When you and I write, whether you are aware of it or not, there’s always a narrative. Behind the words the subtext explains why we think a game was won or lost, why events on the park reinforce our world view, or, for some, just that they are angry people.
For most, our narrative is bound by the constraints of realistic parameters, although some are so afflicted by a heavily prejudiced world view that no amount of evidence to the contrary would convince them, for example, that they are being led by the nose by charlatans.
As the game drew to a conclusion last night, this troubled me. I was proud of the way Celtic played. They attacked a team from one of the top leagues in a way we’ve not seen since Juventus visited in 2001. It was glorious and gutsy, skilful and dramatic. But with 92 minutes on the clock, it was heading towards defeat. No matter the circumstances, defeat binds any narrative as a failure, glorious or otherwise. It didn’t feel like failure, but this was how we would remember this game.
John Guidetti’s 93rd minute equaliser changed the result and created some memories, but the underlying narrative would stand, with or without that goal: the improvement in Celtic since our August debacle is as profound as anything we have witnessed in 49 years.
Delighted to announce that our treble winning captain, Tom Boyd, will be attending CQN11 St Patrick’s Dinner at the Kerrydale Suite on Friday 13 March. We also have big Packy, wee Joe and conventionally-sized Tommy Coyne. And Archie Macpherson’s going to talk about the transformation which got underway 50 years ago that week!
Fill your boots at what will be a great celebration of our club and heritage, with a wee song or two from Patricia Ferns, and you’ll also help to build a school kitchen in Malawi for kids who often go without a proper meal. For tickets and details, email me, celticquicknews@gmail.com
Congratulations to the SPFL, Hamilton Accies, Georgios Samaras, Celtic and Scottish football fans for last month’s Goal of the Month award, which was won by Jay Beatty for his strike at New Douglas Park. Up with this sort of thing.
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FIELDOFDRAMS
Sold his soul for bawbees. I’m happy with the comparison.
LPM had the excuse of being thick,btw.
Dearie me Stokesy!!!
http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/celtic/311106-anthony-stokes-disciplined-by-celtic-after-late-return-from-dublin-trip/
LB
One of those hug the stranger next to you nights at Paradise ! Absolutely brilliant experience. A priviledge.
With a minute to go and 2-3 down I wasn’t too disappointed. I knew I’d seen a helluva performance from our Bhoys…then Guidetti popped up !
Well done Celtic. Wearing the hoops with pride today.
sutton and mcmanamen’s comments after the game were pathetic….shows how little they know about anything ……they don’t seem to have picked up on the fact that, as a Club, we were also celebrating / commemorating Lisbon 1967, and THAT was the main reason for the players celebrating with the fans after the game ….also, of course, the players were simply thanking our supporters for their awesome support …..surprised sutton didn’t picked on this aspect ……eejit
Last night I went out to see the Eagles in Perth, Don Henley and Glen Frey were outstanding, still the same great voices, Joe Walsh, although he had ‘Clean’ on his t-shirt looked and sounded drug addled. I got home at 0030 and didn’t even bother with the alarm, I just put the Celtic alarm on autopilot. I woke at 0414, tried to get a stream and looked in despair as I saw 0-2.
I decided to go onto CelticTV and listen to the Bhoys while following updates on CQN, Tom Boyd is superb if a little biased. This team have a belief and spirit like few of our teams have had in recent years, they don’t know when they are beaten. The football is exciting and very watchable, as the banner said last night, it is time to make our own legends.
The reality is, even in the best of times, no Celtic team has gone to Italy and won in European competition. There is an opportunity for this new group to become legends in the San Siro, one thing is for sure, they will not lack confidence.
Next up, if anyone knows of a venue in Dunedin next Friday morning, let me know.
And by the way Jamesgang, Don Henley spoke very highly of you last night!
AR
Obits,
Big smile for the camera :)
http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/football_quiz.cfm?page=3157
You are the ref.
