Salzburg are the real deal. For years, backed by sponsor Red Bull, they have deployed one of the most expensive wage bills outside of Europe’s big five leagues. They are in the Europa League due to an away goals defeat to Red Star Belgrade (who drew their opening Champions League tie with Napoli), but the Austrians have won their six games since, scoring 21 goals in the process.
That run included a 2-3 win at Leipzig, one of only two defeats the Germans have suffered in 17 competitive games stretching back to April. They sit seven points clear at the top of the Austrian Bundesliga after a flawless nine wins from nine.
From a technical perspective, this will be a new challenge for Celtic this season. Our biggest problem, both domestically and at home, has been breaking down packed defences, Salzburg will have no such inhibitions. They attacked throughout in Leipzig, successfully chasing an 89th minute winner while most European teams on their travels would settle for a point.
I have been critical of how open Celtic were against Barcelona (7-0) and PSG (0-5, 7-1) in recent seasons. Whatever it is that St Mirren could conjure against Celtic last month, we were unable to find the same fortitude when facing a similar disparity in resources.
Salzburg are not Barcelona or PSG, but they will comfortably despatch any team who are defensively soft. We might not win, but we should aim to be competitive tomorrow night.
430 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 12
- »
Shoot
Get in!
Goal ?
Pesky handsome burg faced bassa! ???
TIMSRGR8
A number of us can recommend this one
https://www.yelp.com/biz/st-matthews-social-club-belfast?adjust_creative=dWJMtmYxpd5N5yoyzSuhtA&utm_campaign=yelp_api&utm_medium=api_v2_search&utm_source=dWJMtmYxpd5N5yoyzSuhtA
And if I could remember the name of the other one we went to frequently,I would recommend that too.
Failing that,The Rock on Falls Road is a bucket-list job,and a short taxi ride.
Have a great time in a great city.
CELTIC40ME on 3RD OCTOBER 2018 11:52 AM
That latest offering from Sentinel Celts just shows how lucky the online Celtic community are to have CQN and Paul67.
With respect I think the article is very relevant at this time and the comparisons are stark as we seem to be in a very similar situation and the instigator is still at the club.
Can’t understand anyone suggesting we play a weakened team. We will need to be at full strength to get any sort of result. It will be a tight group with three teams fighting it out for the top two spots. Might even come down to a head-to-head, so a two or three goal defeat could be costly.
We don’t need to “park the bus”, but we do need to be fully concentrated defensively (not just defenders).
I would like to see a compact 4-3-3, counter-attacking when we have the opportunities, and their style means we should have some.
Celtic should aim to exploit any psychological weakness.
In the final qualifier, RB were 2-0 up against Red Star and coasting.
An RB centre back assaulted an opponent (stayed on the park BTW).
Instead of enraging Red Star and deflecting their focus, the ensuing melee bizarrely had that effect on RB.
They went to pieces, the game finished 2-2 and RB were out.
Hail hail
In all probability we will lose the match. We travel with trepidation and fear. After two years of progression under our outstanding Manager the Board failed to invest the funds generated by our Manager since his arrival. A period of penny pinching and dithering has set us back and cast doubt upon the future of our Manager. It is wholly unacceptable and as such we should not lose sight of this reality. Brendan wants us to be like Salzburg. Unfortunately PL and the Board have shafted him, and us.
Steve Bruce apparently had a cabbage thrown at him last night. Hope John McGinn had that “guaranteed place” put into his contract…..
