Rolling-over St Mirren easily tells you nothing about what will happen at the Camp Nou. As it is, we performed as well as any team in Europe would have last night. Inter Milan and Chelsea won the Champions League in 2010 and 2012 respectively after putting on a similar performance to Celtic in the most testing theatre in football.
The manager, players, supporters and everyone at the club deserve enormous credit for their part in this. Celtic’s achievement is all the more remarkable when you consider they live within their means, and this is not a dig at some former domestic rivalry, the most consistent trait of those currently regarded as uber-teams, including Barcelona, is a refusal to limit expenditure to match income over any business period. We can admire the art of this Barca team while looking forward to the day Financial Fair Play regulations inhibit their expenditure to the £200m-or-so a season more than Celtic’s income.
Barca will know they face a difficult task at Celtic Park in two weeks. Our goal came, as I predicted on Sunday, after a free kick inside the Barcelona half was dropped onto an elevated Celtic head inside the box. When the game is analysed I’m sure the coaches will conclude that we should have invited more challenges in similar areas – on the wing, circa 35 yards from goal. This is an easier area of the field to get possession in than the penalty box and, for Celtic, equally as dangerous.
Messi, Xavi and Iniesta got everything right for their first goal immediately before half time. The passing was fast, tight and each first touch was excellent, but this was a rarity. On all other occasions Celtic forced them into a pass which was too tight or too fast, or to simply make another safe pass and try again.
The second Barcelona goal was a consequence of defending too deep to press the cross. It was the kind of goal you lose in the 94th minute on a huge pitch.
Celtic successfully defended corner kicks zonally. For 70 minutes Barca took short corners, almost always to an unmarked player on the wing, Celtic didn’t mark this player all game, which brought a complaint from me every time, but they defended the zones the needed to inside the penalty area. Conceding possession outside the box looked like a conscious decision. Eventually Messi was reduced to pitching corners down the throat of the Celtic defence with predictable results.
There is still have a hard job ahead to qualify for the knock out stage or for the Europa League but we have gone toe-to-toe with every team in the group and have competed admirably with each – which was regarded as an objective as recently as last month. I’m enjoying my football this season.
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Is wee Craigy … Green Hornets man ?
I f****** hope so
HH
Craig Whyte “My Mother taught me all I need to succeed in life”
http://img.metro.co.uk/i/pix/2012/10/24/article-1351098287161-15A6F819000005DC-342192_466x546.jpg
Awe_Naw
You forgot to mention that Bank of Scotland shower.
They provided the money to the hun.
Commentary team can’t work out why Ajax won, and English Champions lost.
BackOfTheNet CSC
Evening all, what’s the latest news with the manky mob, FTT, etc.?!
T4
BigYinMilan
21:13 on
24 October, 2012
Sixteen roads to Golgotha at 21:06
In addition, Filip Twardzik is injured and there was no John Heron tonight.
Without half a team and most of these of high quality as you say.
I was sitting behind Filip tonight. He was sitting with some family/friends.
His girlfriend is absolutely stunning!
SPF
Sixteen
Yup same crowd that pulled the rug on us.
HH
For any man city fans looking in those three stars that Ajax have mean they have won it that many times not in fact how many billions you have to spend before you actually win something .
Just in case you where wondering
FT Dortmund 2 Real 1
From goosygoosy on TSFM:
Wednesday, October 24, 2012 at 21:23
These taped discussions are explosive from several different angles
Heres just one of them
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-20074388
Craig Whyte recorded Rangers Ticketus deal talks with David Grier By Mark Daly
Mr Whyte: “Yeah. So you knew the structures of the deal. You were dealing with Lloyds.
Mr Grier: “Absolutely.
Mr Whyte: “And the Ticketus part was Saffreys.
Mr Grier “Yeah. So we’ve maintained that line quite rigorously.”
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Thats highly highly significant
Here we have Whyte and Grier discussing the roles of people involved in the takeover
and
they are both talking in the 3rd person
i.e.
Whyte felt no need to say or even imply something like…..
“I asked you to handle Lloyds”
or
“I asked Saffreys to handle Ticketus”
Neither did Greir feel the need to say or imply something like
“You only asked me to handle Lloyds”
or
” You asked Saffreys not me to handle Ticketus”
,,,,,,,,,,
Think about it
Two different parties were assigned to deal with two issues that had to come together
That didn`t come about by accident
That came about through an instruction
Someone instructed Greir to deal with Lloyds
Someone instructed Saffreys to deal with Ticketus
Which begs the question
Who instructed Greir to deal with Lloyds?
Who instructed Saffreys to deal with Ticketus?
It doesnt appear from the above conversation that it was Craig Whyte who instructed Greir and Saffreys
And
If it wasnt Whyte there is only one candidate for that role
Someone working directly for the Seller
Mmmmm
More angles to come
The Boy Jinky
21:36 on
24 October, 2012
Mag 7
Why would you think im hunting
maybe I read your post wrong but you gave the impression that you gave your ticket away because you couldn’t handle getting beat last night!! seemed a strange thing to do
Watching the Daly piece on youtube.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b2SHBJXhmTw
Didn’t we discover some time back that Grier was the person who had in fact introduced Whyte to Ticketus?
