Reasons to be optimistic at Ibrox

105

Dundee United players showed the ability to find woodwork with a ball that would be envious for cricket players. Unfortunately, hitting the wood five times without passing inside the posts is unrewarded in football.

Camilo Duran’s goal was rudimentary but still hugely important. The player scored three times preseason but the first competitive effort marks a significant milestone for a forward. He and Kasper Hogh have the making of a potent combination, which will be needed, if opponents continue to make chances at the rate Dundee United did on Saturday.

The result sets up a quarterfinal tie against Newco at Ibrox. Martin O’Neill took an injury-ravaged Celtic team to the same venue on Scottish Cup duty in March. A backs-against-the-wall performance ended successfully after penalty kicks, but it is not the kind of afternoon I would be comfortable sitting through again.

It has become a Glasgow tradition for Celtic to eliminate Newco from this competition, having done so in three of the last four seasons.  Ross County, Kilmarnock and St Mirren (in last season’s final) are the only sides to beat Celtic in this competition in the last decade.  There are reasons to be optimistic.  I also don’t mind the focus this draw will bring to the club.

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

105 Comments
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3

  1. Superannuated Fenian on 17th August 2026 7:51 pm

     

    At last I’ve managed to navigate through the Ann Summers ads.

     

     

    takes me hours

  2. PCS

     

     

    Hump it up the park ya Fanny … I think is the term you are looking for 🥴🫣🤪🤣

  3. Stephenbhoyboy on

    No one knows how wednesday goes, The return of kt and yang should help close up the pitch better than scales and ST who cant defend.

     

     

    We should have been better prepared at this point but our transfer dealings are just far to slow.

     

     

    HH

  4. ADVERTISEMENT
  5. Weebobbycollins on

    Recently, (perhaps for nostalgic reasons) I have been watching clips from 25 years or so ago, before the ‘horseshoe’ style of play came into effect. It may have been less possession based and it might well have been less successful at times but it certainly was more entertaining. We had Larsson, Jackie McNamara, Lubo, Alan Thomson, Petrov, Lennon et al…a formidable team guided by Martin, Steve Walford and John Robertson. Another point of interest; the stands were mostly full, the atmosphere good, spontaneous, and well before the arrival of the green brigade and the monotonous drum. I have never believed that without the green brigade the stadium becomes a morgue…younger fans of course will disagree, but as a long time inhabitant of the jungle and denizen of the Sellic End, that is my old fart opinion, so there!

  6. Weebobbycollins on

    PCS…so much has changed. I remember the huns filing down to that corner to goad the tims in the east end of the jungle and spending almost the whole game trading insults. Of course at half-time everyone retreated for their pies and bovril before continuing with the jibes.

  7. Weebobbycollins on 17th August 2026 9:30 pm

     

    #

     

    We need to play long and quicker.

     

    We need 2 strikers to be played at all times.

     

    We need every player in the team to press like Maeda, Duran.

     

    We need to be able to tackle without fouling.

     

    We need to not fall to the ground for fouls that 99% of the time we won’t get.

     

    We need to shoot on site.

     

    We need to review the all seated stadium necessity.

     

    Is it just too boring and was the Hillsborough disaster a natural disaster, or was it a deliberate establishment based and signed off disaster to be used as an excuse to install seats in hundreds of stadiums were nobody ever felt unsafe.

     

    Supported by 24/7 media propaganda until the law was passed in Parliament.

     

    Then the dodgy money men moved into boardrooms, and the beautiful game became a chip on some casino table.

     

    Four strips per season etc.

     

    Now fans sing walk-on with their hands in their pockets.

     

    MON 1, turned Parkhead into a fortress with the top managers in the world utterly spellbound by 60,000 scarves held aloft singing walk-on, with top clubs everywhere watching this “walk-on from Glasgow” thing that forced other clubs who simply could’t create such a Celtic spine tingling spectacle of their own, and were force down the “tifo” route.

     

    Sadly Celtic fans didn’t take on board that the “tifo” splurge was a backhanded compliment to Celtic fans, and Celtic tifos started, and all of the tifos put together couldn’t match a single Celtic walk-on.

     

    The flame of Celtic’s soul isn’t as bright as it used to be which is very sad.

     

    We need to walk things back to reality before its too late.

  8. ADVERTISEMENT
  9. Weebobbycollins on

    Kev…we need to be adaptable and avoid being predictable. We have to be clever in the tackle, especially in dangerous positions when opponents are looking to go down. And yes, shoot on sight and test any suspect keeper. Finally, I agree the money men will eventually kill the game, certainly the game as I once knew it. As I said to Parkheadcumsalford, so much has changed, and not necessarily for the betterment of the game.

  10. Said my piece.We are weak in midfield.Why go on a splurge then stop when one signing ,would have made some difference.Really hope we get away with it.Worried,cant help it.

  11. BELLA CALEDONIA@bellacaledonia

     

     

    The MachairWind Proposal is a Desecration https://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2026/08/13/object-to-the-machairwind-proposal-today/

     

     

    The plans have met mass opposition from islanders.

     

    *

     

    Scotland is already a net exporter of electricity, generating nearly twice as much as it can consume annually, and a very high percentage of energy currently generated in Scotland is being discarded due to lack of grid infrastructure to distribute it, with the taxpayer in Scotland paying £300m annually for windfarms to turn off their turbines. This windfarm will not provide cheaper or greener power to the island communities impacted by its construction and operation. As if to add to the debacle, earlier in the summer it was revealed that clean energy projects in Scotland are set to pay £1 billion to use the UK’s electricity network while projects south of the border will be paid to connect.

