Football is often about the margins. Virgil van Dijk’s header, when Celtic were 0-1 up away to Maribor, beat the keeper and defence, but struck Stefan Johansen on the line. A year later, with Celtic 2-0 and rocking Malmo to their core, Stefan came close to putting us 3-0 and clear, but both Champions League playoff ties turned and a chapter in our history changed.
Trailing 1-0, yesterday’s tie against Astana could have tipped out of control but sublime play by both Patrick Roberts and Leigh Griffiths turned the game on its head. It was a ballsy play. Patrick wouldn’t give up, Leigh used all of his experience to despatch the ball into the net from the edge of the box. It went exactly as I predicted in yesterday’s blog, “A great deal of responsibility will lie with Leigh Griffiths. He’ll have space to receive the ball from Roberts”. Astana were stunned.
Not so stunned they think they’re out of it, in fact, after the game their manager and players were talking about winning at Celtic Park. See Maribor, above, if you think that’s not credible. They reckon the tie is “50/50”. None of them were impressed by Celtic, the sentiment it they let us off the hook. We will have work to do next week.
Kolo, is there anything you can do to sort us out at corner kicks? Eoghan O’Connell lost his man, but we lose too many goals from corners inside the six yard box, or on the line, for me to ask no questions of Craig Gordon. Is his starting position right? Maybe if he started a pace off his line he’d get a fist on a corner before the striker. It feels like there’s more going wrong than just the defenders losing their men. If a goalkeeper comes for a ball in his six yard box but doesn’t get it, he’s responsible.
Irony is finished.
Care to guess which club issued this statement after the Scottish Cup final two months ago?
“Any attempts to attach blame to our supporters for the disgraceful and violent behaviour will not be accepted or tolerated by this club”.
Yesterday, the same club, Newco, not only accepted and tolerated those same supporters being blamed, they led the charge by banning them indefinitely and telling them they would lose their season ticket for the coming season without a refund!
“Any club’s supporters would have done the same”
Here’s the thing, after the cup final, Newco’s statement not only tolerated fans’ behaviour they made unprecedented attempts to justify it:
“We acknowledge that a tiny minority of Rangers fans also encroached on the pitch but only after having been faced with prolonged and severe provocation and in order to protect our players and officials who were being visibly attacked in front of them. Any club’s supporters would have done the same”.
If Celtic did this we would be mocked on every front page for a week. Unfortunately, Scotland does not have appropriate oversight in any walk of life, or the post-final reporting and political reaction would have been entirely different.
Thanks to all who are involved in the eBay auction for this incredible prize:
Courtesy of Celtic sponsor, Intelligent Car Leasing, we have an outstanding auction prize, as the centrepiece of our summer good causes. For the Kilmarnock game at Celtic Park, on 24 September 2016, you can win:
2 seats in the directors’ box
Champagne reception
5 course meal in the Walfrid Suite
Fully expenses bar (pre and post-match)
Half time snacks and refreshments
Car Parking
And a match programme.
The auction is open for only ONE MORE DAY. This is a fabulous opportunity to indulge yourself in some high living while watching Celtic and contributing towards the construction of a school kitchen in Malawi for Mary’s Meals. You can get involved here.
Thanks again to Intelligent Car Leasing.
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How tall is henke? Best header of a ball I’ve ever seen. It’s about timing and aggression when a player jumps. Some big guys have little spring when they compete in the air.
Just a thought.
Unbelievably it IS true. RVP actually is heading to Ibrox!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WhCTH09VR4U
Van Persie to Rangers?
About as likely as The Rolling Stones doing a tv ad for Rice Krispies.
http://dangerousminds.net/comments/rolling_stones_1964_tv_commercial_for_rice_krispies
It’s not Robin van Persie sevco are after.
It’s his lesser-known Portuguese-Italian cousin Ronaldo van Persico they’re after!
HH!!
