We’ve never known an easy Champions League game. Ever. Teams with low resources who have pitched up at Celtic Park have always caused us problems. Even our biggest win (3-0, Benfica) was a tense affair with little between the teams territorially.
Five years ago we returned home with a point from Spartak Moscow, expecting a victory at Celtic Park but we had to endure an incredibly tense evening before prevailing on penalties. Celtic will need to be on top form if they are to win tonight, and a win is what we need to target. Barcelona will be professional but they will also exercise their right to rest players. It’s worthwhile remembering that Barca required late winners at home against both Celtic and Spartak; nothing is assured from them tonight.
Spartak have injury worries which will probably see Kirill Kombarov (not to be confused with his twin Dmitir) play at right back. Kirill is a real weakness and should struggle against Celtic, who have several strong options on the left. They will play with two holding midfielders in front of a back four with one striker and three across the middle. Aiden will be a valuable out-ball for them.
This game will take patience, from us as well as the players. Remember how many games teams have taken and lost a lead in this group. Scoring or losing a goal is no indication of the result. It will also be a game where substitutions are likely to be key. Fresh legs in the last 20 minutes could turn the game.
Take care tonight and have another great European experience.
CQN Annual now available at Timland in the Gallowgate and the Cathedral House Hotel.
Dundee United will be devastated by the blow delivered by The Rangers, who have declined tickets for their Scottish Cup tie. The game is, however, 9 weeks away, which is a long time for a fledgling new club to survive. The Rangers board cite Dundee United’s behaviour towards their predecessor club, Rangers, who went into liquidation owing United money for the Scottish Cup tie in January this year. I strongly recommend you don’t try to figure out the logic here, you’re just not clever enough.
After the demise of Rangers was confirmed, The Rangers asked to be admitted to the Scottish Premier League, however, no such facility existed for a new club, so a vote to change the rules was held and 10 clubs, including United, voted to keep the status quo.
Celtic also voted against changing the rules, and if Dundee United are to be punished by a boycott from The Rangers fans, we surely cannot expect them to turn up at Celtic Park as though nothing happened. In fact, Celtic were firmer than any other club on this matter. It seems only fair that we are punished, not by one boycott, but by many. The firmness of Celtic’s refusal to change the rules is surely worth boycotting 100 games at Celtic Park, which would really teach us a lesson.
The pain we would experience facing The Rangers without their legnedary fans would be close to intolerable. I really hope they don’t embark on an extensive 100 game boycott of Celtic Park. Please, please, forgive us for voting against a rule change.
Surely we’ve suffered enough by not facing you in league competition during this Armageddon season? If only we knew how much we would miss ‘Rangers’ when we encouraged the club to vote against the rule change last season. Screw the rules, we just didn’t know what we were doing!
Celtic should be just as worried about this prospect as the Dundee United, who apart from Celtic, are the only Scottish club to receive an award From Uefa for the good behaviour of their fans. Think about that for a moment, a football ground filled with nothing but award winning fans! What is our game coming to?
Charles Green has got Scottish football on the run now.
Epilepsy Scotland have a Celtic ball with certificate of authenticity, signed by 12 Celtic players on the day of the Barcelona game which is available for auction by email. The competition closes tomorrow (Thursday) at 20:00. To win this fantastic piece of Celtic memorabilia email your bid to trusts@epilepsyscotland.org.uk. The prize if for collection only, any postage required would need to be paid separately. All funds raised will go towards Epilepsy Scotland.
Really pleased with the feedback on the CQN Annual, many thanks. You can order online here, it’s an excellent Christmas present, even for yourself!
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Bawsman weather looks good,although very cold,until 3 or 4am.No warnings that I’ve seen.
A beautiful sunny cold day in the south side.
Bawsman
An old Russian joke for you, while you’re waiting for your roads report:
“There are no roads in Russia: only directions.”
Troo …
Haha, quality paul67. I was actually trying to figure out the logic in the boycott the other day. With it also being a cup tie is Chico not shooting himself in the foot by potentially reducing his half of gate receipts? Or has he forfeited sevco’s share by refusing tickets?
And a sevco boycott of paradise? They could only dream of such a fixture! And that would save us from the bile & toilet repairs; win win.
Hail hail, Celtic to do it tonight!!
Thanks Timmy, I think the weather further north is the issue by the looks of things.
This is an unearthly hour to be posting.
