I hear the modest noises which Shakhter manager Viktor Kumykov made after their win over Celtic last week have been replaced by more robust predictions. Kumykov told the most senior local apparatchik, Baurzhan Abdishev, that Shakhter will score a few goals in Glasgow and progress into the Champions League group stage.
I always like to hear confidence like this from the opposition camp. Let Celtic do their talking on the park.
Shakhter are further away from home than any team participating in Champions League history, apart from Celtic who faced the opposite journey last week. The second half on Wednesday kicks off at 01:45 Kazak time; no matter what the score at the halfway point, the latter part of the game will be when the visitors are at their most vulnerable.
Meanwhile Kazak news report that Shakhter have shipped shirts to some Glasgow-based football fans, who will be attending Celtic Park on Wednesday as newly-recruited Shakhter fans.
Did we mention practicing penalties? The entire squad should spend time today and tomorrow doing so, but Kris Commons especially. He is the one penalty taker Shakhter will prepare to face.
Memory of the day:
We lost the first leg of our European Cup, first round, tie against Partizan Tirana in 1979 1-0. It was thought important for Celtic to score first in the return but Partizan doubled their lead and scored an away goal.
Celtic went on to hit four and progress, although none of the strikers got on the score-sheet, Davie Provan played arguably his best game for the club.
Bring it on……..
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THE BATTERED BUNNET
I suspect that,should we fail to qualify,our signings for next year have already been done.
I don’t consider myself a mineshafter-I used to,till I conversed with some real experts-but our policy this summer has been a total disgrace.
We have,as Nye Bevan said,sent someone naked into the negotiating chamber.
PL has put NL on a road to ruin. As a CEO,he needs to take a damn good look at himself for that.
And as a human being,he needs a good kick up the bahookie.
The fella is under enough pressure as it is without getting friendly fire.
MadMitch
Brilliantly Mitchy.
How’s tricks otherwise?
Kojo
Aye you’re quite right.
I think Joe Harts bad start to the season isn’t helping matters.
FFs got his eye on the prize.
Might be better if he kept his eyes on the ball instead…
I’ve said before the unsettled defence is a reasonable excuse.
But quite simply, if he wants to step into the England team
All that’s required on his part,
is to string together some good performances.
Don’t think it matters where he does that,
He’s already under consideration…
I like big Fraser and would prefer he stayed for a couple of reasons.
One, whether we get 4 or 40 million for him It’s unlikely to be invested in the team.
Two, for all his faults (which I believe are temporary and fixable) we are unlikely to replace him with better.
Sorry if that sounds a bit negative but I’m a bit short on optimism at the moment.
Should we lose oot tae the Gandydancers..
If Ah wuz.. Desmond… Ah wid Send A Clandestine Operative ,tae the
Hame of the Gandydancers..
In order.
Tae.. Surreptitiously, and Sleekitly..
Tap up thur Manager.
Fur he is a Conniver, a Fly yin.. a Rara Avis..of the Fitba’ Managerial Species.
Yep. He .Soitenly,wid be Ma Pick tae tak over,in Wheel Hoose.. at Parkheid oan the Clyde.
Ah like his Style.. Big Time.
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
Kojo@16.04
The wee tizzy you refer to was a realization that wrestling with pigs was not a fruitful occupation as the bout tends to take place in the gutter, a home ground venue for the pigs.
The last-straw spat occurred on a night when we should have been celebrating the good news about Oscar Knox. I note that neither of the blogging personae I took issue with recognised that and continued with the sniping for days after I had gone.
Either this blog just counts hits and uses The Big C to generate heated responses, or we get back to a level of dealing with honest posters with honest opinions. I know we have lost a lot of valuable posters from both sides of the glass/empty or full debate because of the frankly annoying habits of those who want this to be a big green Daily Record site.
If it cannot be brought back to that standard, we should lose the “not lazy journalism” tag because we will have embraced that approach.
I still have hopes that there are enough genuine and skilled debaters on here, plus those that might be encouraged to reappear, that we do not need to consume the “Look at me- Big C” approach, as much as you need to supply it.
Failing that, we could always have separate threads so that those who prefer heat to light can indulge themselves with hyperbole and ‘yer maw’s a …” to their hearts content.
How many must we chase away?
My Dear Loyal Friend….Kojo
Jings..! Crivvens..! Help M’Bhoab..!
Alert Yer Food-Tasters…..
Livia Hiz Been Released Fae The Asylum..
And Is Stalking This Hallowed Blog !
~~~~
Hope Yer Keepin’ Tabs Oan Oor Multi-
Monikered Contributers…
Miss Moneypenny Keeps Me Updated Oan Their Fiendish Efforts At Deception…
A Storm A Chroi/Dingo Dog Of The Ootback/Kitalba…..