     

    *

     

    The area covered by this development will be over 50% of the landmass of Mull, 64% of the landmass of Islay, 10 times the size of Colonsay and 51 times the size of Iona.

     

     

    An article worth a read

     

     

    Scotland being used by foreign energy companies as a resource to be exploited and huge profits to be made at great cost to the locals and those of us who value the natural beauty of our envoirnment

  12. LIONROARS67

     

     

    Difficult to argue with the logic there. Scotland if well placed to benefit from its location and its ironic that its much moaned about weather could in fact be a financial golden egg.

     

    There is clearly a balance to be struck and for sure people that have even small sites built around them should expect some benefits. The most irritating thing for me is that we do not have our own investment and/or energy companies driving this. Most of our energy companies are non UK owned as is the turbine construction companies – we have valuable resources but not the infrastructure private or public to maximise the benefits.

     

    The project mentioned is as the article explains of little benefit to those who have it in their doorstep but maximum benefit to overseas investors and companies who make it the goal to avoid paying tax for profit made in this country.

     

    As usual big business pulls everyone’s pants down again….

  13. ADVERTISEMENT
  14. MOISEY17 on 18TH AUGUST 2026 7:38 AM

     

     

    https://youtu.be/J0kUgdms368

     

     

    Applecross – Energy Rich, Power Poor. Why Scotland’s green revolution isn’t working for local people

     

     

    The lack of investment in grid connections by the big energy companies to empower local communities is excellently explained in the video

     

     

    UKs new PM is doing big talk on devolving power lets see if the he can do the walk

  15. Important fact before the usual suspects spread disinformation

     

     

    Overall responsibility for the regulation of the energy market, security of supply, oil, gas, coal, electricity generation, and offshore licensing is reserved to the UK Parliament in Westminster

     

     

    In the absence of any transfer news

     

     

    aff oot

  16. Former referee Bobby Madden says Celtic’s second goal in their 4-0 League Cup win against Dundee United should not have stood after Kasper Hogh appeared to handle before Camilo Duran netted. (Daily Record – subscription required, external)

     

     

    Above from BBC Scotland football gossip page. Delighted that Bobby finally cleared this up. Celtic what are they like? Always getting these decsions from the Vatican conrolled SFA, Celtic supporitnig refereees, oh wait…….

  17. So far in this transfer window the EPL has spent more that the other big four leagues combined .

     

    But the list of mega money signings is like a B movie list in my humble opinion.

     

     

    Morgan Rogers

     

    Aston Villa

     

    Chelsea

     

    £117m

     

    Elliot Anderson

     

    Nottingham Forest

     

    Manchester City

     

    £116m

     

    Sandro Tonali

     

    Newcastle United

     

    Tottenham Hotspur

     

    £100m

     

    Mateus Fernandes

     

    West Ham United

     

    Tottenham Hotspur

     

    £85m

     

    Bruno Guimaraes

     

    Newcastle United

     

    Arsenal

     

    £75m

     

    Jeremy Jacquet

     

    Rennes

     

    Liverpool

     

    £60m

     

    Maxence Lacroix

     

    Crystal Palace

     

    Chelsea

     

    £52m

     

    Jan Paul van Hecke

     

    Brighton

     

    Tottenham Hotspur

     

    £52m

     

    Johan Manzambi

     

    Freiburg

     

    Aston Villa

     

    £51m

     

    Andrey Santos

     

    Chelsea

     

    Manchester United

     

    £50m

     

     

    Looking at this on our doorstep, we have done a remarkable job in our signings to date.

     

     

    HH

  18. ADVERTISEMENT
  19. lionsroar67

     

     

    Holyrood has control over planning applications within “territorial waters”.

     

    Interesting to note that the actual consumption of electricity (not energy) in Scotland has decreased by around 25% over the last 20 years or so. Lots of different reasons for that, some good, many bad, Does beg the question that both you and Moisey17 ask in relation to these offshore applications…..cui bono?

     

    Not the Hebridean Isles, not Scotland.

     

    The Cheviot, the Stag and the Black Black Oil needs a new chapter

  20. bournesouprecipe on

    Boaby Madhun didn’t know the rules when he was a referee, very unlikely he’s kept up to date with handball definition.

  21. Bobby Madden is DEFINITELY after wee wullies job

     

    Wouldn’t surprise me if there was a media campaign to get it done !!!

  22. ADVERTISEMENT
  23. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Good morning CQN

     

     

    Another fine day to be a Celt

     

     

    If I were a betting man

     

     

    (I’m not, although Bobby is)

     

     

    … I’d bet against Madden ever coming back into the refereeing establishment.

     

     

    Maybe Bobby is gambling on the DR having readers (they’re dwindling) …

     

     

    … and is further gambling that the dwindling readership don’t know the very clear rules on handball.

     

     

    Regardless …

     

     

    what a pitiful way to make a living – Peddling faux controversy for a failing organ

  24. i am strangely optimistic for tomorrow night .

     

     

    2 of our newbies have s ored goals in the champions league.

     

     

    1 other played well in the world cup.

     

     

    the stage is set.

     

     

    we have to win sometime.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. 2
  4. 3