Manchester City have flattered to deceive in the Champions League since becoming one of the richest clubs in the world, before reaching the semi-finals of the competition last season. That contest ended in a 1-0 aggregate win for Real Madrid, closer than many expected, based on City’s domestic form at the time.
What happened at City last season is the stuff books are written about, well after the event. They took the early season by storm, but when it became clear manager Manuel Pellegrini was to be replaced by Pep Guardiola in the summer, results fell apart. Even their highly-credible results against Real Madrid were criticised for a perceived lack of effort in places.
Now Guardiola is in charge and City are short odds on to take the title. The look imperious in English football, while their 4-0 trouncing of Borussia Monchengladbach in the Champions League earlier this month was remarkably comprehensive.
Celtic have managed to draw a Champions League group stage with two of the four top favourites to win the tournament. Barcelona are favourites with Bayern Munich and Real Madrid behind, but City are ahead of recent finalists Juventus and Atletico Madrid. The other UK clubs barely rate a mention.
This luck of the draw is far from a normal event. It appears harsh on pot three team, Borussia, and absolutely daunting for pot 4’s Celtic. The humbling in Barcelona two weeks ago served Brendan and the players with a lesson, perhaps not their last this campaign, but tomorrow gives us a chance to face off against one of the best teams in the world. It will be exhausting and exhilarating, but we should face it with some anticipation.
You are going to see Celtic score four, five and six against many teams this season. We are so far ahead of the rest of Scotland this is the norm. These Champions League games are the bonus which will illuminate the dark evenings, but they will also provide a valuable yardstick to measure the scintillating football we watched at the weekend.
Are Kieran and Tom ready to face the best in the business? Do Scott Sinclair and James Forrest have a point to prove? Can Leigh and/or Moussa use their pace to create space against top international defenders?
By 21:45 tomorrow evening you’ll know some of these answers. Give me this kind of stress any day, instead of Molde or Fenerbahce.
Thanks for all the support for the Great Scottish Run for the Celtic Foundation on Saturday. Special thanks for those who got the MyDonate account up to this level (below) yesterday. And a bigger thanks to the person who moved us on!
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Is The Kerrydale Suite open before the game tonight?
HH
TonyDonnelly67, I’m guilty as charged lol.
I always put bets on Celtic ( correct scores, anytime goal scorer, etc), and last Sat v Killie I was ” robbed”, as I had Silky Sinky anytime and 5-1 and 6-0 ! LOL.
It’s always an added pleasure when the Hoops do the business, and your bet comes up also.
Frankly my bets mean little or nothing to me, as long as the Celts get the job done ?
Against Sevco, I had BemBhoy to score a hat trick @ 28/1, easy money.
Against Aberdeen in May, I had Wee Paddy Roberts for the 1st goal, and Celtic to win 3-2 @ 110/1 with Betfred. The beers were flowing !
I take your point mate, but I’m sure that you’ll agree that as long as the Celts win, if there’s a penny or two to be made also, then why not ?
I know that I’ll be putting bets on Celts tonight v City but it doesn’t matter if my bets get gubbed, as long as the Celts get the job done ?
For instance,it wouldn’t bother me if City score 7 goals tonight, ( ahem) just as long as Celts also score at least 7 themselves ? LOL
Hail, Hail
Who will be man-marking Claudio Bravo tonight? Griff or Moussa?
BANKIEBHOY
I left the choice,to click or not to click,to the individual. Clue was in
“Details here if you want to click on the link.”
BIGJIMMY
8-7?
I’m sold-what’s the price?
As many Celtic supporters as possible should read this, become au fait with the content and give out the information at every opportunity:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1y2qtsPng5U
JJ
Boaby,
Yep,saw that.
*see polite request “Please”*
HH.
Catman
Who is the Forrest Captain?
JJ
A wee teaser on a day we can nip it v man city. Who earned the unusual achievement of winning two league winners medals in the same season as he played enough games for Celtic who won the premier div and another club who won the Scots div one?PS the player in question said Celtic were not forthcoming with medal.Re the scoreless outcome at Hampden with man.city Hugh Taylor writing in the daily record said Celtic should have scored 6,oh for a couple tonight!!