” Our biggest problem, both domestically and at home”
—————————————-
LOL
Red Bull have a 100% record in the league this season after 9 games, scoring 24
They were knocked out of last seasons europa league by an extra time goal in the semi final
They scored a lot of goals against a good defensive Lazio team in the quarter. My Lazio-supporting friend says they’re a good side although they pinched their best player from them in the summer
Anything other than a confidence draining doing for me please
our biggest problems away from home in europe are shipping multitudes of preventable goals, not being able to string 2 passes together and so losing to teams who cost a fraction of what celtic does, both in transfer fees and wages
if you were to ask me to provide an arguement as to why it will be different tomorrow night then i cant
blind faith and beer are my only allies tomorrow :)
DILLIGAFBHOY on 3RD OCTOBER 2018 12:09 PM
With respect I think the article is very relevant at this time and the comparisons are stark as we seem to be in a very similar situation and the instigator is still at the club.
So I keep reading. You can’t read a page on CQN, never mind the less balanced sites, without someone banging on about it.
BMCUW
Cosgroves in Belfast City Centre?
@ CELTIC40ME on 3RD OCTOBER 2018 12:15 PM
Re your comments on the previous blog in relation to Sentinel Celts v CQN. No a particularly fair claim. CQN is not immune from conjecture, supposition or, frankly, an agenda. Some blogs articles have not aged well, the McGinn article, for example.
I think CQN is an excellent forum for discussion and P67 produces quality articles on a variety of pertinent topics. However, put bluntly, it appears that any relationship P67 has with those in the upper echelons of Celtic results in an inability to criticise them. Far more effort and time is expended on reviewing and critiquing players and the manager, as opposed to those running the club (especially in regard to perceived failures).
It is his blog and he is within his gift to do as he pleases, but let’s not pretend that there are no underlying factors which impinge upon this blog’s output.
The reason the club is doing so well is because of Brendan, he was appointed on the say so of Dermot Desmond, never in a month of Sundays would Lawwell have given him the job.
We are cash rich because of Brendan, nothing to do with Lawwell, who is doing his utmost to get rid of him.
CQN is turning into the Celtic version of FF, a place where the posters want to hear anything but the truth.
Mibby BR should set out our team to sit (surprisingly) deep and tight as those domestics that flummox us every week – eg, play Mulumbu and KT in a packed defensive midfield, with Izzy back in at LB.
DELANEYSDUNKY
That’s the fella!
TIMSRGR8
FYI,Cosgroves in the city centre should be showing it.
All three I mentioned are worth a visit,though.
Father Jack
“We are cash rich because of Brendan, nothing to do with Lawwell, who is doing his utmost to get rid of him”
WADR – Where is your evidence to support the last part of that statement (sounded factual you see)
Hail hail
THE HANDS CANT HIT WHAT THE EYES CANT SEE on 3RD OCTOBER 2018 12:54 PM
It is his blog and he is within his gift to do as he pleases, but let’s not pretend that there are no underlying factors which impinge upon this blog’s output.
That’s just your opinion, of course. Much like the debate about PL’s motives I have very strong beliefs that seem to run against what the general consensus is.
But putting that to one side, that wasn’t my criticism. The piece on the blog was lazy, boring, full of hackneyed assumptions and referencing something from
Whoops
4 years ago that’s been talked about plenty before now
My point was simply that we’re fortunate, when you consider the alternatives to have (for all its perceived faults) an intelligent, interesting and very well-informed blog to read and post on.
That’s me personally anyway. Enough navel gazing and clogging up the blog
CELTIC40ME on 3RD OCTOBER 2018 1:14 PM
I am wondering if you are referring to the link posted by BMCUWP. If so it was just a link and whether you click on it is optional. I did and was glad I did. It refreshed my memory of events leading to NFL departing. I remember wondering at the time why the hell would Lenny leave. I am starting to have the same thoughts about BR. There is a common denominator in both scenario’s. PL.
FATHER JACK on 3RD OCTOBER 2018 1:01 PM
‘never in a month of Sundays would Lawwell have given him the job.‘
——
That’s the rub.
