Scotland returned to their Glorious Failure nation status last night after completing their final five games of the World Cup qualifiers with three wins and two draws, a decade high-water mark. Glorious Failure being a status well ahead of the recently-discarded Pathetic Failure nation status.
We can now compete with decent sides, like Slovenia, Slovakia and England, and win comfortably away from home against Lithuania, who we were unable to beat at Hampden one year ago yesterday.
Problem is, I have a niggling feeling that this recent success has more to do with Brendan Rodgers than anyone else. In delivering an Invincible season and two Champions League group stage qualifications with overwhelmingly Scottish players, Brendan has effectively said: “Gordon, check out the really good players you have here”.
It is not all Gordon Strachan’s fault that he didn’t pick any Celtic players in the 1-1 home draw with Lithuania, whereas he selected six Celts in the recent 0-3 away win. Scott Brown was temporarily retired from international football then, and Stuart Armstrong and Callum McGregor were struggling to get into the Celtic team. But the omission of Gordon, Tierney, Griffiths and Forrest for large parts of the early campaign, in retrospect, looks unforgivable.
The reason Scotland didn’t qualify for the World Cup has less to do with our genetics, than the fact that we didn’t select our best players for the home game against Lithuania (for example). The fact that Gordon didn’t pick so many Celtic players early in the campaign, as he did later, reflects the corresponding appreciation in Celtic players’ stock over the period. But picking the right players is a big part of the job. We have a relatively small pool of talent and the manager missed a lot of value.
For you and I there is a compensation. We will not have the stress of worrying about having to play Champions League qualifiers with up to a dozen players on World Cup duty. The bulk of the squad will go through a preseason routine designed for Celtic’s needs. The Scottish players will also not have to compete in a play-off round amid Champions League games against Bayern Munich and the final stages of the League Cup.
The rest of the country will have no compensation, only disappointment that they are unable to participate in a Celtic dividend.
Fancy yourself as a collector of Celtic memorabilia? James Forrest’s match-worn National Famine Memorial Day shirt is available for raffle later today. These shirts are go for incredible sums at auction, but this one is open to the wider community.
Oh! And if you know your history, you will know what good you will do by participating. Laters…………
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NEW CQN PODCAST – A CELTIC STATE OF MIND OUT NOW!
A NEW CQN Podcast is out now featuring interviews with Celtic legends Bobby Lennox, John Fallon, Tommy Callaghan and Kenny Dalglish.
This week, ‘A Celtic State of Mind’ pays tribute to The Quality Street Gang.
In the second of a two-part series, Paul John Dykes interviews:
Bobby Lennox, John Fallon, Tommy Callaghan and Kenny Dalglish!
The discussion is all about one of the finest crops of youngsters ever to emerge from Celtic Park…
And we finally reveal just where that nickname came from.
Enjoy the new podcast…
The new Invincibles treble disc DVD is now available from CQN Bookstore HERE. It is quite simply unmissable. What a season that was!
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For those wondering what the story is with Niamh,here’s a repost
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CORKCELT on 9TH OCTOBER 2017 5:51 PM
Bhoys an unusual one from me.
I could post a big ream on this & might later in week but for the moment I’ll keep it short.
I’m looking for a minute of your time and your vote for my daughter.
My daughter is a Make Up Artist who has just chucked her 9 to 5 and started her own studio.
She is one of 18 nominees for Make Up Artist of the Year obviously if she wins it would be a huge boost for her fledgling business.
However to get to the final stage where her work is assessed she has to finish in top 3 or 4 of a Public Vote.
Being a newbie against the established salons the odds are against her but when did that ever deter a Celt.
If any of ye have the time or inclination to help, just click on link, it will ask you your name & e=mail address, all the categories are then listed in Alphabetical order, scroll down to Make Up Artists and click the names of the 18 contestants then appears. my ghirl is Make Up by Niamh.
Click on her name & submit.
You will get a message from the Company probably in your Junk Mail, you need to open that & click on link to verify & make your vote count.
Any vote would be really appreciated. Can’t wait to show my daughter a few replies if I get any.
