Celtic’s valiant capitulation last night had a familiar feel to it. We took the game to Milan, bossed them in many areas while the tie was still close enough to be called a contest, created chances but had no cutting edge and lost heavily, at home, to what is clearly the weakest of four Milan teams we have faced in the last decade. It was a similar story when Juventus came to Glasgow last season.
Am I the only one who thought it was familiar from stirring European nights of the 80s? Take on one of the most experience teams in Europe with two out-and-out wingers, inspire for a time but only earn a lesson in how unforgiving the game can be at the top level. Or at least, hope we learned a lesson.
We loved it in the 80s, of course, but it was like going to school when Martin O’Neill arrived and taught us how to win in Europe. Despite the defeat, the 10 men got it right at home to Barca, and in the home win over Ajax, where we allowed the visitors the majority of possession and territory, but with four minutes on the clock and Celtic playing well last night, I noted the game was “worryingly open”.
In Europe, an open game means defeat. We don’t have the midfield or attack to win playing adventurously. When setup properly, we can defend as well as anyone in Europe, this is our irrefutable strength, play to it.
Paul McConville
The first thing I did when I met Paul McConville at the Columba Club on Friday was dig him up for not being in touch recently. This gave him an opportunity to wax enthusiastically about the consuming joy of being back on the tools as a solicitor in Glasgow. He was a man who had arrived exactly where he wanted to be in life.
He was so full of drive, clarity of vision and purpose that it was with utter disbelieve I heard the news of his sudden passing yesterday.
As anyone who read Random Thoughts Re Scots Law knew, he loved his family. He also loved practicing law and held Albion Rovers in high affection. He was not, as has been suggested, part of the Celtic family. Had the snake oil salesmen turned up at Celtic Park they would have endured the same forensic analysis from Paul as he applied elsewhere, but he was an important friend and resource to our community, and ultimately our club, during an historically important time.
To most of us he was a unique blogger. Cheerful, incisive and unrelenting. He charted the story of Rangers insolvency, administration and liquidation, then picked up the even more complicated events surrounding the phoenix.
When asked on Friday why he had been less industrious recently, specifically covering the leaks from Charlotte Fakes, he conceded he just didn’t have the time anymore; he was back litigating and loving it.
The personal cost of his blogging was often all too clear, he was out there, but Paul managed to retain his determination not to be browbeaten, while enduring the numptites with more good grace and humour than most of us could muster. Before taking up his new role in Glasgow he worked a few minutes walk from me. We collaborated on a number of matters in recent years and marked one auspicious afternoon last year by sharing a bottle of Champagne; a genuinely treasured memory.
The fragility of it all is breathtaking. Our condolences to the McConville family. May he rest in peace.
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Last night’s GB display had nothing to do with the referendum as some have alluded to.
The words are the lyrics to a song ‘Terrorist or Dreamer’ and we’re displayed to highlight the hypocrisy of allowing songs in praise of William Wallace while at the same time arresting those who sing in praise of Bobby Sands.
Anyone one else having problems accessing TSFM site?
HH
Glandalystonsils
Nothing wrong with zonal marking as a concept, it is all about how it is executed.
It works well domestically, because with 4 guys at 6’2″ plus in our defence, even if our guys stand static, then we can still win the header.
The challenge is against the tactically aware teams from Italy in particular, where our domestic gameplan of winning & defending set pieces and relying on my big brother being bigger than yours gets easily exposed.
TD
Do you know any members of the Green Brigade?
I was embarrresed to be standing before the game watching a bunch of naughty little school bhoys take the piss out of 55700 others. Get themchased and let them stand outside collecting for the provos
Interesting to see how things turn out moving forward.
We have the money but we have no soul, leadership or direction.
Everything that is now going wrong was mentioned months even years ago.
PL is out of his depth and the Irish Raj is just marking time.
Crowds in Aug 2014 — 35K if we’re lucky?
Just where is the growth agenda?
Add in the bloated squad and the bloated players — stand up EI + VVD — total lack of conditioning.
Then we have the “Clearasil Republicans” being out sung by the Sheep.
What a shambles.
Just where do we go from here?
Answers to Bonus Towers @ Starvation Wages, Hubrisville.
Just logged on.
Shocked and saddened to read of Paul McConville’s death.
Trust the SPFL To Join In
port.stv.tv/football/clubs/celtic/250618-spfl-investigating-banner-displayed-by-celtic-fans-during-aberdeen-fixture/
justafan
Aye, – in a sense, I say yes.
I was never confident of the last sixteen, and the Europa is a pain we could do without,
as it’s very much a secondary tournament.
It’s a bizarre situation with arguably the best back four we’ve ever had in terms of personnel
yet we’re out before Christmas.
Most look to the striking failure, but the midfield hasn’t been right in this campaign either,
and I’ve no interest in watching Celtic struggle in the Europa right through winter, it’s best
to regroup, and give youth and fringe players a chance ( we can afford to do that in a one horse race )
I think when Celtic lose it just makes the next game bigger, and Sunday’s is now massive
because we must do the double.
smoke and mirrors
19:38 on 27 November, 2013
I was embarrresed to be standing before the game watching a bunch of naughty little school bhoys take the piss out of 55700 others. Get themchased and let them stand outside collecting for the provos
——-
Even you are surpassing your own idiocy now.
Try again
http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/celtic/250618-spfl-investigating-banner-displayed-by-celtic-fans-during-aberdeen-fixture/
Barely a peep about the the banner or the hypocrisy that it so cleverly highlighted by anyone in the media (mainstream or otherwise) last night or today. I wonder why?
Suddenly Uefa get involved and everyone has a voice.
Hilarious.
