1.
More side to side stodge and we will lose to a goal on 75 minutes.
Answer is Scotland — Sturgeon has absolutely no clue what to do apart from blaming Westminster.
—-
what has she blamed westmister for?
Hot Smoked
Cos you read the sun and listen to Hugh Keevins
INIQUITOUSIV on 1ST OCTOBER 2020 3:03 PM
How long have we been fannying around trying to sign a left back?
—-
Football Insider are reporting we’ve had a £3m bid rejected for David Colina, Croat U-21 left-back at Hajduk Split. Could be pish but of course could all be the ‘let’s come alive on transfer deadline day’ and see if we can get someone over the line after pushing hard or all other manner of spinning plates of hope :)
Mind the time we signed a left back wee Danny Fox what a waste of time and money that was?
David Colina has 16 club appearances in his senior career.
Even the made up rumours are pish now.
Left back legend Ulrik Laursen made 40 appearances for the Hoops, not a lot of people know that.
Danny Fox was the first ever tattooed Celtic player. FACT.
Derk Boerighter was the first invisible man to play for Celtic. FACT.
Marvin Compperr the 2nd.
Remember tonight’s KO is 7.00pm, por cierto
Scheidt was the first ever at Celtic, literally, por cierto
BIG WAVY on 1ST OCTOBER 2020 3:42 PM
During Derk Boerighter’s first game for the Mighty Hoops, he looked like a World-beater (well, Ross County beater at any rate).
Unbelievably/incredibly/unforeseeably(!!!!!), he went off injured after only 40 minutes.
You’d think the Ajax fans’ nick-name for him would have rung some alarm bells before we signed him – “Sick Note” :-(
HH
BGFC
BGFC
Remember that game well. Thought we’d bought a watch. Instead we bought a man made out of glass.
Who would win in a fight between wee Juninho Paulista and wee Juninho?
Sarajevo now 10/1 and Galatasaray 16/5.
troll food – in the bin
:o)
HH
love the bif Euro nights.. here we go
go you bhoys in green.
(45 minute then im off tae a galaxy far far away, then back behind the couch at 2am– starwars “Squadrons” <3)
peace
xxxxxxxxxx
(left the typo hehehe)
may the force be with us
Who would win in a left back fight between Stephane Mahe and Graeme Sinclair?
BSR,
Can I pick Mahe in his ‘shame game’ mode?
Whit a lot of shite!
Scheidt was a victim of Nominative Determinism
Wee Danny Fox
https://scontent-lhr8-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/57321550_911695485839923_4084521238595108864_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&_nc_sid=9267fe&_nc_ohc=B_6H6m7KejUAX_s7c0A&_nc_ht=scontent-lhr8-1.xx&oh=366eb29793f592cedd39f0738909237c&oe=5F9B29AA
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 1ST OCTOBER 2020 4:32 PM
Speaking of which, I read a book (Superfreakonomics I think, can’t quite remember) and there was a guy who named his sons Winner and Loser. Loser ended up in quite a senior position in the police dept and Winner ended up in jail (I think, definitely involved in petty crime anyway).
So there you go.
Poor Raphael. Having watched him in the flesh at the 7-0 thrashing of Jeunesse Esch in 2000, he was still the worst player in the pitch.
Some feat.
Mad Mitch
I have given my list of appropriate comparator clubs. The likes of Benfica and Ajax have constantly outperformed us apart from a brief period in our sporting lives.
It has nothing to do with cringe or ambition. You earn no greter rep by beong boastful- you actually have to prove on the pitch that you can walk what you talk.
And, it is never ambition, when you call on someone else to deliver something for you. That is merely a petulant whine or an unreasoned expectation. It only becomes ambition when you do it for yourself.
And since everyone agrees that PL is vastly overpaid, and one of that group consisting of everyone, believes that you would do a better job, then what is stopping you?
Does it involve a pay cut?
Frank Terry
Michael Winner made terrible films.
Frank Loesser won a Tony & a Pulitzer for Guys & Dolls
The Sessegnon rumour is just that.
David Ornstein confirms no Celtic bid and says Celtic are not in the frame.