The jeopardy we enjoy so much

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A draw in with Sheriff in Moldova, a draw away to Olympiakos to stop them reaching their sixth consecutive group stage qualification, a win against Inter in the San Siro, a two goal defeat in Prague and a draw in Southampton. That’s a stunning European away record for a team of no-hopers from Israel. Or so we thought.

In the middle of that run Hapoel Be’re Shiva lost 5-2 at Celtic Park before giving us a fright in the return leg. Olympiakos are seven clear in Greece and join Be’er Shiva in the Europa League knock-out rounds. Inter and Southampton are out.

What do we learn from this? The principle lesson is that there are no guarantees in football. Even good teams can be dumped out of Europe by a team they’ve never previously heard of (I’d no prior knowledge of Be’er Shiva).

The Israelis went 2-0 ahead against Celtic in the return leg three minutes into the second half. Brendan Rodgers put his team into lockdown mode and got the result but, final outcome aside, it was a horrible night’s football. Not for the first time last summer, this season’s project looked shaky.

If Celtic got out of jail, Olympiakos were shocked. We could afford some respect towards a team who came close, but the Greeks were devastated their club was derailed by apparent nonentities.

Celtic, like Olympiakos, have a development plan which is delivering, but even if we had the budget of Southampton or Inter we’re still going to lose out to a team none of us rate in our annual summer lottery. That wee bit of jeopardy is why we enjoy European football so much.

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  1. P/c @ 13.11

     

     

    No, no and thrice no.

     

    Value for money dear boy.

     

    Better ways of spending it.

  2. An Teach Solais on

    BADA BING

     

    You could be right. Never underestimate the craft iness of Level 5. Wonder where the money comes from those hefty invoices. HH

  3. What can you say about Colin Duncan?

     

     

    Well number 1…he has a good taste in painters…after all he got Grand67 to paint his house, as did I (and what a feckin great job he did too…so if any of youse need your house painted, Grand67 is the decorator extraordinaire to go to)

     

     

    Number 2 (and that is an appropriate moniker for him when it comes to his chosen profession)…he knows feck all about football and sadly provides evidence that supports the view that most pundits talk keech…

     

     

    Grand67 (house painter of the highest order) rang me this morning, causing the empty whisky bottle to fall on the floor, closely followed by me, and sent me this….

     

     

    All I can say is….”Colin, get yourself a job in ‘painter recruitment’ cos you are a dick”

     

     

    http://alturl.com/aoidd

     

     

    Hail Hail

     

     

    Matt

  4. AN TEACH SOLAIS on 9TH DECEMBER 2016 1:19 PM

     

     

    The letter is so odd I half thought it was a hoax. (‘My name is ….. ……. ……. …….’ ?????????????)

     

     

     

     

    Thompsons are not exactly known as the go to people for this sort of stuff so I doubt the players union are involved.

  5. MadMitch 1.23,

     

     

    You are likely right.

     

     

    IMO, we should now be playing our players…. Not Manchester Citys, especially as it is the last 6 months. I’d get him signed up or let him go back and do a loan where there is an actual chance for the crackin wee player to develop.

     

     

    Would you sign him in January? If yes, what would you be willing to pay?

  6. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    AWE NAW

     

     

    Sorry,old bean,but you have a long way to go and quite a fair few IQ points to drop before you can join this particular clique.

     

     

    It’s well worth the effort though. Canny beat a bevvy in good nutter company.

  7. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    Michael Alfred Shaw Briggs

     

    Thompsons Berkeley House 285 Bath Street… (see map)

     

     

     

    Tel. 01 41 22 18 84 0

     

     

    call him and find out

  8. Ern @ 9:24 afraid not you have answered a question I did’nt ask, I understand why you were posting about the different treatment of the Irish in Scotland and England. I asked when did you last post about Celtic or football issues.

  9. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    I posit it this morning that this is a man looking for money

     

     

    Scammers scamming scammers scamming

     

     

    HH

  10. Do any CQNers go to the Bon Accord pub in North Street ( Glasgow) ?

     

    Went in yesterday. Great pub and the Publican is a Celtic supporter to boot ! I thoroughly recommend for those who like Real Ale and a fantastic selection of whiskies.

     

     

    JJ

  11. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    What happened to the water bill over Ibrox way …. that one died down quickly

  12. An Teach Solais on

    ERNIE LYNCH

     

    Like you I was surprised that the solicitors involved with Thomsons who normally deal with workers’ rights cases ans are the solicitors of choice for a number of trades unions. Hence, my suspicion that perhaps the Players’ Union might be raising the matter on Gough’s behalf. As you say that firm would be an unusual choice for an indiviual wish to raise an action for defamation of character.

