The incentive for Brendan Rodgers and his players is clear, beat AEK Athens and you will face either Malmo or Vidi (known as Videoton until earlier this year) in the Champions League play-off round.
Malmo, who are 16 games into their league programme, will be slight favourites to make the play-off round. They beat Romanians Cluj in the last round and Kosovans Drita in the first qualifier.
The Swedes were eliminated from the second qualifying round last year by Vardar of Macedona – a stage which did not offer the compensation of a Europa League entry.
Vidi recorded the result of the last round by eliminating Ludogorets Razgrad 1-0 on aggregate. They overcame Maltese and Estonian opposition a year ago, before recording a remarkable away goals victory over Girondins Bordeaux. Eventually losing 4-0 on aggregate to Partizan Belgrade.
It all went wrong for Celtic three years ago when former player, Jo Inge Berget returned to haunt us for Malmo. Berget scored twice in the Champions League play-off first leg at Celtic Park in a 3-2 Celtic win, but the Swedes progressed after winning the return 2-0.
Malmo changed manager in June, appointing Uwe Rosler, who was sacked by Fleetwood Town in February, Not a conventional route to Champions League glory.
There are pitfalls if we approach the tie as ill-prepared as we were in 2015, or as Bordeaux were last month, but AEK are by far the strongest team we will face in order to reach the group stage.
It’s all about Celtic Park on Wednesday; the hugest or hugest games.
468 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- »
“A source close to the East End club suggests a simmering stand-off between Lawwell and Rodgers is aboot
to explode and blow the lid off the beleaguered Parkhead Boardroom, with suspected casualties all throughout the Glasgow outfit……in ither news………..Rainjurz have sealed the deal on a Big-Bucks offer for…………”
Brendan should realise that all clubs try to get a fee if one of the players moves into the last year of their contract or they can leave for no fee.
Boyata also seems to want to go.
Armstrong wanted to go so we sold him.
if Boyata does leave and we get a fee then Brendan will be given money to sign a replacement. if he stays another year then we still need to replace him with no fee as compensation
Bobby M – You are perhaps better qualified than I, to give a proper appraisal.
All that I can remember is that goal that he scored at Celtic Park,and his winning mentality. He played well against that Greek team last week by all accounts also.
He isn’t coming to Celtic on a pre-contract though.
Brendan Rodgers seems to rate the player, that could be the decided factor – not what you or I believe.
HH.
Awe Naw No James McCarthy Oan Anaw Noo
James McCarthy — the BTM conundrum / paradox.
I will now raise you a youth that moved on TB of Eu16 fame.
Gutted when he left.
Biggest issue was the fact that it suggested our youth set up was not maturing players at the rate and standard we needed to work to.
Ongoing theme unfortunately.
BANKIE
Celtic fail to loosen biscuit tin from Peter’s grasp whilst Rainjurz swoooooopppppppp
So this is how it works apparently
Sky sources understand or alternatively Talkshoite run a story (same owners) then the BBC pick it up
Axis of evil
16 ROADS
In all the times we’ve met in person,conversed online,I’ve never been better qualified than you at anything!
BSR…………
It’s a script that by nooooo, writes itself….with great regularity….
(Mostly sleekit huns at it!)
It’s a very easy lowest common denominator to criticise our custodians.
4 million for Mc Ginn.Naw.He is a good player.Do we need him.Naw.
-12 million for Boyatta.Aye.Can we let him run down his contract and walk awayfor free.Naw.That would be madness.
Its a problem.
I see the blonde twat chairman from Crystal Palace has said he has info that the Huns have a ccess to big money from an “Unknown benefactor”.Now ,I wonder who or what party that could be?
Never liked that Hibs mob, however the cup final against the zombie club was one of the greatest games of all time.
HH. ?
No worries Bobby M. ?
Hail Hail mo chara. ?
Rumours that John McGinn’s Aston Villa medical has been delayed as the “Heidless Chicken” setting on the treadmill isn’t functioning correctly…
:)
Turkeyboy, any links?
‘Rangers’ move for Osijek full-back Borna Barisic has also edged closer after he was reported to be in Glasgow yesterday for a medical’
Hmm – use of the third person
Davidopoulis,
The falling down on your ass one,is working though.
