Celtic were overflowing with fine performances last night but mostly this was a tactical victory. Ajax dominated possession against Milan and enjoyed lots at the Camp Nou, so Neil Lennon knew what to expect.
Despite playing at home against our lowest-ranked opponent, we never chased the game, allowed Ajax time on the ball, and waited for the opportunity. We had the intelligence across the field to outsmart Ajax, with agility (Forrest), combativeness (Mulgrew, Kayal) and experience in the box (Stokes) to get the job done. We also have perhaps the best keeper in the competition. Shhh.
At some point before the return game in Amsterdam, The Bore may consider that his team deserved to lose, just as Nir Biton deserved his red card. Lunging into tackles inside the box is a recipe for defeat. Take the ball or you take your opponents leg. The noises from Ajax after the game suggested some bewilderment at the defeat; a well-worn track for teams to leave Celtic Park after Champions League games.
I hope de Boer carries that sense of entitlement into the next game, if he does, he’ll have learned nothing and his team will lose again.
Celtic’s area for remedial action is also clear. Over three Champions League games they have not conceded in the first 75 minutes but conceded four times after that point. This is not a complaint, it’s hard to maintain the levels of concentration, not to mention the physical effort, late in a game, but the stats suggest that, at this level, we wilt before our opponents.
The Dutch are known as progressive and tolerant people but the behaviour of Ajax fans (I hear from the moment they arrived at Schiphol Airport) was deplorable, without question the most violent European fans in all my time watching Celtic.
Football hooliganism is nothing like it was in the 70s and 80s but it is on the rise across Europe. Remain ever-vigilant.
On a more prosaic fan issue…. We were not at a pantomime last night. The moment between Nir Biton lunging forward with his studs up and the referee producing a red card was filled by a “Oooh” from many in the home support.
As soon as I heard this I knew the card would be red. Biton may have gone without the sound effects, but we don’t need to authorise the ref to make a big decision.
All this and the Big Glasgow Derby coming up!!
Between now and Sunday you are going to hear lots about the collection on behalf of the Greater Maryhill Foodbank, taking place before the Thistle-Celtic game on Saturday. What a great cause to be a part of.
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Eddieinkirkmichael 19:17
Nonetheless thanks for posting it. Mr Venton has reached a wider audience!
To all my new found friends who reply to me on CQN I am overcome with emotion
Minx1888
You are always first for me (Hope HT is no reading this Ha Ha)
Justafan – so you don’t thinks there’s any Mason’s high up in Aberdeen Asset Management?
Would that not be a little unusual in that industry? That being the case why has their decision now gone the right way?
Lennybhoy…Supporting Neil Lennon, Wee Oscar Knox and CFC until I die
Donation made to St.John Doyle fund
Hail Hail
Monaghan,“It would be a sideways move for him.”
Brilliant.They get stupider by the day.
playfusbal4dguilders
18:03 on
23 October, 2013
Sure it’s been mentioned but well done the wee ballbhoy last night who couldn’t walk any slower to get the ball for the Ajax players at the corner near the death.
It was right in front of me and he actually had another ball under his seat.
Was great to see considering their carry on at the Pen.
Play4dg
noticed that myself and had a wee chuckle well done to the lhad
eddieinkirkmichael
Thanks for sharing that.
Interesting stuff.
I thought the Aberdeen Asset Mgt case went the right way right through which makes the Rangers judgment all the more perverse, wasn’t this judgment just about whether the Company or the employees themselves had to cough up. Obviously the fact that 3 serious judges reaffirmed the sham nature of the arrangements will be power to HMRC’s elbow in the Rangers case though. It will be decades before we find out what made those original two Scottish layers come to such a ludicrous and contrived judgment for Rangers/MIH but shenanigans would be my bet.
Dontbrattbakkinanger,
That description of Muller could also be for Messi.Uncanny resemblance in the description Winner writes.
For anyone wanting to see the best of Pukki,Forrest,Sammi,or anyone else looking up,then stalling for a few seconds before crossing or passing into the box,the answer is simple,BUY A STRIKER IN JANUARY.
Was that loud enough?.
eddieinkirkmichael at 18:36
Fair enjoyed reading that.
Mick McGahey would have loved delivering it
HH
Utd score a jammy goal.
Ronaldo 1 Nil
Rubentus 1-0 down after 4 minutes. Excellent!
United have a singing section for the first time tonight.
A New Order?!
Good effort from Rooney,follow up o g
HH
Eddieinkirkmichael
Cracking post that raises some very interesting points and plenty issues for debate
St. John Doyle (a fairly lengthy posted, apologies but it deserves to be in my opinion):
Can I begin by doffing my Cap to the Green Brigade for a wonderful tribute to George Ryan, take a bow Ghuys.
Next I want to doff my cap to CQNers and lurkers for the magnificent support given what turned out to be the ‘Mini St. John Doyle’ fund. It all began with a request from TBJ asking me to contact Linda to see if we could put our own tribute on the Big Screen at what turned out to be the scene of a historic victory over Ajax. I hope you all seen the tribute last night.
