In eight days Brendan Rodgers takes Celtic into the Camp Nou to face Barcelona. While Barca are not current European champions, there is little doubt they are the best team in the world at the moment, and no doubt whatsoever that they are the greatest team of the era. A gargantuan task lies ahead. This week we’ll have a look at that challenge and how we might best prepare.
While Brendan has carried all before him in domestic football, and at home in Europe, his Celtic lost in Gibraltar and Israel, while taking a creditable draw in Kazakhstan. Playing in the Camp Nou is another world entirely, however.
Neil Lennon did very well top inhibit Barcelona on three of the four occasions he managed Celtic against them (the fourth was a dead rubber for Celtic, who conceded six, but was a must-win for Barcelona).
On the three meaningful Celtic games, we won once, lost once with 10 men, and conceded a last minute winner in the Camp Nou. A remarkable return against one of the best teams in the history of the game.
Neil’s team defended his 18-yard-box with remarkable endeavour, even with Efe Ambrose and Kelvin Wilson in central defence – and Adam Matthews at left back. Not exactly a legendary defensive line-up, but what Neil proved more than anything, football is about the system, not the individuals.
In some respects, defending against Barcelona will be more straightforward than against St Johnstone. There will be no reluctance to clear the ball long, instead of trying to thread a pass in the middle of our own half. There should be no complacency, and at all times defenders should be aware that their defensive partners are not far away.
In defending the 18-yard-box, Neil’s Celtic conceded space near the corner flag, an area we would normally contest, as this is where dangerous cross balls can emanate from. What that Celtic team had was no only a comfortable height advantage over Barcelona, but this advantage combined with a natural ability in the air, which say Celtic score regularly and defend successfully.
I expect Mikael Lustig, Erik Sviatchenko and Kolo Toure all to play along the back line (will be amazed and concerned if Mikael plays a conventional right back role), with Nir Bitton dropping deep from midfield. So we will not be short of height, but gelling them into a cohesive unit will be one of Brendan’s major tasks when players return from international duty.
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How many Celtic supporters are being charged £50 on Saturday? Very few, I would presume, since the vast majority have season tickets.
Maybe CFC are making sure that any damage caused by the zombies is paid for by charging £50 a skull.
You wouldn’t rely on King & Co handing over the money, would you?
Also, I think SFA/SPFL (?) rules ensure that the clubs cannot charge more than the home support, hence, £50 for our non-season book holders to get round it, maybe?
Imagine after 30 years one of your long gone relatives was to do a Lazarus and you were to take them along to Celtic Park on Sauturday to have them witness the Hun hordes in the stands and on the pitch. Without giving them any narrative over what’s happened over the last couple of years, I bet they would still recognise them as the same Huns that inhabited the earth when they departed 30 years ago and they still would despise them just as much
I doubt there will be any surprises on Saturday, the team will likely be
—————–DDV
Lustig —Toure—-Erik—Tierney
—————-Bitton
—-Rogic——————-Brown
Roberts———————-Sinclair
—————Griffiths
I would still play Gordon but don’t think BR will, though it is possible DDV just played v Aberdeen so the manager could have a look at him before making a decision. The Bitton / Brown dilemma could maybe be solved by playing one of them(Brown) slightly further forward. The problem I feel has been they are occupying the same positions, trying to make the same passes, which gives one less option further upfield. That BR said he was trying to add a creative player and not a defensive midfield player suggests he recognises this. I’d like to see Rogic come a little deeper when we don’t have the ball as 4-2-3-1 can become 4-2-4 pretty easily and the 2 get exposed.
I don’t know if he’ll take a body out of midfield and go to a back 5 in Barca, may depend on whether Gamboa is ready to get thrown in, but I do expect Dembele to start instead of Griffiths.
Auld Tam,
Why can’t you play the ball ?
It’s all about personalities with you innit.
Go on counter the argument instead of your usual drivel targeting who said what rather than a reasoned argument about what was said.
Try it, just once.
