Lessons are needed from Barcelona and Paris performances

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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.

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430 Comments

  1. No doubt that the Murrayfield lawnmower and sprinkler system will be broken for the next few weeks.

  2. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    NORRIEM on 3RD OCTOBER 2018 6:50 PM

     

    Item 5 – who cares a jot about the other game ???

     

    ——————

     

    Hi NORRIEM

     

     

    I’m always interested in who will be our final opponents – only natural I think.

     

     

    Of the two proponents – Aberdeen or the Zombies, I’d prefer that the Zombies get hammered.

     

     

    Their fans are the same Orange scumbags that supported Rangers – any chance to add to the despair of the horde of lowlife supremacist scumbags who follow the team that plays out of Ibrox is an opportunity that I hope is taken.

     

     

    They are a new club – the fan’s that follow them, however, are the same people that followed Rangers before they entered in to liquidation, never to return.

     

     

    I enjoy any suffering that can be visited on them because of the racist, supremacist and bigoted ‘values’ that a large majority of them seem to adhere to – most Celtic fans probably agree (in my experience, the fans of most other teams feel the same).

     

     

    Hope that doesn’t make me a bad person.

     

     

    HH

     

    BGFC

  3. 50 shades of green on

    Why dont we start a list .

     

     

    Who’s for a boycott is list A

     

     

    Who’s going to support the famous Glasgow Celtic list B….

     

     

     

    Can I have a B please Bob.

     

     

     

    P.s Will I have to sit at the back of the tram instead of the bus now….

  4. at the end of the day bhoys, we are the only ones who can sort this feckin mess out, lets get together with all the supporters clubs and internet fanzines and organize something, they have shafted us long enough.hh.

  5. DANSO_1888 on 3RD OCTOBER 2018 7:01 PM

     

    kev i actually agree with you worst thing was fergus mccann

     

    ####

     

    HH mate. √

     

    That’ll be you on the ‘to be scrolled past’ list ; √

     

    lol ;

     

    Take care Amigo.

     

    HH

     

     

    Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

  6. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    50 SHADES OF GREEN on 3RD OCTOBER 2018 7:03 PM

     

     

    B

     

     

    HH

     

    BGFC

  7. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello, this is WEE BGFC. 50 Shades of Green.

     

    B.

     

     

    Keep The Faith.

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  8. 50 shades of green on

    So Bruce has been binned from Villa, and the press already have Brendan as favourite, thats right the very same Brendan who knocked back gazillions to manage in China.

     

     

     

    Aye right ya tubes, na wonder yir running oot of punters buying yir chip wrappers.

  9. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    It doesn’t matter where or when the semis are played

     

    Every ticket sold is an endorsement of the decisions made.

     

    Rebels my …..!

  10. theBHOYfromU.N.C.L.E on

    Imagine the furore if the huns had been drawn against hertz and it being switched to Murrayfield…….

     

     

    spineless csc

  11. Delaneys Dunky on

    NorrieM

     

    I think that Bankier and Bell, the hun kitman/bus driver are related. Similar looking miserable coupons.

     

    YNWA

  12. prestonpans bhoys on

    50’s

     

     

    That’s a B from me, now do I stay on the 26 bus and walk past Tynie or get off in town and get a tram!

  13. mike in toronto on

    50 Shades

     

     

    My sense of BR is that he is quite ambitious and less motivated by money, and more by success …

     

     

    Because it is not well televised, and seen as something of a retirement home for footballers, I dont think that a move to China, even if successful, would help him move up the career ladder (although it would probably help his bank balance)…

     

     

    There is so much press coverage of the EPL that, if he were to do well at Villa, (although that is a big IF), I think it would be easier for him to get a move to a bigger club in England or on the continent…

     

     

    BR is smart enough to know that Villa is not great for coaches…. but I believe that another club in England would be a greater temptation than China

  14. i'vehadtochangemymind on

    Kev & Danso – the rights and wrongs of Fergus’ involvement have been discussed on here – there was a fabulous post by (cannae remember) relatively recently, not necessarily anti- Fergus but identifying that time and his actions as defining the modern PLC driven Celtic. The post described the changes he brought about how it consigned the celtic community to bit part players in Celtic FC. it was brilliant – might have been BRTH – apologies BRTH if it wasnae you.

  15. I’m at the No 7 Restaurant on Saturday, then a Stadium Tour on Sunday morning.

     

     

    Then the BHOYCOTT begins.

  16. Bournsouprecipe

     

    “Again no problem with what you posted as long as ‘we’ are prepared to ‘back them up’ with evidence from which we formulate our opinions, as in your case where it appears to date, to have been none”

     

    From this I take it you are the blog police and I am required to only post things that you deem factual, or things you decide that I need to clarify for you, fine, if this is the case just tell me.

     

    Or you could just choose to scroll on by.

  17. BADA-it certainly looks like something not right,maybes kev and neg onto something after all?

     

    Who knows.Probably never find out either

  18. Am I to infer that some ‘contentious’ posters on here are just giving an opinion?

     

     

    Wish they would start by telling us then could decide to read or skip.