Lustig, Samaras and problems after World Cup 98

1000

We’ll all be supporting Mikael Lustig and Georgios Samaras as Sweden and Greece attempt to qualify for the World Cup tonight but the prospect of Lustig, Samaras, Izaguirre, Ambrose, Forster and possibly van Dijk not having a break until July, days before the Champions League bandwagon starts rolling again, is unappetising.

Celtic contributed more players to the 1998 World Cup than any other team.  Perhaps as a consequence, we started the new season in third gear, unable to string two league wins together until thumping five goals past a now defunct outfit.  A Perfect Day.

Georgios, Mikael, Emilio and Efe are hugely important players to Celtic.  They are also players we have an excellent chance of retaining, which in some respects makes it even more important that they are ready for action early than those like Fraser, who until he signs his new contract we can be less sure of retaining.

Best of luck to Greece and Sweden tonight, but if your guys return home disappointed there will be compensations.

Ross County have won the respect of many, and rightly so, for building a successful football club from little more than sticky backed tape and empty washing up bottles, but one of their key achievers, manager Derek Adams, has to be one of the most ungracious people in the top fight game, a fact now being picked up in the wider media.

It is unfathomable if this trait is a fundamental aspect of the club’s success.  The clichéd football manager is an unapproachable tyrant but surely there’s more to it than that?

I’ve heard a good few footballers tell their tales of drama, they all have them, even the quiet ones, but it is an objective fact that Frank McAvennie has more stunning stories than anyone in the game.  I’ve heard him tell some publicly, and then listened to the really incredible stuff privately.

The Untold Truth with Frank McAvennie, is at Victoria’s Night Club this Saturday 23rd.  Doors open at 7pm for a three course meal, entertainment and Frankie recounting his stories.  There will also be a sporting auction and a Q&A session.  Book at www.franktalks.co.uk
[calameo code=000390171e05b9b63a832 lang=en page=12 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]

CQN Annuals shipping to ever corner of the globe*. Order yours below.
*only three corners so far.


Puchase Options




Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

1,000 Comments
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 9
  5. 10
  6. 11
  7. 12
  8. 13
  9. 14
  10. 15
  11. ...
  12. 27

  1. Watched the Scotland game earlier with my wee lass and did some homework, we both went crazy when Broonaldo scored the winner, I thought we where extremely lucky to get that result tonight as Norway played really well.

     

    Getting ready for the 2nd half now, Elm off thank God.

     

     

    Hail Hail.

  2. 2 complete Planks comentating on ITV….I

     

     

    HT…………. Ingerlund exposed 0 – Green Reserves 1

     

     

    HappyinSaarlandCSC

  3. eddieinkirkmichael

     

     

    You’ve gotta ask. I changed my name but I’m definitely keeping the history.

  4. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    corkcelt lol

     

     

    Stone sober. She was a big wumman who got scarier the nearer she came. Probably was a big drum hitter in her younger days??

  5. HT,

     

    Looking for 2, if possible together

     

     

    Can you drop a note to Laura on HCPT email, I will drop her a note, she is trying to arrange for them

     

     

    Thanks

     

     

    Hail Hail

  6. KK,

     

     

    Felt your pain re Bertie and the tackle……I wasn’t surprised as it sits with your well posted football purist philosophy.

     

    Consistent and respected,keep the posts flying.

     

    LB…..Bobby Murdoch,yer dads a sound judge! Scottish cup replay against Jambos , Tim’s defending a corner,ball falls to Bobby in our box .one pass to Jinky in their box and…….goal.The ball travelled the length of the Jungle.

     

     

    Jinky and Bobby …..Thanks and RIP

  7. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    Germany playing the old rope – a – dope game.

     

     

    England started similar as against Chile, huffing and puffing.

     

     

    Commentators willing Hart to have a good game, in case F F gets considered. A closed EPL shop.

     

     

    Amazing after all the hyperbole from them for the first half hour, then after the goal, they become critical.

     

     

    Another couple of German goals should round off a reasonable evening’s football.

  8. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    B B 05

     

     

    Was at that game and heard the crack and was on the other side of the park. What was the final score? One all?

  9. ger57

     

     

    20:48 on 19 November, 2013

     

     

    eddieinkirkmichael

     

     

    You’ve gotta ask. I changed my name but I’m definitely keeping the history.

     

     

    ——————————————————————————————————–

     

     

    Nice one….sorry you had to do a >>>co one!

     

     

    HistoryintactCSC

  10. Rep of Ireland doing well in Poland. Game scoreless 10 mins into 2nd half. Anto & Aiden doing well. Generally they are holding their own.

  11. Caught the ‘Home Guard’ commentary from Wembley (Talksport) – what is it with them?

     

     

    They don’t half bang on about ’66 (when they won one) – Germany have won 13 various tournaments in total since.

     

     

    Ray Parlour keeps banging on about; wide players, overlapping full backs and Whippets/

  12. Well done big Georgios!!!

     

    Not looking so good for our Swedish bhoy Mikael at the minute.

     

     

    Watching France v Ukraine – looks like the frenchies will be going to Brasil if they repeat their first half showing. Not sure I’m happy with that – as the French commentators and media are even worse that their Engish counter parts, I kid you not!

  13. HT,

     

     

    Will need to nip to apartment and get wife’s mobile, I haven’t brought mine, will drop her a text on it, not responded to message from iPad yet

     

    Gies10mins

     

     

    Hail Hail

  14. Celtic FC welcome AC Milan to Glasgow

     

    knowing that the night could end with them in

     

    second place in Group H or eliminated from

     

    the UEFA Champions League altogether.