Morrissey’s 33rd Wet Dream/Her Majesty Maggie McGill….
James Forrest/Timbhoy2…..
[Gold Coast Tom…Was RIGHT!…Ed]
~~~~~~
Ah Reckon Ye’re Correct….
When Ye Say Forster Might Be Off SOONER….
Soitenly If We’re Eliminated From The CL..
Closely Followed By PL….To Man Utd?
As He Has Maximised His Potential Earnings….
As Far As His Share Of The Profit From Transfers Out Of The Squad….
The Family Silver Hiz Been Sold….
Much Like Callaghan’s Red-Labour Had Done To Britain By 1978…..
But We Do Not Hiv A Maggie Thatcher Figure That Can Coach…..
Comin’ Over Oor Horizon….
Tae Save Kilbowie Kowboys Streaky Bacon…
Right..? You Betcha..!
celtic should actively pursue a replacement for FF now or in January at latest. If FF wants away this season any bid in excess of 4.5 million should be taken after Wednesday’s game. biggest problem this season has not been the sale of players, but rather celtic’s lack of preparation with regards players going and coming in.
hopefully lessons are being learnt as we move forward with the current model of recruitment young players:
if a player refuses to sign an extension to contract with 2 years or less sell to the highest bidder (always the in demand players don’t you know)
when players are refusing to sign extensions to said contracts start identifying replacements asap and get the deals done.
stop referring to players as ‘projects’, just let them progress into the team
where possible get deals done in January, if not January work towards preseason at latest (unfair to ask players to come in and preform with little time to settle into new team, country, system etc…)
HH
BMCUW
With the single exception of failing to get Hooper replaced in time for this qualifying tie, I’m really not sure what more might have been done. (Hooper should have been replaced in January, as Awe Naw has said repeatedly)
From where I was watching, our players undid themselves last week. Ledley and Izzy for the first goal, Mouyokolo (initial header from the long ball) for the second. All experienced pros, notwithstanding the fluke that deflected the shot onto the head of the incoming forward player.
Added to that the chances missed, the staid formation and the discomfited approach to the match, I’m not sure where to place Peter Lawwell in the list of most wanted for the outcome of that tie.
Somewhere after the players and the team management I should think.
As a null hypothesis, if PL is held accountable for that result, should he not be lauded if the team prevail on Wednesday night?
We needed to replace Hooper. We needed to replace him last season. We didn’t. That’s my beef. That said, even had we replaced him at that time, there is no accounting for the poor performance of the team last week.
Are Benfica in CL this season?
SFTB
Nice to see your abridged critique back on the blog!
Welcome back. :-)
Good afternoon all
Sftb great to see you back. How are you all today. Are we still at sniper school? Had a great day yesterday for my 67th, hope it is as good as the last 67 I enjoyed. :))
Weefra HH
[the performance of the team last week being the cause of the general feeling of despondency at large]
Tradionalist 88 from earlier – there is no need for a formal boycott it will just happen naturally.
Interesting to read the discussion on the number of co efficient points celtic may have next season and how important it is to maximise these points in order to smooth the path thru to the group stages and also how it makes life easier when thru.
Sevco whenever they qualify for Europe will have almost nil points and so there chances of negotiating the qualifiers will be vey small indeed!
Auldheid
I suggested innovation. That’s just downright good sense.
:¬)
I’ve found it very strange reading back just now the number of posters who actively want rid of Big FF. I’ve not been watching Celtic for as long as some on here but I think he is the best goalkeeper we’ve had in my time. But that’s just my opinion.
My dear,dear,dear,friend.. The Singing Detective
Yes.. oor Critics are Legion… they are At the gates.
Whit Kin we dae?
Surrender..??
Tempting.. Tempting Lad..
Fur Ah am doon tae Ma Last Coupla Pearls!
Casting the ithers hiv done No good,at all…at All.
It Is Discouraging.. but.. Whit kin Ye dae?
Wull We tak Dame Vera’s Advice?
Why No..??
Ah think that we should..
and at the Same Time..
offer Her same advice tae oor Discomfited Manager..as well
“When ye’re up tae yer Kneck in Hoat Waater…
Be like a Kettle.. and Sing”
So we wull..
Maks sense Tae Me.
Alwiz a Pleesure,pal…
Kojo
Still…Laughin’
As_I_thought
One more through the spine does not matter. I reckon a lot are thinking that way.
CashandCarryCSC
Awe_naw
When you say “a lot are thinking that way” do you mean a lot of fans or a lot of members of the board?
