Last night’s win didn’t look on the cards until the opening goal; Astra were passing the ball better and creating as many chances as Celtic. It looked like the game we expected – without Commons or Guidetti. However, we find ourselves top of the group with 7 points from 9 at the halfway point, having recorded a draw away to top seed Salzburg.
There’s still a lot of work to do, a win away at Astra next time out in no way guarantees qualification, but we stand an excellent chance of progressing and a decent chance of topping the group.
Having thumped Ross County at the weekend there was a notion we’d turned a corner, which fed some of the frustration last night, despite the result. What we saw was very poor passing from a disjointed team. Players were receiving the ball in too little space, where options were already closed. This impacted the effectiveness on Callum McGregor and Mikael Lustig in particular, but it seemed when every Celtic player looked up there wasn’t a good pass on.
This is all a consequence of change. We look disjointed because we are disjointed. We’re disjointed because we’re rebuilding.
The relevant questions are:
Do we need to rebuild?
Are we making progress?
Yes, we need to rebuild. The squad, tactics, training and other processes are all going through change. For so long we watched Celtic squads remain constant and grow old (under Martin O’Neill), or out tactics become rigid (under Martin and Gordon Strachan), to the point that we were crying out for some experimentation.
The above is seldom disputed but the question of progress is more important. Right now Celtic need results. They need to survive in the Europa League long enough to test and improve their passing, movement, instincts and, where necessary, squad.
Last night’s win wasn’t pretty but it was vitally important. The next challenge for this team is also important; we need to go to Romania and put on the kind of performance we did in Salzburg. If we can do that, we’ll have earned a platform to build on.
Caesar & the Assassin, the accounts of Billy McNeill and Davie Hay as Celtic managers, is available below.
Billy and Davie will both sign the early orders we get to them, more here.
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Awwy Wamont / Johanne Lamont
Hmmmm.
Bye bye Jo Lamont. Decision maker!
MWD said AYE
Wee Burney deserts the sinking ship tonight, Fat Salary next???
HT
Are the figures available anywhere.
Not doubting you, just curious.
I know Aiden paid for a fair whack, pity there are no more Aiden’s, I would have thought there should have been.
Maybes a different approach to the coaching of them might be worth looking at.
HH
Still if RD has been brought in for the purpose of blooding the weans, you never know.
Daphne Broon.
Occasional poster .We are in transition a team full of loan players and players trying to establish themselves.Take a look around the teams that sit top of the groups Villareal Torino CELTIC Dinamo Moscow Inter Milan Sevilla Sparta Prague Steau Bucharest Fiorentina Legia Warsaw(who pumped us).We have been in worse company.This weeks champions league results have brought a European super league closer.Like it or not it is a tired format and TV will dictate.Just my thoughts.
Marspapa
Wish I was with you. You are very entertaining when you have had two beers. :)))
Marspapa
Is V away out?
From oor Phil
Shell shocked in the sheep pen
20 Replies
Oh dear what a day…
Members of both boards were convened today.
Philip Tudor Nash is gone, but he left some prophetic words in the room.
He challenged the wisdom of inviting in Mike Ashley to the party and he said that if some of the people around the table thought they were bringing in a “saviour” then they were very much mistaken.
He then indulged in graphic metaphors like “inviting the wolf into the sheep pen”.
However, credit where it is due Nash stated that Mike Ashley and his people would not shirk from taking the hard decisions that needed to be taken at RIFC.
He reminded both boards that tough choices were avoided in January/February when he and Graham Wallace were advocating a pre-planned Administration.
Nash reminded the board that Deloitte will not sign off on the accounts until they can see a ‘road map’ out of the current shit storm.
He stated the choices to the board which were to either accept Ashley’s money with all the onerous conditions or file for insolvency.
Nash warned the board that the fans would abandon the club if the new regime was put in place.
It will come as no surprise to you dear reader that the financial assistance being offered by the Sheriff of Newcastle comes with major strings attached.
Moreover Ashley is asking for the badges and image rights as part of the deal and these are not in RIFC’s gift.
The boards then revisited the King shambles.
It came down to the fact that the South African based entrepreneur couldn’t or wouldn’t disclose the details of the rest of his consortium
Subsequently the RIFC board could not be sure if there was indeed £16 million on the table.
Mr King made reference in his statement yesterday to his failure to get a meeting with Mike Ashley.
The board heard that the first time that Mike Ashley was contacted was the same afternoon that Mr King contacted Alexander Easdale.
One interesting point about the meeting today was that the overseas chap who represents the interests of of Blue Pitch Holdings and Margarita Holdings was dialled into the proceedings.
He seemed particularly interested in the Ashley proposals.
If Mr Ashley is successful then the board will comprised of his representatives and the Easdale family with one director for the Institutional Investors and one for Laxey partners.
As to the latter they are, I believe, going into conclave this evening.
However one insider stated to me that they were ‘shell-shocked’ by developments.
In that sense the Hedge fund chaps are in the same place as The People.
I know you have been missing me (toilet situation with the youngest)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyjhOxqPmjI
so good it should be banned##
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyjhOxqPmjI
Nice story about Stan – might’ve been posted already but didn’t see anything
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2805608/Former-Aston-Villa-captain-Bulgaria-s-record-cap-holder-Stiliyan-Petrov-returns.html
A story about Juve president saying Italian is dying, and some on here still think Scottish football is doing okay.
https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/football-italian-football-danger-dying-says-juve-president-191940132–sow.html
While I remember how many of these teams have played fast flowing football to top their groups 7 points out of 9 puts us in good companyLets get real about where we are and what we are.Our time will come.TV will dictatethefuture of the game.
background to that last song.