After the game I received a text from Linda as follows:
Thanks Lennybhoy we were very touched by the CQN and GB tributes tell all of the CQNers thanks very much xxxx
So you started with idea of a tribute, you then decided we should try and get four tickets together to allow the Ryan clan to sit together at last nights match and then when you heard of the so named ‘Mini St. John Doyle’ by Sophie (11 years old) you decided the remaining monies would go to this worthy cause. To remind you what the ‘Mini St. John Doyle’ fund is all about:
George and Linda’s wee Bhoy Sean who was still born in 2000 and they had intended to launch a charity in the memory of Sean at the Re-Gen awards ceremony on 24 October in the Crown George and Linda had intended to launch the charity at the re -Gen wards ceremony on 24 October in the Crown Plaza hotel in Glasgow. Linda and the children will still be attending the event and still intend to form the charity in the name of Sean’s Trust. George had wanted to buy a couple of Log Cabins at Loch Lomond for families who had lost a child to still birth to spend some respite quiet time…
I have been accepting donations from you, which have been used to buy the four Ajax tickets and a beautiful floral tribute. I have kept a record of every donation and kept P67 abreast of what I was doing. I will send the final amount to CQN’s fund raising committee: Taggsybhoy, Blantyrekev and Johnnybhoy once all remaining cheques have been cleared, we will then send the amount to Linda once she has set up the Bank account, which she is in the process of doing.
I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for your support, donations and also for your kind words. They have made me feel very humbled and proud and honoured to have been trusted to serve you. I am not the one who should be thanked; this should be reserved for CQNers and Lurkers who made it all possible.
I will give you one example of how humbled I have been. I was amongst some fine CQNers and friends in Amori yesterday evening. One our own came in, took his jacket off, stood up and said to those gathered, do any of you know Lennybhoy, they pointed me out. He then approached me gave me a donation and shook my hand. He had travelled a distance, hadn’t even got a drink but made sure he gave his donation.
Some of you have shared your own heartaches with me, thank you for that and God Bless you.
And on the night, my namesake and the Bhoys gave us the fairytale ending, Celtic 2 Ajax 1.
I will let you know when the cheque is handed over and will now leave you in peace.
Just one thing left for me to do and that is to tell you how much CQN will be donating to the ‘Mini St. John Doyle’ Fund; this may go up slightly as there are some pledges still in transit…drum roll….
£1,394.30 that is one thousand, three hundred, ninety-four pounds and 30 pence.
God Bless George Ryan, God Bless CQN.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
and God bless lennybhoy
Did the de boer interview remind you of another ex bun interview after we had also beat his team ?
Men against bhoys anyone
And we know how that turned out HH
Eddiein..,
Only problem I have is an american developer getting lisence to ride roughshod over the locals when he was building a golf course.
I honestly dont believe the existing govt have made it hard enough for this vulture to make his demands. Its the next stage in the indianisation of the so called developed countries. All part of the grand scheme, and we know who consider themselves the greatest followers of the grand architect.
However I’m ready to swap allegiance if grangemouth is nationalised
Galatasary 1-0 up now.
Will be interesting to see how Juve behave at the first corner against Madrid after last years nonsense against us.
Gene’s..,
I was thinking more along the lines of “why are you so good” :o)
Hamiltontim is praying for Oscar 19:17:
Thanks mate, we’ll get there…:)
maestro-number8 19:29:
Got it mate replied to your e-mail.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Lennybhoy
You’re a star wee man
HH
Weemninger
Could well be but i think you might agree RFC had a history, associations and an ‘institutional’ status which AAM could not rlicatr
Lennybhoy
A fantastic effort from all involved but especially yourself for your kind heart and generosity of spirit.
Hail Hail mate.
Ps I’ll be in touch re the fund.
Eddieinkirkmichael @ 18.36
I dont know if those were all your own words, but that was a great piece of writing, and has clarified the events at Grangemouth for this thick ignoramus (in the way of industrial relations).
Up the workers!
ie replicate. :-)
LennyBhoy, for your efforts, very well done.
Last night, the big screen and the GB displays were just so fitting.
TBJ and the GB well done for those.
Hun skelper
I went to Ewood Park for that game
remains one of my favourites
Lennybhoy –
Just brilliant, mate. Just sorry that my meeting with you yesterday was so brief.
Lennybhoy
You need to take a huge amount of credit for all you have done, and for not only your, but all our friend George Ryan, a true Celt, like you.
The Ryan family have felt your warmth and what CQN means to us
Hail Hail, or in your words Keep the Faith
steinreignedsupreme
15:17 on 23 October, 2013
MickTT 14:58 on 23 October, 2013
I think wireless has a new meaning among the weans – something to do with the interweb.I prefer to use it in the original form … if only wee Jimmy Sanderson was still on it.
Ah yes wee Jimmy, unique, may not have agreed with his opinion, but you respected it…. All in his wake have failed, miserably.
HH
Can’t see any resemblance between Gerd Muller and wee Lionel. Muller never looked like a footballer. Wee and stocky. Like Joe McBride, he just knew where to be to put the ball in the net. Messi has everything, imo.
I have to say that upon seeing that bench last night sending Tony Watt out on loan is even more baffling.
Marcello has been watching an auld Jacques Cousteau video
Ibrahamovic on the score sheet again.