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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813 Comments- Pages:
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Vmhan
Sorry to hear about your dad, YNWA.
You’ve got to say that the old Rangers were very generous employers. All of those loans that they didn’t have to make, payments not in anyone’s contract(s). But they just thought it would be a nice thing to do.
Why did we wear that black strip ? We were in Lisbon to celebrate!!
Surely if HMRC appeal they can then simply ask Murray to provide documentation that proves they were loans?
Uh oh…..
If we get to the last 16 and get a diddy club like Milan, we could get to the last eight nae bother!
Dreeeaaams, dreams, dreams, dreams!
Repeat
Paul67
Yup I was worried we would be 1 point going into game 6 – although still hoped a home win v Spartak wound take us into EL
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rothbhoy
12:35 on
22 November, 2012
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I don’t understand why Benfica would want to wind up a team like Barca before a vital match! Getting excuses in early?
judging by the turnout by home support in Lisbon there will be a few heids rolling fairly soon
Methinks Somebody is up to no good out Lisbon way
obonfanti1888 – It also just occurred to me that if they were indeed loans then they should be showing in someone’s balance sheet/annual accounts as a debt. Either MIH or another company set up to administer the fund.
Is Sivilo Cervantes Portuguese for Jim Traynor?
Is Portuguese wine made with sour grapes?
I am feeling a bit worried with Victor banned from our next Champions league match the last time we didnt have him in the side at Celtic park we lost 0-2 to Kilmarnock.All this talk that the russians will have nothing to play for is utter nonsense they have there pride and the cash they would get for winning the match make no mistake about it we are up against in this match.H.H.
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
In Europe, fairly certain, your not allowed to have the same coloured shorts as the oppenents.
therefore we would have to have worn green shorts with the hoops.
Not a great look IMO
play
Philbhoy,
Would take man U too!
p
And another thing! How did the board justify these EBT payments to their shareholders? The payments were effectively a money sink from rangers for the purpose of…..nothing.
If I was a major oldco shareholder I’d be seeking legal advice.
Gordon J
Seems they were all 0% interest. Deferred interest loans can very expensive!!
Soneoferin
Come on. The purpose was to attract playes. Dutch and German internationalists and to dominate Scotland for a decade. It might be vile, morally bankrupt etc but it had a purpose and it worked
Ruined the game in Scotland in the process but small price eh
First on page 2.
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/
13:25 on 22 November, 2012
First on page 2.
________________________
No wonder you chose JUDE as a user-name.
What is he the patron saint for ?
:¬)))
Itsabouttim, there sure is.
obonfanti1888, aye, but I can’t see Benfica getting anything from Camp Nou.
rothbhoy, delighted to hear Benfica people talking about defeat already.
playfusbal4dguilders, good question. Three rounds in the Europa definitely better than one in the CL. Two in Europa on equal standing to one in CL.
saltires en sevilla, indeed.
playfus
Stuff the look. Thers 40 shades of green btw.
All together now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0oTDS9ur_U
Does anyone know why we played in black in Lisbon. Apart from the fact that I hate watching us in Europe without the hoops, if there was ever a more appropriate ground to wear them surely it was in Lisbon??
Anybody have any idea why we persist with this…surely its not to promote the away strip???
Following on from the previous blog.I never heard what Packy said last night,so cannot comment on it.Appeasement is not really my cup of tea.
rebelbhoy72
teams in CL can’t wear the same coloured shorts so as Benfica wear white shorts we played in away kit
goldstar10@13:03
More money in CL last 16
The elite of European football
Prestige for the club
Bonus coefficient points
Are you sure about the ‘more money’ bit? Likeliehood is better chance of a wee run in the Europa, therefore more home games, more cash through tickets plus tv plus corporate. What is the ‘payment’ for getting through to the last sixteen (which I’m hoping for btw)?
my mates and I were discussing this very topic last Tuesday after the game, but none of us actually KNEW!
K K
Lost causes. Hope he didnae help u know who out?
HaiL HaiL
stevo – Post the FTT decision I’m not sure that reason can be officially given.
Paul 67,
we all know CL is really the only show in town.
But, 1 more evening KO or possibly 2/3 at Celtic Park is hard to deny anyone.
it just great to have these worries.
play
I don’t buy into this Europa League option otherwise every year we would only go for 3rd spot on the basis we would lose in the last 16.
The preference is that it has to be last 16 CL and take our chances – death or glory
see Benfica are doing their best to wind up Barcelona ahead of their match.
smart move morons.
Kayal33
Green shorts then?
See you answered my question at 13.36. Ta
We want to progress in the Champions league it is the Premier tournament in European football anything else is a long way behind.We want our club to be among the European elite and to show progress on the park season by season.H.H.
gene’s a bhoys name
Death or Glory, I agree, progression in the CL is what we want.
The more often we are there, the more comfortable we will be.
Joe filippis,
Only the foolish are saying the ruskies will be a push over. Confidence about winning is entirely different.
And whilst we’d all like Vic to be playing the killie game you mention had no Brown or Sammy either.
Vic has played in pretty much all our games in which we’ve failed to win this season. Big miss but I don’t think we’ll fall to pieces in his absence.
Ktf
ernie lynch 12:41:
A sevconian, took great delight yesterday referring to Brogan Rogan’s previous support of K Muir, he suggested that he was beyond reproach and that his integrity could never be called into question.
On the FTT decision I am still digesting the implications and will post fuller in days to come. However, I am confident HMRC will appeal, they have 20 days from 20th November.
I still can’t hear the fat lady, not even a single note.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Jude2005,
I think they would need to go further up the Heavenly Hierarchy than St. Jude.
HH.
Last post should have been 30 days from 20th November.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Geordie Munro.I hope you are right and Kayal can fill Victors boots.We agree that it is silly to say the Russians will be a push over as thats exactly how they will want us to think.H.H.
Totally agree with opening article. The Spartak game will again be a mighty ask and we will have to be at our best to win it. No point whatever in concerning ourselves about the Barca game. Win our game if that gets us to last 16 then great, if it doesn’t then we concentrate on Europa Cup where we might stand a better chance of getting through a few rounds. I seem to remember a year when I felt sick when we went out of Champions League to a Swizz outfit, think they were called F.C. Basel. Anyone still bemoaning that defeat.
I think I read somewhere that they have 56 days in which to appeal, but what difference does it make. Sevco are there trying to raise a few quid in their share issue, how they do with that is of far more interest to me. Nimmo will rule on dual contracts in New Year, that is of interest to me. Whether Rangers had debts of 70 million or 140 million when they died is of no interest to me..