H,mmm,it has just hit me that your moniker is very Greek sounding
A 5th Columnist.Dont panic,dont panic,Cpt Mainwairing.
GD,
Daily Record.I know.But he did say it.
Delaneys D
There is a tremendous Jazz version of Paranoid Android by the very great Brad Mehldau, Live in Tokyo, https://vimeo.com/150709629
“A source close to” , ” An insider” , “reported to be” , “Thought to be” , “According to the Scottish Sun/BBC/STV/Record” etc,etc.
All above phrases smelling strongly of excrement.
Turkeybhoy
All these years I’ve been a “sleeper” waiting for Celtic to draw a Greek team. There’s one of us for all the UEFA nations on here…
Turkeyboy, Bah, I refuse to look!
The same blonde twat from Crystal Palace was shot down surprisingly by one Andy Walkeron his Talksport gig.Blethring on about howthe Huns were “Relegated”to the bottom leagues,by all the other teams.The bold Andy pulled him up short and explained the meaning of liquidation,the mountain of debt ,the EBTs,and told him to get his facts right.
An unusual very well done to Mr Andrew Walker,formerly of this Parish.
If we spent more time ‘swooping’ and less time ‘bracing’ we might catch up with the Rainjurrz.
If Celtic really want McGinn, he’ll not sign for Aston Villa or anybody else. No need to panic, imo.
If our manager wants to keep Boyatta, as he sees him as important for us getting into the CL, then I’m content. That’s worth a lot more to the Club than a prospective fee at this moment in time.
James McCarthy wasn’t the only one we missed. Andrew Robertson was spurned as not good enough when he moved from Dundee United
GD,
Dont “Bah”the messenger.I saved y ou soiling your eyeballs.
Who would win,a Swooper,or a Bracer?
Bankie
It’ll be ‘the board’s fault’ if we don’t buy McGinn, it’ll be the board’s fault if we spend too much on him, if they do.
It’ll be the boards’ fault if we sell Boyata and he will be ‘a liability’ ‘bombscare’ ‘waste of space” if they don’t.
Its all made up stuff from the internet especially when the marching season window is still wide open.
Celtic supporters don’t really care whom amongst them has an ‘opinion’ that separates or differentiates from the team, or the rest of the club including ‘the board’.
Turkeybhoy,
That’s very interesting news of Andy Walker. I wonder if SKY will allow him that freedom of expression when he’s commentating. Will he allow himself that freedom, for that matter? He would probably see his media career at an instant end.
By the way, I have been saying for a couple of years on here that Willie Miller and Michael Stewart are the only pundits worth listening to in Scotland. You might not agree with them but they say it as they see it.
Some site reporting that the Mc Ginn offer from AV,is 2.1 million..100,000 more than ours.
GER57 on 7TH AUGUST 2018 12:23 AM
Supersutton
I would rather lose Dembele from our team rather than Broonie, esp when we can field Eddie; so maybe AEK losing their captain and midfield motivator might be the bigger loss. Only my opinion.
——-
Good point.
M&C2 @ 12.16
I’m sure there are quite few examples where we have made mistakes regarding squad enhancement and development.
Stand outs for gross stupidity are
JMcF @ 2003.
SF @ 2008.5
JMcC @ 2009.
JMcG @ 2018
Instead we had the shaky 6 @ CF who cost £10mill plus and had to be paid to leave.
Parkheadcumsalford,
That would totally go against Sky Sport Dogma.Anyone saying the truth would be branded a Heretic,and find themselves the tea boy on Talksport.
‘Brendan and Peter in simmering stand off’
What happened, did Brendan ask for a Resolution 12 update ?
Barasic has signed. Wow I thought he was their best player, stood out a mile.
G-D on 7TH AUGUST 2018 12:30 PM
Barasic has signed. Wow I thought he was their best player, stood out a mile
——
To be fair the rest of that team were mince.
JMcF @ 2003.
Joseph McFarland ?
SF @ 2008.5
Simon Faversham ?
JMcC @ 2009.
Jacob McCrossan ?
JMcG @ 2018
Jason mcgrogan ?
Will the SMSM be bleating about Aston Villa ‘unsettling’ John McGinn ?
Or is it only Celtic who do ‘unsettling’ ?