Last night my brother reminded me of a comment he made after the 0-0 against Benfica on match day one of the Champions League, “I hope we’re not sitting with one point after five games”. Expectations can be as high as you like, but reality based on experience at that stage suggested Celtic would struggle to have more than a single point at this stage of the tournament.
A solitary point away from home in our Champions League history would lead the harsh realists to expect our trips to Lisbon, Barcelona and Moscow would be fruitless, leaving the enormous matter of tackling Barcelona at Celtic Park.
Two of those away games resulted in defeat, and we were behind in Moscow before one of the most significant fight-backs in modern Celtic history. It’s difficult to find perspective for the win over Barcelona. Suffice to say, they won 0-2 in Lisbon and 0-3 in Moscow. Celtic’s 2-1 remains the most astonishing result of this season’s Champions League.
Manchester City’s failure to qualify for the knock out stage, with their seemingly limitless budget, tells the story of how difficult this tournament is. England’s other mega-wealthy club, reigning European champions Chelsea, sacked their manager this week as the expectation they are likely to be eliminated at this stage dawned.
Beating Spartak and qualifying for the knockout stage will be suitable reward for a remarkable team.
The very first CQN Annual is NOW in stock and shipping order yours here! P.S. it’s great.
In case you missed the story, check out the Celtic Trust’s ‘Stand up for the Green Brigade‘ call on the 12th minute on Saturday. Full details on the Trust’s site.
P.P.S. Stand up for the Green Brigade.
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FFM,
you’re gonnae get a row for the swearry words, think about the children
Good morning all and a Big Happy Friday from a rather damp and wintery feeling East Kilbride
“On the terracing at the Dalmornock end on Saturday there was congregated a gang, thousands strong, including the dregs and scourings of filthy slumdom, unwashed yahoos, jailbirds, night hawks, won’t-works, ‘burroo barnacles’, and pavement pirates, all, or nearly all, in the scarecrow stage of verminous trampdom. This ragged army of insantitary pests was lavishly provided with orange and blue remnants, and these were flaunted in challenge as the football tide flowed this way or that. Practically with out cessation for ninety minutes or more, the vagabond scum kept up a strident howl of the ‘Boyne Water’ chorus
bon dia
on a wet windy g72 I am gladdened to hear the news from Madrid last night that
http://www.koyshunka.com/Koy_Shunka/home.html
got a star from those heady folk at Michelin.
Now don’t say I did’t tell you about this place ’cause I did
like a one man food scout I will continue to unearth these little gems for all on this fine place.
Are Michelin now reading CQN ??
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=G30j-9R9A5s&NR=1
………night hawks, wont-works, burroo-barnacles……..pavement pirates!
Kwality.
From TSS:
SCOTT BROWN is set to postpone vital hip surgery — so he can play in the Champions League crunch against Spartak Moscow.
The Celtic skipper lasted just 64 minutes of Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat to Benfica in Lisbon before having to be replaced.
Concerned boss Neil Lennon then appeared to rule the gutsy midfielder out of the decisive Group G tie with the Russians at Parkhead on December 5.
But SunSport understands brave Brown is so desperate to face Spartak that he will once again play through the pain barrier before going under the knife.
Brown, whose training between matches has been restricted by the injury, jetted to London on Wednesday for a consultation just hours after returning to Glasgow from Portugal with the rest of the Celtic squad.
And after a heart-to-heart with Lennon the 27-year-old has decided to focus on doing his bit to get the Hoops through the group stages for the first time in five years.
Celtic have already lost inspirational Victor Wanyama from their midfield for the Spartak showdown due to suspension.
Joe Ledley is battling a groin complaint.
The idea of also being without Scotland star Brown was a huge worry for Hoops gaffer Lennon.
Now, however, he is almost certain to have him available for a tense night in front of a capacity 60,000 crowd.
Lennon has always done his best to balance concern for his skipper’s welfare with Brown’s desire to keep playing.
Celtic have SPL games against Caley Thistle tomorrow and Hearts next Wednesday night, plus a Scottish Cup tie against Arbroath, before Spartak come to town.
Brown could conceivably miss ALL of those to ensure he can at least play a good hour against Unai Emery’s side, who are bottom of the group.
Lennon rates Brown’s presence and influence on the rest of the team as priceless and would be delighted to have him in the line-up.
But if he has any major doubts over Brown, he WON’T pick him.
Don’t forget we will not only be missing Vic for Spartak – Ledley is also unlikely to make it.
really no, this is no a good idea
bankiebhoy1 at 07:10 on 23 November, 2012
Wiz that last Setterday?
Ulryc
lurcy………..
“ivry setterday”……..
HH.
Full moon last night ?
A few lunatics howling at it
shut it you :oD
U O G
I know that JL was struggling for Tuesday ….a recurrence ?
Or was he not fit in the first place .
Ambrose in midfield then ?
PF
….what a performance tho, eh?
……some of the ‘characters’ are really well formed
….and the scripts, so beautifully crafted………
;)
Efe’s distribution is no consistent enough yet, better at CH and punt it,
we have built a squad supposedly to creatre competition its time to start showing a bit of trust. After all if we gat through we will still be missing a few and will be depending on some of them anyway.
Morning all. Enjoying the precipitation respite in the Chilterns…
At the end of the RFC EBT announcement it is interesting that the IB commentary has been sparse and vague.
I’m not sure what the ins/outs are but my thoughts are whatever the de jure circumstances are the de facto situation is the R@ngers are alive and well and living in Div 3.
