Tickets please

354

Have we progressed since the early season shambles against Legia and Maribor?  Of course, we are winning regularly and playing with confidence, but it’s clear there’s also a lot more work to do.  Celtic’s best performance of the season so far was in Salzburg, a more favourable wind would have seen us leave with three points, but that performance also stung Salzburg, who saw their aspirations to win the group take a hit.

It will take our best performance of the season to return a win tonight, but I’m expecting nothing less.

Sir David Murray has stuck to his “duped” story.  Craig Whyte’s chosen path for Rangers was a surprise to him.  This account is now to be explored in the witness box at the trial of the Ibrox Five.  I suspect I could script Murray’s evidence myself, “duped”, “shocked”, “best interests of…”

Of vastly more interest will be Alastair Johnston’s evidence.  Johnston and his independent board committee opposed Whyte’s takeover and made representations to Murray, which will also be revealed in the witness box.

News that Craig Whyte was arrested in Mexico and is now likely to be subject to extradition proceedings will be welcomed by few of the characters in this messy business.  Whyte, as we know, recorded everything.  He will be a difficult man to setup as a patsy.

The only questions is, how do I get court tickets?

Three points tonight, please, Celtic.

Many thanks to everyone who has supported the CQNBookstore.  The 2015 CQN Annual is now available to pre-order for delivery week commencing 8 December, get it while it’s hot!

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354 Comments

  1. Phils up

     

    A duty of oversight

     

    Leave a reply

     

    Mr Stewart Regan has every right to give voice to his concerns about the state of Scottish Football.

     

     

    Indeed it was good to see him make a foray into the media this week.

     

     

    He appears to be particularly worried about the two year old club currently playing out of Ibrox.

     

     

    When the creature created by Charles of Normandy first saw the light of day Mr Regan was in the delivery room at Hampden.

     

     

    Without an amenable governing body then Charlie and the boys would not have got past first base.

     

     

    One of the myths floating around this clusterfuck of a football club is that the Yorkshire man with the big hands presented a business plan to the people who run the national game in Scotland.

     

     

    Well it is certainly the settled view of several sources close to the action that there was no business plan shown to the SFA.

     

     

    Perhaps the next time Mr Regan appears on the radar of the Scottish mainstream media he could clear that one up.

     

     

    I am sure the fearless stenographers will ask very pointed questions on that matter.

     

     

    Meanwhile back at the train wreck on Edmiston Drive I understand that Mr Llambias has compiled a report on the duplication of effort between Ibrox and Murray Park.

     

     

    Sources close to action tell me that Mr Ashley’s men were shocked at the repair and refurbishment bill for Ibrox and, to a lesser extent, Murray Park.

     

     

    The redundancies that have been already announced cost money to implement.

     

     

    Moreover, this has eaten into the cash that was set aside for operations in December.

     

     

    Today is pay day for this month and there was cash for that.

     

     

    However I understand that bills are piling up and, at some point, a creditor will have to seek some legal redress if they remain unpaid.

     

     

    It all now depends on what big Mike decides.

     

     

    If Mr Ashley remains the main man at Sevco then expect a massively slimmed down operation and obviously that will be of concern to Mr McCoist…

     

     

    It is just as well that there is such keen oversight being applied from those plush offices in Hampden.

     

     

    Otherwise I might be concerned myself.

  2. gary67

     

     

    12:53 on 27 November, 2014

     

     

     

     

    Cheers

     

     

    –gordon–

     

     

    Matthews- Virgil-denayer- Izzy

     

    -mulgrew-

     

    -Brown — kayal– stefan-

     

    — Forrest –

     

    –griffiths–

     

     

    Thats how i would start tonight .. Drop mulgrew back to ch if denayer doesnt make it.

     

     

    Europe is mainly about keeping the ball.. Espcially at home. I think biton is one of few bhoys who can do that.. He has no chance sadly.. Likewise griffiths has little chance of making the 11.

  3. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on

    bigshuggy

     

     

    12:50 on 27 November, 2014

     

    RIP Arthur Montford.

