Performing with an edge, naked opportunism

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If you were a professional football player, you would love to be in the Celtic dressing room tomorrow evening.  You would have the perfect opportunity to challenge yourself; put in a big, meaningful performance.  Record a bit of history and create a uniquely memorable victory.

There are some players who are fraught with anxiety on such occasions, but there are others who NEED these games, need an edge, to reach their peak.  If we have a team full of the latter, Legia are in for a torrid night.

I’m doing my best to ignore the naked opportunism in our media this week.  There is no point complaining about it, lose heavily and you become vulnerable to those who live to revel in a Celtic defeat.  Don’t lose and you don’t give them (friends and foes alike) a chance.

We’ve been here before.  Artmedia, Braga, Utrecht, Sion (despite the reprieve) and Karagandy all exposed an aching heart.  European football is unforgiving, try to transition and you’ll find someone ready to exploit, but that doesn’t mean you are wrong to transition.

We might talk about this transition more later in the month but we have a game to win first.  Can’t wait.

Check out the fantastic work by the cyclists who are taking part in the Paradise to Cardenden Cycle 2014 on 6 September. You can join them – all you need is a bike. Get involved, you’ll be delighted you did, I promise. Read about it here.

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  1. Atleast Hibs are trying to pass it about.

     

     

    The Zombies are clueless.

     

     

    They will need all the help they can get.

  2. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    TT

     

     

     

    Well done miss … Excellent

     

     

    MissPF got her sixth year results thro too

     

     

    She had already secured an unconditional for Edinburgh so was very much soft pedalling …no great concern or worry here …for the first time in five years …

     

     

    She still managed BBB in her advanced highers …no bad

  3. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    The glorious balance sheet

     

     

    Standard Leige…ole Watt might have the last laugh

  4. Salmond easily the best orator in the UK, no fear of taking on any of them from Westminster. They fear him in a debate, keeps his cool- one hand in his pocket arguing his point. I don’t always agree with him, but he is the most statesman like of them all….

  5. Wee Alex just tore Darling a new arse on shortbread tele.

     

     

    Anarchist who says Aye.

     

     

    Hail Hail.

  6. thebhoyfromoz on

    rp67

     

     

    21:00 on 5 August, 2014

     

    Anyone fancy a sweepstake on the penalty time?

     

     

    82nd minute following an embarrassing missr dive 10 yards outside the box.

  7. The Good Ship Celtica on

    Tiny Tim,

     

     

    Great news. Congratulations to Miss TT.

     

     

    TGSC,

     

    Sailing On….

  8. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    Tic..,

     

    Are you drunk .

     

    A liar is a liar and the best ones are statesmanlike

  9. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    TT

     

     

    That’s just wonderful news. I also saw that Docs daughter is a wee brain box as well. Excellent. My son got assured of a place at Uni yesterday so I am looking for a second job to pay all the tuition fees. Puts pishy Celtic into perspective. Maybe the will give me a trail.

     

     

    HH

  10. RONNY DEILA is urging Celtic to stage an action replay in tomorrow night’s Champions League crunch confrontation against Legia Warsaw at Murrayfield.

     

     

    The Hoops are trailing 4-1 from a disastrous first leg in the Polish capital last week and are facing elimination from Europe’s elite tournament.

     

     

    But new boss Deila said: “I know Celtic turned things around against Shakhter Karagandy last season after trailing 2-0 from the first leg.

     

     

    “Winning 3-0 in Glasgow was a great feat and we have to hope for some of that spirit in this game. We know we must compete from the very start.”

     

     

    Deila’s fellow-Norwegian Stefan Johansen insists there is a steely determination among the Celtic squad as they prepare for the tie.

     

     

    The midfielder said: “It will be tough, but we still have a chance. Every player believes we can do it and Celtic did it last year in the Champions League – so why not now?

     

     

    “We have had a good week training. Of course, we were disappointed after the game last week, but we know we still have a chance and we just have to look forward to the game tomorrow and take us much energy as we can into it.

     

     

    “Obviously, we didn’t play the way we wanted last week, but we have the quality in the team to score three goals.

     

     

    “However, we need to step up our game a bit compared to what we did in Warsaw. I still believe we can go through.

     

     

    “I haven’t played Champions League games at Celtic Park. I played one Champions League game at Murrayfield against KR Reykjavik and the fans were amazing, so I don’t think it’s a disadvantage. The fans are going to be great tomorrow and, hopefully, we can give them something to cheer.

     

     

    “We in the team want to go to the Champions League and we know it means a lot to the fans and the club, and we will do everything we can to get through.

     

     

    “We have to get focused on the game tomorrow, that’s the only thing we can do. We will be patient and, hopefully, score the goals we need.”