I loved the film Boyz n the Hood and quite soon after release went to Atlanta to work. At that time I was still into all my ‘local’ bands (clash, the the, stranglers etc) but liked this tune.
Was in a store one day and it came on, I’m shouting at store attendants ‘who is that?’ ‘what is that song?’ etc. They are giving it the whole ‘love your accent, can you ask again’ patter..Result is that I only recently found the song again
marspapa
our avarage players are beingu made to look……….
MEDIOCRE!!!!!!
Sounds about right.
My friends in Celtic,
Ok Aiden McGeady came through our youth ranks.
However he came to us in 2001 from Queens Park. Six years before Lennoxtown opened.
HH.
I see the mullet has positioned his side early for the big playoff game against sevco this season.
cv
Some people are confusing What is the Stars with Neganon2 or Sydney Tim.
He was usually one of the positive ones on here during the Neil Lennon era. I paid great heed to his posts, particularly his betting tips.
Thankfully, he hasn’t been posted too many of those lately, and I’ve just about cleared my debts.
I am trying to buy my first book from the CQN bookstore (the Seville book). I fill in my address details once and then get asked again for them at the payment stage. Is this normal? Just nervous about handing over card details etc….
Rangers shareholder Sandy Easdale targeted by shareholders who spray-painted “Get out! Get out!” on his house.
Lovin’ the Bette Davis vibe there.
Up over goal. Lucky you.
The bears are now going to let off stink bombs in some sports direct shops
LOL LOL LOL
May’s meals is now feeding 923,572 children per day.
taranis
Ive heard of 5th avenue……110th street?
Do the Americans just give avenue’s and streets, numbers instead of names?
Please don’t laugh at me if im being stoopid eh?!
IF they do……..is it because they feel they are then easier to remember?
Hrvatski, that’s an amazing amount
CV
Haha. My mate and I had that masonic conspiracy conversation earlier, about mullets Lanarkshire huns lying down in a play off against sevco.
The Spirit of Arthur Lee
23:00 on
24 October, 2014
The bears are now going to let off stink bombs in some sports direct shops
——————————————————
Shooooooooorly the pong from their manky shell suits will nullify the ole
Tam Shepard fav ?
Hrvatski Jim
Is that a Franchise
it is friday and i know they do great work
Celtic minus Ki, Vic, Joe, Gary etc is a weakened inheritance for any new manager.
Celtic with almost permanent crocks, AM, ML, JF is a weakened inheritance for any new manager.
Celtic over-keen policy of loanees is a weakened inheritance for any new manager.
Celtic’s new preference for young inexperienced managers is a weakened inheritance for the players.
HH
cv n dd
They won’t even get by Stubbsy’s Hibees :)
THUNDER ROAD
Not much use if they canny count!
Sportsound tonight…… Craig Paterson telling us today was a good news day for the club – keep forgetting it’s a Company they’re talking about. Little gems includes….
Rangers are a juggernaut of a brand
Massive world wide presence snd sales.
Investors fighting to get in – King, Ashley, Kennedy…all without a scoobie of what each were offering and god associated terms.
What are these people on and how the hell do BBC Scotland ever justify a gig for such clowns?
MARSPAPA
Ya lippy blighter!
Hope yer hangover is a good yin. Only kidding.
monsieur winklepicker……
Them there fellas over the pond have fingers too dont ya know ;)
Something for sally, and 500 million BHUNS to learn soon ….?
http://youtu.be/0lnkm9ReVyo
I grew up thinking but not admitting that maybe the huns were a wee bit bigger than Celtic. Better and bigger stadium (although partly gifted to them by GCC), the Scottish ‘institution’ in a Protestant country, suggesting bigger domestic fanbase, and all that.
Anyway one giant leap in 1967 (and beyond) overtook anything they’d ever done on the field and would ever do, so that side of the debate was sorted.
Apart from the obvious, that through sheer arrogance and a lazy sense of self entitlement, the Huns allowing their club to self combust, the other big issue for me is the lack of big hitters at home or abroad, willing or able to bail out their beloved club. I’m looking at another myth busted here, the same one that Craig Paterson referred to on Shortbread earlier, that ‘Rangers are a juggernaut and huge worldwide’. That very statement in a way underlines why they died. David Murray sent them on the road to ruin practically unhindered (and cheating). Two and more shysters have since ran amok, with more carnage to come. There’s nobody out there. They are not the huge club they think. Sure they are massive in Scottish terms, the Protestant hub in Protestant Scotland (5m population).
Would all this have happened at Celtic?
Well it wouldnt have got this far for a start, but Celtic FC has more appeal worldwide and a reputation the polar opposite of Rangers, who must surely have scared off some potential saviours due to the stigma attached to the price.
Its true to say we call upon the Irish diaspora, but Real call on 30 million in South America, just as Man Utd call on 100 million in Asia. Who did the Hun have to call on in time of desperation?
We’ve got them licked in every department now I reckon.
HH
I think its easy to laugh at the HUN…but they got guys earning a lot of money from their club, they got a manager that a lot of their fans think is a dud,they got an under performing team,they got lot of fans staying away,..
They look at their club and think….this aint the club i grew up with…..mmm