Austria Wien have played three league games this season, won one, drew one, lost one. Scored six conceded eight. Stuffed 5-1 by Salzburg two weeks ago. They have only had to play one round of Champions League qualifiers so far, which they won 1-0 on aggregate against the Icelandic champions-cum-day-job-professionals. Send them over, please, Uefa.
Ludogorets Razgrad, from Bulgaria, knocked Dinamo Zagreb out of the Champions League qualifiers last season before going down to Slovan Bratislava in the play-off round. They’ve won two, lost one, of their three league games this season. Beat Partizan Belgrade home and away in last round, beat Slovan Bratislava on aggregate in round before that. They also have to play their home game for the next round at an alternate venue to due to a date clash with a concert. Happy to take this lot.
Legia Warsaw, won all three league games this season, scoring 12, conceding one. Eliminated Molde, after drawing both games, in last round, took care of The New Saints (Wales) home and away in earlier round. Would be a great European tie though not sure if Zbyszek can arrange the result for us.
Maribor, from Slovenia, have won all three league games this season, scored 11, conceded two. Eliminated APOEL Nicosia after two draws in last round. APOEL got to the last eight of the Champions League in 2012, so this team are no pushover. Maribor also have the distinction of being the last team to knock Rangers out of Europe. Ever!
Shakhtyor Karaganda, 12 points off the pace after 22 games in Kazakhstan. Beat Albanians, Korce, in last round and Bate Borisov (who recorded Champions League wins against Bayern Munich and Lille in 2012) in the earlier round. The travel would be an issue; Karaganda is farther east that eastern Afghanistan. If I can paraphrase an Ibrox legend, define Europe. The fact they are midseason and, like Celtic, they’ve won through two rounds already, makes this a less attractive tie, but they are surely not a Champions League team.
Preferences: Shakhtyor Karaganda are the easiest possible opponents but a trip to Austria or Bulgaria would be best.
Would rather avoid: Legia will be the most difficult draw. Maribor will be a similar challenge as Elfsborg.
Lots more to blog about: last night’s performance, Kelvin, Honest Dave King… maybe later.
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This is gash BTW, but hey ho:
A wee song for der hun
no point worring about who we get till we get them imo.
not great last night but for the most part comfortable , dont forget the elves scored 11 times in previous round.
gut feeling tells me we are off to Poland . Before reading the article i was hoping to avoid a trip to Austria , but maybes aye noo .
Also think if we are going to play with 2 wingers perhaps we need a striker who can head the ball , any ideas anyone ?
Anybody hear anything about Matt Mills being a replacemnt for big Kelvin?
Does anyone have Vmans post from last night? He was in 111 I believe?
HH
Paul67 –
As you know there are no easy draws. Unless you’re drawing a wage from The Sevco, of course. Based on your analysis, I’m happy with Austria Wien. They sound delicious.
Time for a laugh
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUXhW3JC9Zw&feature=player_embedded
Rikki Fulton
Has Pellagrinous signed yet?
T88 That is not hypocrisy that is a fact. If it is not sorted before, the fans who were in 111 will be elsewhere in the ground hopefully creating a great atmosphere. Celtic park has always been incredible on Europe night well before section 111 became so prominent.
Dontbrattbakkinanger
12:06 on
8 August, 2013
Today’s Scrofularity Index at 12 noon BST is : Pellagrinous
………………………brilliant…
nothing a good lashing of DeepHeat widnae sort oot ………..Braw
Vinibhoy , cheers.
Steinreignedsupreme, I agree.
NatKnow, indeed.
We should sign finnbogason and Barry bannan, finnbogason would score for fun in Scotland and Europe and wee bannan has a great pass that reminds me of Paul McStay both would make a difference IMO HH
Did anyone else think the BBC Sweden team were too overtly anti-Celtic last night?
I think we should complain to the verkställande direktör,
Traditionalist
Vmhan
22:21 on 7 August, 2013
Evening Celts, I received a letter from Celtic Park today and didn’t want to put my thoughts onto the blog straight away, we were all focussing on the CL qualifier, see below:
Solidarity for the Green Brigade, it’s the GB first and your next!
It’s a sad day for me as the season ticket I first bought on our return from Hampden, is being handed back unused this year and in a way which would test the resolve of some Celtic supporters, or maybe just this one?
I’ve supported Celtic for most of my life and seen the high’s n lows, been a member of the Greenock Shamrock and the Greenock Celtic, I’m still classed as a “long distance member” at the Greenock CSC (over 30yrs).
When I moved to the south of England I helped to start and was the founding President of the North Hampshire CSC and when I moved further north to Blackpool, I joined the local Blackpool Shamrock CSC (on the first day of hitting the town), I’ve been on the committee of the Blackpool Shamrock and I’m a current member.