LB
Ohits even
Freudian slip!
feyenoord look a tidy team.
bada bing don’t understand our xs other than a few, surely they cant all be broke.
Freudians slip.
Sitting at the breakfast table with my wife, I whispered, “I love you”.
She gazed back at me lovingly and said –
“YOU RUINED MY F***ING LIFE”
ACGR,
Apologies, I’m still a bit at sorts;)
I woke up at the back of twelve today to my daughters tunes, we have the same taste in music ;))
Stan Colymore’s petition against “up to our knees in Fenian blood” chanting is less than 100 shy of 8,000. IN LESS THAN A DAY!
https://www.change.org/p/all-good-people-boycott-sponsors?recruiter=59016503&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=share_twitter_responsive
3 teams have beat Inter in Milan this season.-
Cagliari / Udinese / Torino.
Cagliari beat them 4 -1
I am pleased to see that Stokes was disciplined for turning up late for training on the biggest week for Rony and Celtic.It shows a complete lack of professionalism and also a lack of respect for Rony and his team mates.Stoksie you better wise up fella or you will find that Celtic dont need you as much as you need them. H.H.
ACGR
Sorry I missed your post earlier. Had to pop through to Embra. you can get the link from petec’s post as below
petec
04:27 on 20 February, 2015
Fred C Dobbs
Imho Chris Sutton does like our manager,he has never said a good word about him since he joined us.
Paul67
the improvement in Celtic since our August debacle is as profound as anything we have witnessed in 49 years.
Let’s not get carried away.
The reason it is a marked improvement has more to do with how bad we were in August, rather than how good (and we were good) last night.
I’ll fall into line with the number of posters who say we’re on a ‘journey’ with Ronnie. He’s earned the right to steer the ship.
To infinity, and beyond!*
*as long as it’s in 4-2-3-1
A small observation on last night:
Considering they’re basically just in the door, how good were the contributions of Stuart Armstrong and Gary M-S?
No settling in phase for these two, well-grounded bhoys.
Armstrong was immense: his reading of the game is quite remarkable. He’s strong, quick, makes the simple pass, has an eye for goal and works like a Trojan.
Mackay-Stevens is a less complete footballer, but has bags of confidence and never gives up. Many a lesser prospect would have chucked it or disappeared in a game like that, but he kept working and showing for the ball. Even though he seemed knackered after about an hour, he was in there at the death, linking up for Guidetti’s equaliser.
If both continue to have an impact like this, some of our longer serving players are going to have their work cut out getting back into the team. A team now recognisably different from that which Lenny left behind …
VIP
Inter @ home in Europe.
Inter 6 – Stjarnan 0
Inter 2 FK Qarabag 0
Inter 0 – St Etienne 0
Inter 2 – Dnipro 1
Dropped a few guys at Paradise just before ko last night, and turned the taxi round to head back towards town, when I was flagged down by a couple right outside the ground. You could tell they had had a few scoops in them, but they were coherent and otherwise fine. I queried why they were going away from the ground as ko was only 5 mins away, and they explained that “a big feckin dirty orange bastard steward” had asked to see their tickest before entry. On being handed the tickets, the aforementioned ” big feckin dirty orange bastard” took them and and told the couple that their tickets were being confiscated as they were too drunk to enter the stadium.
Now this couple had come all the way from Dublin to watch the game, a Christmas present from her to him, and had spent a small fortune getting there and accommodation, only to be told they weren’t getting in because some steward has decided they had dunk too much!!!
Scandalous treatment as far as I’m concerned. I told the guy if that had been me, I’d be in the back of a police van after setting about the steward.
HH
Well last night was a lot of fun. Totally provoked me into posting on CQN!
Biton, who has been steadily growing on me, showed me enough that I’m on board with him. Great feet, great composure, and a lot more to come I hope. His influence grew throughout the game. No doubt helped by Scott Brown in imperious form/mood.
