When Braga lined up for kick-off I thought, “Three at the back against a front three away from home in Europe, we should be OK here.” And so we should have been. Braga were average-to-poor during the opening 20 minutes, as Celtic settled into a pattern of attack, primarily down the left flank (we’ll come to that later).
There is always a temptation to scapegoat after a poor result and it would be unnecessarily harsh to single out Kasper Schmeichel for not stopping a shot from 33 yards which went directly above his frame. Kasper’s decline is clear to see, but the team in front of him last night were not any better.
Once the goal went in, Braga players seemed to grow a few inches, while Celtic’s shrunk in stature. The visitors went man-for-man when out of possession and Celtic were – yet again – unable to pass through the press. The possession horseshoe of doom was in full swing and midfielders, facing their own goal, only passed sideways or back to Cameron Carter-Vickers or Liam Scales. Or, of course, Kasper.
The entire support could not wait until halftime in the hope that Brendan Rodgers would sort things out. The change was a surprise. Celtic went three at the back to match up to Braga (note, match up to Braga, who are seventh in the Portuguese league). This created a bit more opportunity in the middle of the park, although the personnel change, which saw Marcelo Saracchi play an advanced role on the left had a lot to do with the improvement.
Changing to an untested formation was a risk. Twice Celtic rode their luck as Braga exploited the space where a right back would normally be, but the chances were not taken. Kelechi Ịheanachọ again stepped up, won a loose ball and smacked his shot below the keeper into the net. To the incredulity of the majority inside Celtic Park, the referee disallowed the goal and VAR did not see enough of an error to overrule the official.
Some sides grow with a sense of injustice, but that did not happen. One man’s thing to fight against is another’s excuse.
Braga’s second goal was a classic of the pressing genre. They pressed a poorly structured team all night and got their reward by forcing Celtic so far back a clearance took a ricochet and flew into the net. Fair play to them. A team who are midtable in Portugal, who could not afford our players or their wages, and a manager who is under severe pressure, tactically out-thought Celtic. Our left flank, with Seb, Kieran and Marcelo, were bossed by a Swedish defender Gus Lagerbielke.
We are like the kid who turns up at the board to play draughts when everyone else is playing chess. Motherwell come to Celtic Park on Sunday undefeated in all competitions this season. Whisper it, they have a good manager. Jens Berthel Askou is like the chess-playing kid and is not keen on excuses.
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@Sachinettiyil
The First Holy Communion of Catholic children in Nigeria is a powerful witness of faith. Despite intense persecution, an astounding 94 percent of Nigerian Catholics attend Sunday Mass regularly—ranking the highest in the world.
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Catholic Arena
@CatholicArena
Catholics in Gaza receiving Communion at Mass tonight, using only a phone torch to light up the church.
https://x.com/CatholicArena/status/1974232205296570680#m
Sulaiman Ahmed
@ShaykhSulaiman_
BREAKING: TRUMP POSTED A TWEET WITH THIS AND THEN DELETED IT
https://x.com/ShaykhSulaiman_/status/1974250063296655432#m
Are Trump and Vance messing with the monsters minds?
oot.
Afshin Rattansi
@afshinrattansi
“Gaza has been turned into the largest children’s cemetery in the world.” -Russian President Vladimir Putin The same nations that call themselves the bastions of democracy and civilisation helped Israel turn Gaza into the largest children’s cemetery in the world.
https://x.com/afshinrattansi/status/1974055459775463610#m
oot?
Good Morning Celts – Grand Day To Be A Tim
Celtic40me @ 9:39 pm,
The chaos the Board rained down on the team through the summer is of course a set back and the team are floundering.
It was a similar situation after the debacle of a transfer window in the summer of 2023, we lost in Europe over in Feyenoord, yet by December the ship was righted and we beat Arne Slot’s Feyenoord* at Celtic Park.
It’s a similar situation now, a poor window, an unbalanced group of players, yet potential to improve.
We are still favourites for the League, in both Cup competitions and more than capable of getting over the 11 pts to get to the knock out stages of the Europa League.
By the time we play Utrecht at Home on the 29th January 2026 – things will be looking very different.
It is quite simply ridiculous for you to want to write off this season because you don’t like Brendan Rodgers.
It’s also nonsense to suggest that somehow our Manager created this storm for the Board – it’s been a long time coming, that genie is not going back in the bottle.
Sunday at home to Motherwell will get us back on track.
Then an international break to work with the group and Celtic will be right back on course.
*Do you remember what you were saying about that game twenty months ago? Cause I do – it didn’t count, it was a dead-rubber – you have not changed your tune, you’ve always had it in for Brendan Rodgers and he’s proved you wrong time after time and he will again.
Aff oot
Hail Hail
Cb
I hope you’re right that the team can be stabilised by BR and his staff and start to put a good run of results together.
