Is it any compensation that POAK, who finished second to AEK last season, drew 1-1 against Benfica in Lisbon, in the Champions League playoff first leg last night? Not really, but it is a marker of the standard required to beat the Greek champions. POAK eliminated Basel 5-1 on aggregate two rounds ago. Greece are likely to have two teams in the group stage.
What might have been is irrelevant, it is more important to perform to the level required in Lithuania tomorrow evening. Celtic are far stronger than Suduva, but you and I have seen what happens when a Celtic team let standards drop away in Europe, even for a short period of a game.
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TGBS
“That pays no regard to the mediocrity of their national team.
Or the fact that Hibs eliminated asteras”
The Greece team are ranked 42nd in FIFA rankings: Scotland are 40th. The mediocrity is shared. (BTW Olympiacos have a far better record in Europe in recent times than Celtic do)
As for not accounting for asteras:-
2017/18 table
1 AEK 70 pts
2 PAOK 64
3 OLYMPIACOS 57
4 ATROMITOS 56
5 ASTERAS 45
6 XANTHI 45
Asteras won 12 games drew 9 and lost 9. Hibs who finished 10 pts closer to their champions than did Asteras, won 18, drew 13 and only lost 7.
Their are reasons there if you want to see them.
AEK are not that good but neither are Celtic. We played better than them but lost the tie. It can happen and has happened (often in our favour) in football that a less fancied team win against a better one. In this case the difference between the 2 teams was slight but they still overcame us.
I’ve got an Emirates plane permanently at the bottom of the screen.
The Glorious Balance sheet – Benfica hammered PAOK last night but couldn’t score.
Vidi had a man sent off for a borderline bootable offence and played half the game with 10 men. Vidi were a half decent side after the ref evened it up with an equally ridiculous red and missed a few sitters.
The argument used on here for our domination of Scotland doesn’t get used for these games. We pay our footballers far more than the sides we face in the Champions League qualifiers which is how we justify our projection towards further dominance yet win through on average 1 out of every 2 years.
Jamesgang
Yeah,, thought Brendan did very well.
Don’t think we’ll see ‘the Belgian’ in the Hoops again
BSR
What evidence do you have that Celtic were marginalised to the point of total isolation with regard to wanting the Huns to be called to account for their actions?
I distinctly recall Turnbull Hutton and Stranraer FC taking a stand against them publicly. So it’s not fair to say that all of Scottish football were for giving them a free pass.
And we have no evidence of Celtic’s views on the matter other than Peter Lawwell bemoaning the loss of revenue following on from the lack of an old firm fixture and Dermot Desmond’s “great club, great fans” mince.
SFTB-
I’m not denying that we are mediocre, my point is that the Greeks are mediocre but are being portrayed in some quarters, including today’s lead article, as some sort of rising force in order to justify our failure to overcome them. A failure that was self inflicted as much as anything else.
We need to look inside our club at the reasons for that failure rather than to bow before a rising all conquering Greek football superpower.
Mullet and co 2- you are right to highlight the financial superiority that we enjoy relative to the teams we face in the CL qualifiers. Theres definitely an issue about how wisely we spend the money when we do spend it, too much chaff and not enough wheat.
BSR
In his presser, my read of Brendan’s narrative is that the club extended an open door then a small olive branch. Yet DB’s ‘back problems’ still emanate from his head (which tell him he’s a world class defender – hah) his heart (which has fallen out of love with the club’s Euro aspirations) and agent’s wallet (which is looking threadbare after multiple phone calls to Euroclubs and the odd taxi out to Lennoxtown to do his dinger). #crestisbiggerthannameonback
TGBS
“the Greeks are mediocre but are being portrayed in some quarters, including today’s lead article, as some sort of rising force”
I really don’t see that. I see a sober accounting that they are not a pub team and you have to be on your game, whether you are Celtic or Benfica, to do yourself justice. No more and no less than that.
Anyway, that game’s gone. We have a game where we need a decent result tomorrow and a few defensive recruitments before the window closes. Suduva are a better team than in 2003 but should not be able to damage us over 2 legs if we are even halfway decent. I expect, at least a draw tomorrow, and a win by 2 goals or more at CP.
Goodnight CQN
TGBS
You missed out the best soundbite of all Peter’s Rory Bremner quip.
We lost a friend in Turnbull Hutton yes, it all fizzled out bar some gum bumping from Dundee Utd by and large that was it for Scotland.
By the time we got to ‘a review potential ‘ they were all gone and it was very much Celtic alone, with Hibs, Hearts and Aberdeen the public NO voters, and the ‘raking over coles’ story.
Still maintain its not finished yet, maybe we’ll call them out when they win something for the first time, if they ever win something.