If anyone has seen the YouTube video of CP being prepared for tonight’s game, you will know that there are roadworks on London Road and widespread traffic disruption is expected this evening. Get to CP early.
Come on Celtic.
Bawsman-Cold and crisp up here,heavy snow predicted tomorrow morning from 5am onwards in Glasgow/Central Belt.
Paul 67 et al-Would ownership of Murray Park and Poundland have to be declared in a Prospectus for a share issue? Mine still hasn’t arrived btw.:}
Bawsman
Just mainly dry and frosty. Safe trip.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings/#?tab=map&map=Warnings&zoom=5&lon=-4.50&lat=55.74&fcTime=1354622460
!!bada bing!!
12:35 on
5 December, 2012
Bawsman-Cold and crisp up here,heavy snow predicted tomorrow morning from 5am onwards in Glasgow/Central Belt.
5am you say, sounds getting home from game and works party might be tricky .
Bada Bing
The Fear is excellent,as is Peter Mullan. Don’t think i’ll be sunbathing on the beach the next time i’m in Brighton though! ;-)
A talented guy whether it be acting,writing or directing.
Used to see him in the North Stand regularly.
Paul67,
Nice one.
You will be taking up a new career in ‘stand-up’ judging by that article.
You might need an operation to get your tongue extricated from your cheek.
And I’m only in Erskine .
Wife will kill me if I go home at that time.
Booker T-He is very under rated as an actor.HH
7 hours till kick off. 2 and a bit hours till beer!
From Met Office
Valid 0300 to 1100 Thursday.
After a very cold night with widespread frost, sleet and snow will spread from the west during the early hours of Thursday. 10-15cm of snow is likely to fall above around 400m with some 5-10 cm above about 200m. At lower levels 2 or 3 cm is likely locally before turning to rain from the west through the morning. Despite turning to rain, the lying snow and ice will struggle to melt and this will bring some treacherous conditions. The public should be prepared for the risk of significant disruption to travel, especially over the M8 corridor to the east of Glasgow, across Perthshire and over much of inland eastern Scotland.
http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/public/weather/warnings/#?tab=map&map=Warnings&zoom=7&lon=-5.13&lat=55.87&fcTime=1354622460®ionName=st
Can I Have Raspberry-Hopefully we can float home tonight.HH
I walked past CP this morning, the pavements on London Road are an accident waiting to happen. A good Council would be out putting salt/grit down, but sadly the Council for CP is Glasgow, so be careful out there!
philvisreturns
12:14 on
5 December, 2012
You can’t wear Soviet jeans anymore because Chernobyl fallout.
(thumbsup)
couldn’t let that pass without some recognition.
Very good.
p
greenjedi – I bet their LGBT carbon footprint diversity strategy is top notch though. (thumbsup)
Paul, great piece. Especially the boycott bit.
I was a turnstile operator at CP for many a year in the late 70s early 80s and worked at the Sevco end on many matches v them. If they had boycotted in those days I would have not been handed spittle soaked tickets or had my stomached turned by their wanton destruction and hatred.
100 year boycott may be preferable…..
With “the rangers” fans? acting like a bunch of stupid kids “dont go to that game they dont like us” (update: nobody likes you) we have the biggest game of the season(so far)to look forward too the night so heads down bhoys and lets not have to hope barca beat benfica,we can do it ourselfs.HH
After the bank collapse in 2008, many were surprised that bankers still didn’t appreciate that they had any responsibility – they still wanted their bonuses, and so on. As many have said since then, “they just don’t get it”, and this has led to bankers being roundly hated.
I’m afraid that Rangers supporters seem to be falling into the same trap. As Paul points out, the SPL clubs only followed the rules in their voting patterns. Rangers have shot themselves in the foot before, notably over taking the SFA to court, thereby risking all of Scottish football being thrown out of world football. I believe that it was that attitude – “we are more important then the game itself” – which cemented the views of the clubs and their supporters to play by the rules rather than make an exception for Rangers. In threatening a boycott, they are hardly endearing themselves to the people they want to share a league with (incidentally, are they boycotting any of the D3 teams who were involved in votes?). Still, toys out of the pram, it’s ma ba’, and so on. “Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake”.
Paul67
Spot on scoring or losing a goal is no indication of result- patience,patience, patience.