Johansens cleverness and deft touch was vital (I’ll spare any long comparison with Commons, but realistically, we’d have been struggling to create chances if he’d been in that role instead).
Each of our defenders was impressive individually, but they remain a naive unit. Solving this is a huge challenge, particularly if we lose the two cb’s in the summer.
GMS proving me, and others wrong. It’s one of my favourite things; when a player steps up a level at Celtic and proves doubters, like me, wrong.
Anyway, in Gordon, Brown and Johansen we have 3 players who have a superb level of professionalism, determination and commitment to team work. Whilst the rest of the squad is full of talented and youthful players who look to have bought into RD’s scheme.
In my effort to get some quotes from RD and the players I dipped into a few post match forums/channels. Universally awful. Lasted 5 minutes before remembering that I’d actually had a fun night watching Celtic and wasn’t going to let anyone ruin it. My only comment is just that it’s baffling how many pundits and former pro’s haven’t been keeping up with football developments. Anyone who doesn’t think that equaliser is huge, in the context of the tie, never mind our team development, doesn’t get it. We’re not favourites, but we showed that we can dominate and beat Inter. We won’t play any different over there…
Jungle VIP
Great observations. I and many on here maybe even yourself have said before that good players in other Scottish sides can be great players for Celtic.
They are coming to a better team. They are playing with better players. They are playing in bigger games.
They also appreciate the chance. They are normal Scottish boys. They graft their @ss off to get in this team. They grab chances when they come to them.
These boys look and talk like they have won the lottery playing for Celtic and their enthusiasm is infectious for their team mates. Credit to United and Jackie for nurturing them but they have hit the big time at Celtic.
We MUST use the players available on our door step more often. No player should leave this country before we have knocked them back or decided they don’t quite fit. We missed out on Gauld who is geniunely top class and would have dovetailed with the other two perfectly for years to come but 2 out of 3 ain’t bad.
Ronny Deila is ticking more and more boxes as the season goes on. Remember when people used to say Ronny talks well BUT……..
LB
Just watched last nights game again and it was as enjoyable second time round, if not better. When I compare it with most of the games I bother to watch in the EPL there is only one winner. These so called experts that spout their crap about the so called best league in the world ect, make me laugh. Give me a game like last night anytime. It was exciting, entertaining and nerve racking. I find most of the English EPL games just plain boring. I cannot remember the last time I watched aone all the way thru. Cannot wait till next weeks rematch. I was a bit disappointed with big Chris Sutton’s comments. It did not surprise me abour MacManaman’s , anybody with a hair style like that cannot be taken seriously
In defence of Sutton – *ducks*
First of all, I agree with WITS – it shouldn’t matter that much what a pundit says about how Celtic are playing. If you react too defensively, you come across as having an inferiority complex. If they’re way off, they end up hoisted by their own Capt. Picard.
His comments (as far as I know) are critical of the football on the park. He does seem to have an agenda against the current coaching set-up, but his need to criticise seems to come from the common middle-aged male need to say ‘I was right’, rather than any malice towards Celtic.
‘You see? I was right! GIRUY’ sorta thing.
I’m sure some on here can relate to that (looks at the floor sheepishly).
By way of comparison, try to recall some of the mean-spirited things said by Burley and Charlie Nick about the club and the supporters. That’s a different level for me.
Jungle VIP
Armstrong’s was one of the best European debuts I’ve seen at Celtic Park.
GMS held his own.
HH
sandman,
Good post mate, the way the crowd got behind Craig Gordon after his mistake is and has always been…why our support is special.
There was mistakes made and I’m sure that RD, the coaches and players will have learned from last night.
For by that, I was thrilled by some of our play and the result was nothing less than we deserved.HH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZGgNBeYMPDA
for Voguepunter to continue with his homework
Kelly’sCellarsCSC
Summed it up well Paul. What a game, could write for days about every aspect of last night, but I won’t. It was Magic HH
“Virgil needs to up his game or he’ll be lucky to get a game at Celtic much less the much vaunted vulgar and EPL.”