The referee was poor all game, I’m not sure how the left back (Shomovic?) never got a caution for his repeated hacks at Paddy. There was a number of fouls we should have got that we didn’t, possibly the worst was a double shove on LG right on front of Brendan Rogers. I didn’t see a replay of the penalty but my first instinct was penalty.
On the incident at the end; It would have been easy to send the Astana player off for what he did in deliberately kicking the ball with such force ay KT. Using the ball as a weapon is considered violent conduct and a red card offence.
I think Broonie was very frustrated with the referee, he was particularly annoyed when he was penalised for what appeared a fair challenge – although I thought it was a foul – shortly after he should have got a free kick in the Astana half after a player slid in with a straight legs and studs first. He did win the ball but that is the type of challenge that has been outlawed and he should have got a free kick.
For me though the reason he didn’t was because of the poor positioning of the referee; something he was bad at all night with the now normal over reliance of his assistants. It’s a hall mark of modern refereeing with referee’s being very lazy in their running. Martin Atkinson is a great example of this; watch him closely, his postioning is terrible at times which is why in my opinon he makes a lot of basic errors.
Scottish referees like Wille Collum get rightly criticised for poor decision making but in the case of the much maligned Willie the one thing you cannot criticise is his fitness and positioning.. Unfortunately he just doesn’t know a lot about football and has no understanding of the ebb and flow of a game and when a quiet word is required instead of a card.
As for the result; I was delighted and would have snatched your hand off if offered a 1-1 draw before the game. Tencacious play by Paddy and a great finish by Griff.
Time to finish the job at a hopefully packed Celtic Park next week.
She’s been found safe and well
Thanks to all
Hail hail
STEVIO62
Delighted to hear it,bud.
HH
South of Tunis, I was inTrapani for a few hours on the seventh of July.
Just after we docked, a German navy supply ship arrived and moored about 300 metres away.
There were about ten gazebos on the harbour, two with red crosses, on them.
About an hour after the German navy boat docked, groups of about 20 people at a time disembarked and headed towards the gazebos. From my view it looked as though they were African.
Me being a nosey guy, I was wondering if you have heard if Trapani is being used as a repatriation hub?
The German navy ship had a cover over its helicopter deck and portaloos in the stern , so I don’t think ,they had picked up people at sea.
Playing safe with pizza tonight – was out last night and ordered fried fish thinking it was, you know,……..fried fish.
Got a bit of a shock when it arrived and pretty much everything on the plate was staring back at me.
Tasty though
Tuckerboxcfc
Stevio62
Fantastic news. What relief to the family.
HH
Bmcuw
Just back this weekend – hope all well with your own Special Intention – apologies if I missed update!
HH
It is a a little known fact that the name “Van” is the Dutch translation of the name “Ian” in English.
When (not if) Robin Van Persie signs for the rangers he is going to insist on this Anglicised version of his middle name. He will also insist that his name on the back of his shirt will simply be made up of his 3 initials.
It’s a tribute to the rangers club he watched growing up.
STEVIO62
Braw news
RVP could very well be heading to Sevco 2012 .
When asked what he will consider when making his next move ,he replied .
” I have earned way more than enough money from the game ,my only interest now is honours and there is only one club in world football where you can win 54 top flight titles in 4 yrs ,so for me it,s a no brainer “
Stevio62…
Magic mate.
Scottishleaf
Couldn’t agree more about poor positioning by referees , some just manage to find themselves far too close or right in line with an obvious pass , drives me mad.
I’ve said this before , some are far too young to be taking on these big games , not sure what age they are forced to retire but I’m sure they reduced it a while back
Zero coverage of our game on BBC Shortbread news, if we got cuffed 3-0…………..
Brighton offer £3.5 million for Shane Duffy….
TALLYBHOY.
Yes – saw Mr Intense doing a couple of Press Conferences.He has been a busy boy.
Holidays soon – London soon to see son and some cricket.Then New York to meet up with my daughters and then Jamaica for a rented bungalow on a beach.Bliss !
