It will be off to Latvia to face Riga or, assuming they do not unexpectedly lose at home in the second round to Tre Fiori from San Marino. Riga lost their first round Champions League match away to Maccabi Tel-Aviv and went out at the same stage a year ago to Dundalk on penalties, before losing their Europa League play-off tie 3-2 on aggregate to Copenhagen, who went on to eliminate Celtic by a greater margin.
It is a tie we will win if we get everything right and will lose if there is anything remotely half-arsed going on. Riga are 17 games into their domestic season; be prepared, Celtic.
Watching the goals this morning from the 0-2 win at Ibrox a year ago today brought a reminder of where we were the morning of that game. Facing the perennial Summer Cup Champions [no, it’s not wartime] at their own place, having been turfed out of the Champions League by Cluj, we faced the longest odds for a league win in seven years.
That setup what may be become a fourth consecutive treble. Cluj hurt the bank balance but European credentials were restored with wins over Lazio and Rennes. We could do with a big game, a bit win, now.
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JOBO BALDIE on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2020 1:14 PM
Paul67 said “arsed”. Moderators, where are you?
………………………….
I know I’m shocked. Could have been worse ………. he could have been a former teacher! Heaven forfend. :-))
It’s safe to assume we will be playing twice a week with no winter break. Neil Lennon needs to prepare the players for that.
“It is a tie we will win if we get everything right and will lose if there is anything remotely half-arsed going on”
Expectation management. While no opponent should be taken lightly and we should always be professional, it’s Riga. Have they ever been in the CL? What’s their record in Europa league?
The Latvian league is ranked below Liechtenstein and Luxembourg.
TIMALOY29
Don’t worry Patryk Klimala will be fit by the winter break (that isnae a winter break). -))
When we get a poor result, why should the Chief Executive resign? The guy has been in post for 17years. I have never seen him given any credit if the team plays well, so why get the blame for a poor performance.
He has provided funds for signing Barkas, Ajeti and Turnball so far this window. The Scouting and Coaching teams have done the work and get the praise. Tactics and team selection is no business of the CEO.
Latvia has imposed a 14-day quarantine on visitors arriving from the UK. Does that mean the Latvian team will have to forfeit the tie if no suitable venue can be found?
BADA,
They should contact you to say your flight has been cancelled.Did this with me earlier,and offered the choice.Got my refund very quickly.
Garngad- there may be arrangements for professional sports – ‘Team bubble’ no fans etc
I found the answer to my question on the Uefa website.
(ii) If restrictions imposed by the national/local authorities of the home club’s country apply to the
visiting club, the home club must propose a suitable alternative venue which may be in a neutral
country (within the territory of a UEFA member association) that would allow the match to take place
without any restrictions for both clubs. If the home club fails to propose such suitable alternative
venue, the club in question will be held responsible for the match not taking place and the match will
be declared by the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body to be forfeited by the home club, which
will be considered to have lost it 3-0.
EMBRAMIKE,
Think they will switch the league games to the Sunday.Its going to be hectic.
We provide the funds for everything the CEO doesn’t
Welcome to Celtic,Shane Duffy.
Precisely.
We provide the funds.
HH jg
GO TELL THE SPARTIM,
Still does not answer Bigbhoys question.Why take abuse when we lose yet no plaudits when we win.
I take it that the sponsorship deals are not providing any money.
Excellent news about Shane Duffy, he will add some much-needed aggression to the defence.
Any win will do me
Had a wee look to see if any funnies on Hun Media.Not what I was looking for,but they have a 14 page,Official Conspiracy against them,on the go.
Its twoo,I theen it.
Garngad,
He will,bet he is itching for the Hun game.
Nice day yesterday with nae humidity so went out tae tidy up the garden, missed a couple of questions that have now been answered, anyway here’s my view of one of them:
“Nice one Cyril” is about Spurs left back Cyril Knowles. It was derived fae a Wonderloaf advert where the slogan was used to congratulate a baker named Cyril for baking a good loaf.
The Tottenham fans picked up on it to praise Cyril Knowles and a song was created by the composer of numerous songs, including a Eurovision entry for Olivia Newton-John, who happened to be a Spurs fan and recorded by the Cockerel Chorus reaching number 14 in the charts.
It was around for decades and normally used for any player called Cyril, although the current Spurs star Son Heung-min has his own version “Nice one, Sonny, nice one Son / Nice one, Sonny, let’s have another one.”