Interesting changes to personnel one year on from our 0-1 defeat to Atletico Madrid 30th November 2011 at Celtic Park (corner- header by A Turan 30)
Celtic:
Forster*
Majstorovic
Ledley*
Loovens
Matthews*
Ki
Kayal*
Wanyama
Samaras*
Stokes
Forrest
*Only 5 players who lost that game will line start tonite (Mulgrew Broonie and Ghoops came on as subs)
Wanyama would have played tonite (suspended) possibly Forrest would feature but perhaps not a starter?
Lenny has evolved his starting team by almost 50% in 12 months
I wonder how much the starting team will have changed this time next year?
Celts are Continually improving under the bould Lenny – I have complete faith in his ability to put a winning team on the park..
Soooooo
Bring on Spartak
HH
playfusbal4dguilders – 80’s jokes are the best :) (thumbsup)
izzy, cheers.
timmy7_noted, thanks.
pabloh, cheers.
Kilbowie Kelt, I’m deadly serious!
Sunburst, an excellent suggestion.
saltires en sevilla, we’ve come a long way since then.
tony6714
12:51 on 5 December, 2012
Sorry, Tony.
Without Barca helping, we CAN’T do it ourselves.
Good luck.
philvisreturns
12:49 on
5 December, 2012
greenjedi – I bet their LGBT carbon footprint diversity strategy is top notch though. (thumbsup)
………
I bet that the A&Es don’t give a toss about that, just that they grit the bloody pavements where 60000 people will be walking. My 76 year old Mum is not going to the game tonight as the chances of falling are far far to high for her to risk.
Apricale – After the bank collapse in 2008, many were surprised that bankers still didn’t appreciate that they had any responsibility – they still wanted their bonuses, and so on. As many have said since then, “they just don’t get it”, and this has led to bankers being roundly hated.
Nobody wants to get it.
The government is still prodding at the banks to lend money hand over fist. We also have near-zero interest rates.
In other words, exactly the sort of policies that got us into the mess in the first place, and a recipe for ensuring the next financial earthquake is even worse.
Real wealth comes from savings, not debt. (thumbsup)
Legnedary fans – love it! LOL
Anyone else wish it was Barca or Benfica coming to play in the freezing weather rather than Spartak? Not sure who it would benefit most if it started to snow?!
“The game is, however, 9 weeks away, which is a long time for a fledgling new club to survive.”
classic
Paul67
I’m really struggling to cope without Rangers. Especially knowing they are died and gone forever and that our only substitutes are Barca and Benfica and Spartak and whoever we get in the last sixteen of the UCL and…
It’s dreadful!
MWD is depressed
HMCR to have increased budget to target Tax Evaders-Gideon Osborne.
Can anybody tell me/us: Has there ever been such a boycott before in the history of Scottish football?
A vital player to-night will be the Celtic support who, like the players will have to turn in a ‘Barcelona’ performance by backing the team from start to finish.
P.S. Paul , thanks for your clever piece about our neighbours who seem to be incapable of seeing the truth viz. that their behavior has brought it all on their own heads.
I for one would be delighted if they boycotted Celtic Park ‘sine die’! Green’s intervention on behalf of their Board surely makes their boycott of Dundee United official. Will S,F,A, punish them for this? Surely their action will deprive them of any shareof the gate? I await official action with bated breath.
These CL nights have become a nightmare…
I aways used to set the alarm & get up at 3:30 / 4:30 am an watch live – screaming the house down, frightening the weans & neighbours on occasion.
But recently, due to work commitments & the birth of my third, I cannot continue with this ritual.
I do my same pre match build up – read/watch everything of note before the game, but crucially, PAINFULLY… I then cut off.
Sleep. Going through my starting 11… I awake not to the 4:30 alarm, but to the tones of my 5 year old at 6ish. I try to eat breakfast… thinking only of the score. Of coarse I could just hit newsnow, but then the actual game for me is dead.
So, I avoid all potential information.
Email. No way! Phone wifi OFF.
I work till 12:30. Race home. Catch the 1st half. Go collect the boy at 2 from his playgroup. Back to work till 5. Only then at approx 6pm (my time) do I know the score.
You can’t even imagine what the barca games were like!
My latest harvest of gray is well, and truly blamed on this lifestyle.
Please please please Celtic… be 3-0 up with a 2 man advantage by HT!
tbdJ
ClooneyCSC
Paul67
…
Kilbowie Kelt, I’m deadly serious!
______________
Brer Bear will probably think you are.
They don’t ‘do’ tongue in cheek.
:¬)))