Another day another Uefa fine for crowd-related transgressions, the umpteenth in recent years. When we went to Seville we knew you could take tens of thousands of Celtic fans anywhere, secure in the knowledge they would make friends with police and locals alike. That reputation’s gone, the Fifa and Uefa awards, relics.
The world appears to have its share of Pussy Rebels. Someone who will tarnish another’s reputation (in this case Celtic) but not have sufficient courage in their convictions (in this case their right to break Uefa rules) that they will do so in their own name, accepting consequences accordingly.
The internet is full of them too, keyboard hard men who will carry a campaign to the ends of the earth, as long as it doesn’t leave a trace of identifying information. If their name gets out, they will run 100m in the opposite direction of their declared stance, faster than Usain Bolt at am Olympic final. Pussy Rebels, every one of them. Lots of people have crazy/offensive/just plain wrong views, but manage to put their names to them – nutcases, but Tiger Rebels.
If you have a view, or way you like to enjoy a game of football, stand up for it.
The incidents in Zagreb pale into insignificance compared to the mini-bus attack which left a child injured before the League Cup semi-final. That wasn’t a rule transgression, it was proper violence.
A few days after the incident I wrote I was concerned there had been no arrest. Despite the overwhelming outrage among Celtic fans and others, and the damage done to the victim, the reward money is still unclaimed. Do the proper thing, report the crime and claim your reward. We have a reputation worth putting your name to.
Not sure how things will go (on the field) tomorrow night. Celtic have an incredible record in the San Siro over 90 minutes, four draws and I think only a couple of defeats? A win would see us into the last 16, it’s a huge ask, but don’t bet against Ronny.
Farewell James Easdale, we’ve loved your work.
My thanks to Andy Coyle. Don’t know him from Adam, but he called me out of the blue, met outside Celtic Park, and put £100 in my hand for our Mary’s Meals appeal. God bless the Celtic support.
On the subject of which, you know you’re dealing with someone special when you learn Lisa Hague, Kris Commons partner, bought a ticket for CQN11 St Patrick’s Dinner. She’ll be helping out too, more on that later. After the dinner we have Packy Bonnar, Joe Miller, Tommy Coyne and the one-and-only Tom Boyd, with Archie Macpherson speaking about Jock Stein and Patricia Ferns on song.
Let me know if you still need a ticket, celticquicknews@gmail.com
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Zico-Maltese Bhoy
Did you sit behind me in Maths ha ha see post at 8.48 .
HH
Got to be the trusted 4-2-3-1 tonight, it’s the way we play know and the players know what is needed 1-0 to the leather belts Gordon MOTM
Inter are p#sh…imho…if we don’t go through against them then, reallity should dawn on you all…if not…and there is a God…I hope he helps you.
How many saves did CG have to make in the 1st game?…that…should tell you how good Inter are…CG made some mistakes and, to an extent…he did what I have seen ‘every’ Celtic GK do since Ronnie Simpson(Broto apart)…he flucked it up.
As for the ‘pussy-rebels’ probably descendants of the gay-mafia who run their church and oust rebel-priests?…aye
“Forgive them Father for…they know not what they do.”
Father Matthew Despard – CSC
C’mon the rebel-priests
Oh…if this post gets my CQN-account pulled…GOOD!
Inter Milan v Celtic
Inter Milan have scored a goal at home in 91% of their league games this season. I think it is fair to say that we need to score at least twice to go through.
They are 4th in an offense table and 13th in a defence table.
http://www.soccerstats.com/team.asp?league=italy&teamid=28
They concede goals and this was displayed last week. They concede bad goals and I watched their game on Monday and middle to back they struggle to keep possession of the ball.
I think the only way for us to get passed Inter and qualify is to go all out attack. Playing it tight and trying to nick one plays into their hands. They will be delighted to keep the ball in the possession of their forward players. The best place to have the ball is midfield to front. We will need to be cautious of them on the break and this is where we have come unstuck in Europe at times this season.
We MUST keep possession of the football as much as possible. Bitton will be hounded when he gets the ball and he done a tidy wee turn a few times last week and got caught out the last time he tried it. Bitton needs to be a bit cuter tonight with this the Italians are great students of the game and like someone has mentioned earlier they will have learned a lot from the first leg and usually Italians are better in the 2nd leg.
For that very reason I would spring a new inclusion in the team.