Anyway the link is & I hope this works
https://www.weddingsonlineawards.com/vote
BMCUW,
you’re trying to confuse me…
Bayern Munchengladbach is a different team, from Borussia, which is German for BO(rder of) Russia
BayernMunchen is closer to Bavaria, which has a border with Germany.
I know about Bayeux. They have a big embroidery there which tells the story of the battle of Bayeux, between Harold and Norman.
;-(
If James McClean signed for us,he in my opinion,would be treated like Lenny was, it’s not worth it son,
BATEENBHOY
Just having a laugh,mate.
Corckcelt…
Vote cast for Niamh, best of luck to your daughter. HH
Quick p break –
Radio item re the World Cup playoffs –
Journo — who would you prefer in the playoffs ?
Pundit # 1- No preference . At the moment we are beating ourselves
Pundit # 2 – I’d prefer to avoid both the Irish teams . Full of spirit and desire . We seem to have neither . Maybe Greece -they play football similar to ours .
Pundit #3–The only point to qualifying would be to earn money . When you struggle to beat Albania / Israel/ Macedonia etc -What’s the point in turning up to compete with France / Spain / Germany etc ? . We might be humiliated . We’d be better off using the time to sort out the shambles re the organisation and management of National Football in this country.. I agree with Marco – Greece would suit us
A mighty fine approximation –
https://youtu.be/CNbRZzk9FuE
BMCUW,
and i thought you were being serious……. :-)))
CORKCELT on 9TH OCTOBER 2017 5:51 PM
Done
Best of luck
Corkcelt
Vote made and verified
Big Tom having a very good game for the Aussies in 1st half.Class act.
Good Morning CQN.
Where to start, first from scrolling back since log off last night, To,
TC, Jamesgang,AngelGabriel,Magwai,Mighty Tim, Melbourne Mick, Spirit of 67, MMHome,Connaire12,Tallybhoy,Tully57, Teuchter ár lá,One Molloy,Hunderbirds are Gone & Sipsini a very sincere thank you for taking the trouble to vote for Niamh.
A very special thanks to those who even canvassed extra votes, lads like the great Melbourne Mick & lastly a special thanks to a ghuy who for me epitomizes the sense of Celtic solidarity, BMCUW.
Not alone has Bobby voted on a few different emails but has made additional posts reminding people to click link to verify vote & then him reposting my original post this morning & all this interest from a mhan I have never met..
What can I say Bobby, you are a special ghuy, I do hope we meet up some day.
At this stage whether Niamh survives the public vote part or not has become incidental to me, I have been on here long enough to witness how amazing this place can be, but it’s only when it’s your turn to feel the love that it really hits home.
I sincerely hope I have not missed any name since 6pm yesterday but once more a sincere thank you to everyone.
Lord by the time it took me to type the post, I have 2 more to thank Adi & Owen, Thanks lhads.
Ye will be all glad to know I’m oooff oot for a few hours to give ye all some peace & hopefully let ye start talking about the fitbaw.
Check in some time late afternoon.
Link to Socceroos Game
http://www.hesgoal.com/news/20991/Australia_vs_Syria_—_ENG.html
HH
Corkcelt
Voted and verified
Good Luck Niamh
T,
Vote cast,
All the best,
JJ
Caffe freddo break –
Radio –
” There are have been 20 World Cup Finals . We are ranked third in the tournament history . We have won it four times , lost in two finals and came third and fourth .. We are now fretting that we might not be good enough to beat the likes of Sweden , Ireland ,Greece or Northern Ireland . That is what we have been reduced to . . Still , not to worry , the corrupt old men who run our game are filling their wallets.”
right bhoys never mind getting your face make up done on the cheap.i did vote for her.
anyone going to YORK RACES friday or saturday please note a new CAFE 12 opened on TADCASTER RD.next to the garage. a right good tim is the owner. so there.
ps BIG and WEE GEORGE can come to my house for breaky free any time. jist sayin like .
CORKCELT
Cheers,but anticipation beats disappointment!