Chairbhoy
You are obviously not stupid and I would really really love you to be right for the rest of this season. Sadly I don’t see it. I feel even you know it’s blind faith in a busted flush.
Blogger GM
Hard to believe your lads big game is on. Good luck for that this morning. I may take a trip across to watch if our match is off.
Quite a few more joining p67 and the Burnley chaps gang . For myself BR has given us success on his two stints at the club . I doubt very much Brendan sanctioned the purchase of a few (we know who they are ) players . We are not scoring goals that our problem , vs Hibs last week we played some grand stuff admittedly without a end result . I firmly believe that if he can get a striker in on January. The team will move on ,that is if they guys in the box do there jobs and sanction a spend .
Jim Tim
I doubt very much Brendan sanctioned the purchase of a few (we know who they are ) players
…….
I believe that is part of the problem, you shouldn’t be able to get a fag paper between all the Celtic employees, fight against the common enemy and all that.
Fingers crossed that everything clicks tomorrow and we push on.
HH
ACSOM
How fans rebelled against the old board.
https://youtu.be/qQ4ingqJFKQ?si=AkBdn3S1OV98b0vK
Paulo Bernardo
Looks the part , but really needs to up his game…. just goes missing! …….forgot he was playing the other night … very, very disappointing ☹️
Beginning to think he just hasn’t got it , hope he proves me wrong !
During the transfer window, I quoted a post from twitter
“You can’t expect to score goals in Europe when you sell all your best strikers and replace them with rumours”
As it turned out, we replaced them with failed negotiations and a Hail Mary.
Luckily, the post window Hail Mary may turn out to be a decent striker. Perhaps not a long term solution but I shudder to think of our front line without him.
As far as deliberately withholding money from a manager in the last year of a 3 year contract. I don’t buy that. By that logic, managers on a rolling 12 monther would never be able to strengthen.
Everyone in the club has to start doing the job they’re paid to do, starting tomorrow.
Longer term, the structure and purpose of the football operation has to be revisited.
The world has changed massively in the last 20 years. Technology, politics, the power and expectations of players. Insane for us to have had exec and NEDs around for this long.
Of course the hun that is nobby madden says the decision on the Celtic euro goal was correct but for the life of me i can’t find his explanation……anyone enlighten me as to what it was?
Those who run Celtic deserve some sympathy. In an often hostile environment they – Board and Manager – have established the club as the dominant force in Scottish football. Without resort to chicanery or sleight of hand they have also achieved financial dominance here in Scotland.
But, even after well over a century, the Board still has no clear idea of what kind of club Celtic is or should be. Is it sufficient to dominate domestically in a poor league or to capitalise on that golden ticket to advance further in European competition? Financially, the latter option seems to make sense.
It does seem now that at the beginning of every new season we revert to square one . That means we enter European competitions on a wing and a prayer basis. And we’ve all seen just how that works out.
Having watched Celtic regularly since the late 1950s I can take a great deal of pleasure from domestic competition. But times have changed and supporters are entitled to expect a team on the park with the ability to beat Karat and progress further into the major European competition.
The vast majority of us want BR to suceed and guide us to even more trophies.
I still think he is the best fit available manager for Celtic.
However he is not immune from criticism. Our style of football is not entertaining and match attending fans are only too aware 9f this.
On Thursday we counted about 27 tippy tappy passes to get over the halfway line. One decisive pass would have achieved the same end product with less energy exhausted.
Being schooled by a bang average team is not a good optic. I totally get the outward display of vocal displeasure from the remaining fans at the end.
Tomorrow we are at home, we have a chance to reset. Two upfront, fast attacking football, ditch the pointing and tippy tappy and only play fully fit players who can give us 90 minutes plus.
HH, the journey continues.
Greenpinata on 4th October 2025 12:27 pm
🎯🎯🎯
Team for tomorrow
sinasolo
Murray. CarterVickers. Tierney
Engels. Nygren. Calum Hatate. Tounekti
Daizen kelechi
Kasper gets dropped after midweek , formation change to 3 at the back , Scales can sit this one out.
Kelechi drops slightly deeper ball to feet , third man runs from Hatate , plays in the winger etc etc
We need to do something different but suspect that Brendan will think we can beat Motherwell using existing tactics and play the same starting lineup as Thursday minus Kasper.
We really need to perform on Sunday ….
HH
To me the issue is how we move the ball from midfield to the forwards, our midfield pass it straight back from where it came or even further back, McGregor looks like a scared rabbit unwilling to let the ball run past him or turn quickly, the midfield as a unit is bang average lacks physicality and pace, or it looks that way to me, keep doing what we are doing will cost more points, I’m hoping for some magic formula that suits the squad that we have, I haven’t a clue where the style endeavour and happiness has gone.
To me the issue is how we move the ball from midfield to the forwards.
imo the issue is moving ball forward from back to front .
