Ajax sit top of the Dutch Eredivisie, ahead of fourth-placed PSV, who picked up three points in the Champions League last night. Four wins and a draw, away to Twente on Saturday, is a near-perfect start to the domestic campaign, although that was only Twente’s second point of the season, if that provides a glimmer of hope.
Form has been less convincing in Europe. An honourable 2-2 draw away to Rapid Vienna was made meaningless by a 2-3 defeat in Amsterdam in the Champions League qualifiers. Ajax then endured a tense two-leg Europa League qualifier against Czechs, Jablonec, which ended in a 1-0 aggregate win. Not that we should be dismissive of anyone on European form.
What will give Ronny Deila room for some encouragement is who Ajax have faced so far in the league. AZ (13th placed), Willem II (15th), NEC (10th) ADO Den Haag (12th), before dropping those points to Twente (16th). All they can do is beat the teams before them, but they will not have been stretched domestically. Even Jablonec are struggling in 6th place in the Czech league. Celtic should be able to provide a test at a higher tempo.
By any measure, Celtic are not without their problems. We’ve not kept a home clean sheet since the opening day of the league campaign against Ross County, and we’ve won only one of our last four away games – and that was against Dundee United who lost four on the bounce. But there’s three points to play for tomorrow, and I doubt either team are taking them for granted.
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GREENPINATA on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2015 9:51 AM
According to the blogs administrators the amount of traffic on the site is up.
Could it be that more are lurking rather than posting due to the unrelenting labelling of posters with an alternative view as trolls.
HH
You sure have a point there,a lack of tolerance of bhoys’ differing views.
Corkcelt-ditto
I do, however, like the version of a pal of mine;
If you can`t fix it, don`t break it!
Wise words.
JJ
A good result for Celtic tonight would be a great morale booster for everyone & would halt the negativity
which hangs over the blog and depresses everybody.A draw or better would lift the mood substantially I hope we can do it
What an opportunity to bounce back.
Like the vast majority of our support I embrace this game, we should in no way fear it.
We can only hope that our players see it that way and make us and more importantly themselves proud.
If the vultures are obsessed with smells then they’ll be disappointed. I smell no fear.
HH.
Tictaewin
“Celtic fans are smelly. Need to be told to wash.”
When Lennon`s Passion first posted this, I just took it as being a load of nonsense and was disappointed in him giving it credence.
Whoever authorised the letter is, I presume, a decent person trying to do the decent thing. Unfortunately, the outcome was inevitable and not, this time, just because Celtic are involved ( although, of course, in Scotland, that will be a significant factor).
Anyone says anything to me, I am just going to say it was in the Away End 0:-)
JJ
To all you ghuys who are plagued with ads and pop ups install Adblocker Premium -free unless you want to make a contribution to their site. Solved all my problems Hail Hail Hebcelt
I fancy us to draw tonight. 0 – 0.
JJ
I understand the letter is a hoax, it has been used for other clubs in the past, photoshopped letterhead. But it has certainly done some PR damage because the likes of the BBC ran with it. If confirmed a hoax I’d be taking them to task for sure and demanding the same amount of coverage, tweets etc confirming the hoax.
I believe the Ajax team have a lower average age than our own.
Therefore assuming a poor result tonight:
This is an occasion when lack of experience could not be used as an excuse.
PSV beat Manure, so lack of spend by Manure can’t be blamed on that.
The losses against Malmo and The Sheep were own to rank bad performances by the players, coupled with horrendous individual errors.
Tonight, the players have a chance to atone for those two previous poor displays. I hope and believe that they can do this.
Forget the board, forget downsizing. (These are valid topics for discussion during the close season). Get behind the team, it’s the day of the game. Support Celtic. You never know, it might help!!!!
PositiveBorderingOnHappyClapper CSC
Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on 17th September 2015 9:59 am ” If it ain’t broke don’t fix it…”
That comment always make me smile. Why?
Well, we used to say , ” Leave well alone.” but the advocates didn`t and , instead, adopted the American version .
Ironic.
JJ
==========
I have no idea what you’re referring to but in terms of this blog the previous versions were much more user friendly, and I think the significant decrease in reflects that, despite your little story.
HH
*significant decrease in comments
Hebclet
Thanks for that. I actually read about that yesterday. Some sites are beginning to block access to users of Adblocker! Rationale is that they are providing free content, ads allow them to keep it free, if you don’t see the ad then value of the advertising space goes down and they can’t recover costs (or make profit, obviously).
It’s a really difficult situation. Personally I’ve no problem with static ads. Interactive, noisy, moving and pop ups all suggest to me something is going on in my PC that I don’t want. Having had 2 system crashes in 3 years I’m a bit sensitive/paranoid and it’s a worry.
Must go now, feel the irrational need to rent a car.
Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on 17th September 2015 10:09 am
Seems to be fake
*All your accountancy, tax and business start up needs catered for*
Who did that?
Jungle jim we don’t really do 0-0 draws do we
Being serious for a minute I would settle for all our fans getting back in one piece from that kip
Horrible fans and their club do nothing to keep them in line or if they do they hide it well
just read a bit on Res 12…what is the hold up here…the huns cheated end of.
or are Uefa corrupt too…ahhhhh…the penny drops
Get intae them Celtic.
There’s no option but a passion-filled performance for our players tonight. Another gutless outing away in europe will see them chastened by the home support on Sunday. Time for some bhoys to stand up and be counted.