When Desmond offered Keane the job Lawwell was able to sabotage it, over money. Put aside whether you think Keane would have been a good appointment or not, it is a worrying insight. Lest we forget that Lawwell served up Deila instead and a bunch of loan signings to boot. Had Desmond not sourced Brendan one can only shudder to think what Lawwell would have served up, Malky MacKay or Moyes? Lawwell has been there for too long and it’s time for change. The smsm gave him down as a master negotiator etc etc. Have they ever criticised him or questioned his position, the Celtic hating smsm that fear him so much, isn’t that odd?
Assuming Ajer and Benkovic are still out my team would be:
Edouard
McGregor Mulumbu Ntcham Forrest
Brown
Lustig Hendry Boyata Tierney
Gordon
Keep it tight in the middle of the park. If we are trying to sneak a goal late in the game then bring Rogic and Griffiths on together.
Hail Hail
Father Jack on 3rd October 2018 1:01 pm
The reason the club is doing so well is because of Brendan, he was appointed on the say so of Dermot Desmond, never in a month of Sundays would Lawwell have given him the job.
We are cash rich because of Brendan, nothing to do with Lawwell, who is doing his utmost to get rid of him.
CQN is turning into the Celtic version of FF, a place where the posters want to hear anything but the truth.
=====================================
LOL, brilliant irony.
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL
It’s all about opinions, I have mine you have yours, we will see soon enough who is right.
David 17
I have often wondered about that myself, the smsm bit, very odd as you say, Lawwell runs Scottish football and the media so we have nothing to worry about.
Sandman
I thought that as well
Father Jack
‘’We are cash rich because of Brendan, nothing to do with Lawwell, who is doing his utmost to get rid of him”
Opinion posted as factual.
If not you’ll be able to sustanstiate?
James Forrest has a good article up, slagging off the shambles of the League Cup semi-finals (or shooting fish in a barrel as it is alternatively known).
He has a wee dig at a Hootsmon reporter who has said that “…this farce began with the league cup semi-final draw.” J F himself asserts that “…in fact, the point where this began is the point at which both clubs were confirmed to be in the Europa League group stages”
I would demur. Way back in the summer, when I was charged with organising flights to Lanzagrotty for three couples, the three guys being Tims, season ticket holders and not wishing to miss any home European ties, I first of all went on to the Eufa site and got the dates of the group stages for both Europe tournaments. Having furnished myself with such information, I went ahead and booked the flights, avoiding said dates. Easy peasy.
Is there no-one in the SPFL who could have done the same and chosen a weekend for the semi-finals which was in between the group games, informed the company that does the IT for the season’s league games and so avoided this utter farce?
JAMABHOY on 3RD OCTOBER 2018 1:26 PM
I’d go with that but cant see Mulumbu starting. Rogic would be the 1st option i think.
DILLIGAFBHOY on 3RD OCTOBER 2018 1:34 PM
I think you are probably right, but we have been too lightweight recently. Easy to brush off the ball. I think Mulumbu will give us a bit of dig in the middle with the others ready to provide guile.
Hail Hail
Emerald
I would never credit them with such common sense. As you indicate it’s not rocket science
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
Which bit ?
The part where we are cash rich because of Brendan, no can’t be that bit as it’s as plain as the nose on your face that’s 100% true.
Must be the doing his utmost to get rid of him then, am I correct ?
If I am correct, when did it become a prerequisite that posts on blogs had to be backed up with facts that the clique were happy with ?
I read posts on here day after day that are opinions and the clique don’t seem to have a problem with them, is it because my opinions don’t fit with the head in the sand agenda ?
JAMABHOY on 3RD OCTOBER 2018 1:38 PM
I’ve also just thought (one of my 5 a day) was Mulumbu even included in the European squad? I know the young Assie Arzani was included, much to his annoyance.
was should read wasn’t included.
If Eboue Kouassi is out of favour, then starting Mulumbu, Broon, and Ntcham together in the centre of midfield (Brron and Mulumbu defensive, Ntcham ahead) is the ONLY way to get a foothold against a very dynamic RB Salzburg side.
C’mon Celtic, and into these caffeinian bassas. ; }