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Note of caution on potential European opponents

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

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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  1. rudicantfail on

    VVD will end up as a journeyman central defender in EPL…..

     

     

    Sorry but that’s my take on him watching The Hoops in Europe last 2 years….

     

     

    He ain’t no Rio Ferdinand at that age!!

  4. JCA19OO on

    Rudicantfail,

     

    Great name, fantastic song and memories of the best band ever, Turkey, is that not where all the good players who are getting on a bit are heading these days?

  7. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Had a wee double on tonight Celtic & Porto to win with both teams scoring, the Portuguese bans won 2-0, nothing ventured nothing gained, didn’t see any of the game won’t go overboard like the Dukhla game I wasn’t too despondent but surely wee Leigh must start on Wednesday, I love the wee mans attitude and half the battle is believing you will score not if you are good enough to score, I also think big Nadir signing will make Leigh score even more…

     

     

    Almore if you are lurking

     

    go raibh maith agat

  9. JCA19OO on

    Rudi,

     

    Magical memories. The Clash are a distant second love of mine (Celtic first always) but the memories of flicking through records on a Saturday afternoon and nights at the Apollo keep this middle aged Tim Young.

  12. Gerryfaethebrig on

    ron bacardi

     

     

    21:42 on 18 July, 2015

     

     

    Ladbrokes, had Lyon on the same line they just beat AC 2-1 but a wee goal for Duisborg would have been handy, waiting on PSG against Benfica for a treble but all 4 would have been good, serves me right for taking our 2003 nemesis

  13. What is the Stars on

    Joe Strummer

     

    Now there was an interesting character

     

    His version of the minstrel boy. …

  15. THE EXILED TIM on

    Evening Timland from a very hot hun free mountain valley.

     

     

    Very decent run out.

     

    Feel a bit for shift key, he seems to be trying too hard, once he scores etc.

     

     

    We played some very decent stuff today, and all the subs did their bit bit.

     

     

    Superb back up keeper brot in for feck all is always good for the feel good factor within Pedro land.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    A wee story.

     

     

    While oot shopping this after, a winker in a Landcruiser cut out in front of me, the Mrs nearly went through the windscreen, saw him in the supermarket car park, he parked where he shouldn’t have, left his engine running, ran in, a few were getting their knickers in a twist, a bit of shouting when he returned.

     

     

    A few mins later at Lidl’s carpark, he did the same, this time he parked right outside the front door, left his engine running and went in, Ha, but this time, someone robbed his motor, and trust me, when he came out, there was mucho shouting, he smacked the security guard for not stopping the T leaf, he could have if he wanted I reckon, but the winker got his cumuppance, his motor robbed and huckled away by the guards, all good fun .

  18. BGX on

    Rudicantfail..With respect mate..what VVD ends up aint our business, If we could get £10 £8 £7 or £6 mill plus Aiden we should say YES…

  21. JCA19OO on

    Rudi,

     

    You stop it, Mick’s hair might have been disappearing however the voice, smile and stage presence are still there. On second thoughts keep the links coming.

  22. rudicantfail on

    Bgx….

     

     

    I’d do a straight swap VVD for Aiden…..seriously

     

     

    Aiden would offer far more than our lacksadaisical Central Defender ever will in Europe.

     

     

    Back up the road for watching Christy Moore 2 consecutive nights in 2 different Glasgow venues around Halloween time…

     

     

    Hope Sky Feckin Sports keep Celtic v Sheep on The Saturday and I get to see Aiden in the Hoops again.

  23. Gerryfaethebrig on

    what is the stars

     

     

    21:50 on 18 July, 2015

     

     

    I love gambling, now the Mrs only lets me gamble what we can afford, back in 2010 I put a daft line on 6 x 60p dbls 4x 60p trbls and a £4accie on four correct scores all 2-1s I know you know your bets for a poxy tenner we put a deposit on our house and Corals guarennteed us our mortgage, it’s only a mugs game of you are losing cash you can’t afford, don’t bet much horses these days prefer to lose my money over 90mins instead of 59secs in a 5f race

  24. rudicantfail on

    jca19oo..

     

     

    .Check out Mick with the delectable Janie in this ….Wonderful stuff mate!!

     

     

    Babyshambles – Janie Jones – YouTube

     

    ▶ 2:32

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlFsPj0Pvi8

     

    22 Feb 2008 – Uploaded by dnlb82

     

    Babyshambles – Janie Jones. dnlb82 …. Babyshambles: still not as epic at the Libertines, which wasn’t as epic as The Clash…still very fucking …

  25. Gerryfaethebrig on

    WITS the four 2-1s were all 7/1 shots as I know as a gambler you would want to know the prices, the teams were St Etienne, Dijon, Deportivo & Eapanyol, one of my muckers (who doesn’t bet) still has the text from that night, I now gamble less because I know what you can win with a wee tenner

  26. Clashcitybhoy on

    If we get offerred £12m plus Aiden from Everton, i would jump at it.