  11. ....PFayr supports WeeOscar on

    Chatting to Hun today ….big fan ST holder …he seemed genuinely convinced that they were the second best team in Scotland

     

     

    Can’t imagine he’s enjoying the game this evening

  12. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    PFayr

     

     

    Well done to yours too.

     

     

    I wonder if they will all grow up being argumentative we soing so´s like other posters on the blog ;-)

     

     

    HH

  13. tinytim

     

     

    20:48 on 5 August, 2014

     

    The TinyTim household is a joyous one today.

     

     

    Miss TinyTim got 4 A’s and a C for her highers.

     

     

    I am a very proud Dad tonight.

     

     

    TT

     

    …………..

     

    The clever lass done brilliant in spite of her dad trailing her aw roon Scotland watching the hoops, well done ghirl ✊

     

    V

  14. Salmond is a liar? Yeah?

     

    I don’t know about that. Arguments are won and lost on facts. You really need the facts. He’s hard to beat because he’s cleverer than most of them. He is able for them. It’s good to watch.

  15. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    Awe_Naw..,

     

    Apples tend to faw no to far from the tree :o)

  16. Danny Kelly will have just joined the ‘banned’ list.

     

     

    His live on air quote: “No laughing sevco (he used RFC name) have just been pegged back in the Challenge Cup after 70 minutes!”

  17. STEFAN Johansen insists there is a steely determination among the Celtic squad to keep their UEFA Champions League dream alive against Legia Warsaw tomorrow (Wednesday).

     

     

    The Hoops trail 4-1 from the third qualifying round first-leg in Poland and require a remarkable turnaround at the BT Murrayfield Stadium to progress in the competition.

     

     

    But backed by a big home support in the capital, the Norwegian believes the Bhoys are capable of achieving redemption following the disappointing display last week in Warsaw.

     

     

    And he knows there is recent precedent for the Scottish champions scoring three goals without reply in similar circumstances, having fought back to dispatch Shakhter Karagandy in the tournament 12 months ago.

     

     

    “It will be tough but we still have a chance,” said the midfielder. “Every player believes we can do it and Celtic did it last year in the Champions League – so why not now.

     

     

    “We have had a good week training. Of course, we were disappointed after the game last week, but we know we still have a chance and we just have to look forward to the game tomorrow and take us much energy as we can into the game.

     

     

    “Obviously we didn’t play the way we wanted last week but we have the quality in the team to score three goals, but we need to step up our game a bit compared to what we did last week. But I think we can score three goals and go through.

     

     

    “I haven’t played Champions League games at Celtic Park. I played one Champions League game here against Reykjavik and the fans were amazing so I don’t think it’s a disadvantage. The fans are going to be great tomorrow and hopefully we can give them something to cheer about.

     

     

    “We in the team want to go to the Champions League and we know it means a lot to the fans and the club, and we will do everything we can to get through.

     

     

    “We have to get focused on the game tomorrow, that’s the only thing we can do. We will be patient and hopefully score the goals we need.”

     

     

    And Johansen revealed that the manager had clearly identified the improvements he is seeking from his charges from the performance in Poland.

     

     

    “We have watched the game and everybody saw that we gave away some easy goals, and we didn’t have as much energy or have the ball as we should,” said the 23-year-old.

     

     

    “We went through the game and we had 10 men so it did make it a little more difficult. But we had the score at 2-1 which would be better than 4-1.

     

     

    “The manager has made it clear what he wants us to do tomorrow, so it’s up to us to go out and do it with energy and score the goals we need to get through.

     

     

    “He has talked a lot about the energy as that was lacking a bit last week. We need to be at 100 per cent and do the work. There are a few details he wants to bring into the game, so hopefully it will work tomorrow.”

     

     

    “The energy has to come up. We know we are a good team and we believe in ourselves that we can do it.

     

     

    “The focus is so strong on taking our chance tomorrow. I am just looking forward to the game and hopefully we can get through.

     

     

    Plundering an early goal would be preferable but Johansen cautioned on adopting too much of a cavalier approach.

     

     

    “An early goal is always good but we need to be patient as well,” he added. “If we can get one goal, we can go and take the momentum. We have to be patient but an early goal always helps.”

  18. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Delaney’s, comfortable white boys doing reggae sounds and a rap in another song is very safe and not risky.

     

     

    Was on the bus tonight going along Stonelaw Road towards Burnside, a huge billboard with us getting last season’s league trophy. On the downside, the sky sports logon in the middle of it. You can’t have everything I suppose.

  19. TBJ says Wee Oscar Knox is in heaven with the angels on

    PF

     

     

    Your not watching them through zombie eyes

  20. Bhoys .

     

     

    Thanks for your kind comments .

     

    She is away celebrating with her schoolmates .

     

    On serious note.

     

     

    They ALL seem to study harder than my generation did.

     

     

    I will read all your comments to her tomorrow night .

     

     

    She deserves all the praise.

     

     

    TT

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