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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Night all and I hope we avoid Legia on our way to the group stages.
I had written an insulting aside re the plight of our erstwhile rivals but decided to delete it and think only good positive thoughts for tomorrow’s draw.
iPad will be used as soon as I wake up at 8am.
So we’re all off to Dublin
In the green…..
Aer Lingus
Celtic shop in Jervis
Pub
what’s not to like?
Heading off for the ferry and an Irish adventure.
SmashingMilkBottles
Thats weird, my alarm just went off and i just logged on here to type the same thing only to find your message at the end had usurped me
I need a drink
Some craic last night …glad I missed some of it
JF is a coward …not the hardest bhoy …cowards don’t put themselves in situations where they get booted regularly …often with with impunity by the booters
Others …stop moaning they say …legitimate concern for the running of CFC is moaning …FFS
Neil Lennon &mccartney
If Mjallby doesn’t think Lustig was the best player for us then I worry about his opinion
PF
I suspect you missed the word ” not” from your post at 5 52 :-)
Twisty
Thanks …too early for me
PF
I was just about to make a similar comment. Seems the qualification criteria to be a true Celtic supporter is to turn up, pay your money and keep your opinion to yourself.
In which case all those in the car park with the pitchforks many years ago should be ashamed of themselves. They should have been inside the ground regardless chanting ” faithful through and through” whilst waving their ” we love the board scarf”.
Oh roll on the draw……….Austria……I can feel it in my bones……..
THE draw has not been made yet — but no matter where UEFA send Celtic today Neil Lennon knows where he is heading.
Somewhere he has never been before.
Hoops boss Lenny believes the journey could take him to the landmark moment of his entire career — his greatest ever destination in football.
That’s saying a lot for the man already a Celtic legend.
But reaching the group stages of the Champions League for the second year on the bounce? Without last season’s key men Victor Wanyama, Gary Hooper and now Kelvin Wilson?
Lennon believes that would be his finest moment in the game.
He said: “Getting through this would be my biggest achievement.
“Aye, it would, considering what we have had to put up with in the last three or four weeks.
“I’m not complaining because I know I’m a lot better off than a lot of other managers.
“But with what is at stake, and how difficult it can be, it would be excellent.”
Celtic were poor in the second leg against Elfsborg.
But they got through and Lennon added: “It was a battling performance because it had to be.
“I will reflect on it properly later, but the performance was not my ultimate aim, it was just getting through. We have ground it out. But we will need to find another gear for the next round.
“We had a few who were OK at times on Wednesday, but my front three were not really at it, and maybe we need to look at our home form as well.
“If we are at home first, maybe we should be trying to get a bigger lead to take into the away leg. But we are creating chances.”
Something looked missing from the Hoops display in Sweden, but Lennon knows what it was. He said: “Yeah, Wanyama and Hooper! If Elfsborg had scored it would not have mattered because the overall tie would not have changed.
“We were away from home so you know you are going to be under pressure. When Sami had that early chance I’m thinking: ‘Go on, bury that’.
“Then the keeper made a great save to deny Joe Ledley, although he complained he had his jersey held.
“I thought the ref let a lot of things off-the-ball go. Svensson definitely punched Browny in the stomach, it was ridiculous. There were a few other tasty tackles.
“But we are there and we can build on this now. But these are horrible times for me.
“I’m just hoping we can add to the squad and get some investment and quality into it. I’ve now got some breathing space which is important.”
The loss of Kelvin Wilson won’t be an insignificant one. The big stopper is on his way back to Nottingham Forest.
A deal for a return to the City Ground had been agreed before the second leg. Asked if he was worried playing Wilson may backfire, Lennon admitted: “Yeah, of course.
“You fear he may be worried about getting an injury or something that might ruin the deal. But he’s a different animal, Kelvin.
“When he gives you his word on something he is true to it. I’ve known him a long time and I’m really disappointed to lose him, but his mind was made up a few weeks ago.
“It is a huge loss for us, as everyone can see with his performance in Sweden.
“Kelvin just wants to get back to Forest and the Nottingham area. But I’m not happy with the way it was handled.
“I can’t make accusations at anyone, but we know what’s been going on in the background.
“Had things not gone well for us on Wednesday night then there could have been all sorts thrown at Kelvin.
“That would not have been fair on him. But he was really professional about it, delivering a magnificent performance.
“I know it was was decent business for Kelvin, but it has left us a wee bit short.
“We need to get players in. I looked at my bench on Wednesday night and we had a few kids and a few rookies on there.”