     

    The tenor of the letter is also, IMO, a little unusual. HH

  13. If you eat up every bit of information offered up by Phil McG or John James then you are as big a fool as the huns who believe what the rags print

  14. Interesting titbit on RG and his social life.

     

    Only time in my life I was ahead of the papers.

     

     

    Socialising with some fellow egg chasers up at the student end of Sauchiehall St.

     

    Fairly “trendy” place — halfway up the block heading to Art School / door in from the side.

     

    Can’t remember the name but it was pretty popular 22 plus years ago.

     

     

    Mixed crowd so when someone of the TFOD persuasion spots RG is in the building we have to go over and investigate. No entourage was spotted but he is sociable and is interested in the local ladies and soon attracts a crowd who he hams up to in a fairly mature manner.

     

     

    However some eyebrows are raised at the lack of tact with his coat trailing for some attention.

     

    A seemingly a married man out in full public view hamming it up with all and sundry.

     

     

    However everything made sense when we saw the next day’s Sunday Mail.

     

    RG had been kicked out by the wife the previous week and was consequently going spare.

     

     

    Finally the guy is / was / is a skelf — are all footballers so lightly built — he was built like our stand off aka the “Kickin’ Chicken” who never knowingly made a tackle in his life.

  15. AWE_NAW_NO_ANNONI_OAN_ANAW_NOO on 9TH DECEMBER 2016 1:38 PM

     

     

    What happened to the water bill over Ibrox way …. that one died down quickly

     

     

    ___

     

     

    A google search debunked that pretty quick. Was far fetched to begin with.

  16. Talking about the letter looking dodgy, that was my first thought, but when do lawyers send out C&D letters addressed like this ?

     

    Or maybes they do.

     

    09th December 2016

     

    Mr John James

     

    WordPress Site SitOnFence

     

    Blog Post What Are We Waiting For

     

     

    Dear Mr James

  17. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo on

    Anyway its all pish … except for not giving then your money bit until they clean the game up .. that´s if you care for your kids

     

     

    HH

  18. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    JK

     

    Spent many a fine afternoon sipping whisky in that fine establishment

     

     

    I actually escorted a group of Gooners from the Bon Accord to Celtic Park when we played them in CL a few year ago

     

    Paul is a fine host.

  19. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    Whether the letter is fake or not it’s accurate. If anyone has evidence to substantiate then produce it, or were relevant take it to the appropriate.

     

     

    If such can be provided, producing it on a blog is highly inappropriate. Puerile titillation, nothing more.

     

     

    We’ve seen the demented animals, slander Mr Stein. Let’s not follow suit.

  20. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on 9TH DECEMBER 2016 2:04 PM

     

    Whether the letter is fake or not it’s accurate. If anyone has evidence to substantiate then produce it, or were relevant take it to the appropriate.

     

     

     

    If such can be provided, producing it on a blog is highly inappropriate. Puerile titillation, nothing more.

     

     

     

    We’ve seen the demented animals, slander Mr Stein. Let’s not follow suit.

     

     

    ____

     

     

    God bless you for that post. A bit of sanity at last.

  21. At least tonight’s game is on BT.

     

    Totally different vibe when they have the game and not Sky.

     

    You get the impression that some of the team are actually enjoying the game and being able to comment on it.

     

     

    Sky on the other hand is just hackneyed dross by has been a and never wizzers.

     

    AW take a bow — the worst journalist in Christendom and just about everywhere else.

     

    So scripted that you can hear him turning the pages.

  22. BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 9TH DECEMBER 2016 6:31 AM

     

    MACJAY

     

     

    Rick Wakeman’s joined Hearts!

     

     

    *PGM of the chelski ludge, RW I mean no Austin McPhee, BTW who the Donald calls their wean after a motor.

  23. MADMITCH on 9TH DECEMBER 2016 2:23 PM

     

    At least tonight’s game is on BT.

     

     

    Totally different vibe when they have the game and not Sky.

     

     

    ##

     

     

    Sutton commenting on the game means the officials know they will be called out for obvious bias.

  24. RT- i would Crowdfund wee Craigy Bhoy if he got fined….:)) can you imagine the worldwide publicity we would get for that one…

  25. I played boys football from 5 years old, right through youth system at various teams with numerous coaches, concurrently the schools system, progressed to very brief spells at a pro club boys set up, and also brief spell junior as I turned 20. I was also an altar boy for best part of 8 years, serving weekend masses, weddings, funerals large and small, attending altar boys days out in a large parish, throughput of priests too numerate to recall. Never once heard, saw, experienced, was even remotely aware of anything inappropriate at any time. Am I REALLY that ugly?

  26. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Blantyrekev

     

     

    You where sitting 2 in front of me on Sunday at 10

     

    All I’ll say is thank the lord you’re kids look like their mother…..

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