     

    Bottom line is none of the guys we have sold to EPL in recent years have gone on to be anything more than decent players at mid table clubs.

     

    Ki, Petrov, Wanyama, Forster, Ledley, Hooper are / were all at the clubs we sold them to, whilst Aiden is struggling to get into the Everton subs bench.

     

    Forster may be unlucky with injuries, as Man U are likely to need a keeper this summer, but, bottom line is none of these guys have generated sell on fees.

     

     

    VVD may look good in SPFL, but even the half baked scouting processes of EPL teams will ignore his SPFL record, and look at his Euro record, which is average at best.

     

    £12m – grab it.

  27. What is the Stars on

    Gerryfaethebrig

     

    That’s a great story. Delighted to hear that

     

    The key of course is never to gamble more than you can afford….but very few can stick to that

     

    but it’s also great fun. Nothing like the adrenaline buzz of being at the races and watching your horse cruising up to take the lead as they come to the final bend or last fence and knowing, just knowing, it’s going to win.

  31. rudicantfail on

    blantyretim is praying for the knox family

     

     

    22:06 on 18 July, 2015

     

    Rubicantfail

     

    Game v sheep now 12.30 for live TV

     

     

    Thanks mate you’ve just made my day

  32. jmccormick on

    Rudicantfail

     

     

    Thanks for that, no disrespect to the Libertines/ Babyshambles but , just leave it to the big boys. Janie Jones, Complete Control and I fought the law always drive me through the pain of the treadmill.

  33. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Celtic Aberdeen

     

    Aberdeen (H)

     

    Sat, 31st Oct 12:30

     

    Ladbrokes Premiership

  35. Gerryfaethebrig on

    what is the stars

     

     

    22:05 on 18 July, 2015

     

     

    When I lurked in here you won me a few bob now and again, for me a wee fiver or a tenner on a horse is fine, I try and stay far away from the horses but love watching them, it’s a passion, in my younger days I was a Steve Caithen fanatic don’t ask me why, but Cecil & Cauthen with Sheik Mohammed’s colours was magic, apologies to the blog for this, on betting the Hoops my famous tenner in Coatbrif was New Years Day 1998 I had a tenner on Craig Burley & 2-0, Burly scored in 76mins & Paul Lambert in 86mins, Negri was booked in 93mins for diving for a penalty, a wee tenner at 110/1 was much appreciated as I had blown my Januaty dog money, thankfully we are discussing a couple of winning bets, the losing ones would break the blog

  36. rudicantfail on

    Joe Strummer was such a visionary….

     

     

    If Adolf Hitler Flew in today….They’d send a Limousine Anyway…

     

     

     

    Greatest band of all time…….The Clash….take it away boys!!

     

     

     

    The Clash – (White Man) in Hammersmith Palais – YouTube

     

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96UtZPLiT90

     

    Artist: The Clash

     

    Album: The Clash

     

    Released: 1977

     

    Awards: NME Award for Best Single

  37. Turkeybhoy on

    rudicantfail

     

    19:47 on

     

    18 July, 2015

     

    sandman

     

     

    19:32 on 18 July, 2015

     

    What a ball by Virgil for Sparky’s third.

     

     

    If there’s any bloated EPL behemoths watching, that equates to another £3 million on top of his current £20 million valuation.

     

     

    Don’t think so mate…..EPL managers remember Boomsong unfortunately….

     

     

    Maximum value for an uncapped SPFL defender would be seriously less than 20 million.

     

     

     

    Yes and people like you coming on with this kind of guff,is what keeps the price down.

  40. ThompsonTwin on

    Jim Spence quits BBC to be SNP list candidate got Tayside (allegedly) – get as many snouts in trough until they are rumbled as economic illiterates, even by the brainwashed.

     

     

    Free lance? – don’t make me laugh – all in the master plan to keep the stupid Tim’s among us on message.

  41. Turkeybhoy on

    ThompsonTwin

     

    19:48 on

     

    18 July, 2015

     

    Enjoyed game today, however let’s weigh it in the balance with Dukla – no getting ahead of ourselves.

     

     

    Concerned that if we get through in Iceland, we may not overcome Qarabag, who I expect to get through.

     

     

    Qarabag have beaten better than us recently, so very very apprehensive.

     

     

    I really can’t gauge where we are, I would be surprised if any of our support does.

     

     

    So there is only hope, certainly no real measure of confidence – holding my breath at each hurdle.

     

     

    Lets hope the hurdles are a long way apart.

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