I was HUGELY impressed with his confidence in treating Inter with the same respect as he gives all opposition. No more, no less.
JJ
bt have taken stan colleymore off commentating on the rangers game tonight after pressure from the rangers supporters trust
shows rangers fans cannot take criticism
its a pity bt gave in and didnt back colleymore because the videos show the rangers fans were singing about fenian blood at league cup semi
fair play to stan colleymore for highlighting what a collection fascists the rangers fans really are
antipodean red
Big Don’s a regular @ CQN Corner.
He comes there cos he loves 3 things…..the Tic, the Craic and getting a hug fae Deina!
Same as the rest of us really!
M’on you. Get over and see us.
HH jamesgang
I thought Virgil had a poorish first half.
He looked better in the second half when Inter backed off a bit.
We will see how he does in the San Siro.
Got talking to a fellow Tom on the train home from Dalmarnock last night. He said that he’d met two young students from Brazil who were currently studying at Southampton University and were on their way to the game. He asked them if they were Inter fans but they reassured him that they were here to support Celtic and wanted to buy some Celtic merchandise. He made sure they got to the Megastore. They told him that after the game they were heading into the Merchant City to find an Irish pub. It shows how well known (and popular) Celtic are throughout the world. I bet they enjoyed the game and loved the atmosphere.
Anyone know what the attendances have been at Inter home EC and EL matches this season please?
Er ….. Fellow Tom = fellow Tim
Philbhoy
In defence of the defence. A goalkeeping error is a confidence breaker. We lost one early through a poor decision from our goalie. The whole defence did not cope after that. We dragged our way back into the game and then we kept a clean sheet 2nd half which Inter failed to do.
Half time team talk from our manager was probably better. Dunno what the note from Mancini was about with their sub late on but if it was advising time wasting which began straight after the captain read it then it’s another reason to go to Italy and knock this mob out.
If we can win in Milan it will be one of our greatest ever European results in my opinion.
Last nights game reminded me of the Cup match at Ibrokes when the Broony was born.
The whole occassion was wonderful. The game was the pick of the midweek action if not the week. UEFA must love to have us in their competitions. Is there a better place to watch a European match? We should get a bye to the group stages every year.
LB
Paul, guys….
I consider myself a realist. I keep my eye on the (foot) ball, and leave the other stuff to other folk. Mostly.
I have been critical of Ronny D. And rightly so. No apology for that.
That being said, a couple of observations:
First, I thought that our possession and and passing was the best I have seen from a Celtic team in Europe for a long time. We had players, tightly marked, showing for and wanting the ball…controlling and protecting the ball in difficult circumstances….and delivering quality passes. There were patches where we truly outstanding.
On the downside (or perhaps, the yet-to-be-corrected side): While we were expansive with possession, we need to ‘collapse’ more quickly when we lose the ball. That is, our players need to get closer together, especially in the middle third. We need to transition quickly from exploiting space, to denying space.
Others have mentioned our 2 recruits from Dundee United. I am a bit surprised that they have instantly become starters in a game like this. Armstrong, in particular, has become the perfect addition to the Brown, Biton, Johansson set up.
And who was to know that our BEST (IMHO) player, would have his WORST game? Football is a funny game.
Paul, as for last night, there IS an element of failure to the result. If we don’t win (or draw 4-4) in Milan, this will go down as another Partizan Belgrade footnote. I appreciate the sentiment that says we are making progress, and in the past I would have readily subscribed to that thinking.
However, we live in a world where players’ careers at Celtic can often be measured in months, rather than years. (3 of last night’s players have no intention of being at Celtic next season). As such, we need to live in the here and now. In that context, last night leaves me with a tinge of regret,
Final note. I strongly suspect that young Anthony just about ended his career with us…..