As much as I have lauded Griffiths as a quality goalscorer since he signed I would go with Guidetti from the start tonight. I think the big man is an awkward customer and could cause the Italians problems. He has scored in his last two and I am a great believer of playing strikers on form. He is our form goal scorer and for me would get the nod although I thought Griffiths was excellent in the first leg I think it is a surprise inclusion and also just a wee bit more quality and experiennce in this type of match.
Craig Gordon is probably the most important player in our team tonight. If he has a night where he is pulling off brilliant saves then we have a fair chance to get through. We got a clean sheet last week in one half and Inter didn;t manage that. Gordon will have to be at his best and I think he will. The lad has a steely determination to get better and I think he will. Gordon will need to be one of the best players on the pitch tonight for Celtic to get a positive resut and I have faith that he will be.
Gordon
Matthews
VVD
Denayer
Izzy
Bitton
Brown
Armstrong
GMS
Johanssen
Guidetti
It’s going to take a huge effort and subs will be important. I would expect Griffiths to replace Guidetti 60 min mark and Commons to come in for GMS not long after. Bearing in mind we have the sheep on Sunday I expect Commons and Griffiths will be kept in reserve knowing that they are at their most potent in SPFL games and will be vital against the Sheep. For me Europe is a bonus and it makes sense to have certain horses for courses so to speak.
The only two differences from the team I have are Griffiths for Guidetti and Commons for GMS but I suspect Ronny will give GMS his chance again and Guidetti is in form.
Just my opinion.
As much as it is important that Craig Gordon plays well it is also important that everyone puts in a shift. There are no room for passengers in a game like this.
One last thing we MUST do is keep 11 men on the pitch. It’s a hard enough task without a daft red card derailing our chances.
If we can knock Inter out it will be up there with the night we knocked Barca out the UEFA cup 10 or so years ago.
I am going positive and backing 2-1 to Celtic. Hopefully the Bhoys put on a show. As long as we can find the net a couple of times we have a chance in this tie. All out attack is the key. If we sit back we are inviting the Italians to hold possession and burn the tie out.
Prepare for time wasting a plenty as well. Lets hope we can go at them early and open the tie up.
LB
I’m old school, I’d rather get beat having a go giving it your best shot, but sitting in is the safe way trying to keep clean sheet, but at some point you have to have a go, so whether it’s from the start, or the last 20 mins. Makes no difference to me, as long as we get a result, or show at least to have made a fist of it .
Livibhoy
One game in which they did fail to score at home, and might be more relevant to tonight than league statistics, was against St. Etienne in the group stages of the Europa league.
Interestingly, having taken 6 points from their first 2 games, Inter didn’t really need to win that match, similar to tonight.
That’s why I think we should exploit any possible indecisiveness they may have about how to approach tonight’s tie.
And why I’d disagree about all-out attack being a winning strategy tonight.
Hail! Hail!
Same team as last week please.
Guidetti replacing Leigh wouldn’t be a disaster.
I dunno how you dudes can tell what time subs are gonna be made without seeing the game. Dafties the lorra ye:)
HH
Kev J being ‘controversial’ in a Chris Sutton stylee, same old same old.
KTF
beatbhoy
Each to their own. I can only go with what I saw last week and on Monday. Looking at the stats they will probably score. We need two. It’s hard to get them sitting back. If we sit back and they score early we are then chasing a victory and the tie could be done. We really have to score first I think.
I just hope whatever Ronny decides works!
Geordie Munro
There is no point making predictions and not having a bash at the sub times as well. Hahahaha
LB
Butsybhoy@0.33
Anytime fhriend. As Agcr says any number of Belfast tims will make sure you are well looked after. Stay away from that Dena one she’s sore on the black stuff lol. See you on boat Sunday skin. If you’re planning to go out with Bhoylo be sure to bring Id.
WITs
How’s it going? Thanks for the recommendation re the Primo Levi books. Brilliant but a tough read.
Right aff oooouuuttt in Milan. Bus tour to stay off gargle.
COYBIG
A lot of cautious pessimism this morning ……..me, I honestly believe we will win tonight……Ronny is developing a great team here, whIch will go on to Deliver on our aspirations ……. get stuck in Celtic, just like last Thursday ……up ‘n at ’em ……. Hail Hail
Lb,
Lol. It was a tongue in cheek jibe. Glad you took it that way. ;)
Inter might well destroy us tonight but I’m much less concerned than I was last week.