My season ticket is in section 111 as I got very bored with the sitting on your hands, and no atmosphere and I was getting really fed up with the vitriol spouted by alleged Celtic supporters, directed at our players, the GB changed all that!
I was very lucky to be invited into 111 by the Green Brigade bhoys and ghirls. I’m extremely disappointed with the treatment of the Green Brigade by the authorities (they have a hidden agenda IMO) and the lack of any support from the club, bin bags for the Barcelona display is just one instance, and yet the club made a lot of money on the back of that display and indeed the GB songs, pretty shabby I thought.
The letter I received from the CFC and signed by John Paul Taylor, describes games that caused the safety concerns which led to the closing of 111 and I’m in that section (I never attended any of those games but that’s not too much of an issue for me as I stand by the GB).
I’ve been told I will be offered another seat elsewhere in the ground and that’s that, no invitation to discuss the matter so therefore I need to reflect on my feelings, not so much about the support for my club because that is a given, but for the other part of the club which seems to be at conflict with my desire to have some great atmosphere at Celtic Park while supporting my team.
I commend the Celtic board in they’re staunch adherence to the safety procedures (sic) and simple acceptance that our ground can be closed for all that jumping up and down and shuffling left and right etc. So that’s it then no huddle, no standing up for walk on e.g. and defo no going mental when we score a goal against Barca!
I would hope when other supporters visit Celtic Park that the Celtic board ensure that they (if only for said safety reasons) come down hard on them when they wreck toilets and seats with impunity.
I reflect also on how our club have supported us when the rangers 1872 – 2012 were found to have won many trophies whilst fielding in-eligible players (contracts) at a considerable financial effect on our club. We have done…….. well, nothing really and what I see is the focus is on 111 and dampening down of our support.
I’ll continue my support for Glasgow Celtic Football Club, but I’ll find other ways to do that e.g. away games, friendly’s or away Euro games.
Keeping it simple, I’d say the Celtic board deserve peace and quiet at CP whilst discussing ways and means to return to the old firm shame
A lot of words from me and probably not the correct forum to place these words but such is life.
Staying solid with the Green Brigade.
Vinny
Well off oot, need to entertain the grandweans.
Hail! Hail! PMTYH
Worked in Kazakhstan for 14 months. Without doubt it was the worst place i have been too (we called it Anum Mundi) – 40c in the winter + 40c in the summer and lakes of mud in the spring. Corruption is rife and is compounded by the old Soviet style bureaucracy being maintained . It is a huge country but unfortunately I never had a chance to visit the ‘alleged’ better regions. One positive is that the people are in general very friendly and open. Just don’t drink the fermented camels milk.
TengizCSC
Just had a wee look at the world map..Eastern Kazakstan borders china and Mongolia…
blimey!
Europe my erchie!
Maribor also have the distinction of being the last team to knock Rangers out of Europe. Ever!
hahahahahhaha
keep telling it like it is.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon
12:27 on
8 August, 2013
Dontbrattbakkinanger,
I reckon our current squad is good enough to get through. Additions would be nice of course …
——–
Gordon .have to disagree.we have lost our top goal score[hooper] best midfielder [vic] and a good centre half all with CL experience-we are weakened and need to strengthen again.
regards and HH
twists n turns, cheers.
b2k, have a read at that from Vmhan. Complete hypocrisy from the club – this exceprt strikes a chord: ‘My season ticket is in section 111 as I got very bored with the sitting on your hands, and no atmosphere and I was getting really fed up with the vitriol spouted by alleged Celtic supporters, directed at our players, the GB changed all that!’
Come to CP, sit and watch the match politely whilst munching your 7quid hot dog and don’t move too far to the left or right or we’ll relocate you.
Make no mistake, the club are thinking about the £’s, NOT the atmosphere.
HH
Just back from the game. Job done. Well done bhoys, great record in CL qualifiers now.
Was impressed by the way Elfsborg pressed us and their support who were excellent. We outsing them in the last minute though :-) Pleased also to see quite a few Swedish Celtic fans at the game.
Mr Magoo can see that we really need to strengthen. Broony and Sammy through the middle does not work. We need a new spine in the team..
Really mystified why there were so many empty seats in the Celtic end when i was unable to get one from Celtic..
Anyway, Job done. Regroup, Strengthen and get through the next round.
Lubo.
Karaganda ?.
Nice Uncle Joe , the Peoples Friend , sent lots and lots of Germans and Poles to live in Karaganda after World War 2 . A wrong time, wrong place, wrong nationality ,wrong ideology thing
Paul67 – thoroughly enjoyed the run down of possible opponents.
Thanks.
There are no givens at this level but i think Celtic should not worry too much about any of our possible opponents. Do the research, prepare as best we can for any strengths in who we draw and then let them worry about us.