QUADROPHENIAN
Yes, I think BR wanted to do the professional thing and play his best bet at CB.
That’s what a fully fit Dedryk is, whether some fans like it or not,
and the evidence is that we’re actively trying to sell him on.
Rangers are Rangers, for as long as Celtic supporters pay £49 for tickets for the same club lie rubber stamping fixtures, formerly known as, Old Firm games.
Ye see, here’s the thing…..
Sevo / Rangers, came back into the top league in the 2016/17 season, this posed a problem for the Celtic PLC board, in that they would have to deal with the same club issue, factor in the bubbling under the surface resolution 12 issues, and the fact that, Ronny D’s team had just been eliminated from the SCSF by a Sevco / Rangers team, who were a division below Celtic.
So, with that toxic cocktail to deal with, the Celtic PLC board needed to have they’re thinking caps on. And they certainly did.
The way that Celtic PLC dealt with the, Sevco / Rangers same club issue was to….
1. Get rid of RD, and replace him with, Brendan Rodgers. This appointment had the fans dancing in the streets, that’s exactly where the PLC wanted the fans, delirious and googly eyed. The PLC weren’t slow to cash in on this merriment, they struck like the predators that they are as they sneakily agreed to introduce the price of the tickets for the games of Sevco / Rangers FC vs Celtic FC as being £49:00, the exact same price as tickets for Old Firm games before we were told that Rangers FC had died. We all believed that, Rangers FC had died. The establishment tried to row back, saying that it was the company that had died, not the club, so they spun a lie, the same club lie. This created a row that raged for four 4 years.
2. Now, with the return of that fixture, the Celtic PLC board had a decision to make. Would they call out Sevco / Rangers as a different club ?
3. Or, would they be sneaky, and test how serious the Celtic supporters were about the same club issue ?
Well, sadly, the Celtic PLC board, chose to put the Celtic supporters to the test, and even sadder, the Celtic supporters failed the test, rubber stamping the same club lie, blinded by the Brendan bounce.
Who would’ve thunk it!
Celtic cuteness walked out the front door with MO’N in 2005, and it won’t be back, till we’re free of the PLC.
HH
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Is everyone asleep?
KEV on 23RD AUGUST 2018 1:26 AM
Any chance you could click your fingers now and wake everyone up?
Good morning all from the Govanhill Archipelago.
Anyone remember thinking in May we had a good shout of reaching CL last 16 with 2-3 good signings? Of thinking we had the basis of a good young team that were the best we’d seen since . . . Of thinking The huns would be heading for admin because Phil keeps saying so, that Brendan and PL were a match made in heaven . . .
Ach, happiness is over-rated.
DENIABHOY on 23RD AUGUST 2018 6:58 AM
I’ll be happy with a couple of good signings, fek the huns all that BS from Phil and JJ is just click bait. I enjoy Celtic, they’re the ones trying to catch us, we welcome the chase, Hail Hail.
Awe..naw..no..the..parrot..fae..ye..old…jungle…back..a..naw..noo…
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@####
Morning Tims..
Got my pass yesterday for the lifts at Celtic park yippee, been joking for years that they stairs were gonna kill me, I was nearly bloody right the last time, turns oot my heartburn is Angina, doh..?
Good morning CQN from a dry Garngad
50 shades hope you are coping with the angina, and it will be a relief to get a lift pass
So the horrible mob have laughatme on board, he will get away with even more in a blue shirt.
Next year it will be the horrible divesmith
HH
D. :)
Word of The Day
Emulous (em-yuh-luh s)
adjective
1. desiring or aiming to equal or surpass another; competitive
2. characterized by or arising from emulation or imitation
3. archaic envious or jealous
Derived Forms emulously, adverb emulousness, noun
Word Origin and History for emulous
adj.
late 14c., from Latin aemulus, from aemulari (see emulation). Related: Emulously.
KTF
David 66,,,
Cheers mate.
H.H
So no Jack H or Boyatta tonight, I take it Jozo is fit and its grass we are on..
Cant see Brendan going 3 at the back, so think it will be 4241.
CG.
Gamboa Ajer Jozo Kt.
Ollie n Broonie
Jamsie Cal Mac n Sinky.
Moussa.
Mon the hoops.
H.H
Advert for Tampons and a galaxy note now moving about the CQN screen.
Preparing a bid is the new submitting a bid.
Rangers have now spent more net in one season than Rodgers has in his time here.
What is the Rangers wage bill now and are we getting value for our £55m and what is the projected wage for this year?
Would a rookie manager with a £25m wage bill beat an experienced manager with a £55m wage bill? Will the mooted admin 2 happen before then or will Rangers find an oversubscribed share issue and some friendly FFP audits go in their favour?
Boyata, McGinn, McKenna… smacks of rank amateurism from a club absolutely rolling in it.