One of these days,bud.
HH
Vote in:))
Mon The Niamh:))
Watching last nights game reminded me of Brendan being annoyed at the Celtic fans wanting the ball punted forward quickly in the game against St Johnstone.His point was the ball comes back just as quickly as its punted forward,Wales barely made a chance with this tactic last night,to me it was a typical British type game illustrating why British coaches are stuck in the past with their tactical acumen.It was a game that wouldn`t have been out of place in Scottish League 1or2.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkGf1GHAxhE
As someone commented.They should name a guitar after him!
Corkcelt/Niamh,
As my wife is more au fait with this subject, she has just recorded her vote accordingly.
I just have to tell her.
Whatever else happens, Niamh will always remember the night when she broke her CQN duck.
SOUKOUS on 10TH OCTOBER 2017 11:33 AM
Watching last nights game reminded me of Brendan being annoyed at the Celtic fans wanting the ball punted forward quickly in the game against St Johnstone.His point was the ball comes back just as quickly as its punted forward,Wales barely made a chance with this tactic last night,to me it was a typical British type game illustrating why British coaches are stuck in the past with their tactical acumen.It was a game that wouldn`t have been out of place in Scottish League 1or2.
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I had the same thought watching the Scotland game. They just kept punting a long ball up the park, which usually ended up with Slovenia gaining possession and mounting another attack.
Dire performance from Scotland and the manager against an opponent who wasn’t brilliant.
Celtic would have dismantled that Slovenian team.
Soukous @ 11.33…it was a game that wouldn’t have been out of place in a public park…or even a school playground :-)
Still, pleased for our Irish bhoys…
Extra time for the Aussies.Big Tom still the best player.Very unlucky not to win it for his team.Looking a lot sharper.
Syria down to 10 men,and the manager takes off Rogic.Unbelievable.
Morning Bhoys and Ghirls.
Just reading back, I am a bit dissapointed in the criticism of James McClean. I know it’s a blog, everyone’s entitled to an opinion, I get that. Speaking as an ex soldier, I admire the way that young man sticks to his principals in the face of real hostility. In my humble opinion, him and Lenny are sacrosanct. Most of us I would think, would prefer the quiet life, keep our heads down and get on with life? Not these two inspirational characters. I’m not stupid, I know they both have failings but you’ll never hear me criticising them.
God bless James McClean and Neil Francis Lennon.
HH
ZIGGYDOC1 @ 11:51 AM,
Totally agree…
Which makes the tactics even more perplexing in the light of GS’S comments after the game.
If we were worried about their size and physicality why were we playing the long ball?!
Madness…
We had the vast majority of possession against them at Hampden.
With these tactics the statistics were reversed.
Och! Well! At least Ireland done the business.
Well done Martin, Roy & The boys…
Good luck in the play-offs
Hail Hail
FAVOURITE UNCLE on 10TH OCTOBER 2017 11:21 AM
right bhoys never mind getting your face make up done on the cheap.i did vote for her.
ps BIG and WEE GEORGE can come to my house for breaky free any time. jist sayin like .
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Cheers :-) Although will be munchin German bratwurst in Munchen this Thu / Fri – will dedicate my first Paulaner to you Favourite Uncle :-))
Corkcelt – Me and Wee BGFC voted for yer wean yesterday too – good luck to her!!!!
Me and the Wee Mhan are flying out on Thursday morning – advance Celtic Pathfinders….
HH
BGFC
2-1 Aus
Just read the Christian Gamboa article on here. Classic example of a footballer in denial. Maybe Celtic weren’t happy that he chose club over country but we all know the truth, a young player has improved and taken his position .
Inspirational substitution by the Aussie coach :-)
FT 2-1 Oz
HH
Above for Turkeybhoy :-)
LB – thanks for link, Syria unlucky hit the post in the last minute, would have put them through as away goals counted double
James McLean
https://www.balls.ie/football/nothing-beats-james-mcclean-driving-home-singing-rebel-songs-family-375460
corkcelt.
done.
Corkcelt
Vote cast mate.