Whitedoghunch —
If you’re lurking, email to you. Respond within the next 15 or the deal’s off! ;-)
Bada Bing
They covered it last night and slaughtered us of course
Tallybhoy, thank you for your link the other night about the Italan polis.
I read it and it seems as thoughthe different agencies probably fight more with each other than fight crime.
Dick Wilson doing his best to put us down re last night,another hurting Shortbread Hun
Borgo67- part 2 tonight…….
Stevio62…..
Awfy braw news…have a dram…
Braw
Reflecting on the speculation linking the Dutch ace with a switch to The Rangers,
Robin paused for a moment,
replaced his generous Baccarat crystal glass of Amarone on the elegant antique side table,
leaned back in his original Eames recliner,
………….and pished himself laughin’
A very good result for us last night.
On Saturday, I hope we play our younger and fringe players for at least the second half , and keep the first team players for another huge qualifier( are there any other kind) niext Wednesday.
Good speech from Shay Given following his retirement from international football. I wonder if we could get him as cover if Bailly is injured long term.
Adam Matthews returning on loan to Bristol City from Sunderland, with no recall option. Not a good sign for his Sunderland career.
Hope some Huns got stung at the bookies with the RVP nonsense:)))
Bada
Heard Wilson right after the game last night and he was fairly reasonable although not exactly gushing with praise , urging caution for next week. Someone must have had a word in his ear to remember his responsibilities .
Lamont and Broadfoot before them , absolutely stinking currants the lot of them , the worst kind .
Stevio62
Great news buddy
It must have been a feckin nightmare
I stay in Baillieston so it gave the MRS and I a right fright
HH
Dallas-I see what you mean but guys paying a lot of money for tickets for Barca game,Kolo might get 45, Scott Sinclair too……..:)
I think it’s Ian Van Dahl the Govanites are after
Auld Tam from the last thread
I think I can honestly say that is the first time I have posted on CQN criticising James Forrest and his performance, yet you label it as scapegoating.
So if any supporter cricisises a player’s performance, is it always scapegoatimg?
Don’t be so lazy. It diminishes your point.
I label the treatment of JF (and Efe) on CQN as scapegoating. You can even get people to agree with you that James is having a stinker in games where he does not play- I know because I did it as an experiment and got a post backing me up.
But I believe the label I used for you was disengenuous and opaque because you pretended the pass was “mysterious” when it was anything but. Now, all I am getting is a defence by you against charges which were never leveled and not one word in response to your misrepresentation of the pass as mysterious and/or entirely James’s fault.
By the way SFTB – You even resorted to assuming that I am also an “Efe scapegoater” even though I didn’t once mention him.
Can’t wait to tell that to my mate who goes to the games with me. He always has a laugh because I am forever defending Efe and constantly refers to him as “yer big pal”. Hohum.”
No!- that is your assumption. You crossed the road to take that accusation on- it was not leveled at you because as you say, you did not mention him. Don’t be so lazy in your reading and answer the bits that were specifically applied to you not the general ones about other posters which gives you an easy denial.
I await your response to my original point.
Once again thank you
A huge relief to all indeed
Robin Van Persie? Sheez, level 5 are desperate. What’s up Jabba? Oxford being able to afford Kane Hemmings ahead of Deidco ripping your knitting?
Robin bassas merr Like!
Pay your taxes,bills,fines. Sort your dump of a ground before someone gets hurt.
Morons.
Bada Bing, after I posted that, I wished I had phrased it better and your point about fans forking out a lot for the game , is right.
For years we have basically ignored our support in Ireland by, Cliftonville qualifier apart, sending over reserve and youth teams for games.
If I have annoyed some of our support in Ireland, I apologise. My brain doesn’t function at times.
Phils up
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/crouching-puma-hidden-invoice/
Bada & Dallas,
Strong team for first 45 then all change. Barca aren’t a dirty side so hopefully no crazy challenges.
I’m sure I heard somewhere that due to the dosh the icc put up, clubs must field as strong a side as possible.
HH