     

    Remember one April Fool on Scotsport.Had Bernard Gallagher with him displaying the new rubber -shafted clubs which could drive the ball almost 500 yards and called for a redesign of golf courses. It was very well done. Scotsport was good with Arthur, Bob, Dick Lowden, Nick Larkin and Mr Second Division himself, George Steel.

     

    ……………………………….

     

     

    That particular April Fool gag caught me hook, line and sinker. I remember raving to my brother-in-law about until he put me right. :-))

  4. Marrakesh Express on

    Re Arthur Montford

     

     

    Scotsport used to cut to ‘crowd scenes’ during a game, and it wasnt till later years that I was told that was them changing the reel. Anyway Arthur would do the voice-over with ‘fine day here at Celtic Park, the home crowd looking very satisfied so far with their team’s outstanding display’. The cameras quite often missed a goal during the change over.

     

    All very primitive but great nostalgia, and a time when Celtic were feared all over Europe.

     

    hh

  5. I think tonight we will see how Celtic hopefully will look in 2-3 years time (Preferably earlier) in the shape / system of RB Salzburg.

     

     

    Quite how we perform against them will depend a great deal on their own aims,

     

    hoping they settle for a draw and rest 1 or 2 players. But if they go out to win the tie and play a full strength side we have our work cut out for certain.

     

     

    I’d certainly enlist the help of Griffiths as he can pull a shot out of nowhere (ala Commons) but would also offer a bit more mobility & effort than Kris. Scepovic to lead the line and try to bring others into play. Pack that midfield and give it everything we have got bhoys.

     

     

    Could be our best home European result in many a year….or bust, can’t see us taking anything in Zagreb if they need the points.

  6. tonydonnelly67

     

     

    12:55 on 27 November, 2014

     

     

     

     

    Strange situation.. Wasnt Leighs biggest fan when he signed but his attitude when coming on from the bench has been great to see this season.

     

     

    End of aberdeen game he was celebrating alot, seemed delighted we got the win.

  7. The whole Craig Whyte affair seems to be hinging on the legalities of how Craig aquired Rangers and fuels the huns thinking that they would have been fine if Craig hadnt come along.

     

     

    For me surely there should be some investigation into how Duff and Phelps passed on the 80 million quid clumpany for 5 million and was it sold to sevco 5088 or sevco scotland

     

     

    but like everything else so far in this shambles of a disgrace, since liquidation such as LNS, re enty to the league, tax man losing the BTC etc it seems to be going their way.

  8. long haired yins man on

    Remembering Arthur Montford RIP got me thinking Scotsport and undoubtably the first man on the FF banned list of the also dearly departed in Ian Archer…and he only told the truth of what everyone else only thought about the Neanderthals…

  9. Jobo Mobo Baldie on

    Loving the suggestion of singing the ole Craigy Craigy Whyte song whilst doing a Mexican Wave.

     

     

    But maybe best kept until we go 2 up…

     

     

    Back to lurkin’ and workin’…

  10. proudbhoy

     

     

    13:03 on 27 November, 2014

     

    tonydonnelly67

     

     

    12:55 on 27 November, 2014

     

     

     

     

    Strange situation.. Wasnt Leighs biggest fan when he signed but his attitude when coming on from the bench has been great to see this season.

     

     

     

    End of aberdeen game he was celebrating alot, seemed delighted we got the win.

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

     

    I am a fan of him, and yes it does seem a strange thing he wasent even on the bench on Sat.

  11. How can Dinamo Govan or whatever they are called now have a uefa coefficient of 101? Never been in Europe.

  12. Sean Thornton

     

    Enjoy the grouse with your brother .

     

    Please pass on my best wishes.

     

     

    Early finish @ work .

     

    Train to Glasgow. Hope to catch some

     

    CQN,rs in BV. Love European night’s at

     

    paradise, tonight we face a good team

     

    who will offer a proper assessment of progress. Midfield is the key. Defence

     

    needs protection and whoever plays up

     

    top can’t be isolated.

