And then the lights came back on.
You and I have discussed this before, but one week from tomorrow Celtic could be in involved in a +£20m penalty kick competition. Between now and then I’d have the players take 100 each. Preparation is everything and there’s no amount of preparation for penalties next week which will be too much.
You have to suspect that it’s too soon for Brendan Rodgers to throw new keeper, Dorus de Vries, into such a critical game, without a proper opportunity to work with his defenders, or be assessed by Stevie Woods.
After the Aberdeen game later this month we have a two week international break, where de Vries will be able to work with the coaching staff for an extended period, but that precedes the group stages of European competition, so I’m not sure when the new keeper will get a first team break.
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Thanks Paul for this wonderful Celtic place..
Practice penalties? Dembele will hit them all, its in his contract :)
HH
Guys,
Heading to villamoura tomorrow for a few days. Any good spots to watch the game?
Regards
Film script of The Longest Day
Featuring a CQN user without access for 24 hours.
Before the Milan game Big Jock had the players practise penalties at Seamill.
Dixie didn’t miss one.
Till the night and the rest is history.
In there………………HH
http://www.balls.ie/football/champions-league-changes/342871
Journalist Gabrielle Marcotti of The Times and ESPN has broken some major Champions League changes. The alterations to the format of the competition are the kind of alterations one would expect from a capitalist society: the rich are just going to keep on getting richer.
UEFA’s Executive Committee will ratify the following changes later this month:
From 2018-19, top 4 leagues will have 16 guaranteed spots in CL. UEFA ExCo to approve late August. Rich get richer. #onepercenters
— Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) August 15, 2016
That essentially means that the side who finishes fourth in England, Spain and Germany will not have to qualify for the group stage via the play-offs, the fate which awaits Man City tomorrow night against Steaua Bucharest.
Presumably, the fourth league extends to Serie A, which currently only has three spots on offer owing to their lousy coefficient. This will also mean that English side’s rubbish performances in Europe will have no impact on the coefficient, something which briefly worried the English football consciousness in the throes of English ineptitude last season, before Man City’s semi-final run and Liverpool’s Europa League final appearance assuaged those concerns.
These changes will mean we will be subject once more to the same sides playing in the same games, meaning opportunities will be even fewer for smaller clubs like Dundalk to muscle their way upon Europe’s top table.
The issue of club power is a major concern for UEFA. The clubs have realised their power, and UEFA’s competition is nothing without their involvement. The increased money going to the Premier League is causing alarm among clubs across Europe, who are worried about left behind. Next year’s ranking of the wealthiest 30 football clubs in the world will include all 20 Premier League clubs.
Hence the clubs feel they need to flex their muscles in order to maximise revenue streams.
Oliver Kay of the Times broke the news earlier this year that the European Clubs Association were proposing a rule whereby clubs were guaranteed a position in the Champions League regardless of domestic performance: something that will be soon known as the Istanbul Rule (most applicable to Liverpool and AC Milan). This plan was publicly backed by Barcelona’s president.
This absurd plan was actually proposed:
Re: Champions League revamp, some big clubs wanted more: wild card for historical merit, weekend games, co-ownership of competition
— Gabriele Marcotti (@Marcotti) August 15, 2016
These changes are evidently a compromise on UEFA’s part, but the worry is the fact that this may be the first step on its way to a European Super League, to which only the richest are invited.
Re the new format for the CL, the top four leagues are to get a guaranteed 16 slots, now we keep hearing that our suits are top quality business men, I must admit they have made a few bob between them, so they must be doing something right.
This is where they can earn their corn.
As a selling point I’m convinced that on a game to game basis we could outsell, views over 90% of teams in europe, the club need to convince the suits above them that this is the case.
Do this and an invite will be forthcoming.
Jeez, even the huns have 500 million supporters.
It’s that old thing where you don’t realise how much you use something until it’s not there. Have picked up the phone numerous times today before remembering we were in a CQN black hole. Good to be back.
Is there a 12 step programme for dependency on CQN?? I think I have issues…….
CQNanonymous CSC
HH
I don’t think the tie will go to penalties, but some in the squad could do with the penalty practice anyway.
Podium?
Think I read somewhere that de Vries has a pretty good record of saving penalties. Craig Gordon doesn’t get within an asses roar of them. It might be too early to replace Keeper but if it does go to penalties, I’d prefer to have de Vries facing them.