Paul lets have a front page condemnibg the naughty schoolbhoys
tonydon….
More strident than I would have used but in principle I agree.
Pity the opportunity to genuinely enhance stadium atmosphere and show support for the team is a long way behind other agendas.
GB = Militant Tendency
Hi all still trying to get over the hurt from last night,like previous posters I agree we tried to match a team who had superior skills by meeting them in the middle of the ring and trying to slug it out,there was only going to be one winner.Sometimes as in boxing you go in with the wrong plan and your opponent gets a hand up on you and you never recover.I bet the team and the managerial staff felt like crawling under the turf at full time.Its how we learn our lesson that will define our future The team is wounded and will need a lot of encouragement ,they will feel they have let us all down .I remember the Celtic team before we won the European Cup some days they were world beater others they were lousy sometimes both in the same match. Jock Stein came in organized them got into their heads ,got them believing in themselves.All the players last night are good players, they have to go out on that field and believe that they are good,and that they have clearly defined roles and responsibilities.Players can bounce back from bad games and so can coaches.The next game is our most important game of the season,we have been saying that for months but lets get behind the team this Sunday .We do not have to paper the cracks. The board and the Coaches have to sit down and take an honest look at where we are and where we are going and are we happy with what is going on.Lets stay tight together, work through the ups and downs we have a great future.
Burghbhoy,
I don’t disagree with anything you wrote, but , I don’t think you answered my question.
At least we have some good Labour men on the board :)
Bourne
Completely agree. Last night’s game was make or break for Europe.
Domestically, Sunday’s game is just as important. Should we lose I fear that crowds will fall below 30k for league games.
justafan
19:36 on 27 November, 2013
Burghb…
And what was Tommy’s cause???
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
I like to think that was Tommy’s way of saying that Celtic ain’t an ordinary club.The people who follow the club are the club and pulling on a Celtic Jersey and winning games for those people is standing up for them , representing ethical values , values and beliefs to be proud of.
It’s about challenging authority when authority is wrong, it’s about 100k fans travel to Seville without a hint of bother , it’s about being all inclusive and being proud of it, it’s about free flowing attacking football .
Things I’m proud of
Canamalar
Don’t know …you’ll note I predicated my comment on the suggestion that the GB knew what they were doing
justafan
19:31 on 27 November, 2013
we’d just lost the league to Dundee United when he left, i’d say that’s a year too long ;-)
Bourne’s…
Well yes, I agree with your comments but still wish we were still in with a chance of Europe after Christmas!!!
Good evening friends.
justafan
19:41 on
27 November, 2013
More strident than I would have used but in principle I agree.
Pity the opportunity to genuinely enhance stadium atmosphere and show support for the team is a long way behind other agendas.
GB = Militant Tendency
Pretty close to the mark.
Celtic mis “trust” = Militant Tendency.
G.B.= Scargill`s children.
Divisive and destructive entryists.
HT
beware those university types…bad lot dontcha know
Hamiltondim gies a song bet u miss the good old days eh I know them all but now just sing footbal songs . Its easy to back the naughy bhoys more difficult to call them out
Clashcitybhoy
Sorry mate but I thought I had.
The motivation the players should have took is to dig in and fight that bit harder because the ghuys who pay their wages are getting a hard time through various injustices.
The offensive behaviour at Football act being one area highlighted last night
ht @ 19:37 – understood, and also the need to fight the OBB, but why last night? Why did they only do football tifos in previous CL games?
We all know about the hypocrisy shown by UEFA over the years, but why bring more grief on the club last night? I felt before the game and still do, that the display was ill-timed and ill-judged. If as expected UEFA fine the club (or worse), many fans will not be happy about us having to pick up the tab.
T4
Tommytwists
Their was a TIFO on Saturday to register the same protest
Clashcitybhoy
Agree with you up to a point but the smallest guy in the Milan team could have scored that first goal as there was no defensive challenge to the header.
At the second, there was nobody on the man at the far post ,who was able to play it back towards the scorer at the front post, who was also unmarked.
Some posters were suggesting last night that FF has been instructed to stay on his line and llet the defence deal with corners but if no one else deals with it he has to use some initiative (and his height advantage) especially when he doesn’t even have to come through any bodies.
If he had managed to catch that cross or punch it off Kaka’s head I hardly think the coaching staff would have given him a bollocking.
HT
In my simple opinion, it would be remiss of you and me not to concede there more than a little nod to the ‘independence’ issue afoot just now.
Not wanting to get waylaid here but – that was in the mix as far as I’m concerned.
U
Burghb…
Yes I see that but ways of showing loyalty and support for the club and acknowledging what it grew from and why would get overwhelming support. Tommy’s view I would only suggest.
Overtly political or party political, or subjective posturing will rarely find anything but conflict and angst. Of itself not a bad thing but in the context of supporting football players and inspiring them to the job in hand, surely a hugely irrelevant and maybe distracting thing?
HT
Should also have said I don’t particularly miss certain Euro aspects.
Such as ‘UEFA observers’ and ‘Celtic European games only fans’
Great nights,but a swell in the crowd from the Aberdeen game on the
Saturday smacks part time supporter in a sense, or glory hunters.
We will continue to shrink even if we play like Barca, and if we settle
on the ole estimated attendance 18,000 – who cares.
Crowd sizes fluctuate even in Milan.
What was the latest sevco bored crisis ?…..mention in the radio news earlier this evening
Hamiltontim
Members of the GB. Or leaders?
67Heaven
Nothing much, just serious fraud in the share issue.
Good night friends *dinner finished*
politenesscostsnothingCSC
Justafan
Agree, probably didn’t motivate the team but where else can a football fan air grievencies relating to persecution at the football, other than at the match?