BMCUWP, there’s no price for 8-7, but for 4-3 to the Celts it’s 400/1 with bet365.
I’m going for 2-1 and 3-2 Celts .
I might stuck a wee nicker on the 4-3 ?
3-2 for Celts is priced @ 50/1.
I feel that there will be goals tonight given the way both sides like to play ?
My final message to the Hoops is ..Due to the expected high winds tonight, keep the high balls low !
Go to to it Celts….UNLEASH HELL !
BANKIEBHOY1 on 28TH SEPTEMBER 2016 9:00 AM
As per previous dialogue .
This is not Pravada , We have freedom of choice and Celtic fans are not stupid.
Again no offence intended.
HH.
BANKIEBHOY
Gotcha,but its awkward. Links to The Herald are paywalled,the English papers largely ignore us,and even I won’t stoop to The Sun!
Leaves The Scotsman,and I’m happy to do that.
Anyway,more importantly,
MONTHEHOOOOOOOOOPS!!!!!!!
HOTSMOKED
Cohen,29yo. Can play left or holding mid,left back.
No,I didn’t know that either(!)
MoonbeamsWD ‘Stand up on 15 for the GB’ on 28th September 2016 8:34 am
VFR
I believe it was John Keane who placed £1m with the bank to stop foreclosure. Unless of course this was a previous attempt by the bank to foreclose.
MWD
__________________________________________________
Aye, it was; very rushed in posting late last night and early this morning. John Keane transferred the money from his account and backed wee Fergus.
FAC the Act
KTF
Morning
Heading off to work.
It is a sign of how many things have changed in my 50 seasons supporting Celtic that where once a cavalier, all guns blazing approach almost guaranteed a thrashing for opponents of even the highest class so now the same approach is seen as the most sure fire way to pick up a heavy defeat tonight.
City have better players than we do – probably in all 11 starting places- and they should beat us. They won 5-0 in Bucharest against a team we would not necessarily beat- the warning is there. We have, I think, some better players than the teams which famously defeated Man U and Barcelona but probably that personnel does not lend itself to ‘parking the bus’. Untapped reserves of doggedness are needed – possibly to prevent a total rout.
But I have supported Celtic a long time and although I do not realistically think we will win it would not surprise me either if we do get something a lot better than an honourable loss.
Jimbo67
Mon the hoops win lose or draw we are still Celtic. Hail Hail Celtic 2 Mancs 1
Green yin,
Sure.
None taken. Absolutely none.
Again, just a simple request to support the Bhoycott.
HH.
Sam Allardyce made just one mistake:
He worked for the English FA.
Had he worked for the Scottish FA, and taken money for explaining how to break the rules on player registrations to obtain competitive advantage, he’d have been given the blind eye and a blazer.
Like Campbell.
Big Sam’s Big mistake.
My friends in Celtic,
Enjoy the game and the experience tonight. Anything we get is a bonus, although I am always confident at Parkhead.
No matter what, our most important game was in Israel.
With a newly focused CG in goal , with BR’s luck, with our 12th man , with our revigorated self belief and with all the Parkhead negativity been exorcised we have a great opportunity.
In more ways than one, the thunder will be back, we will walk on through the wind and walk on through the rain.
We will be in Paradise, the Gods will be with us and our Spirits will not be dampened.
Hail, hail to all, especially to those who have already set out.
BMCUWP,apology from me 4-3 to Celts is @ 200/1 not 400/1 .
As for your request for a price on 8-7 Celtic, any price you wish to mention probably ?
LOL
My guess would be 1,000/1 ?
tonydonnelly67 on 28th September 2016 8:39 am
I thought you and the Green Man had set up your own blog so you could argue without interruption!
FAC the Act
KTF
Greenpinata on 28th September 2016 10:03 am
Great post!
You should put that at the top of each page for the rest of the day!
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The Battered Bunnet 9.54
Spot on.
The swift reaction when the integrity of their game was impressive.I only hope with more revelations the epl have an open root and branch review of all players/agent/club dealings and make them more transparent.
HH
HH
Hot Smoked
Henri Lansbury
HH
BIGJIMMY
No doubt 400/1 somewhere,but it makes,erm,no odds. I never back in Celtic games.
