…OK, I suppose we have to mention them.
I did a preview for STV on Monday and was asked what my expectations were for last night but had to admit I had zero expectations. This season I hoped we would get into the Champions League group stage, or at least, the Europa League. We remarkably overshot. My real hope for the latter stages of the tournament was that we would exit without taking a hiding.
Technically, 0-3 at home is a bit of a hiding but it doesn’t feel that way for several reasons. The first half was the best football we have seen from a Celtic team in years; far better than either of the performances against Barcelona, and on a par with anything under the Strachan and O’Neill eras. Unlike Barcelona, this match plan was flawed, but it was an honourable flaw.
The “gamble” to play Efe is one which Neil may consider, in time-honoured Celtic tradition, will be inscribed on his gravestone. When you face Juventus you need to take gambles; if they all worked, clearly, they were not gambles. This one didn’t, we learn and move on. The player put on a brave performance and I’m very proud of his achievements this month.
With an away game at the daunting Juventus Stadium to come, many considered that our best chance of qualification would be to win the home game, and we clearly went about our business with the intention of doing just that. Had we faced Juve in the group stage it is possible we would have left fewer spaces at the back. Any watching Barcelona players must have marvelled at how big Celtic Park looked on TV last night compared to their visit two months ago.
We don’t know how good Juventus would have been if we camped in front of our own penalty box, as they did for long periods, but they were a more-than-effective counter-attacking team.
It is hard to pinpoint what we were missing. Georgios Samaras would have played if fit and would have given us the height-dimension up front we lacked without him. He would also have given Gary Hooper the support he badly missed. Charlie Mulgrew’s status as Best Corner Kick Taker in Europe is at risk if he doesn’t take corner kicks until Kris Commons has innumerable tries.
Juve were prepared for the Celtic threat from corners and behaved illegally throughout the game. One of the referees should have had the strength of character to deal with the problem but they were sadly unable.
There were many positives. Emilio is back to his very best. On one occasion in the second half two Juve players were goal-side with only Forster ahead. Emilio made-up the five yard deficit and stopped the attack. His pace, skill and decision-making were first class.
Kris Commons repeatedly took-on a crowd of Juventus players before releasing a team-mate or making space for a crack at goal. He looked like he enjoyed the occasion but didn’t get the clear-cut chance his play deserved.
Lustig and Matthews are both excellent right-sided defenders with pace and skill. Kelvin Wilson did well, as did Efe for long periods. Fraser had little to do all night but had no chance with any of the goals. Victor Wanyama bossed everyone in his vicinity, and this was some vicinity. Roy Keane played 13 games for Celtic and, after an unfortunate debut, I remember thinking “This is what all the fuss is about”. Victor elicits the same sentiment; more on the consequences of this another day.
On Friday 1 March the Lisbon Lions will be at the Kerrydale Suite providing commentary and answering questions on their magnificent European Cup final win in 1967. This has never happened in 46 years since that game, to say it is a unique opportunity fails to tell the whole story.
The event is part of our 125 4 125 campaign – central to reinvigorating the charitable spirit which is part of the club we love. It will be a family occasions, tickets are available at £10 for adults and £5 for children. The night has been organised by several fans working in conjunction with the people at Celtic Charity, so please do your best to support this great occasion. Individual tickets or tables are available, details here.
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31003
16:19 on 13 February, 2013
…I’m underwhelmed…
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yip, me too, can some of you more learned out there explain the significance of this??
JamsieBhoy, 16:26
Very thorough, Mr Whyte. And often very chatty too
It means Traynor was playing along to Whytes tune rather than being a proper journalist and exposing him. So Traynors collusion with Whyte helped to disguise what was really happening.
Surely the Record and the BBC will have something to say about this ?
Henriks Sombrero
Could they sue him for some sort of conflict of interest?
Wishful thinking I’d say, although they were paying him to do a job that he was obviously not doing.
O.G.Rafferty
16:23 on
13 February, 2013
Monaghan1900, 16:22
It does beg that question, does it not
——–
And I think we know the answer. Some people underwhelmed by this. They should think on it a bit longer. Paranoia? Surely not. Corruption on a grand scale confirmed. Thanks for the heads-up. I think it was worth waiting for.
BBC licence refund?
Wonder what SDM is thinking about White recording his intimate talks?
We need to remember that Craigybhoy has been in his line of work for years
No doubt he has found it useful in the past to make sure that he knows where plenty of bodies are buried -so to speak!
Anyone doing business with him now or in the past -will surely be thinking and hoping that their ….er …. record keeping is as comprehensive as TGEF’s seems to be!
O.G
More to come I take it.
So Rangers supporters have as their Communications Director a man who sold them a pup? They must like puppies.
Traynor will I take it be able to back up his claims of being instrumental in exposing Whyte’s activities?
In the Charles Q & A in Australia he was bragging that lots of people would be using Imodium , I think I’ll buy some shares :-)
Oh Dear Jim Traynor..oh dear..!
Channel 4 providing evidence for what every football fan already suspected – Traynor is and always has been a Hun puppet.