Some folk on here have very short memories. Forster has bailed us out on numerous occasions in his time here, an example being the Helsingborgs away game this time last year when he made several crucial and outstanding saves to keep us 1-0 up. I’ll accept that he has looked slightly shaky in one or two games so far this season but the defence in front of him has been absolutely atrocious at times. If we let him leave then presumably we’re stuck with Zaluska unless we pull a rabbit out of the hat and sign a top keeper by the weekend. How likely is that given the painfully drawn out saga we’ve had to endure over getting a striker in?
Zaluska had every chance to make the no. 1 jersey his own when Boruc started to lose the plot and then again when Boruc left. He looked suspect in just about every game he played in and proved that he should only be here as back-up.
As I thought
I agree with you… while FF has looked a little bit sluggish the last few games, I still think he is the best keeper we have had in some time.
I think he is a good keeper now, and we would miss him if he goes. I didn’t think he was responsible for the two goals on the weekend ….And I think he is going to develop into one of the top keepers around in the not too distant future.
I would keep FF too.
He is young and has time on his side..
ipaddy mccourt
Selling another first team player, no matter how poor his current form, would be an act of madness. That would make 4 in a matter of a few weeks. How is a manger going to cope with organising a team that changes do radically. This idea that every time we get a ‘good offer’ for one of our players we have to sell is lunacy. For Neil it must be like juggling with a ton of loose soot.
I don’t think my couch is big enough to hide behind for the game on Wednesday. For the life of me I can’t see us keeping a clean sheet. I also can’t see us scoring more that two. I reckon we will need four or more to go through. We made a real erse of the first leg. The manager will need to earn his crust that’s for sure. However its the players who really need to step up to the plate. Under no circumstances are there to be any passengers. Nothing less that their very best will be enough. And even then we still might just come up short.
Hail hail.
And while we’re on the subject of atrocious defending, Izaguirre is now an absolute bombscare and should be dropped for Wednesday. For every good cross he puts in there are another fourt or five that go straight to the keeper or into row Z.
Matthews at left back, Lustig at right back please Lenny.
On a scorcher in Fife it is interesting to look back 80 years.
80 Years ago on this date there was a heatwave and Celtic lost 4-3 to Kilmarnock.
Peter McGonagle opens the scoring for Celtic before Jim Williamson equalises for Killie. Garngad-born John Connor is brought in to the outside-left position and scores to put Celtic in front for a second time but the lead is only briefly held as centre-forward James Maxwell then outside-right William Liddell make the score 3-2 for the home side at half-time. Late in the game Liddell adds Kilmarnock’s fouth goal making Johnny Crum’s goal on 85 minutes academic. Celtic fail to make an impression on a hot day and after this defeat Celtic languish in twelfth place in the league, with just 3 points after four games played.
The English league opened in a heat wave and at Highbury champions Arsenal and visitors Birmingham played remarkably good football in the excessive heat, every member, of both sides played at-top speed. Arsenal deserve high praise for holding their own, because midway through the first half, Alec James (ex-Raith Rovers), their captain, had to retire from the game, while near the finish Joe Hulme, England’s outside right, also went so lame that he was carried from the playing arena. At Blackpool, Bertie Thomson makes a good impression for his new club, but the ex-Celt’s team lose by 2-1 to Preston North End, with another Scot, ex-Partick forward John Torbet bagging the winner.
Captain Percy J. Sillitoe, Chief Constable of Glasgow has returned from a visit to the U.S.A. where he has gained many positive ideas for reducing crime in this country including the use of advanced criminal records techniques and police-car wireless communication.
……………………
I would hasten to add that I am not speaking from personal experience. This is from the Celtic Wiki taken from newspapers of the day.
Ipaddy.. Shot stopper yes, but that what a goalkeeper gets paid for.. Whereas cross cutter outer and boss of the box.. NO!! Dracula comes to the fore….
Mike in Toronto
Haven’t seen anything from the weekend but from reports there was nothing he could do for the 1st. Not sure about the second.
Watch the game against Karagandy last week and although he had a poor kick before the 1st goal we had plenty of time to reorganise before the throw in came in. Of the ball was flicked on that’s another matter but I do think any of out defenders covered themselves in glory there.
I’m still surprised Efe was dropped.
iPaddy McCourt don,t be ridiculous Charlie at LB Adam stays on the right with Mikael Hail Hail Hebcelt
jungle jim
15:41 on 26 August, 2013
Absolutely ….. Some fholk think players will jump at the chance to play in Scotland……if we get through to the CL, players will be more inclined to join us…..and that’s the dilemma we find ourselves in…patience all round, methinks……if we had replaced VM, Hoops and Wilson like for like, we would have had to pay about £20m ……. Then what happens if we didn’t get through to the CL because they played before they were settled in ….!!!!???? …. It’s a long term strategy, and we need to be careful to protect the Club’s long term future.!!!!…I think most of our fans appreciate that….