Sandman match prediction: Ajax 2 Celtic 2
Sandman Blog Prediction: Certain busy little bees who’ve appeared on Every. Single. Page. after recent defeats have been conspicuously absent the past couple of days. Keep an eye open for DisgruntledFromTheDarkside and co popping up with their yawnsome barbs at all things Celtic if we fail in the Dam. It must be totrture being a Hun on European nights.
Neil McCann….”Celtic have never won a group game in the Europa League…….”
#fud
Traditionalist 88
I was talking of how we in the UK are influenced linguistically by exposure to American expressions. I actually made a similar comment to yourself re the decreasing volume of traffic on CQN and was not sure if it was because of an increase in negativity or because of the new format. I certainly was not attacking you.
To all others.
So sorry for jumping on the gullibility band-waggon. I made the obviously erroneous assumption that Tictaewin`s reading of the ` incident` in a German newspaper meant that it had actually happened. I really should no better.
JJ
Meaculpa CSC
!!Bada Bing!! on 17th September 2015 10:29 am
Did he actually say that? Did anybody bother to correct him?
RR David Gay
Where did you read it? I would like to do the same.
JJ
WEEMINGER on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2015 10:37 AM
!!Bada Bing!! on 17th September 2015 10:29 am
Did he actually say that? Did anybody bother to correct him?
10 minutes ago on SSN,the monkey in the studio knows hee haw about Scottish Football,not like Sky to give Celtic a negative headline……….
Bada Bing and Weeminger
He said “I don’t think they’ve won any of the group stages in the Europa League”
Not the same thing but lazy nonetheless.
I was just pleasantly surprised at an Aberdeen/Celtic article that didn’t mention the zombs. Especially with the bleating McCann being interviewed.
!!Bada Bing!! on 17th September 2015 10:40 am
I’d say hunbelievable, but really it’s not.
It’s not experience as such that we lack, our problem is we don’t have a settled defence. it could be Izzy or Blackett on the left, Lustig, Janko or Efe on the right. Boyata, Jozo, Lustig or Efe central defenders. Of the seven mentioned the only one you could confidently rely on is Lustig and he is unlikely to finish the game providing he is fit enough to start.
For me the most important area is always defence, it’s not rocket science if you leak goals you lose games if you keep clean sheets you don’t. I think Ronny will go Izzy, Lustig with Jozo & Boyata Central Defenders. I wouldn’t be too displeased with that but would prefer to go Janko and put Lustig in with Jozo in the centre and leave Boyata on the bench.
Am I confident our defence will keep a clean sheet or even limit them to a single goal, no I’m not. Am I confident that we might score more than one. Not really. Do I think we will win, No I don’t.
Am I still hopeful, Yes I am.
Will I be on the edge of my seat cheering every pass and praying for victory, Yes I will.
How does one get in touch with Mccann? or has anybody done so, to point out the error of his ways. Or perhaps his employers who may or may not be interested. H H Hebcelt
Jungle Jim Hot Smoked
Ok, wasn’t sure where you were coming from initially – I agree people were used to the old format and the recent changes were the biggest made to CQN ever, probably… so maybe it will just take time. But I think people liked opening CQN and seeing that days article… uncluttered by other articles(many of which appear to be clickbait about signings, such as Danny Wilson!) and ads,
HH
I should also know how to spell `know` !!
Just emailed JPT re the Smelly story. Unless requested , for some reason, to do otherwise, I shall inform my fellow Celtic fans of the response,
JJ
J77-Thanks for the correction,the sentiment is always the same eh?HH
I really like the choice we have now with the improved format –
the blog piece is the first pick in the top corner and the other elements of the “magazine” within easy reach for when the Dear Green Place blog gets over-run with sleekit hun trolls……………
…………..they evaporate eventually anyway,
HH
Jungle Jim Hot Smoked on 17th September 2015 10:48 am
Did you see the article by James Forrest I linked to from the celtic blog?
When asked about it on twitter JPT replied.
“I can ‘exclusively reveal’ the letter is genuine”
I think his sense of humour has been lost on many (including me initially). How many tabloid ‘exclusive’ revelations turn out to be true?
HEBCELT on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2015 10:45 AM
How does one get in touch with Mccann? or has anybody done so, to point out the error of his ways. Or perhaps his employers who may or may not be interested. H H Hebcelt
A lot of guys who have binned Sky,have cited McCann,Tanner as reasons why,they are still there………..i believe there is a lot of Scottish guys in production team at Sky………
Corkcelt
I agree re the importance of a solid defence. No matter what our line up in that area, it will be relatively untested.
I would like to see:
Janko. Lustig, Simunovic,Izaguirre.
I know, though, that the Manager knows more than I do and I will simply be happy with the coincidence should he agree with my selection 0:-)
JJ
In reference to what is now being referred to as smellygate
Heard a wee rumour last night or it may just be tittle tattle that rangers, or whatever you like to refer to them as,had intended sending out 40,000 odd thousand similar letters to players fans staff management and lodges at the start of the season however were prevented from doing so because their proposed sponsorship deal with Domestos fell through and they were unable to raise the necessary postage and stationary costs involved
JJ-Agree with your back 4,i would find a jersey for Janko,looks strong and has good pace.HH
Weeminger
If JPT said that, I think he was wrong to do so.
JJ
Why does JPT keep asking fans to email him for the full story?
I’d just like to hear its nonsense, one word is required. If its true, admit it, but I dont want to hear BS excuses from him otherwise.
In many ways the damage is done and is highly embarassing when news and sports publications/social media pages WORLDWIDE are giving this airtime but if we can say it was fake then fair enough.
As if being embarrassed on the pitch wasn’t enough.