There’s been a palpable sense of relief among all of us since Leigh Griffiths scored in Astana last midweek, but as Wednesday’s second leg draws nearer, the reality that our Champions League hopes are very much on the line is dawning.
Astana’s natural game in Europe is to defend and play on the break. They kept a clear sheet in Vilnius in the last round and conceded only twice on the road in last season’s three away qualifiers against Maribor, HJK Helsinki and APOEL Nicosia – decent qualifier opponents by any measure.
They will put two men on both Patrick Roberts and Leigh Griffiths, and sit deep, hoping to draw Celtic into leaving space at the back. This is the exact scenario we lost out to otherwise inferior teams in Europe over the last two seasons. We enjoyed possession and territorial advantage (home and away) but were ripped open on the break.
Progress to the playoff round will be all about how well we defend.
The bulk of tomorrow’s training session should be set aside for the practice of penalty kicks. Celtic lose far too many penalty competitions, and despite legacy notions which persist in British football, penalties can be practiced. 10 players should hit at least 10 penalties each.
Dreadful news that Tommy Gemmell was hospitalised over the weekend. He’s been a great friend to CQN in recent years and I know we all send him our best wishes.
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My late night lurk finds no trace of Abbiebell 3 Thankfully Christina ain’t missing. Glad that Tommy Gemmell is through his operation , here’s hoping for a full recovery.
Feeling better about this Wednesday , than last Wednesdays game. In Brendan we trust.
MACJAY…
Cheers for that.An example of the attitude that’s stifled the game here.Wee minded,wee progress,wee team.
King Kenny was my hero as a lhad.Got my affection for Liverpool from him.He was a genius as a player,way ahead of his time.Love cerebral footballers,make the ball do all the work and others look better than their talents suggest they are.Ian Rush should have a shrine to Kenny.
Good Evening.
Strange to log in and find that on the one hand TBB describes me as a “youngster” and on the other WC has offered my photo to a Russian women of apparently dubious character?
Given that I have always hated getting my photograph taken in the main, The Russian woman will be disappointed no matter what.
On penalties? Full run up, no hesitation or stutters, laces through the ball, bottom left (if you are a right footer), hard as you like – for the keeper to save he has to have been brilliant.
Never saw the Big Shot place or chip one in my lifetime or his!
Chairbhoy 9:20
It’s even worse than that.
The TV deal that was signed in 2010 (from memory) still had around three years (again from memory) still to run when it was replaced by a new one in October 2011.
If you were of a cynical nature……..
Hahaha …yes that’s the thing Mac….never be hoopy ..
Feck that …sing …sing a song sing it loud sing it strong …
Braw
Thank fit…BRTH to add a braw bit of hoopiness…..Italy,s loss is Oor gain…
Braw .
1st best wishes to TC.
he wont be suprised by Bertie & Sweeper turning up, sure he is a CQN veteran, probably on the smartphone now,
its addictive.
now off topic,
just had a brilliant 4 days close to home, Scotland in the sun, its wonderful.
Lochgoilhead, Inverarary, Luss, Balloch, and Balmaha,
quite spectacular.
even more suprising , taps count
1 x res 12, 20+ diego10s, several dozen celtic tops or polos.
huns in any version, old deid wans, 2nd ones, pumas wans no allowed, none on grown up pee-pel – 6.
i think they only come out after the sun goes doon.
maybe they are zombies.
BABASONICOS71 on 1ST AUGUST 2016 11:13 PM
MACJAY…
Loved Kenny too.
Ironic that Liverpool got him because Kevin Keegan went to Hamburg.
Pretty devastating at the time.
BRTH,
much better, your fathers charter to the benfica match was discussed much earlier today,
and your upcoming 5th anniversary charter, was over subscribed,,,,,,,,,,,,
your gonny need a bigger boat
nae pressure,
50th,
ffs, eyesight and typing skills.
Winnin Capitano,
Thx for info. Card wrote and will send in morning.
BTW – It’s not a ‘Get Well’ card….It’s a ‘Thank you’ card, for all he did for us!!!!!
BRTH I’ll send her big Jamesgang’s pic instead!
Astana’s last 8 away games in European competition:
0 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses. 2 goals scored, 9 goals conceded.
We’ll pump them!
DALLAS DALLAS WHERE THE HECK IS DALLAS on 1ST AUGUST 2016 7:42 PM
Andy Lynch scored two own goals in a 3 nil loss to Motherwell in April 1977, a game we could have won the league at if we beat them that night.
Some of us on the blog wete at Frank Munro’s debut against St Mitren when his own goal gave them the lead as were some of us at Wullie Garner’s debut against St Mirren when he scored one own goal and another St Mirren goal took a bad deflection of him.
—————-
i was trying to remember the andy lynch own goals earlier today, , as an example of bad shit.
ta.
remember now,
i was 10.
3 weeks later he scored the penalty to win the double i i think
MACJAY…
I was six when he left.Broken hearted so I was.Being dealt that most crushing of blows,at such a young age,put me in a major cream puff and I fell out with Celtic for letting him go and told my da I was a Liverpool fan now.That lasted about an hour until I recanted and restated my love of the Hoops but i’ve always had a soft spot for the red scousers since.
Clumps….old Mackay is on the button
…he won’t know of course …smiley thing..but when you mix Celtic up with McGinley ..and brawness…then Seven Sevco Nights…
Come on now …that is genius… Hahahaha
When I woke up on Graig Whyte night ….as drunk as drunk could be…I saw an entrepeunteur as fine as you can see…
I called to the board and I asked to them will you kindly tell to me .…..who is this billionaire entrepreneur where my old Murray Mint should be …..
