Celtic’s primary job tonight is to defend properly, something we have singularly failed to do this season to anything like the levels achieved last term. This is not solely to do with the defence, and has nothing to do with the goalkeeper (who missed the Legia debacle), but is a function of the entire team.
Scott Brown and Stefan Johansen have the primary job of protecting the back four but most importantly, whoever plays wide midfield, has to partner with the corresponding full back. The full back positions have not been stable recently. Emilio looked to be back to his best at the weekend, but his form since returning from the World Cup has been erratic. We’ve had Efe Ambrose, Adam Matthews and Mikael Lustig at right back, leaving Callum McGregor little chance to establish a working relationship.
We have the speed, and Salzburg have the defensive record, to suggest we can score on the break, but focus should be on ensuring this is not an open, fluid, game of football.
The day has come
This is a unique time in our history and a CQN’er and academic has prepared a survey to record who we are, where we came from, our views and how closely our objectives align with the Club. You will be asked about the Referendum, faith, education, your heritage, the Offensive Behaviour Act and more, but you’ll be finished in around 5 minutes.
The objective is to identify why you support Celtic and whether these reasons are being recognised and served. You don’t sign up for anything, but the survey will record only your first visit. You’ll find it here.
I’ve never waved a blue and white – nor red, white and blue – flag in my life. Nationalism holds nothing for me, so I’ve found the political question of our time to be a difficult, technical, assessment, principally about jobs – Scotland’s real need.
This time tomorrow we will know the verdict and whether it’s Yes or No, we will come together behind green and white flags once more. In the event the polls are accurate, and No wins an unconvincing victory, use your voice in as many places you can, and let the chastened UK powers now that if they have any intention of Nation Building, they must use their influence to stop the exclusion of Scottish clubs from the dominant England-and-Wales football market.
Many people in Scotland feel culturally and economically excluded by this England-and-Wales legally permissible cartel. It suits the regions of England, it suits Wales, but it costs jobs and income in Scotland, is unjust and must end.
Allowing Scottish clubs to enter this market would bring tens of millions of £s into the east end of Glasgow every year. It would also establish emotional and cultural ties among groups in society who feel disenfranchised, and who the Westminster parties seem to have lost. In political terms, reaching out to football is a no-brainer.
Nation building is part art, part science, but it doesn’t work if you exclude people on what they hold dear.
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I hope lessons have been learnt from our three previous euro away games this season.
Focus. discipline and passing the ball to a player in a Celtic top with hopefully an away goal (or two).
As someone one posted earlier, our away results in Europe over the last thirty years is not the best and needs improved on.
I hope tonight is a start.
COYBIG
SFTB
Wanting a Celtic victory tonight
Wanting a YES vote in Referendum
Wanting Donegal to win Sam on Sunday
Albert Lee Is A Genius
Well, I’d say we agree on 3 out of 4 of those, so that’s no bad……
Have seen wee Albert 3 times, last time was on the Renfrew Ferry – Incredible.
All the best my bhoy, catch up in Donegal one of these days for a lively discussion.
tully
MadraRua
15:26 on
18 September, 2014
Hopefully this one passes the censor, if not, my apologies ;
If Scotland gains its independence in the forthcoming referendum, the remainder of the United Kingdom will be known as the “Former United Kingdom” ….or FUK .
In a bid to discourage the Scots from voting ‘YES’ in the referendum, the Government have now begun to campaign with the slogan “Vote NO, for FUK’s sake”
They feel the Scottish voters will be able to relate to this
……
Thank you, first out loud laugh of the day.
BTW the naked druidic stuff sounded fab. :o)
HH
latest exit poll
50% YES
location – pub near my house
survey size – 4
2 replied ‘yes”
1 refused to answer
1 said ‘woof’
if we extrapolate that throughout the country then its party time
BT
calling BT ?? hiv u left yir fone up ra sterr again, jeezo ;)
Hate listing oan heer bit,
Anbrose Denayer Van Dijk Izzy
. Broony Johansen
McGregor Commons Tonev
. Scepovic
Let the arguements begin
Hail Hail
Neganon2
Ok, I hear you ( and read you ).