Hope to see Gamboa and Ajer as the left sided centre back this evening,
Gordon
Gamboa Jozo Ajer KT
Ntcham Brown
Forrest Rogic McGregor
Moussa
FFS We have NOT repeat NOT signed McKenna. Can all the Gerrard admirers fek off to swallow swallow.
???
https://twitter.com/zlgshock/status/1032248402963247105?s=21
Simunovic cannot start tonight, he is a complete liability. Hendry takes all of the flak, some deserved, some not, but it’s Simunovic who continually makes errors of judgement, passes the ball to an opponent or straight out of the park and generally just looks like he wants to be elsewhere. He should have been punted when he refused to play in Astana last season. That set the precedent for the current Boyata fiasco.
Suduva progressed to this stage by:
– winning the Lithuanian league;
– beating APOEL 3-2 agg in CL Q1
– losing 0-5 agg to Red Star in CL Q2
– beating Latvians Spartak Jarmala 1-0 agg in EL Q3
They’ll be better than Alashkert but of a considerably poorer standard than Rosenborg.
Prediction: Suduva 0, Celtic 2
Gary67
It’s weird how the performance and attitude trajectories of Boyata and Simunovic have followed a similar course.
Both nowhere near the team to start with under Brendan Rodgers and in Jozo’s case heading for the exit to no great regret.
Then they both get credited for wiring in during training, putting in the graft to regain full fitness, waiting paitently for their chance to get back into the team, get credit for their performances once they’re back, then think they’re world beaters and too good for us.
Just noticed that my telly is now listing tonight’s game to be shown on Premier Sports tonight at 5:55pm. (Channel 551) on Virgin TV.
The problem for Jozo is that he was clearly recruited as a project, sold on a move to Celtic on the strength of VVD using Celtic as a stepping stone to the EPL.
If I recall rightly he pretty much came in the day vvd left.
Such was the strength of this sales pitch that Jozo choose to forgo guaranteed CL football at Dinamo Zagreb in 2015/16 to join Celtic who had already been papped into the Europa League.
And to think folk tell us players will only come if we have CL football to offer them!
Jozo in his head would have reckoned for staying at Celtic for 2 years at most.
Unfortunately for him injuries, a failure to develop as we all hoped and a not infrequent lack of discipline mean he has no suitors in the EPL.
He is trapped somewhere he didn’t reckon on being at this stage in his career.
What moves would be open for him now? Probably a move back to Zagreb or to a team in the very lowest reaches of Serie A. At a loss to Celtic.
We wanted McGinn but not so much that we would pay more than we felt was fair so he went elsewhere;
We made an offer for McKenna . It was turned down so he is staying where he is.
Something made Boyata unhappy with Celtic. The problem became public..His future at Celtic does not look secure.
None of the above are positives but I do believe that the reaction has been almost hysterical.
JJ
50 shades
Hi pal,sorry to hear about your angina
Could be worse I could beat you at pool.
Take care mate,catch ye in the Greenhill soon
KTF.
Doesn’t seem to be much talk of signing a RB on here. Piccini would have been a very welcome addition. However, against Athens two goals, and the free for the third, came from the RB position. Central defence was bad but right back was worse!! It’s a real shame as Lustig 2012 version was a great player.
NIALLO83 on 23RD AUGUST 2018 9:50 AM
Maybe Gamboa’s Early season performances have led the manager to rethink.
I would bring back Stephen O’Donnell from Kiliie. He’d be slagged off before he held the scarf above his head by he’s Scottish from SPFL club so must be crap brigade but would be a good option to push/replace Lustig.
Without knowing much about it, I am quite pleased to see the Spanish players challenging their Authority`s right to tell them to play in America.
JJ
Smart phone access for regular digital immigrants attracted to CQN proving troublesome due to adverts, the one at the botton of the screen provides a serious challenge other than to digital natives.
Niall083 @9.50
There have been lots of posts on CQN over the past year saying that Lusting is now a liability. Why couldn’t the manager see this? It’s too easy to blame the board for everything. BR deservedly gets the credit when we qualify for the CL. When we fail he must take the blame.
Niall083
Yes, I thought Lustig could comfortably play for any club in Europe a few years ago. Now, I don`t rate him. I hope, though, he makes an unlikely return to the form of yesteryear.
Cheerio for now.
JJ
GARY67 on 23RD AUGUST 2018 10:04 AM
NIALLO83 on 23RD AUGUST 2018 9:50 AM
Maybe Gamboa’s Early season performances have led the manager to rethink.
I’m sorry but Gamboa isn’t a very good defender. Decent going forward but that’s about it. It’s why he never played at West Brom and so far has had very few games for us. Maybe he is ok as a back up but first choice should be better.