I hope Celtic’s Board, Management, Players et al use our OF respite to make a real marker in terms of Culture and Quality why we ain’t them. A great start has been made this season it must be said.
Vive La Differance
Morning Celts,
A quick read back over the nightshirt and wished that I never bothered.
FFM et al, the spellings atrocious :>)
Still overseas, and catching up briefly about tax case via various media on poor wi-fi connections.
One thing that is puzzling me, us the glaring admission of ‘140 years history’ being ruined/trashed/gone overnight stories.
Is this the same history that these hacks have said was always in place only last week??!!
Really bizarre that nothing had changed after liquidation, but ‘win’ the FTT and the history and tradition DID actually disappear.
cakeandeatitcsc
Nightshirt = nightshift lol
Scott Brown, no matter how much you rate the man, or not, not many have a more potent Celtic brew flowing through their veins than he.
Club before health….
PFayr
With Ledley, it’s a groin injury – he hopes to be fit for the Spartak game, but it’s not looking likely.
canamalar
I don’t see how you can say that – we’ve had 2 looks at Ambrose in CM. The first his passing was a wonder to behold in a wide, attacking formation. The 2nd, we played 4-3-1-2 at home v Kilmarnock – an inexplicable decision on our wide pitch, especially when Shiels had already comprehensively dealt with that at Hampden in the League Cup final.
It would be negligent to overlook Ambrose, otherwise it’s Kayal and … well, a rookie, in a vital CL game, or Mulgrew. Kayal/Mulgrew is possible, of course, but as yet completely untried. Neil has less than 2 weeks to decide.
kit,
too big a risk, loosing match fitness and an injury to boot, I fear it may be his swansong
Bankiebhoy
Magic mushrooms..
canamalar:
I hope not and one reason I pray not is because I don’t believe any other player, in our squad at the moment, gets the Celtic culture quite like he does.
ACGR would like to point out that he played no part in the drugging and removal of FFM’s cerebral matter in the wee small hours.
A big bhoy dun it and ran away.
I plead, not guilty m’lud
Up_Over..,
my point is consistency, after his first wonder game his distribution became inconsistent and slumped, I dont think its recovered enough yet, then again if Rogne is ready to fill his place at CH, maybe a couple of weeks in the middle might help improve that.
I’d hope to see young Dylan getting drilled for a role, I also think its time to give our other two new bhoys a run
kit,
I’m with you on that, I dearly hope the op will give him more time and let him decide after that
….PFayr
Aleurodiscus wakefieldiae on here last night
which are actually in season
In fact could be Paddys time to show if he is up for it.
As I keep bleating on, the best game I’ve seen him was this preseason against Inter were he played centre mid and he ran the show, distribution and defensive play were excellent, time to step up to the plate Paddy.
We play at a higher tempo, press higher up pitch when Broony is in and 100% but as weve seen in recent games he’s not fit.
Id be confident with
Forster
Lustig Rogne Wilson Izzy
Forrest Kayal Ambrose Mulgrew Samaras
Hooper
If Joe fit then hevstarts in place of JF and sami moves to right.
IMO a fit Brown is a bigger loss than Victor as we press quicker and higher up pitch with SB in team.
Whilst not underestimating spartak i believe we will win and giving more thought to it, i dont expect Benfica to get a point in Barca so draw will be enough to cap an outstanding euro campaign.
One wee moan, wish we’d bin the tartan army like wembley song, no for me.
Hail Hail
The first thing we need v Spartak is our first choice defenders playing in defence. Stop them scoring and we’re half way there to victory. Forster, Lustig, Ambrose, Wilson & Matthews (assume Izzy won’t be fit) should be our defence. Forrest will come back with Hooper & Sammi in front three so that’ll leave Kayal, Commons and one from Ledley/Mulgrew in midfield. That leaves the likes of Miku, Lassad, Watt in reserve if goals still required later on in game.
Play McGeouch if we are short in midfield. He’s good enough.
PF
………..the “mushies”…….perhaps……
…………more likely the amazing shape-shifting “odd squad” will be bolstered by pop-up Sleekits from the dark side peddling their disharmony……….
This Dear Green Place is a Frontline in the battle against thems……….
KTF
wdh,
red wine was my tipple, I think out mhan FFM was on the whisky, I also have a wee inkling he might not be as haapy as he could be.
The problems we have had/are having with injuries this season are hellish!
We have an excellent squad of young players – if, by some miracle, they were all fit Neil would be in the enviable position of being able to put out a full-strenght team for every game.
How often has he been able to do that this season. For the Barca game at CP there were 4 teenagers on the bench!
HH!!
canamalar
Inconsistent? I don’t think it’s possible to say that going on two solitary games in 2 different set-ups. Even if you take his good performance v RR and mediocre one v Kilmarnock, and ‘divide’ them by two, there’s more than enough justification for playing Ambrose at CM in the upcoming domestic games, if only to rule him out.
som mes que un club,
I said the same yesterday or the day before, when the press ran all those “they didn’t have to die” headlines.
They are DEID.DEID, DEID. Now that the blame has been deflected from Murray (for the minute) for that, they can tell the truth. Hilarious..
no Forrest or Hooper for me, they dont do enough, and Forrest is afraid to tackle, last game he was shirking 60\40, I mean whats he saving himself for ,this is it and if he’s not going to commit now, he’s no needed, simple as that for me we need committed players.