Kojo 16:42
Legion is one, unbeatable Legion from unbeatable city Warsaw. Legion will be at the gates tomorrow and will beat Steaua Bucharest.
My Dear Kojo….
Forster’s Only Reliable Outball….
Is To Georgios….When He Is Loitering On The Left Wing….
And It Is Quite Effective….
As Georgios Wins A Large Proportion Of These Kickouts….
Deep In Enemy Territory….
However,When Georgios Is Playing The Lonesome Linwood Linty……
He Is Not In The Ideal Position To Receive Such Clearance….
His Kicking Remains Otherwise Poor….
But If He Threw The Ball Out To Our Defenders….
They Would Need Twenty Square Passes..
Before They Crossed The Halfway Line…
Such Is The Stultifying Effect Of Our Current Coaching Regime….
Other Than The Inspirational Artur….
Fraser Is The Best Goalie We Have Had…
Since Ronnie Simpson Hung Up His Boots….
And Sat On The Pools Panel…
don’t think we’ll sell FF if he wishes to stay, but if he is seeking to move, we’re wasting our time trying to keep him.
not so much actively wanting ride, rather taking steps to ensure that we don’t loss another player without an adequate replacement being bought.
Get two goals.
Then start playing for real.
Mak’s sense tae me…
U
THE BATTERED BUNNET
I respect your opinion,and never miss a post from you.
In this particular situation,we are very close to agreement. Which is as it should be,good Celtic men with joooost slightly different ideas on how we move forward.
And in that respect,PL comes from a long line of people in charge of the club who have missed a chance to move us forward.
When was the last time we built from a position of strength?
Don’t do that,it’s not The Glasgow Celtic Way-another poster I miss,btw,get yerself back on here,R-and I’m frankly scunnerved wi it.
We are hit with lies and conjecture about financial viability instead of hope ambition and leadership.
It’s not on.
And BTW,I may not agree too often with MADMITCH,but he was spot-on wi this.
“madmitch
16:07 on 26 August, 2013
TBB @ 14.51
We are not talking about spending this year’s CL / EL revenue it is a case of spending last years revenue / CL monies.
If things are so tight that all that money and the fees from transfers are already accounted for / needed to keep the ship afloat then PL has to go.
We are in a better position than this.
All the flannel and techno babble around not doing a “TFOD” is just that.
The bleating a and excuses of a management team that has failed.
No CL football and PL has to go.”
Well said,bud.
As I thought
As you probably know, I have no problems criticizing a player’s or coach’s performance, if I think he isn’t producing the goods….
And agree that there are aspects of FF’s game that could be better (kicking, and coming for crosses for certain)…. but with respect to the latter, I cant help but think that the frequent chopping and changing in front of him would make him more hesitant to come out … that keeper/centre back relationship is crucial, and takes a bit of time to develop.
As i say, he is not the finished article by any stretch, but I think that after right back (I rate both ML and AM highly) keeper is probably only other area that doesn’t need work.
But, it seems you and I are in the minority on this one….
IPaddy
Forster, has turned oot at be a Brammer.
He is a GREAT Goalie.
And that is why. . we wull ,Eventually, Lose Him.
If A Player is Excellent..then. Ye must Expect tae hiv suitors fur his Services.. lining up ,by the truckload.
Tak a look at The Players that we hiv ,at the Moment
The Only Two.. in Ma Opinion..
That are Excellent..
Ur..
Adam and Jamesie..
Yes, Jamesie.. He is Not Playing to his Full Capacity,at this time..because of one thing or another.but,mak nae mistake..
This Lad ,when he is Fully Fit and Functional..
Is an Excellent Player.
Adam,of course, has Always bin one of Ma Favourites.
This Kid..jist oozes class.
After Forster goes. Other than These two guys..
and Possibly,as an Afterthought..
Commons…
We shall have no worries of Losing any of the Ithers..
Who in thur Right mind,mind ye..
Wid
Covet..that likes of
Izzy, Charley, Lustig, Kayal, Ledley, Sammi, Broonie???
They are good Club Players..
But, who wid Buy ANY of Them?
Nobuddy.. that’s who.
Face it fellows..
Uneasy, lies the heid of a Manager..
Especially, a Scottish Soccer Manager..
who His Unearther an Excellent Player.
That’s life in the Big City..
Celtic Fans, jis Hiv tae Live wi’ It.
Kojo
Still, Laughin’