Let the canvassing for votes go, it’s over……..
You’re still a numpty for your statement about the game tonight though.
Celtic lining up without a ‘keeper?!
Might be a bit risky.
HH!!
Tonight’s team v Salzburg
Celtic Football Club @celticfc 7s
Celtic team to play FC Salzburg: Gordon; Ambrose, Denayer, van Dijk, Izaguirre; Brown, Johansen; McGregor, Commons, Wakaso; Scepovic.(NM)
Abhoysabhoy
The idea a Scottish independent Govt will control the TV companies so as to give a better deal is as wishful thinking as the alternative of the political case for creating a UK league under No.
Where is the leverage? Gie us mair money or we will stop you broadcasting to the Scottish population??
TV companies pay for the value of the content. The higher the value the more they will pay especially if there is competition for that content.
An independent Scotland is not going to suddenly be independent of market forces.
Increase the size of the market as in a UK league plus novelty of Scottish clubs involvement and you not only add value to the content you increase the size of the viewing customer base.
I’m not saying that we will get a UK league but I dismay that folk dismiss the very idea because of the past.
On UEFA: they will have a hard job under free trade principles arguing that the FA should not open up their doors to clubs in the same nation.
Apart from which I think the Scottish clubs with decent sized numbers of supporters in their area will be all for the opportunity to grow and if they are for it then they are the SFA and UEFA would not interfere.
As regards the threat of legislation that is what produced UEFA FFP so don’t think UEFA are as ready to take on Govt as you think.
There is nothing to stop a UK League happening except the thinking it will not happen.
Wakaso in for Tonev.
Only change from weekend.
HH
Paul67
Good article, I agree that Celtic’ priority is to defend as in all away games in Europe played as the first leg.
How RD achieves “proper” defending with the current playing staff available to him, shouldn’t be a mystery at this stage in his tenure, and he’s made more than enough mistakes in team formation which has led to previously reliable players performing badly, due to a large extent his ‘formation’ and expectations.
We should see Celtic with a protective midfield which includes more defensively capable players, and if he’s learning he’ll play three players capable of winning the ball in midfield from Kayal, Brown, Johannson, and Biton.
Win the midfield and the players we have will defend properly.
embramike @ 16.49
Just read you team post after I’d posted my above post.
He’s not learning IMHO
TBB- excellent post from earlier.
You got me Crying in the Chapel….which is where my polling station is! :-)
(well it’s actually St Margarets Church)
Wee paper YES hat – already broken, hope it’s not an omen- doffed.
HH sir.
foghorn leghorn
I ran ‘woof’ through the google translator and it came up with ‘yes’ as the translation.
I thought it sounded familiar.
Get whoever she is down to your polling station asap.
Tom mclaughlin @ 15:35
Coodnae poot it better masel
theshameCSC
Not sure about the line up, new CF seemed to have little understanding with C Commons at the weekend and an away Euro tie doesn’t seem the place to blood new and relatively new players. Fingers crossed though.
Taken from zombiemedia ( I know )
Like This
bluebear24
Today, 01:56 PM
Has anyone thought about the possibility of us not getting into Europe at all if the vote goes to yes? Don’t the country you play in need to be part of Europe to get into uefa competition?
My my what goes on in there heads
Another “brave” selection from RD.
I like the look of Wakaso but I do not understand why someone is given their debut in an important Euro tie away from home. I did not think Tonev was anything special last weekend but he has one game with his team-mates under his belt.
I hope Wakaso is as good as he was for Ghana and has a Lubo-like debut but we will have to settle down to a team selection soon.
That’s quite an offensive looking team for an away game, the butterflies are banging their pretty wee heads against the wa’
Don’t like the look of that line up. Commons can be like a man short in European away games. Would have preferred an extra midfielder.