Oh yer drunk yer drunk ye silly old King so cannae cooount …for that’s the man from Motherwell that got lost in Monaco….
Etc etc etc …
Braw
WINNING CAPTAINS
BRTH I’ll send her big Jamesgang’s pic instead!
Astana’s last 8 away games in European competition:
0 wins, 4 draws, 4 losses. 2 goals scored, 9 goals conceded.
We’ll pump them!
================
I don’t think we’ll pump them,maybe,hopefully outplay them,but I believe we’ll win and go through.
I dig the spirit of your post,though. :-))
BABASONICOS71 on 1ST AUGUST 2016 11:49 PM
MACJAY…
Always had a great affection for Liverpool , in part related to the Mersey sound. Slightly diminished when they eliminated us from the cup winners cup in `66 , but now fully restored.
NEUSTADT-BRAW on 1ST AUGUST 2016 11:52 PM
Clumps….old Mackay is on the button
====================================
Not “old” , mate.
Mature.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ebYOvdtGlSs
When I woke upon Tuesday night ….as masture as I could be …I asked my wee ginger dug if he would play with me!?????
Hahahahahahaha
But the seven sevco nights ….that has to be plundered ….ha ha ha …my wee daft heiid is working over time now …
Even better ….instead of the raffle what the big bhoys nicked we can have a seven sevco nights rhyme ,best text thingymajig ….
Sounds braw ….to me they are thinking they are safe ……as usual they need a swift sharp precisioned strike to their soft bits…..hahahahahaha
Braw
So many huns reading this …we can have …seven Rangers nights….and sort of fade that in ..always interesting to have another look at the cat in the box….not that they will understand…
Anyway …Seven Sevco Nights…
Competition is now open …go for it …
Braw
Macjay1 for NL…
Old is braw…
Braw
NEUSTADT-BRAW on 2ND AUGUST 2016 12:28 AM
Sure beats the alternative.
Police Scotland have objected to an Irish Republican march scheduled to take place this weekend amid safety and disorder fears.
The march is due to take place on Saturday afternoon in the South side area of Glasgow.
Independent Republican Bands Scotland (IRBS), the group organising the event, issued a notice to Glasgow City Council in July.
=================================================================================
Blatant double standards.
Time for the Scottish govt. to take a stand on equal rights..
OR
March and be damned.
The IRBS has held five processions in Greater Glasgow, with two in 2013, two in 2014 and one in 2016. All passed without significant trouble except the one in September 2014 in Castlemilk.
The council report said: “In September 2014, there was a sizeable counter-demonstration in the Castlemilk area by individuals who attended near to the route armed with weapons and caused difficulty with the containment strategy deployed.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So the only time there was any trouble it was from a counter-demo, by “individuals” armed with weapons.
Hmmmmmmmm!!
Good morning friends. I’m sorry to say that this mornings planned weather report has been canceled due to the thick fog that has engulfed East Kilbride. Apologies.
GLASSTWOTHIRDSFULL @ 11:20 PM,
Very good point, think I remember that. Wasn’t the deal from BSkyB worse than the previous one, while The Premier League deal was astronomical?
Remember saying at the time Celtic could have made more money selling their right independently… Though of course, contractually they couldn’t.
Yeessss… if one had a Cynical nature, you could ask how long was this being planned?!
Theye were pulling the great Footballing swindle while we were eating Jelly and Ice Cream…
Hail Hail
Morning all.
Currently beautiful, if a tad cool, down here.
Big furore in the SMSM over nothing that our captain actually said. They really are desparate.
Quality Broonie, pure quality hehehehe.
http://videocelts.com/2016/08/blogs/latest-news/watch-scott-brown-body-swerve-sky-sports-o-f-obsession/
Hoooopy Birthday JamesGang, have a great day mhate.
Salford
Don`t read it then! 0:-)
SFTB 10:59 link last night led me to this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zSfiHTXFYgM
From about 1:40 in, the man and woman dancing then the performers doing their solos . Why do I find this , in modern America remember, slightly disturbing?
JJ
Rods Bhoys know the score, brilliant stuff.
http://talkingbaws.com/2016/08/video-rod-stewarts-sons-sing-come-on-you-boys-in-green-during-bbc-documentary/
Matt McGlone was on Twitter last night saying the Sinclair deal hinges on us bidding his release clause fee of £3.8m.
Somehow I can’t see this happening.
I predict we will sign a winger from somewhere like Denmark instead. He will be under 23 and have a sell on clause.
Also see us brining in another couple of loans and a Bosman.
Rogic Johansen and possibly Bitton could go. Also expect a bid for Griffiths near the end of the window.
Ref for Wed.
Card happy – careful now!
http://www.soccerbase.com/referees/referee.sd?referee_id=1612
HH
BGFC
HOT SMOKED on 2ND AUGUST 2016 8:27 AM
Pete Seeger and not so modern America.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmJj6LZogms
HOT SMOKED,
Haven’t read them. Radio Scotland was spluttering about it @ 6.30. Even they found it utterly ridiculous.
Happy Birthday Jamesgang!
Have a great day big yin! :)
It most certainly looks like Mr Dallas has set us up with another fecking roaster for Wed Night
Thanks Bhoys
Hoping for a late pressie – 24 hours late – with a nice wee home win the morra!
HH jamesgang