Welcome Back Paul & The Podiums.
“Wrong Gateway” CSC
Good Afternoon!
Here are the two latest pieces:
One about a particularly stupid press conference question:
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/08/14/complimentary-therapy/
And one about the ‘gladiators’ who can be found at Ibrox:
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/08/14/what-have-the-romans-ever-done-for-sevco/
Paul67
Penalties????????
Haven’t seen Big Dorus yet, but confident Craig Gordon is numero uno, besides we’ll be taking
a 4-0 to Israel.
THE EXILED TIM on 15th August 2016 3:56 pm
Yep, what was the purpose of Lawwell and the ECA…
We knew this was coming, hopefully it won’t be the case but if changes are detrimental to Celtic there has to be a contingency plan…
HH
Sunnyjim
Good shout – I remember Paul Brennan and the Podiums, back in the days of
the oleeeeeeeee Burns’s Howfffffffffff © Saint DBBIA
Thank feck.
Yesterday was a long day. Sitting in the hoose wi’ man-flu and some bad -assed gateway nicks yer CQN!
Third time I try to log on to CQN today, I get lucky.
Glad you found a shilling for the meter Paul.
Catchup Quick News
Andy won the first set
Andy lost the second set
Andy won the third set
Andy won the fourth set.
Andy was the first tennis player to successfully defend the title.
Lurker with withdrawal symptoms – mibbies Paul should crash the blog once a week
On the possibility of 2nd leg penalties and the importance of practice
Assuming de Vries will be on the bench?
Would you save an outfield substitution in order to sub the keeper with a few minutes to go if he was a better bet to save penalties?
We could sub our keeper one minute from the end of ET.
Soiled pants all round.
See that Lawwell…?
Diverting the CQN powersource to his heated driveway !!
Bassa!!
A Fiver for Your Thoughts
Och.
Should Craig Gordon face 100 penalties from each outfield player, or do it turn about with the other keepers? Should the goalkeepers be taking 100 penalties each as well?
How long do you training sessions last?
Will the players get paid overtime?
T88
My thoughts exactly.
We all know it’s got nothing to do with sporting merit any more, so this is where our suits need to exert their prowess, we are a box office club, we need to see ourselfs even if it means hanging on to the coat tails, but we need to stay in the game come what may.
HH
Glad your back CQN, had a full Night Shift last night with no blog, caused so many time management issues.
HH
SUNNYJIM
I know ET and don’t make a substitution but good penalty stopper?
Anyway it won’t get to penalties :)
Could we please stop all talk of this tie going to penalties in Israel.
My nerves are shattered at the thought of that.
Finish the tie in Paradise please. 3-0 on Wednesday should do it.
Craig Gordon is number 1 and will be number 1 for the foreseeable future
NostradamusCSC
Looks loke a picked a good weekend to go on the bevy and fail in my Cqn duties
Pity I’ve left my glasses in the office
GERRYFAETHEBRIG
I don’t think we would have signed de Vries if Craig Gordon had everything Brendan wanted in a keeper
BT
Just drink oot the bottle then. :)
DD
Ha, no drink today
Tomorrow my dad is 76 so will keep myself good and drink his Brandy tomorrow night
Shocking news about Dalian Atkinson, may he RIP
BT
Hope your dad gets his birthday reward on Wednesday night.
BANJOCELT on 15TH AUGUST 2016 3:49 PM
Guys,
Heading to villamoura tomorrow for a few days. Any good spots to watch the game?
Regards
____________________________________________________________
There should be a few places showing it there, though I can’t remember their names.
BSR
Les Harvey, (Alex Harvey’s wee brother) Maggie Bell (Stone the Crows), Jim Mullen with his thumb nail lead guitar playing) Jim Dewar (Robin Trower), Brian Robertson (No not BA Robertson. The one who played in Thin Lizzy and Motorhead)
Les & Jim no longer with us, but what days they were.
Every Saturday lunch time for 2 years. Long bus ride from East Kilbride, longer on the way back tho.
Yapped about it so much my parents went in there one night, hush puppies and sports jacket, pearl necklace etc.
Got the royal treatment cos they were so out of place.
They never asked me where I went on Saturdays again.