If it’s a choice between a trip to Macedonia or Azerbaijan, Celtic would doubtlessly prefer the former. Baku, where Azerbaijani club Qarabag reside, is not as far west as Astana, where Celtic played two years ago, but it’s east of Iraq and it’s not a city which appears in many tourist lists.
Rudar Pljevlja returned from Baku midweek with a 0-0 draw. In days gone by that was regarded as a great away European result, but the lack of away goal will much of the second leg is played on a knife-edge.
One large note of caution, Qarabag went out of Europe last season by a one goal aggregate margin to Red Bull Salzburg, who lost in Baku, but won in Glasgow a few months later. They have twice eliminated Polish opposition in the last five years.
My hunch is that Celtic are better than each potential opponent, but if we’re short of fitness or preparation, we’ll have more trouble than we want.
The good news is that neither club plays summer football, so they should be no better prepared that Celtic. Rudar finished competitively in May, Qarabag a week later, while both played their first competitive games of the season on Wednesday. From what I can tell, both also play on grass, so we’ll avoid the Scandinavian bounce.
Before concerning ourselves too much with the 3rd Champions League qualifying round we need to use today’s game against La Liga side Eibar to sharpen fitness, and take care of business in Iceland on Wednesday.
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Once went in to the lounge of the Traders bar near barrowland looking for my brother who was always there playing accordion on a Saturday afternoon. No sign of him. Asked landlady when he might be in. She shook her head. Don’t know him, she said, and you don’t look anything like him anyway! So went in to bar. Half an hour later my brother was looking in to see who was asking for him.!
Well done to the Kerrymen !
I’ll get ma coat :(
Toffee
They look very good
I think Dublin will only beat by 9 or ten points
Toffee
* only beat them.
“Dear oh dear goons wiped the floor with the mighty blues this avo ”
To what does that refer?
JJ
Same toon.
Adding a bit of embra to it.
Leigh Leigh
you’ll have h ad your tea.
cake.
Jungle Jim Hot Smoked
Arsenal beat Everton 3-1 in a pre-season tournament in Singapore.
Martinez must go
Wits ;)
Typical Dublin modesty as always fella lol.
I happen to think your right ;)
This is the most exciting Dub side I’ve seen and there has been a right few in in the last four years.
Jacks for the Sam in Sept can’t see anyone touch them .
Hail Hail & NSNO
BCW
Thank you.I thought Milligan,Secombe and Sellers had gubbed the Huns 0:-)
JJ
BSR
Thanks for the goal links. Which page/time is goal 1 posted?
JJ
The signing of Cleverly and giving him a FIVE year deal is a huge mistake !!
Have heard Stones away to shect sea for 25 Million with Van Dyk 12.5 million + MC Geady :(
Don’t want to lose big fella at all but it’s good money for us .
Courtesy of Bonfigli from Huddleboard
Ambrose
https://vid.me/94o6
Griffiths
https://vid.me/LiSW
Griffiths
https://vid.me/n9uf
Griffiths
https://vid.me/uHuc
Toffeetim
Keep McGeady
`GG
Thanks,
JJ
Toffee
I don’t know about Dublin
They haven’t really had a game yet which isn’t good and they were very poor against Westmeath.
Kerry look very good
timomouse @ 20:20 on 18 July, 2015
An interesting article, but the following suggests that a thumping by the celts has been quickly forgotten:
“Hearts who are true dark horses after dominating the Championship but being completely untested against Premiership sides”
Really? Untested?
toffeetim.
I have a decent contact at Newcastle and a now distant one at Everton. As we know VVD is on the radar at a lot of clubs in the “tier 2 ” of the EPL. Southampton are also in the frame.
The concern is not that he will leave but who will come in, Aiden is a lovely player but not a replacement for Virgil.
Having just looked at Efe`s goal, someone asked earlier if there was a Sevco woman among our support. There is certainly someone there wearing a blue top and with hair that looks suspiciously like a See You Jimmy hat/wig.
Cheerio for now,
JJ
Boy racer
The other day I was cruising along as usual in my BMW coming onto one of my motorways, which was very busy with inferior cars.
First off, I couldn’t believe that the volume of traffic DIDN’T slow down for me AT ALL as I came off the slip road! I had to squeeze into a barely big enough gap between two cars in order to get onto my motorway! (The driver of the car behind me did realise his mistake though and honked an apology to me with a long blast of his horn.)
Unbelievably, I had to do the same again before I could get to the BMW lane. (Why do underlings use this lane? Surely everyone knows it is for BMW drivers only?)
Anyway, once I was in the BMW lane and posing along at 110mph enjoying the adulation that the inferior car drivers were giving me, I noticed an inferior car ahead of me which was not only in the BMW lane of my motorway, but was driving at a ridiculous 70 mph!
Naturally, I got to within a foot or so of his rear bumper and flashed my headlights to remind him he shouldn’t be in the BMW lane of my motorway and to get out of my way.