Ahm paying £47 to watch Barca at the Camp Nou next week in the probably the worst seats in the house
40 quid, 50 quid….does it matter.
Its the principle of the whole scenario.
In order to charge top dollar, the PLC go along with the Hun agenda.
They set the price, with no doubt more than a little input from the bigots.
That stinks to high heaven.
How can anybody possibly condone supporting the ‘Big Hun Lie’?
Its bogus.
Its a con
Its a bent farce.
HH
The true test will be the demand for away tickets to Snake Mountain. Which will also be c£50 each.
Weeminger,
Totally agree. The clamour for away tickets is a much different beast to that of a Celtic fan wishing to attend Celtic park.
HH
Canamalar –
I already have. Unlike you Old Firm obsessives, I don’t repeat myself ad infinitum.
WEEMINGER on 5TH SEPTEMBER 2016 3:40 PM
The true test will be the demand for away tickets to Snake Mountain. Which will also be c£50 each.
= = = = = = = = = = = = = =
It’ll sell out.Celtic supporters want to see us beat huns.The new club are huns.
I’ll not be there,gave up going to that place last century,but our end will be full.To be honest,I think most fholks are just into seeing Celtic and the politics is of rather less import.
Ernie Old Firm –
Me brave? Why? What horror will be visited upon me?
Celtic v Hans Christian Andersen FC
Those gullible bigot morons should be banned from Celtic Park.
Forever.
HH
BABASONICOS71 –
The game is at Celtic Park, not Ibrox.
WINNING CAPTAINS on 5TH SEPTEMBER 2016 3:29 PM
Why we’re not playing Rangers…
http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/?p=27504
Great stuff – we need everyone to make sure this gets maximum circulation.
We must keep the pressure on to counteract the ‘Silence then Big Lie’ tactics of what passes for journalism in this sad country. Keep posting to ‘newspapers’ and their obedient hacks. Let them know we are going nowhere.
Yes, we do have the appetite !
BABASONICOS71 –
Apologies. Just realised my mistake.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 5TH SEPTEMBER 2016 3:16 PM
BABAS
It was laid ‘bear’ in 2012.
= = = = = =
http://youtu.be/QhDinIBETiI
AULD TAM…
You started on your birthday swally? ;))
No worries bud.
Auld Tam,
Your doing it again.
You Old firm obsessives as you put it, are simply pointing out that as far as our board are concerned the old firm is there to be exploited and is being exploited, if it doesn’t exist then it wouldn’t be exploited now would it ? Actions are far louder than words and this is deafening.
But then old firmest obsessives are no allowed to air their disappointment because you don’t want anything to interfere with you going to watch your old firm game and pretend it’s no the same.
Everyone pretend it’s no the same but pay the inflated prices, put up with the same bile and volatile atmosphere in and outside the stadium and pretend it’s no the same.
I’ll bet you a pound to a penny the A&E departments around Glasgow will not be pretending in its no the same.
Celtic have been involved in getting the game in Scotland back to where it now is right since the huns went bust.
There are those who are too thick to see it, there are those who are too cowardly to face up to it, there are those who don’t care and there are those who are positively glad that Celtic have acted the way they have.
It could all have been so different. An opportunity squandered.
Feck this.
Zap me back to 1970, when Celtic were the World.
And i could run about with my torn hoops top on…Being Bobby Lennox, Jinky, and Billy McNeil.
That was beauty beyond compare.
Feck Sevco as well:)
HH
Incidentally, that the death of our historic rivals is the source of so much bitterness is crazy. Whatever the nuances of the situation, we will work towards resolving them but ffs, never lose sight of the euphoria of being alive to see them liquidated.
We don’t need statements from Celtic. The lads running Resolution 12 seem content with the efforts from the club. When the supreme court throws out the big tax case appeal, thus nullifying the LNS verdict, then we can push for that inquiry to be reopened.
You’re not going to prevent a team in blue playing out of ibrox. New jobby same flies is the perfect analogy. If people are prepared to pay £50 to go and taunt those flies then that’s fine with me, it’s more money going into the club.
