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.
487 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- »
Hope Tommy Gemmell gets well soon, a bad injury for someone of Tommy’s years… The Very Best to him.
TOBAGO STREET @ 3:05 PM
“STV understands that under the terms of a renegotiated TV deal following the removal of Rangers from the top flight in 2012, a clause was inserted making the league liable to additional production costs (up to £250,000) incurred setting up at lower league grounds.”
Shocked, but not surprised to Read this…
There was so much been talking about the need to re-negotiate the Scottish TV deals following the demise of Rangers FC.
I believe the SPL and SFA stated at the time, these negotiations were necessary due to the “fact” that the Scottish Authorities had “Gauranteed” so many old firm games.
I don’t buy it, how is this even possible…
Firstly, either “old firm” Club could have failed to get into the top six &/or get demoted…
This could have happened due to failure to garner suffient points during the season (sporting underachievement), points being deducted for Disciplinary reasons (Club misbehaviour, player misbehaviour, fan misbehaviour or financial irregularities).
Now then in Sporting terms, it seems highly unlikely that either Celtic or Rangers would fail to get into the top six in the SPL, be that as it may, it is ridiculous to “guarantee” this in a contract while a) It’s was a possibility no matter how small and b) The League had to be seen to be running a fair Competition for ALL participants.
In the light of the fact that at the time, there were serious allegations and rumours regarding Rangers Financial and Sporting integrity, also the UEFA financial fair play rules were imminent, IF anyone were to sign off on such a contract it wouldn’t just be highly unprofessional but down right negligent.
Secondly, I have never seen or heard of a professional contract without an insolvency clause. Why would anyone Lawyer sign-off on a Contact that didn’t have a clause that covered ALL parties in lieu of an insolvency event. I find this very, very difficult to believe.
What should have happened was the Insolvent Party should lose ALL proceeds and the other parties indemnified as far as possible from subsequent loses. Now we hear that not only did the remaining Clubs NOT receive this protection, but the League paid out to ensure that a NEW lower League Club in the Guise of “carry on” Rangers, unduly profitted from the TV deal at the expense of the other Clubs.
Another disgrace that needs investigation…
Hail Hail
Efe Ambrose is an anagram of :
Be More Safe.
Also an anagram of:
Obese Frame :-)
The SSN piece from Hamdump today,1st interview with The Grass Wallace,shows Sevco scoring,next up Broony,cue Aberdeen scoring against us…….. daft question but can you find out if Level 5 is on the Sky payroll, I think we know the answer….
The sky is sometimes blue….and then it goes sort of not blue…maybe you can say it is greyish …and then sometimes it goes dark …almost black ……I have even seen it doing wonderful stuff they call the Northern Lights….amazing …..
But whatever it does ….I call it the Sky….
Braw
Twist and Turns ….
You are braw …
Braw
Neustadt braw
What’ll be braw my friend is when we get through on Wednesday and what’ll be even mair braw is if Efe has a blinder.
If ever a man deserved some luck it’s Efe.
Hail hail
If the existing Sky Sports tims knew they were being reemed by Traynor and his liars,they would hunt Sky possibly?
Eve and Kolo …. Cool Cool Efe…..braw ….we want tandem flips ….
Now how braw wid that be ….open up yer minds …coordination is braw…
Braw
Found this amusing…
https://goo.gl/images/fUlDAe
Twist . I am with us there…
Braw.
Braw
And the water in the sea is always clear.
HH
..and, there’s more ….
https://www.instagram.com/p/BIc_MAqhmNe/?taken-by=bitc.h&hl=en
TET….very clear…..I hope the smile is feeding you with greens??? As well as your BBQ stuff!
Hahahahahahaha
Braw.
When the darkness turns to light.
She is :-)
HH
BigBrawQuota…….
Lovely sup…
Braw.
TET….been tidying up the gardens …village fest in two weeks …my first one here..just been told the first three hours are free beer !!!! Am thinking the Germans chose the wrong attribute to try and win Europe
Hahahahaha
I love them and they all love the green…
Braw .
A director at Level 5 PR tweeted over 150 times in the one day to attack Res 12 and diminish CQN. Can’t wait to get back to get intae them!
Tomorrow I’m going to pay my respects to the innocents murdered by Fascists at Guernica – always wanted to do that.
Abbiebell3 I am sure my friend BRTH would be interested in meeting a prosperous. Russian lady like yourself. I can send you his photograph and you can send me yours to pass on.
Loved your Holy Goalie post but apparently your time on here is up. The BRTH pic offer still stands though!
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
The Return of Wee Christina, must be a big game a brewing…
Bring on The Kazakhs…
ernie lynch on 1st August 2016 4:02 pm
Regarding penalties.
What would happen if the keeper stood, not in the middle, but a bit to one side, two or three feet maybe?
*ah the Ronnie Simpson trick, when he came back up tae Hibs he saved an inordinate amount of penalties in a row, his trick was not to stand in the centre of his goal, hoping the kicker would take the bait and shoot to the side with the slightly bigger gap, which they invariably did.
However, the SMSM cottoned on tae this and eventually a kicker beat him, cannae recall which side he hit it tae, might have been just a good kick.
Ronnie was a bit of an enigma, here was a player who is on record as the youngest player, 14 years old, tae play in a competitive game in Scotland.
Selected by Matt Busby no less tae play for the GB side in the Olympics, they came 4th.