     

    2-1 for the hoops. HH

  13. We might be in danger of giving Salzburg too much credit here,good side,but not a great defence.They are not Bayern or Real Madrid,get in about them Celtic.

  14. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on

    parkheadcumsalford

     

     

    12:59 on 27 November, 2014

     

    Oh to be in that courtroom.

     

     

    TOSB,

     

     

    Cisco was my hero many many moons ago.

     

    ………………………….

     

     

    I loved The Cisco Kid and Pancho when I was young. My favourite bit was at the end of each programme, when both of them had a bit of craic and Pancho would say, “Aw Cisco!” Who replied, “Aw Pancho!” and this would go on another four or five times

  15. overseasbhoy

     

     

    13:14 on 27 November, 2014

     

    How can Dinamo Govan or whatever they are called now have a uefa coefficient of 101? Never been in Europe.

     

    _____________________________

     

    I know I don’t get that one either, those points go to the old club not the new club, a little thing the media have missed, remember Derry City thought they where still getting them, but they just ran concurrent for three years, RIFC have no license to play in Europe last time I looked?

  16. TheOriginalSadiesBhoy

     

     

     

    13:00 on 27 November, 2014

     

     

     

    bigshuggy

     

     

    12:50 on 27 November, 2014

     

    RIP Arthur Montford.

     

    Remember one April Fool on Scotsport.Had Bernard Gallagher with him displaying the new rubber -shafted clubs which could drive the ball almost 500 yards and called for a redesign of golf courses. It was very well done. Scotsport was good with Arthur, Bob, Dick Lowden, Nick Larkin and Mr Second Division himself, George Steel.

     

    ……………………………….

     

     

    That particular April Fool gag caught me hook, line and sinker. I remember raving to my brother-in-law about until he put me right. :-))

     

    ==========================================================

     

    And yet ironically later on new golf clubs indeed were designed and manufactured with materials that called for a re design of golf courses due to the increase length golfers could get off the tee!

  17. prestonpans bhoys on

    Martim1980

     

    12:58 on 27 November, 2014

     

     

    Looking at the first comment its actually wrong, the criteria is three years membership of the SFA, the accounts stuff is irrelevant to UEFA

  18. Wouldn’t have Mulgrew anywhere near starting 11 tonight but sadly I can see him getting a berth. Big guy is a total liability on European nights. looked Ok for the scots against the Republic but only when he started charging about like a nutter. Could be a long night.

  19. jude2005 is neil lennon \o/

     

     

    13:25 on 27 November, 2014

     

    17s play huns at MP tonight in the G C KO 7pm.

     

    _______________

     

    Hope they don’t turn the leky aff during the game.

  20. Plenty of Celts in Dublin Airport. In departure lounge now should be boarding in a few minutes. Will be in Blane Valley in 2 hours and 10.5 minutes give or take .5 of a minute. Hail Hail

  21. !!bada bing!!

     

     

    13:17 on 27 November, 2014

     

     

     

     

    Very true , they are not real etc but sadly we are half the team we were when we beat barca moscow etc

  22. Fearful about tonight, though I’m generally pessimistic before big games, should be an open game, but expecting Salzburg to dominate the ball, and with the firepower they have(and we lack) that could prove to be troublesome.

     

     

    Not a debate for today, but was really expecting RD to have made more of a mark on this team by now. Still very much in his corner, mainly because the only way to get bums on seats is with exciting, attacking, free flowing football. But if the performances don’t improve by xmas, I’d be wary of giving him money to spend in January.

     

     

    Maybe it’s me thinking I have an inner Guardiola, when the reality is it’s an inner John Barnes, but have a look and see how many one twos we telegraph tonight, particularly between Stokes and Izaguirre. They have their place, but it’s triangles with a 3rd player moving off the ball that cuts teams open.

     

     

    That said, our best performances have came in the EL, so fingers crossed for tonight. Have yet to see anything from Scepovic that suggests he merits a place in the team ahead of Griffiths, yet I don’t think either of them will start. I don’t like Stokes on the left, but RD seems settled on it, so interesting to see what he does given our striker issues.