I’m bad enough when we get beat without losing at the bookies too. And no amount of money won from them can give me a better buzz than a victory!
So no predictions from me;I’m happy to be there,take the money,use it to be competitive next season.
But…
Hope wee Brendan wisny involved in these dodgy interviews when he worked in England.
If he was, it would make no difference to me.
C’MON THE BRENDAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Big picture………….
Tonight we can’t lose.
We-really-can’t-lose……………………………………
It’s good to be a Tim right now.
HH
30Million CSC
Very much looking forward to the game tonight. Nom trepidation, only excitement and realism. It could be anything from a 2-1 victory to a 4-0 defeat.
I don’t think any of the Man City squad have played in Paradise before; Guardiola has never been here so it will either inspire them or knock them off their stride.
No matter what happen, it will be another magical night in Celtic Park. I hope big Jozo gets a game with Toure. KT to shine as usual and we need MASSIVE performances from everyone, especially Broony and Nir Bitton – they could be the key.
A phrase I never thought I’d use – wee Jamesy to start ahead of Paddy Roberts!
FAC the Act
KTF
Morning Celts
Ah, the old bung dinosaurs will be in hiding now:)
Its always been bent.
James Morrison trying to sell himself to Celtic….no thanks.
And…..Victory against all the odds, i will have some of that.
HH
From @Celtic graves
Wee vid of Bobby Lennox
https://twitter.com/CelticGraves/status/776462662888787968
HH
VFR
Jamesy and Raheem(Hippy Crack) Sterling are very similar in style…..strange running style, can be brilliant or very poor.
Hope Raheem has an off night.
Cmon Jamesy:)
HH
Great quote from “Celts to the four for Strachan”:
Lee Wallace is included in the squad. Both matches will be played on grass.
FAC the Act
KTF
“I don’t think any of the Man City squad have played in Paradise before”
Vfr,
3 have. Although 1 is unlikely to play tonight.
A blankety blank cheque book and pen for first to nane all 3. :)
HH
So here’s the rub: TD67 and TGM both disappear from the Blog at roughly the same time and are silent for 4 or 5 days.
Suddenly, they both appear back within an hour or so of each other. This raises a number of questions:
1. Are TD67 and TGM the same 20th Century Schizoid man?.
2. Are they a double act akin to the Chuckle Brothers and Morecombe and Wise?
3. Has anyone ever seen TD67 and TGM in the same room at the same time?
4. Or did they kiss and make up and have a weekend session the Brazen to cement their new found friendship?
Answers on a postcard please. :>)
Anyway, welcome back to both of you and let the games begin!
FAC the Act
I find it hard to believe that Celtic FC is squeaky clean on the issue of transfer dealings. Not when you read the accounts of a few of the Lisbon Lions and how Jock Stein drove them to meetings with various club chairmen from south of the border, and told them to “sign the contract”. Without exception, the players had not asked for a move and the first thing they knew of the buying club’s interest was when Jock told them in the car on the M74 south.
I grew up with the Lisbon Lions and Jock Stein is an absolute hero as far as I am concerned, but upon reading accounts of players being virtually steamrollered into signing for English clubs, with Jock apparently acting as agent for the buying club, it leaves a nasty taste in the mouth, as it clearly did for the players concerned, and has always made me wonder what was going on.
It could be that Jock’s eagerness for these deals to go through was because he needed the transfer fees to fund other purchases, or had a need to cut the wage bill, but did he have to chauffer them to the talks, and coerce them into signing?
If I had read that story just once, I would have thought nothing of it, but three different players telling exactly the same story?
I don’t know.
Just raising the question, controversial as it may sound.
Geordie Munro on 28th September 2016 10:41 am
“I don’t think any of the Man City squad have played in Paradise before”
Vfr,
3 have. Although 1 is unlikely to play tonight.
A blankety blank cheque book and pen for first to nane all 3. :)
_____________________________________________________________
Sagna and Klichy. And Fernando?
FAC the Act
KTF
HH
GREENPINATA on 28TH SEPTEMBER 2016 10:03 AM
A call to arms.
Good.
Vfr,
Ooooh. Close 2 out of 3.
(thumbs-up)
HH