     

     

    The Scottish title holders may sit bottom of

     

    Group H but, with just two points separating

     

    them from second-placed Milan, they would

     

    overtake the Rossoneri with victory. Indeed

     

    they would jump into second place themselves

     

    should they win and section leaders FC

     

    Barcelona beat AFC Ajax in the group’s other

     

    fixture.

     

    • Given the congestion in the standings, Milan

     

    could end the night bottom of the group but

     

    could equally finish it with a ticket to the last

     

    16 for the fifth year running in the event of an

     

    away win at Celtic Park and a Barcelona

     

    success in Amsterdam.

     

    Past meetings

     

    • The clubs traded home wins when they met

     

    in the 2007/08 group stage. Scott McDonald’s

     

    89th-minute winner earned Celtic a 2-1 home

     

    success following goals by Stephen McManus

     

    (61) and Kaká (68), but Carlo Ancelotti’s men

     

    avenged that defeat with a 1-0 victory at San

     

    Siro in their final group fixture, Filippo Inzaghi

     

    scoring (70). Gordon Strachan’s Celtic still

     

    joined Milan in the last 16 as group runners-

     

    up.

     

    • The lineups in Glasgow on 3 October 2007

     

    were:

     

    Celtic: Boruc, Perrier Doumbé (Kennedy 79),

     

    Caldwell, McManus, Naylor, McGeady

     

    (Nakamura 84), Hartley, Donati, Jarošík (Killen

     

    84), Brown, McDonald.

     

    Milan: Dida (Kalac 90), Oddo, Nesta, Bonera,

     

    Jankulovski, Ambrosini, Gattuso, Pirlo, Seedorf

     

    (Gourcuff 55), Kaka, Inzaghi (Gilardino 77).

     

    • Milan had beaten Celtic in the 2006/07

     

    round of 16 on their way to winning the

     

    trophy. After a goalless draw at Celtic Park,

     

    Kaká’s extra-time strike in the return leg

     

    earned the Rossoneri victory. Bonera is

     

    another survivor of that tie, while Lennon

     

    played for Celtic.

     

    • Lennon also featured at San Siro when Milan

     

    struck with two late goals in the clubs’

     

    2004/05 group stage meeting, the hosts

     

    earning a 3-1 win through Inzaghi (89) and

     

    Andrea Pirlo (90+1) after Stanislav Varga had

     

    equalised Andriy Shevchenko’s first-half

     

    opener. The return in Glasgow finished

     

    goalless.

     

    • Celtic visited Milan for the first time in

     

    1968/69, drawing 0-0 in the first leg of their

     

    European Champion Clubs’ Cup quarter-final

     

    tie. However, Piero Prati’s lone goal (12) at

     

    Celtic sent Milan through and they went on to

     

    lift the trophy.

     

    Match background

     

    • Celtic have won eight of their last 11

     

    European fixtures in Glasgow. Including the

     

    qualifying rounds, they have won four of five

     

    matches at Celtic Park this season, the only

     

    blip being their 1-0 defeat against Barcelona

     

    on matchday two.

     

    • Overall Celtic have a superb home record in

     

    the UEFA Champions League group stage,

     

    which reads W16 D5 L2.

     

    • Milan are still seeking their first win on their

     

    European travels this term. Prior to losing at

     

    Barcelona in their last fixture, they had posted

     

    1-1 draws at PSV Eindhoven in the play-offs

     

    and Ajax on matchday two.

     

    • Milan have failed to win in Scotland on their

     

    last four visits, their last success coming

     

    against Celtic in 1969. Their overall record in

     

    the country is W2 D2 L3.

     

    • Beaten 2-0 at Milan on matchday one, Celtic

     

    also lost their most recent home encounter

     

    with Serie A opposition, a 3-0 defeat against

     

    Juventus in last season’s round of 16.

     

    Alessandro Matri scored the opening goal, just

     

    as he did in Juve’s 2-0 victory back in Turin.

     

    Celtic’s overall record against Italian visitors

     

    is W4 D4 L2.

     

    • Their most memorable contest against a

     

    Serie A side was the first, a 2-1 triumph

     

    against FC Internazionale Milano in the

     

    1966/67 European Champion Clubs’ Cup final

     

    in Lisbon.

     

    Team ties

     

    • Scott Brown was in the Scotland team whose

     

    UEFA EURO 2008 qualifying hopes ended with

     

    a 2-1 home defeat by Italy in Glasgow on 17

     

    November 2007. Brown’s Scotland had been

     

    beaten away by an Italy team including

     

    Riccardo Montolivo and Giampaolo Pazzini in

     

    a UEFA European Under-21 Championship

     

    qualifier in March 2005.

     

    • Nir Biton’s hosts Israel lost 4-0 against Italy

     

    at this summer’s European U21

     

    Championship, Riccardo Saponara opening the

     

    scoring.

     

    • Mikael Lustig’s Sweden lost 2-1 against

     

    Italy in the 2009 European U21 Championship

     

    group stage. Mario Balotelli scored and was

     

    sent off for Italy, who also had Ignazio Abate

     

    in their team.

     

    • Efe Ambrose’s Nigeria failed to qualify for

     

    the 2012 CAF Africa Cup of Nations after

     

    being held 2-2 at home by Kevin Constant’s

     

    Guinea in October 2011.

  15. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    German striker kicks the ball straight at Hart…..no doubt considered a brilliant save

  16. Cowiebhoy

     

     

    The Masonic Arms (Alastair’s) Was in Longridge…..a regular stop for supporters buses

     

     

    A great friend to all visiting fans irrespective to their allegiance.

     

     

    Tins of Pale Ale 12 for £1………..happy days.

     

     

    Paddy T

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 9
  5. 10
  6. 11
  7. 12
  8. 13
  9. 14
  10. 15
  11. ...
  12. 27