New players would be nice at this stage but even without them we have enough to get us there. We’ll need more in the CL proper though.
johann murdoch
12:40 on
8 August, 2013
Just had a wee look at the world map..Eastern Kazakstan borders china and Mongolia…
blimey!
Europe my erchie!
==
Its a bit like Turkey – just a wee bit of it in Europe although that is considerably more than Israel has yet their teams get to play in the CL just don’t figure!
Redundancies at Ibrox? http://t.co/WWEPB4XkF2
johann murdoch,
I don’t disagree that we are weaker without Hooper and Wanyama. Wilson will also be a loss. But we have four new signings still to make a mark and I think that our squad right now is better than that of any of our potential opponents.
Assuming we do get through I think a couple more players are required to ensure that we make an impact in the Groups though.
South Of Tunis
12:27 on
8 August, 2013
No good music or bad music.
Always a matter of taste.
Thought the sentiment of Jagger and Richards was spot on for the times.
“They just get married `cos there`s nothing else to do.”
Can someone sort out the Celtic didnt give the GB any money for the Barca display or for any banners question.
For Celtic to give money to an organisation, they would need to be a registered company or a Charity, is this not correct?
Are the GB a registered charity or do they have accounts that are sent to HMRC on a yearly basis?
If not, then Celtic PLC cant just give them or indeed anyone money.
falkirkbhoy
12:56 on
8 August, 2013
Can someone sort out the Celtic didnt give the GB any money for the Barca display or for any banners question.
For Celtic to give money to an organisation, they would need to be a registered company or a Charity, is this not correct?
Are the GB a registered charity or do they have accounts that are sent to HMRC on a yearly basis?
If not, then Celtic PLC cant just give them or indeed anyone money.
==
No but they could have provided the materials FOC!
Legia Warsaw “Eliminated Molde”
Wasn’t it Alexander Fleming?
I’m a wee bit confused here.
According to the official UEFA site the Kazakhstan Football Federation came into existence in 1914.
It became a member of FIFA in 1994, but did not become a member of UEFA until 2002.
I could be mistaken here, but was Kazakhstan not a member of the Asian Confederation until the turn of the millenium?
It IS located in Central Asia after all.
HH!!
Hun Skelper
Please not Barry Bannon!!
The guy has a tidy pass on him granted, but a puff of wind knocks him off the ball– he will be eaten alive in European Football.
Yes we need a play maker but Bannon is certainly not the answer i’m afraid.
I wonder if we haven’t already done a bit of business on the QT.
By that I mean that we have agreed a fee for a player subject to us progressing against Elfsborg. This would make sense commercially as everyone in football will know that we are one stage away from Group stage money and an approach now will likely result in a price hike by the selling club.
Whereas if we have made an approach at a good price subject to that success then the price has been locked down — and yes I am thinking Finbogosson who is at a club with known financial difficulties.
Neil has already said that what is spent depends on next stage success, and while I genuinely fancy our chances against all possible opponents– especially with Dirk and others available– it makes sense to actually look to the quality needed for the group stages now rather than wait till we are there.
Signing that quality now practically ensures us getting there — and with the Europa as a safety net in terms of finance the risk taking is minimised.
Hopefully the club have had a dose of the smarts!!
Big Johan thought the team were useless last night except the defence.
Some comments from my Swedish mates, pathetic,poor coaching and very lucky.
We need a CB,D/CM and at least 1 striker, the shape of our team is letting us down big time.
Broony must play RM and Joe LM but we need a CM to be able to do this.
Come on PL get cracking.
KTF bring on Vienna
!!bada bing!!
I got a text a few days ago, workers at ibrokes had been getting sent home and not been paid…looks like it’s panic stations now.
Seems I need to get back to work quick to press on with radicalising the Yoof. If I work in a local Uni am I automatically classed as a fundamentalist? If so can someone send the manual so I know what I’m doing
Similar to Vmhan a close relative who sits in 111 is so disgusted by Celtic’s actions that they are giving up their SB and doing what a lot of fans seems to be- supporting from afar
Why not?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rhehNS3_CTA
macjay
Indeed ——-
There are 2 types of music —- music I like / music I don’t like .
Think the Twice As Much thing I went to was an Immediate Records [ Andrew Loog Oldham ] promotion .
Some of my disappointment stemmed from being told they were a bit Brian Wilson [ my ears thought otherwise ]
Barry Bannon makes the proverbial ‘seven stone weakling’ look like Charles Atlas.
HH!!
I dunno- we, in fact all Scottish teams dont exactly have the best record against Austrian sides, including at International level. In fact it would be interesting to see the record of all Scottish clubs against the Alpine countries (Austria and Switzerland).
One thing is for sure, they have never feared us, and by and large always fancied their chances against us.
I would like to avoid Vienna, and Warsaw.
Bring on the Maribor.
We will teach them a lesson for putting out our ex-friends accross the city. Ho-Ho.