Of course, once he realised it was a BMW behind him, he did just that, but I could hardly believe it when he pulled straight back out behind me! He also tried to keep up with me and when he realised I would out-run him, he put on some blue lights in his front grill and urged me to get onto the hard shoulder so that he could congratulate me on my excellent car.
Needless to say, I was eager oblige and when we had stopped, the man gave me a piece of paper confirming what I already knew – that my car goes fast! Apparently he wants everyone to know what a superior car I have, so I had to take my driver’s licence to a Police Station to be sent away to have some points put on! (They’re not free points either – they’re ?20 each and I was only allowed 3.) But the man at the Police Station said that because I drive a BMW, it won’t be much longer before I earn the full 12 points, and then I won’t even NEED a driving licence, so they will take it off me! See, now THAT’s the sort of respect you get when you buy and drive a BMW.
HH
£12.5 plus McGeady…Bite thir Hauns Aff…
jungle jim hot smoked
She’s on camera immediately after LG’s HT.
Good hat-trick by Leigh but I think he should give his match ball to the Eibar goalie :))))))))))))
jca19oo
20:55 on 18 July, 2015
Toffeetim
Keep McGeady
Seriously???
Why???
Best creative player Celtic have had since Henrik (yes he was a creator too….Watch the Lyon game with Liam and Chris’s goals)
Aiden would be a superstar in the SPFL……
We’d be priveleged to have him really
Watched the game on Celtic TV ……. Then went out for a meal….good game, and well done, Celtic……don’t know about anyone else who watched the game on Celtic TV but, whereby my iPad is usually fine, my screen kept freezing and I had to go back in to continue watching the game ……?
leftclicktic
21:06 on 18 July, 2015
I think he should give it to Johansen ……. :)
VVD will most probably end up at Southampton, Swansea and Everton also interested. However, Southampton favourites unless a big Club come in.
Aiden would love to come back from what I hear and will not be hard to deal with.
Some have posted Scepovic may go on loan; this wouldn’t surprise me.
What we need to concentrate on is another LB and CH.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
I agree with your take on his talent, however like all good players who leave this club like no other I believe there should be no way back. I’ve read it many times that anyone would move for the riches on offer, well I wouldn’t. Sorry, but Aidan had his time playing for the greatest team in the world, he should look to Turkey or the Championship.
Good morning evening CQNers. Enjoyable run out for the Bhoys. Eu at looked like terrific hosts. Did anyone see the old cannon getting set off before kick off? Whoever lit it got the fright of their lives!!
That lass in the crowd was certainly not a Sevco fan. She was in a group of 4 and there was another lass wearing an SD Eibar home strip so I’m thinking it could be a 2nd or 3rd strip she was wearing. Certainly not Sevco top.
HH EnnisBhoy
What’s ‘morning evening’? Pfft
From Phil’s blog….. Hehe
On the Sevconian fan sites I have been looking at, this is being sold to the fans using the following persuasive arguments:
• Mark Warburton is the most complete and professional manager in football right now and he will get last years players (the ones who were not out of contract) to perform like superstars.
• Spending lots of money has not worked in the past [except for 2012-13 and 2013-14].
• The three players who have signed are absolute gems that only Mark Warburton could have unearthed.
• The way forward is to invest in youth, training and development. Plus discipline.
• King will bring many millions but not until October which is exactly what he has said all along.
• Season ticket sales have already exceeded all expectations and are likely to end up in the 40,000s.
• This season is the first for many years [3 years, perhaps] where there is a real sense of optimism and anticipation.
• This season is another opportunity to win the Petrofac Training Cup without which no trophy cabinet is complete.
• Celtic are already worried.
Reply ↓
Jca, who knows why many players have left us down the years. Not all about them going for more money. Club was probably happy to make lots of cash.
jca19oo
21:16 on 18 July, 2015
I agree with your take on his talent, however like all good players who leave this club like no other I believe there should be no way back. I’ve read it many times that anyone would move for the riches on offer, well I wouldn’t. Sorry, but Aidan had his time playing for the greatest team in the world, he should look to Turkey or the Championship.
Turkey…..hmmmm…Sounds quite a random destination?
Championship?….Nah….he’s still better than that level…..better level than SPFL…but he’s still a Celt at heart……
Aiden would be a great signing for Celtic
67 heaven
One of those points is at least half correct
Spending lots of money has not worked in the past
They must be choking on their jellied eels in the old east end tonight(you could leave your doors unlocked) at the news that their brave heroine from Buckingham Palace who bravely kept their spirits up during the blitz has been unmasked as a Nazi sympathiser !
seigheilqueenvicsevcosc
Clunks
Email sent
PF in usual boozer
Ron,
Yeah you’re right it cuts both ways, may be I’m a fundamentalist, I wouldn’t leave in the first place, so no way back for me. Let’s identify new young talent with something to prove.
BT
Farting no doubt
Love