MO BANGURA has launched a blistering attack on Scott Brown to plunge his long-term Parkhead future into doubt.
The on-loan striker clashed with his skipper at the end of Celtic’s 0-0 draw with Elfsborg in Sweden on Wednesday.
Brown refused to shake Bangura’s hand as Neil Lennon’s men reached the Champions League play-offs. Last night Bangura accused the Celtic captain of lacking class as he said: “I was pretty disappointed with his attitude. But listen, that’s the game. It was no fun playing against him, but what can I say?
“I went after the game to shake his hand and he waved me away.
“Everyone else shook my hand. But he didn’t even attempt to extend his hand. I don’t know why.
“I don’t have a problem with him. If he thinks things get heated in a game he just has to understand that it’s a football pitch. You just have to be there, you play your game.
“I was disappointed with him, but there’s nothing more I can say.”
Attack Bangura’s loan spell in Sweden ends in January.
The 24-year-old would still have 18 months of his Hoops contract left to run. But, after his attack on Brown, which followed Joe Ledley’s criticism of Bangura before the first leg, it seems unlikely he’ll ever play for Celtic again.
Yet Bangura says he’ll return to Glasgow if he has to.
He said: “Neil Lennon spoke with me.
“He gave me some words of encouragement, saying he was happy with my performance and happy to see me back after this season. That I should keep working hard.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen, but I just know I may have to go back.
“Everything is down to the coach but I don’t know if I have a future at Celtic. We’ll talk and see how it goes.”
Bangura was gutted that Celtic ended Elfsborg’s Champions League dream but he admitted he is relieved the toughest tie of his career is over.
Upset He confessed: “Playing Celtic has been really stressful. I’ve had sleepless nights thinking about things and it’s not fun.
“All I could think was that this was all too much. I didn’t want to upset anyone — that was the hard part. Not at Celtic and not here.
“If I had to make the decision by myself it would have been easy, but it’s hard when people are trying to influence you.
CELTIC could move for Pescara defender Marco Capuano to replace Kelvin Wilson.
The highly-rated Italy Under-21 star is being monitored by the Hoops after impressing in Serie A last season. SunSport understands signing a new stopper is not an immediate priority for Neil Lennon, who has the option of using Charlie Mulgrew or Mikael Lustig as cover.
The Hoops gaffer’s main focus is on bringing in a striker for the Champions League play-off, but £1.5million-rated Capuano — also tracked by Lazio and Bologna — is on Lennon’s list of defensive targets. The left-sided centre-back — who played for Italy in the Under-21 European Championships this summer — is under contract until 2016, but Pescara are keen to sell after their relegation to Serie B.
Wilson is expected to seal his £2.5m switch to Nottingham Forest in the next 24 hours.
MIKAEL LUSTIG insists Celtic will have to raise their game or risk seeing their Champions League dream reduced to rubble.
The Hoops defender admits Neil Lennon’s men rode their luck against Elfsborg to book a place in the play-offs.
The draw takes place today with Austria Vienna, Maribor, Shakhtar Karagandy, Ludogorets Razgard or Legia Warsaw lying in wait.
But Lustig knows there’s work to be done if Celtic are to secure a return to the group stages.
He said: “It’s so important for the club to keep going to the next round.
“We knew over in Elfsborg the potential consequences of making a mistake or a slip — but we got through without doing so.
“However, I don’t think it is wrong to say that we will have to be a bit braver on the ball when we get to the next round.
“None of us really wanted the ball.
“No one wanted to make a mistake. We’ll have to be better in the play-off round.
“We’ve been brilliant in defence and have not lost a goal in four qualifiers. But we’ll need to get better in offensive play to score some goals.
“We didn’t do well in Boras when we had the ball but Elfsborg did not create the big chances that were needed.”
The 26-year-old right-back enjoyed breaking the hearts of his countrymen. He added: “It was very sweet, especially for me to go back and face a Swedish team and get the win.
“We wanted to play a little better, but it was all about getting the right result.”
Morning champions
Today is the day of the uefa champions league draw for final qualifiers… do the zombies get green with envy ?
I wouldn’t call james a coward.. Like a lot of players he can bottle a tackle.. in fact most do at sometime. Lets face it : hes still a boy and will never be a bbj .
Imho he drifts out of games for long periods… and still spends too much time moping like a grumpy teenager when fouled or losing the ball… but. .. hey imagine a grumpy teenager being a grumpy teenager.
Lets make some noise FOR the bhoys…. not AT the bhoys
Good Morning all.
Please see the petition below and if inclined to sign it and pass it on to as many others as possible.