The goals we lost weren’t due to us being gung ho or shredded to pieces imo.
They were the type of goals we haven’t lost all season. Silly mistakes and freakish luck.
Cut them out and we’ll have a chance
Ktf!!
IF we are to get through tonight – I think its more likely to be by the odd goal. Can’t see a 0-1 in our favour.
Have watched quite a bit of Serie A this season (including highlights) and Inter always seem nervous/ disorganised when attempting to defend tight leads (particularly the longer the game goes).
It could be a case of; IF we score – they score or IF they score – we score and then Inter are faced with the dilemma of whether to stick or twist!
Think we have it in us to score more than one goal but we will be open to conceding one – its down to us to take make our chances count and progress.
1-2 @ 16/1 (and saver 2-3 @ 40/1) H!H!
Ps
Afore I go. Chunky boots with skinny jeans are this seasons attire and judging by Duomo square ,its green that is the new black.
FashionistaCsc
Parent – Teacher night tonight!:-(
First appointment 5:35, last one at 6:50.
Normally run about half an hour late, so no chance of seeing game live.
I am recording it, but can’t decide whether to watch the recording without knowing the score.
Decisions.
As long as we try our best tonight I’ll be OK with that.
Win, lose or draw.
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
marrakesh express-my take on it too mate,great to be in with a chance to progress.HH
It’s incredible the change of heart in our support over the past 6 months…..me included.
Our performances in Europe (and in the SPL) had me bemused. I could see what Rony was trying to do (pressing game for 90 mins) but we patently didn’t have the players to do this so I wanted us to be more cautious.
WTF do I know :-)
The players have been transformed in fitness and speed of thought, every one of them.
I am now pretty convinced, after watching Inter v Cagliari, that if we go for the jugular they will run out of steam after about an hour.
They definately have the talented players to hurt us with some magic but we need to keep at them for the 90. Jeez, it really is like watching the young Lions back in the 60’s, they fear no foe.
Alfie, I’m Labour to the marrow but you are so wrong. This shower that are in power at the moment are “succeeding” off the backs of the 1000’s of sacked public service workers, slashed Welfare budgets, criminal persecution of the poorest, desperate folk taking the only work going on zero hours contracts. The jammy bastards have just benifited from the halving of energy costs due to the oil price.
Who gave them the mandate to GIVE £80 BILLION a year to GP’s? That is a criminal act in my view, £80 BILLION per year of tax payers money going to small individual private company’s ’cause that’s what GP’s are, they are not in the NHS.
Rant over, mon the hoops.
….and the Glasgow Celtic will be there….
https://twitter.com/thaitims/status/570868601697148929
Philbhoy
‘Likely Lads’ scenario, mate.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0089881
Morning from a typically drab Denmark.
These Euro days are odd. I start off calm and relaxed because, let’s face it: we’re playing away from home in Europe. If the last fifteen years in general, and this season in particular, teach us one thing it’s to not expect much from away games. A 3-1 defeat would not be in the least bit surprising.
Then…
I pop onto CQN a few times during the day, the visits getting longer and more frequent until I’m practically running out of work to get home absolutely buzzing and against all logic I’ll have developed “a funny wee feeling we just might do something”.
I’d really appreciate it if our defence would let that feeling last beyond the first ten minutes without chucking in an absolute howler.
Controlled play without eight players flooding forward in the first five minutes would definitely help my nerves.
I think Griffiths will start as he was given a bit of a rest and Guidetti & Commons will be held in reserve for the last 30 minutes. Is Forrest fit? If so I imagine he’ll complete the three subs. I hope we’re still in it then.
Logic: 3-1 to Inter. Heart: 2-1 to the Hoops.
My only wish for tonight is the 1st half is’nt a picture image of last week.
Not sure whether to head for the battle cruiser or relax at home to watch the match, i suppose at 1.25 lev for a beer it’s a no-brainer -)
Ive no prediction and no bets being put on tonight for this -)))
Inter are through as the score stands – but I think they will want to wrap the tie up early tonight. Once again we will need to guard against an early goal. It will need a heroic defensive performance against a slick side.
But then we are always capable of scoring at the moment We have the players who can break quickly and punish any defensive slips from Inter.
What’s the odds on 4 – 4 and through on away goals?
One of the features of Ronny’s euro games has been his post match statement of ‘we know how they will play’ which in most cases to date has been entirely wrong.