GREEN MAN…
Bobby,Jinky AND Big Billy?What a player you must’ve been. ;))
P.S.Who tore yir tap?Want ’em soretit?
BABASONICOS71
Back then, i actually thought i was Bobby Lennox….8yr old version:)
Fast i was….booted that baw everywhere i went.
As for the torn hoops strip….they couldnae rip it aff me, i fought for it:)
I won:)
Cmon Bobby:)
HH
Reggie,
If the money was going into the club fair enough but it’s no it’s going into a Plc’s bank account.
You don’t honestly believe every penny raised is going back into the team do you ?
That’s just naive. If all the money was going into the team the accounts would be easier to read.
Reggie on 5th September 2016 4:02 pm
Pretty much agree.
I’d be more concerned if we’d sold 20k season tickets then sold out for Saturdays match.
Celtic fans want to see CELTIC again, because we are playing great football again and the buzz around the club is unreal.
As far as Saturday goes, we can acknowledge the fact it is a Glasgow derby, with an opponent bringing a large expectant support, but who might not be asking for their ‘usual’ allocation in a year or two….
They were put in their place in 2012, and they’ll be put in their place again.
HH
Went on the Celtic FC website there, first pop up on the official site was for the Huns, back were we belong, that’s good of the Plc to be advertising them on the official Celtic site.
ERNIE LYNCH on 5TH SEPTEMBER 2016 3:57 PM
Celtic have been involved in getting the game in Scotland back to where it now is right since the huns went bust.
There are those who are too thick to see it, there are those who are too cowardly to face up to it, there are those who don’t care and there are those who are positively glad that Celtic have acted the way they have.
It could all have been so different. An opportunity squandered.
____________________________________________________________________________
But we don’t recognise the term ‘old firm’
Right?
In my view we are playing Rangers this weekend, not The Rangers, not Glasgow Rangers just ‘A Rangers’.
To me ‘A Rangers’ is the vehicle used by the imperialistic masses, with their sense of entitlement and lack of self awareness to express themselves.
This is currently done through a football team playing out of Ibrox. But if Ibrox and the team playing there didn’t exist the people who follow that club would follow another, maybe Motherwell. Motherwell would then become ‘a Rangers’, with the delusional fans and sectarian bile.
That is why many Celtic fans clamor for tickets to see their team beat ‘a Rangers’. Not for old times sake or 54 titles, but to remind the entitled masses that they are owed nothing and they most certainly are not ‘The People’.
Hail Hail
Motor parking question
I’ve been parking around MacDuff/MacBeth St for the last couple of seasons. Will I be able to park there on Saturday when we play the Zombies?
Cheers and Hail Hail.
Canamalar
The PLC and the Huns.
Two cheeks of the same a*** imo
Cant see much difference
Not content with selling their own souls, they are determined to sell ours as well.
But of course, im being too kind.
The reality is far worse.
HH
TheMaestro
Given that we’ve to ‘check back soon for travel info’ – I doubt anybody can say.
@CFC
Auld heid 3.09
Hear hear.
You echo my own views perfectly.
TT
The maestro,
Aye. More than likely. But i noticed it’s getting busier there as the large grassy area behind there is infested with hooses ;)
HH
Canamalar –
The Truth
Canamalar
These pop ups are driven by visitor cookies.
Celtic have no control over it.
It would appear that you and many others have visited sites that reference the Rangers.
TT
Tgm,
You don’t half go on about the huns for someone who won’t buy into the big lie ;)
HH
ERNIE LYNCH on 5TH SEPTEMBER 2016 3:57 PM
Celtic have been involved in getting the game in Scotland back to where it now is right since the huns went bust.
There are those who are too thick to see it, there are those who are too cowardly to face up to it, there are those who don’t care and there are those who are positively glad that Celtic have acted the way they have.
It could all have been so different. An opportunity squandered.
________________________________
Ernie, good stuff! You have managed to insult every Celtic fan who happens to disagree with your myopic one-track agenda. Neganon2 will be proud of you!
KTF