Played in 2 FA Cup winning sides at Wembley against the Arse and Man City and yet nae caps.
How did this remarkable goalie, son of a hun captain, who was on the park when John Thompson suffered his fatal injury, not gain at least one cap for his country, hmmm.
Mibbees, just mibbees it might have something tae do with the fact that after his da retired he was offered a scout position at the kenny lynch dome, initially delighted with the position until he was requested as his first signing to go out and get the Queens Park young goalie. Disillusioned and feeling that he only got the job so as they could get Ronnie he resigned there and then and Ronnie signed for the Hi Hi instead.
The craft works in mysterious way and only when he came tae us and after playing in the finest Celtic side ever did he win that elusive cap, 40 days before Lisbon, at Wembley tae. He went on tae win another 4 caps after that.
Incidentally, when we came in for him he allegedly called his da and asked him how he, a former hun captain and stalwart, felt. The response was along the lines of “you couldnae sign for a better club”.
Whits the Lee Wallace ‘grass’ awe aboot?
I am Winning Captains…
Braw ..
I am guessing ….you shield us from most of the dark…
Thankyou and your team..
Braw
Three hours of free beer sounds the biz, we often get free vino here when there is something special on, it’s usually pish but after the first couple go down they still taste pish, but what’s a man to do :-)
Enjoy.
A Braw HH
I think we might get in a wee 3-0 on Wedseday. Griff, Demb and Roberts.
TONTINE TIM on 1ST AUGUST 2016 10:18 PM
Good post,interesting reading.Brought back memories of being about 8 or 9 and my old man telling me about Kenny D being inexplicably dropped from a Scotland squad for a game in which he would’ve matched (I think,although maybe beaten) the record number of continuous appearances for the national side.A record that happened to be held by an old thems captain if I recall correctly.Stuck with me that.Always been ambivalent towards Scotland.
Celtic only,for me.
Aye yer right again…us men things.. are sort of guided ….hahaha ..and they say there is no such thing as a free beer …..well my new village people …smiley thing …are aboot tae find oot there is….
Big smiley thing
Braw …
Good Evening.
Busy day today. Just posted a new blog blasting the media for hyping up Sevco’s chances and for accusing Celtic of squandering theirs by comparison….
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/08/01/land-of-boak-and-glory/
I also posted one earlier about Broony’s interview with Sky Sports News…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/08/01/going-off-script/
Clumps…a hope you’re doing fine…..
Don’t let the barstewards get you down….deep breaths …check your punctuation and toodle loo…
Smiley thing …..
Braw
Big Moussa speaks:
Dembele said: “I understand that people are expecting from me but they have to be patient. I want things to come quickly and so do others, but it can be hard.
“I want to play good games for the team and, hopefully, everything will go well.
“It almost feels as though we are still in pre-season and we’re getting fitness up game by game for the challenges which are coming.
“I’m getting fitter and sharper with every game I play. It bodes well for the season.
“I’m settling into the team and that’s what it’s all about for me – the success of the team.
“Leigh has started the season really well and he showed his quality last season with the amount of goals he scored.
“That’s what he does and it’s good for me to play alongside him, just as it’s good for him to play alongside me.
“The fans expect many goals from us this season and they are right.
“We have to show we can play well together.”
Start on Wednesday big man!
He’s the Moussa, the mighty Moussa, Moussa Dembele. OHHHH Dembele, Dembele, Dembele ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
BABASONICOS71 on 1ST AUGUST 2016 10:35 PM
Yep.
Geordie Young.
Disgraceful decision.
A blatant example of the hun love of symbolism and tradition.
Thirty odd years later , nobody remembers George Young and everybody remembers Kenny.
Poetic justice.
Most music evolved from older tunes.
Many an Irish and Scots tune got transformed in The Appalachians and elsewhere.
This is what happens when 7 drunken nights becomes The Cabbagehead Song
With Ajer standing at 6”5” and having a successful run out v Barca, he might be the answer at the the back especially as their game plan will revolve round set pieces. His height will give him a big advantage in the air and he has the confidence and the legs at 18.
Also don’t think we will see significant transfer activity until after Wednesday’s game, when we will know a win will guarantee group stage football until Xmas at least.Thursday through Monday evening could be interesting.
Prestonpans bhoy, sorry for my ate reply . We were out visiting family.
We did win the league at Easter Road the Saturday after that 3 nil loss at Fir Park.
The one where that old getTom Hart, refused access to any cine and tv cameras.
It was strange seeing Pat Stanton win the league at Easter Road but not as a Hibs player.
Bourne and Burnley,thank you for your replies.
My main gripe with the media’s treatment of Efe is the fact, other players in our league make plenty of mistakes but only Efe is focused on.
It may be a coincidence he’s a Celtic player,maybe not.
Tommy has had his operation and has come through it okay. He’s a fighter! He’s in for a wee surprise tomorrow when John Clark and Bertie Auld visit him.
Get well soon cards to Tommy Gemmell, Forth Valley Royal Hospital, Stirling Road, Larbert FK5 4WR.
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 1ST AUGUST 2016 10:51 PM
Magic.
Seven Drunken Nights …………..Number one in `67 or so. A good year.
The Dubliners on T.O.T.P.
Winning Captains …
You are awfy braw….The Big Shot …has got braw braw pals ….
Braw
Beat Club
German .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hc3noEGh2RI