Actually if I was a Hun (with a brain)I’d be seriously hacked off with this news. This collusion helped kill their club..and now he is ensconsed in Sevco HQ..
Deay me Jim, Deary me…!
Hard luck last night but hey. Anyway, I take the bar will be open at the lions night?
I feel a need to complain to the BBC about their standards of journalism. This is nothing short of licence payers funding propaganda!
right craigy oldco offers jabba a job
oldco goes pear shaped
chuckles newco offers jabba a job, six seven months later he starts.
would this suggest there is some sort of link from old to new or was jabbas application form still sitting on the desk when chuckles took over?
Monaghan1900, 16:33
Another one ticked of the list
There are REPORTERS and there are investigative journalists….I’d think that most sports writers consider themselves to be reporters……and they report what will appeal to the majority of their readers….I wouldn’t expect anything else….so….this has really come as no surprise….or indeed astonishment to me.
O.G.Rafferty
I can see this being the start of a lot of people getting outed as sending articles to Rangers.
Oh dear there will be a lot of nervous journos out there. No wonder wee Chick was arguing with jabba every week. Probably jealous of his cosy relationship with the masters at Rangers.
LB
Grrrr……….here’s the bigger scandal in all this, the one nobody’s talking about. That Traynor in his guise a Chief Sports Writer (sic.) at the DR was beholden to the Hun is no surprise to any of us. Anyone with half a brain could see that.
Despite it being GLARINGLY OBVIOUS that he was conflicted, biased and unobjective, the BBC GAVE HIM A PLATFORM FOR YEARS to push his agenda.
THAT is the scandel here. We all pay our license fee for supposedly impartial, objective journalism. The BBC Scotland sports department needs to be reminded of its duty to the entire nation. It does not exsist to peddle propaganda for one particular club.
O.G. Rafferty – is this the big story you were hinting at or was it something else? I enjoyed reading it and delighted that Whyte is prepared to damage those that wish to damage him. However other than potentially embarrassing JT (if he was capable of such a feeling) it’s not likely to do Sevco any harm. The huns won’t give a monkeys about this and I suspect the majority of the MSM were doing similar things with their copy too.
Here’s hoping there’s more damaging info. to come that puts additional holes in their hull. Keep it up, you and AT seem to be working in sweet harmony.
If nothing else, surely a stick to beat BBC Scotland with. How the hell Traynor was allowed to trouser license payers money for years with constant spin, disinformation and downright lies merits at least a few awkward questions .
Have to say that Alex Thompson’s revelations, via Craigie I assume, are very much worth it on this occasion.
This time there is a palpable hit inflicted on the Sevco Psyche.
Wonder if they, and Traynor, will respond with bluster or ignore it as too demeaning to comment on :-)
Stuart Dougal on Shortbread ,predictably backing his brother from last night”he has to be sure it’s a penalty…..” ffs
I wouldn’t say that compromoised Jabba’s position – if anything it will have consolidated it, as he is seen to be working for them all along.
Traynor and Whyte I am sure that news will progress us to another level up in Europe
compromised
They had a scottish mib on shortbread explaning the refs dilemma . The ref cannot award a penalty before the corner has been taken. The ball has to be in play. He could give cards for the pushing ,holding blocking etc but no pen . The mib said maybe the ref could have red carded both Lichtenstiener and Hooper !!
It seems its Hoopers obstructing of the keeper that led to the Juve strongarm tactics.
Perhaps this also explains the likes of Waddell ripping into Sevco a few days ago – would the DR be trying to prove that they are not lapdogs to the new regime knowing that this sort of stuff was going to come out. CYA syndrome even though it’s too late.
DeniaBhoy, 16:36
Yes, it was this. And Craigy can be very forthcoming. Not sure where it will go next
31003
Even though he is now behind a desk at Ibrox?
Come on surely you can see the bigger picture.
Hopefully Craigy Bhoy has a few more cards to play.
cavansam \o/
Nope
Craig Whyte..is many things but daft isn’t one of them…
NL not to be charged by UEFA re after match comments.
Kris Commons done more than anyone to score last night, he’s only saying what everyone else is thinking, no problem airing his views imo, efe flogged the game last night simple as that.
OG – cheers, I’d love to see something similar implicating Keevins as being nothing more than a mouthpiece for Sevco. He’s the second most pompous ass out there after JT.
My first foray into writing on line was prompted by Traynor’s article The Ditty Vacant on KDS.
It was captured for posterity here
http://celticparanoia.blogspot.com.es/2010/01/james-traynor-more-hot-air-and.html
He is a truly a contemptuous creature.
Bada Bing!!
16:44 on
13 February, 2013
NL not to be charged by UEFA re after match comments.
==========================
I should hope not, UEFA should be charging the referee and they know it.
o.g.rafferty
Well done again mate, always on the money.
No doubt our hero feels they’re trying to take him out the picture and he ain’t happy.
If Traynor requested a job when Whyte was in charge and now he’s employed when Green is there then I would say Green and Whyte know each other well
Jabba better hope he has a job for life with Sevco.
His journalistic reputation now in tatters.