First and last word on the VOTE.When I became a union rep over 50 years ago the first thing I was told was never resort to personal attacks or circumstances or you will lose the argumentevery time’s.An awful lot over posters must have losta lot.BTW voting YES because the OO are in the NO camp seems a bit daft to me. They parade every Remembrance Day and I still go albeit I walk on the pavement in case I look like them.No much chance there mind you since I used to be the only Tim in town:-) Anyway however you voted as long as you did you have done all you can. Cm on the hoops.
Steinreignedsupreme
On the basis of a No, folk will be looking for evidence that it is indeed better together.
A UK league would be a demonstration that an unfair arrangement that only suits residents in England in terms of the folk employed apart from supporter satisfaction will have appeal as it has winners on both sides of the north side divide.
I’m not suggesting it becomes a main plank of unifying policy which is how you appear to be reading it.
However within the narrow confines of an industry that involves many Scots emotionally and financially it would be an indication of a change of mindset if it were pursued.
As long as Scottish clubs are not parachuted in and sporting merit is part of the equation what better way of breaking down barriers than fair sport?
MadraRua
16:06 on 18 September, 2014
RobertTressell
16:03 on
18 September, 2014
Maith an Fear, Robert.
No matter what the colour of a flag, it’s useless unless the citizens have decent access to heat, healthy food, education and and proper health service.
====================================
I think people are slowly beginning to get that Madra Rua. The loudest noise is coming from the emptiest vessels at present (flegs and such like) but if we were given an alternative that would give us the things you list I think the silent majority might just rally to it……
maybe…….
possibly!
marspapa
16:26 on 18 September, 2014
Davidopolous
song choices
Paloma faith & Sigma
Everything is changing !!!
—————————————–
Slip Away – Clarence Carter
Cosy Corner Bhoy – spot on. As Phil Mac says – it’s just business. Play the ball not the man. Hard as that is some times…..
Gordon
Efe
VvD
Denayer
Izzy
Broonie
Johanson
McGregor
Commons
Waksaso
Scepovic
4-2-3-1 better when away goals don’t matter, just the points
Auldheid
If there’s nothing to stop a UK league from happening then why hasn’t it happened already especially with Desmond, Livingston, Reid, Duffy et al having served on the board and having a high profile and influence down south?
There are too many interests that are not served by this; clubs who see Celtic as a threat, home nations football associations whose existence would be put under threat.
It is a flight of fantasy.
There is no interest among politicians in making this happen and quite right too. A UK league would be only about ensuring some businesses make more money (including Celtic FC).
I’d much prefer our elected representatives to get on with implementing policies to improve peoples’ life chances. Football is undeserving of politicians time and resources when food banks are growing, life expectancy reducing, employment prospects and rights being eroded.
bench.???????emdy.
Efe at right back.
Now that worries me.
Looks like Mcgregor and Wakaso either side of Brown and Johansen
Commons in behind Scepovic.
Let’s see…
Mon the Ceeeeeellllllttiiiiiiiiiiiic.
Get intae them Rogers and Hammerstein freaks…
Celtic Football Club @celticfc 12m
Subs: Zaluska, Kayal, O’Connell, Bitton, Tonev, Berget, Stokes (NM)
Subs: Zaluska, Kayal, O’Connell, Bitton, Tonev, Berget, Stokes
Bench
does Deila just make it up as he goes along
Ronny Deila is certainly a bold manager for throwing Wakaso into the team tonight in what is easily our hardest game of the season so far.
Ronny has balls, I’ll give him that.
Mind the last time a new guy was thrown in at the deep end in a Euro away tie… whats he up to now?!
Can only trust that Wakaso has been sensational in training, or else Delia has left himself open to all sorts of criticism about not learning from mistakes etc.
HH
Art of War
Edward Lear will do that to you every time :¬)
And when the Sieve turned round and round,
And every one cried, ‘You’ll all be drowned!’
They called aloud, ‘Our Sieve ain’t big,
But we don’t care a button! we don’t care a fig!
In a Sieve we’ll go to sea!’
Lineup is excitin………noo brikin it
Anybody got a phone app that’ll let me see the game?
Ta in advance