Thanks
BRTH
Trivial I know but . . .
Why do UEFA list Austria Vienna as Austria Wien, ie first word English and second word German?
Surely it should be either . . .
Austria Vienna
or
Osterreich Wien
and not a mixture of both.
Anyway, that’s who I hope we are drawn against today. First leg away would be nice too.
Good Morning Friends and a Big Happy Friday From a Drizzley but bright Belfast City Centre. Hoping it’s a Kind Draw Later.
Apologies for the Random capitalisation. A Feature of the Huawei Y300 almost SmartPhone.
brogan rogan trevino and hogan supports kano 1000
07:09 on 9 August, 2013
Good Morning all.
Please see the petition below and if inclined to sign it and pass it on to as many others as possible.
Thanks
BRTH
Something amiss ?.
Gb
Tom
Yep, hoping for the same. Just feel we’d take them over 2 legs. To be honest, legia are the only ones I really want to avoid, but lets see what’s thrown at us.
Sorry petition link was missing.
https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/uk-government-and-the-nhs-treat-children-with-high-risk-neuroblastoma-in-the-uk
Tom
Hopefully they won’t have to choose between calling thems sevco or diedco in any language
Off to work
Tom,
Austria Wien is the name of the club – it’s written on the badge.
HH
Good morning CQN
Just back from a fantastic 5 week holiday with the family
Good time in Murphy’s bar in Salou
With other good Celtic men and women
Watching the games
Hope you are all well
Keep the Faith
Hail Hail
Morning,
Mo can’t understand why Broony blanked him at end of the game. Maybe because you tried to do him with a snide tackle from behind Mo…
BRTH signed… 100 signatory s achieved.
Gb
Bring on the Bulgarians!
CELTIC could end up playing both their
Champions League play-off matches at
Parkhead if they draw Bulgarians
Ludogorets Razgrad thanks to Pink Floyd.
One of the five teams they could face in
today’s draw in Nyon are the Bulgarian
dark horses
However, if they are drawn to play their
home tie in the second leg they will need
to move their game away from Bulgaria.
Bulgaria only has one suitable venue for
Champions League matches – the Vasil
Levski National Stadium in Sofia.
However, that is being used as the venue
for a concert by Pink Floyd founder
Roger Waters, who is performing his
rock extravaganza concert The Wall Live
at the end of the month.
Razgrad president Kiril Domuschiev
said: “I never thought that such a thing
can stop us from playing in the
Champions League at home.
“There’s an option to go and play in
Romania, probably at Steaua Bucharest’s
stadium. There is another option too – to
play both matches away.”
Stars/Gordy
Dropped you both a mail, so you now have each others mail addresses.
Celtic will beat any of the other teams in the draw over two legs and that includes the Poles. When we get through and expect to beat Barca and Bayern then I might be a bit more mineshafter. Bring on the Poles, Bulgar, Khazaks or Austrians. Hail Hail.
Taurangabhoy,
…and bring on the Slovenians by the score!
HH
Got a text from Prestwick airport yesterday morning at 6:51 from Miss Prestonpans saying “having a beer before flight to Dublin, cmon the hoops”
You have satisfaction knowing you’ve brought up your kids in a well established manner……………………………..
Celtic_First
Caught your post from last night.
Loved it. 1.3 million eh? Says it all. My Liverpool mate, of Irish descent, says that Scotland St and Sandyhills is where most settled after crossing.
Will follow you on twitter Sir. Thank you for your reflections and best of luck at the end of September…
HH
PJ
Apologies to my host Paul67 but I am sure he will forgive me
copied from E-Tims. Too Good. 50 questions or 50 shades of blue : )
What you going to do?
I dont know
But you said it would be okay
I know
But you said you could sort it
I know
But you said
I KNOW WHAT I SAID!, leave it will you. Im trying to think here.
But what happened?
I dont know alright, i just dont know
How can you not know?
How can I not know, what sort of question is that?
Well you said it was straightforward enough
I know
You said you would just go back, get the 50 grand a year while you got the low down
I know
So how did it end up with you here?
I dont know
I dont understand, did they force you out?
Not exactly
Did they demote you?
No
What then?
The reverse
The what?
They made me the boss
Oh, well then, but wait, I really dont understand
They made me what I thought was the Boss but i wasnt the Boss
Did you act like the boss?
In front of the punters aye
So?
Behind the scenes I had nothing
But you were head of the board
I know
So how did you have nothing
Because they were just at the wind up
Who?
You know who, them
Who?, the guys who take aw the money and give nothing in return?
Aye
Irony eh
Enough of that crap you
So, what now?