If we can avoid being 2 down in ten minutes then we will have some chance. There is frankly no chance they will sit back and defend. They are not Juve. Virgil was poor at the start of the last game and their forward simply sat behind him and made the runs.
If we repeat that we’ll get punished.
Our best chance is if they are unsettled not if they are resisted. Stopping any flow to their game will be crucial. Guedetti is more unsettling than Griffiths but easier to catch. We will get fewer chances so we need to be clinical. I suspect scoring too earlier will not help our cause.
Hoping to be surprised tonight.
HH
Sorrey that should be ‘pre-match’ to make any sense :-)
Bawsman @ 9.32
Why did you have to do it?
A perfectly good post and then you had to mention Alfred. I am on my way into work shortly for a stressful day ( especially if I cant get away early) and now I know that at some stage I will be reading some diatribe accusing all and sundry of being SNP stooges with at least some of it being in block capitals.
Alfie, I implore you just this once rise above it all.
Jimbo67
Gordon_J
4-4 @300/1 – 350/1
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon
What’s the odds on 4 – 4 and through on away goals?
————————————————-
250/1
Sitting in for 70 mins, hoping to keep it 0 – 0 then nick one in the last 20 mins is all very well if it comes off…. but if Inter score in the 69th minute then we’re out, they will kill the game.
This is a team built to attack. We have pace galore at the back, in fact throughout the team. Go and take the game to them. Make them worry about us coming forward. We outplayed them in the 1st leg. Most people thought that was refreshing. What’s more refreshing, is going to Italy and doing the exact same thing.
Naive? Maybe. Courageous? Without doubt.
Grow a set and show them the Celtic way is to attack, home or away. Damn the wattenacio. At worst we get a learning curve for next season. At best we get a team that earns plaudits throughout Europe, a team that strikes fear into our opponents.
If we get the 1st goal, then we can drop deeper and look to spring forward on the counter.
“I think it is important to win a match, but I think what is even more important is the manner in which you win.”
Jock Stein
“The best place to defend is in the opposition penalty box.”
Jock Stein
“It is up to us, to everyone at Celtic Park, to build up our own legends. We don’t want to live with history, to be compared with legends from the past. We must make new legends.”
Jock Stein
Same team as last Thursday. Inter 2 Celtic 4.
COYBIG
praecepta, Burgas Hoops,
I’m really tempted to put a quid on now!
Big day for Celtic – first and foremost we put in a good performance – then whatever the outcome, we will be emboldened for our relentless progress towards the treble – I am sure we would all be happy with that out come in Ronny’s first season.
Let’s also put Aberdeen back in their place – I expect a resounding victory on Sunday – they will not be able to live with us now.
Perhaps all the chances we are making will be converted into a decent goal tally.
There will be a 50,000 attendance and we will go to CP confidently expecting a victory – HH
Guys,
I’m looking for a bar to watch the game in Edinburgh near Lothian Road.
I’ve tried CelticBars.com and can’t see any likely places.
Any suggestions or recommendations?
Hail Hail
Gordon_J
Nice return for a £ -)
Gordon_J
You could go the whole hog………………….
Zig or Zag 1st scorer and 4-4 @2050/1 :-)
dancingbhoy
Malone’s Forrest Road.
Place will be mobbed. Get there early. It’s up near the University and Meadows and a stone throw from the museum and Greyfriars Bobby.
From Lothian Road walk through the Grassmarket, take a right at the Cowgate up to Greyfriars. Walk toward Meadows and the bar is on your left. It’s huge you can;t miss it.
http://www.malonesedinburgh.com/
LB
Ohits
Just seen your post regarding same class at maths.
I think there will be a few people on here that will think along the same lines as us regarding deployment of Guidetti and Griffiths.
I was talking to big Bada Bing the other night and he is of the same opinion.HH my friend.
Morning Bhoys
Tough one tonight.
Although we are improving rapidly, I believe our best chance, is if we shock them early.
Everyone will be expecting Inter to press from the off, and score an early goal.
But…if we do the pressing from the off, they may become anxious.
We have a young team….but full of potential…..I believe we can win.
Inter 0 Celtic 1
HH
Come on the Hoops
praecepta,
I’m not that lucky – that’s why I don’t bet.
Got to go for it (but not gung ho).
Having a go and getting beat – I can live with that.
Being too cautious and getting beat – RAGING!!
COYBIG.