Just in from work. Is there any news about Sami’s ankle?
Belfast kev
So .. Does that mean the dead club won 5 …….. Ach .. Probably not but no doubt some sorta world record ;)
bournesouprecipe
21:37 on
24 October, 2012
Commentary team can’t work out why Ajax won, and English Champions lost.
On the way back from Firhill tonight, I was listening to the odious Alan Green on 5Live along with another b/bag, Robbie Savage.
The just could not comprehend how Ajax were beating the English champions.
SPF
The greatest team in the world v the greatest club in the world yesterday.
We’re different. Can’t explain further.
If you don’t “get it” I pity you.
Surely, surely……..the dam is busted, the water trickling through, slowly but surely the trickle will become a torrent.
What will Craigy bhoy next reveal?
Good on the crazy eyed ghuy with the tape machine.
1. I expect Duff & Duffer to be barred from all administration works .
2. Murray to be jailed and defrocked of his knighthood!
3. BDO to confirm the assets of oldco grossly undervalued.
4. Chucks takeover to be reversed .
5. I’pox and Minty park sold for car parking
6.new newco to start life in Junior league after old newco goes bust.
7. CFC to qualify for last 16 of CL
Life so sweet/ hail hail to all cqners
malc
Agree, totally.
Sheer arrogance in Amsterdam Arena
sparkleghirl
Sorry cant do your sparkles. Whyte said that it was murray
that mentioned ticketus to him
The boy jinky
No that in fact was a special case,they received permission to display how many millions they stole.
Each star being of course around ten million :)
Mag 7
Im broken hearted cos i booked to go on holiday 6 months ago… And will be in goa on nov 7
Bought the package as always but gave my barca ticket away to an old friend who couldnt get one.
It feels worse tonight for 2 raisins
After last nights heroics i feel we will take something at cp
And … I dont have my golden ticket no more
Thetimrieper
Ah, ok. It’ not the first time this saga has confused me.
The Boy Jinky
21:45 on
24 October, 2012
Mag 7
Im broken hearted cos i booked to go on holiday 6 months ago… And will be in goa on nov 7
Bought the package as always but gave my barca ticket away to an old friend who couldnt get one.
It feels worse tonight for 2 raisins
After last nights heroics i feel we will take something at cp
And … I dont have my golden ticket no more
apologies…it came accross different the first time hh
Belfast kev
I thought it was one star for each steak bake sally could eat in one minute
scotpatsfan
EPL conditioned bias – Ajax are massive compared with Man City in Euro terms
even though they’ve done nothing for years.
Awe naw.
Nothing would surprise me in this great wee country.
Still I enjoy every day a new story breaks and the huns heads drop lower and lower.
The I told you so smirk on my face kills them and that’s down to posters on here,Paul and other sites that I pick up solid facts to shove down their throats.
Thanks bhoys.hh
sparkleghirl
I think confusion is part of their plan
Rangers Tax-Case @rangerstaxcase
@sharko1984 Whyte is “a poker player from the top drawer” after all. :-) I think he is sending someone a message.
Mag 7
Difficult to type coherently with bitten finger nails and tears in my eyes :(
Anyhoo
Tttt
Hows it going amigo …. Bob marley shack in 7 days time ;)
What angle of elevation is necessary before a man in his wheelchair becomes so agitated he starts screaming for help.
Moonbeams is to the bank gimps what Craig Whyte is too meanbeams.
We do not wish for anyone especially the man who truly killed Rangers to be jailed. We want the people behind that person. So we want him to sing like a bird. He is not the culprit just the face of the culprit.
HH
The boy jinky
That fat fool could manage a few more steak bakes than that a minute,perhaps even close to a world record
I wonder how the teams from “The Best League in The World”copyright Sky,would have fared in the Nou Camp last night?
Sipsini
How was work … Did big billy liar have a lot to say
sipsini
Text a few of them tonight :))said
“TOLD YOU HE HADN’T GONE AWAY”. :))
Goodnight all
“Oscar Knox celtic warrior YNWA”
BSR
Meant to add that Green said ManC would have to suffer the ‘indignity’ of competing again in the Europa Cup.
Looking at the standings in that group, they might not even get into that.
SPF
South Of Tunis
14:35 on 24 October, 2012
Normans ——-
Surprising number of people in Sicily with red hair , pale skin ,blue eyes and freckles —- descended from Normans .
*I have/had light brown hair which in the summer fairly lightens up. The majority of Italian immigrants to North America are Calabrese who are very dark.
Working in construction which again is predominately Italian one lad started to speak to me in Italian, another who knew me informed him that I was Scottish, his response was the because of my red/blonde hair he thought I was Sciciliano.
BTW they used to refer to me as Rosay or Biondo; Chiaro
Lord Hodge?
In recent times we’ve seen the Churches, the Politicians, the Mass Media, the Police all exposed as corrupt, conspiratorial and self-protecting. We have still to see the same in the Judiciary.
They just haven’t been found out yet.
Wow, well done the English, eh?