Well its back to Square one
Whats that?
We support the other guys
What other guys?
Mind the guys we supported the first time?
First time what?
The first time the club ended up the creek without a paddle
Those guys?, but haud oan
What?
I thought you left those guys to jump ship wae the other guys?
I did
And now the other guys have kicked you out?
Naw, I left
I say potato, you say potatoh the bluebells
Whatever
So the old guys you left to go wae the new guys are now the new guys again?
Something like that
And whats happening now?
I dont know
What do you mean you dont know?
I dont know alright. They say they want change
Change, how much they got?
Nothing
What?
They arent offering money, they just want change
This the same guys who didnt have any money the last time?
Aye
And include the guy who was on the Board back when we spent aw the money ourselves?
Aye
And they think its going to change cause they ask for it?
They hope so
How?
They have the fans backing
The fans? That the same fans who have backed every Tom Dick and Harry who have stepped up to the door?
Well, everyone bar John Broon, aye
The fans who keep wanting represented on the board, is the new mob giving them that?
I dont think so
So nothing changed then, same faces, same patter
Well Dave King says hes interested
He still around banging his vuvuzela?
Aye, says he cant see any problem with SFA checks regards decent and proper either
Well maybe Campbell can check for him, he survived awright
Aye
What about Sally?
What about him?
He backing new guys?
No yet
No yet?
Well he has to play it cool doesnt he?
How come?
Well if he says anything then the current mob can sack him
They havenae sacked him yet after yet another cup shambles, they willnae dae it now surely?
They will if it saves them redundancy
Ah, so he had the Chairmans backing?
No quite
How no?
Ive left.
Oh! So anyone backing him?
Aye
Who?
Charles Green
Hold it, Charles Green?
Aye
He no in Bongo Bongo land or his French villa?
Naw, hes back
Back where?
At Rangers
What?
Aye
Doing what?
Generating interest in the clubs shares
What?
Hes hired as a consultant
For whom?, the club or his mates or is it all the same thing these days?
Well good question, Hes saying 14 million will get some shares bought.
Really?
They worth it?
No really?
Ah,I remember his prospectus, I take it they are worth a lot more?
No really, half that if youre lucky. Holding company shares have plummented since the IPO.
Wow, much did his mob pay for the shares mind, they must be taking a big hit then?
No really?
What?
They all got loads and loadsa shares when they slipped in, all at a discount rate
Oh, so a chance they might break even if theyre lucky?
Naw, they’ll make a killing probably
How did this happen?
Their discount rate was next to nowt
So theyre still quids in and the punters are gubbed. How did that happen?
I dont know
Is that all you can say, I dont know
Feels like it
So what now?
Golf for a few weeks and then we will see what happens with the EGM
EGM?
Dont ask, I dont know!
Forget it. Do us both a favour and just lets get up the road, this is embarrassing
Aye, sorry
Save it!
The tired old man sighed heavily and shamefully lowered his gaze. He reached out his hand and turned on the cold tap. He lowered his head and splashed the water on his face, carefully avoiding his spotless clothes. The cool fresh water felt good; this was the first time he had felt aware in a long time. He rose from his position and dried himself off with a nearby towel.
It was time to go.
He knew it, they knew it, everyone knew it.
Would he ever be back?. Well they had seen him go plenty of times, and of course he’d always made it back. He had always survived, in fact somehow he always got plaudits regardless of whatever calamity had lay at his feet when he walked away. Would they ever learn? He doubted it. He took one last look at the mirror and headed once again for the marble staircase and the exit door beyond
Neil Lennon & McCartney my brother has a wee apartment in Slovakia which I am sure would be filled to the rafters. Bring on the World. Hail Hail .
Neil Lennon & McCartney –
Thanks mate.
That explains it.
Twitter.
IN (£7,400,000)
Derk Boerrigter – £3,000,000
Virgil van Dijk – £2,600,000
Amido Baldé – £1,800,000
Steven Mouyokolo – £0
OUT (£20,500,000)
Wanyama – £12,500,000
Hooper – £5,500,000
Wilson – £2,500,000
Murphy – £0
Rogne – £0
Nouioui – £0
McCourt – £0
twists n turns,
cheers pal,how are they treating you lately,did you see the 2 WITS fancies today
ASonOfDan –
That’s an interesting scenario.
However, I wonder what would be the point of playing both games at the same venue. As the concept of two legs is to give both sides a home game, surely if it meant both games being played at Celtic Park, it need only be one game, going to extra-time and penalties if necessary.
There would be no point in having two games in that scenario.