As good a player Cyril Knowles was his brother Peter was a lot better. He was a future star, very aggressive inside forward for Wolves, think a young Scott Brown, and destined for the top when all of a sudden he announced on Grandstand that he was retiring.
His reason being that he was now a Jehovah ’s Witness and due to his style of play could possibly injure opponents causing them to miss games and be sidelined, this may lead to concerns at home and possible marital problems, he honestly said that.
Wolves however held onto his contract for another 12 years in the hope he would someday return, he never did ending up working as a milkman, window cleaner etc, a real loss tae the game.
If we can’t dispatch Riga with ease then we are in a worse state than we think . There doesn’t seem to be any panic at the club though as we still have a few positions within the team that could be improved . Probably do as we always do .wait until we qualify before splashing anymore cash . But all in all the club have spent well .HH
Re CHUMP, last time I heard/ used the term was when I was in form VI at St Dreadfuls corrective
Tontine – mystery solved – The Griff has become a Jehovah’s Witness😀
if none of the signings are deemed worthy of a starting place then im not sure that is spending well
TURKEYBHOY on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2020 2:43 PM
GO TELL THE SPARTIM,
Still does not answer Bigbhoys question.Why take abuse when we lose yet no plaudits when we win.
###
Because he is so well remunerated for the job he does would be my guess.
Turkeybhoy
I think if anyone is to get stick then they must also get praise.
Sponsorship is linked to the exposure we get which you would argue was again down to us.
Personally the only thing that’s big club about us, is the support.
If Shane Duffy does come on loan, that is a lot of money for 9 months of football. Transfermkt has him at 8.5m value and we are paying 2m?
If this goes through without an option to buy (and net off the loan fee) then it is purely a football decision and not a business one.
personally, i’m glad if he signs but very un-Lawell type of deal
Over on FF the consensus is that Shane Duffy would not get into their starting eleven; in fact, he’d be fourth choice Centre Back behind Goldson, Balogun and Helander.
Oh, well.
JIMBOB71 & LITTLE MISS JIMBOB on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2020 1:33 PM
Bgfc
Why didn’t they not just come back as The Skonto Riga and claim to be the same club?
Surely there was no appetite to pursue their financial difficulties?
Shoorly?!
———-
Read through the authoritative Wikipedia account – seems they were docked points, kicked out of competitions, etc., by their FA – you know, like, ‘punished’?!?!
Their country’s obviously a football backwater – such flagrantly-fair application of the rules would never catch on in an advanced association such as the glorious SFA.
Thank goodness.
HH
BGFC
Big W- ta
TB- flight not been cancelled, due to leave 6.30am Thursday, List usually updated Thursday afternoon
Duffy might have to quarantine, transfers are classed differently from travelling teams,he’s in Bulgaria this weekend.
“JINKYREDSTAR on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2020 3:13 PM
Tontine – mystery solved – The Griff has become a Jehovah’s Witness😀”
:-)))))
ernie lynch
” Because he is so well remunerated for the job he does would be my guess.”
If so, that should aplly to well paid players…..but it doesn`t
Coneybhoy
I was thinking same, doesn’t make sense.
Where is the news coming from that Duffy has signed?
Come on Paul67, you have the skinny … get the piece up, get the exclusive :)
Just back from a few days in the caravan in North Wales – spent the morning in Llandudno – we were very lucky with the weather 🌞🌞
Haven’t gotten over last week’s disappointed so can’t get excited about the EL.
If we don’t get through in Latvia, perhaps we don’t want to – perhaps in this Covid-riddled, 10iar season, we don’t want the hassle of European football.
This would certainly explain putting out a 4-6-0 team in a one-off home game against, the less than brilliant, Ferencvaros…and leaving great gaps in our defence late in the game that could be exploited by one long ball from their own half.
I know this is fanciful however it is as plausible as any explanation of our most recent European failure that springs to mind.
An unfit Eduard, Klimala & Ajeti, Griffiths probably still on his yacht, plus the ‘after the fact’ signings of Turnbull & Duffy & the players who “don’t want to be here” rant, could be seen as circumstantial evidence – was the exact same team selection against Motherwell just another ‘ploy’ to throw us off the scent – send for Inspector Clouseau…….Cato, it would seem, is already in the building.