Agree about midfield…
Last few weeks looked too lightweight..
Thursday night …second to very ball , game played through them ..
The opportunity has arisen to join Celtic in the role of Head of Business Operations.
This role is fundamental to ensuring that supporter services are delivered in a way which ensures world class supporter service is in place.
It will encompass a broad range of supporter services including the oversight of all retail operations, ticketing, hospitality sales, and stadium services.
The individual will play a key role in ensuring our supporters are able to share in the success and experience of being part of Celtic through multi-channel engagement across the Club.
The Head of Business Operations will drive not only performance and development across each of these areas but also lead on the improvement of supporter service frameworks to ensure a seamless supporter experience across all areas of the Football Club, all in line with the Club’s strategy and commitment to continuous improvement.
https://www.fwbltd.com/assignment/head-of-business-operations/
Specifically, the individual will be responsible for leading:
The operational and commercial management and growth of all retail outlets including club shops, e-commerce, and other concessionary outlets.
The operational and commercial management of all ticketing operations, ticketing platforms and activities associated with key revenue generating matchday operations.
The continued development of a first-class hospitality offering and the commercial growth of this.
Development and management of Stadium services, including the non-match day restaurants, stadium tours/experiences and events.
Management and oversight of the overall supporter service operation, working closely with the Executive to ensure the highest level of supporter service.
Leading continuous improvement initiatives that enhance engagement, wellbeing and productivity, with a people-focused approach, aligning with the Club’s status as an employer of choice.
SS
Lots in that job description about creating income and 2 lines on supporter services/support.
Cheers Saint Stivs.
Interesting.
Do you know …
1. If this a new role or is it to replace someone who has left?
2. Who the Head of Business Operations reports to?
Job spec feels intentionally clinical.
Not seeing even a hint of any warm and fuzxy about direct fan engagement
(Ref: my previous squawks about creating a Chief Customer Officer role at board level)
Fuzzy
FOURSTONECOPPI on 4TH OCTOBER 2025 12:11 PM
Of course the hun that is nobby madden says the decision on the Celtic euro goal was correct but for the life of me i can’t find his explanation……anyone enlighten me as to what it was?
———
It’s a bit convoluted (and gleeful) but seems to be.
1.The ref didn’t see a handball but the assistant/s with their incredible eyesight say they did.
2. Ref therefore calls it a handball in the pitch and chalks the goal off.
3. Var then when checking doesn’t see any clear evidence the on field decision was wrong and so the infield decision has to stand.
4. What wonderfully efficient those German officials are.
No mention of the fact that there is clear evidence that the decision was wrong – no angle shows a touch and most show the spin on the ball doesn’t alter at all nor any suggestion whatsoever that the decision was so tight the referee at the very least should have been called to the monitor.
I get that as a factual rather than than interpretive decision there is an argument that the ref couldn’t be called to the monitor but that one was so tight I can’t see any ref refusing to go and have a look, especially as he himself didn’t call it in the first place.
Eratic 1:36
It’s funny how we all see the games differently. I thought Bernardo was our best midfielder in the first half
and obviously tired in the second half due to lack of games.
I hope he starts tomorrow, along with Luke and Hetate.
EEEH, when I were a lad, we had numbers 1 to 11
Gk RBck Left back
Right half, centrehalf Left half
Outside right, inside right, center forward, inside left and outside left
we played 2 – 3 – 5
Adopted a W formation where the two inside forwards dropped back to help, or maybe the wingers woold do that.
Before anyone laughs, look at the formation of the Lisbon lions, it worked pretty well that day
kingLUBO
rampant 1 nil victory I predicts
Team for tomorrow
Sinisalo, Donovan,CCV Scales an d Scallachi
Engels , Bernardo and Nugren
Yang, Kele, Touekte
King Lubo.
The Lions could have played in any formation they were that good.
KILNGLUBO,
Bheaver’s right.
I also think your team for tomorrow is right.
KingLubo
As a wise man said, Murdoch and Auld were the greatest link men since McKellar and Watt.
Thought the Lions lined up as 4-2-4
HH
Hope the Hibees do us a favour tonight. We’re going to need some help this season.
If Celtic start tomorrow without MacGregor we’ll be easier to beat.
Maybe, just maybe, hes still our best player but doesnt have, Brown or Jota or AJ or O Rielly or Kyogo or Kuhn or Abada or Edouard or Dembele to play with.
FFS….OPEN YOUR FEKIN EYES……YOU GUYS KNOW FEK ALL ABOUT FOOTBALL.
I BET YOU ANY MONEY YOU OR YOU DAS NEVER RATED McSTAY OR MacGEADY ETC
AAAAGH…..STOP EMBARASSING YOURSELVES.
We need more MacGregors. Tierney, CCVs etc and not more average players.