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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jimmybhoycampbell
Glad you made it to the game last night. I remember posting you (on here) some travel details and flight times that I’d manage to get for someone else who was going.
I started off watching the game from behind the sofa. Then I was on it and by the end of the game I was on the edge of it. Thought I was going to end up back in hospital!
You mentioned a looooong shot! It is a veeeeerrrrry loooooong shot but I may have some news for you on Friday, if you want to check back with me then. All I ask is that you don’t hold it against me if it doesn’t work.
Sorry, tried to do copy and paste but it didn’t go too well either. Hope you get the gist at the end though.
Som mes que un club
The best bit about the clip “if dundee was africa” is once you’ve looked at that, click on the others on the right hand side and keep going.
Maybe he knew something, when he wrote the line : “let Glasgow flourish”
BMCUW
Ha ha, just got that there
Bit slow on the keyboard and the heid
dontbrattbakkinanger
14:04 on
24 October, 2012
Can I have raspberries, Sir Guy may not be a hun, but he is a Norman, which is just as bad.
They did invade with the holy father’s blessing
Just watched our goal a few times again there.
I’ve NEVER heard a roar as loud as that for an away goal at the Nou camp. Incredible support, hope both sets of fans got on as well as usual.
Michael Marra RIP
In the second city of the Empire
Mother Glasgow watches all her weans
Trying hard to feed her little starlings
Unconsciously she clips their little wings
Mother Glasgow’s succour is perpetual
Nestling the Billy and the Tim
I dreamt I took a dander with St. Mungo
To try to catch a fish that couldnay swim
Verse 2 as above
Among the flightless birds and sightless starlings
Father Glasgow knows his starlings well
He wont make his own way up to heaven
By waltzing all his charges in to hell
Mother Glasgow’s succour is perpetual
Nestling the Billy and the Tim
I dreamt I took a dander with St. Mungo
To try to catch a fish that couldnay swim
And the tree
And the fish
And the bird
And the bell…
Let Glasgow Flourish!
.
celticrollercoaster loves Wee Oscar, our Celtic Warrior
13:51 on
24 October, 2012
Summa of Sammi….
13:37 on
24 October, 2012
Falkirk Bhoy is a Bhoy from Falkirk. He is allowed an opinion like the rest of us.
HH
CRC
..
Ehhh…Errrrm…Whit..!!!!
It was Me Who was Sticking Up for FalkirkBhoy..In Our First Comment..I Said Neil has to Keep the Teams feet on the Ground after all the Plaudits for Barca..FalkirkBhoy agreed and was Slagged ..
Try and Keep Up..:O(
Summa
Whether they had his blessin’ or not they would have invaded.
THe ole Normans would rather invade a place than stay at home and drink calvados and eat cheese.
DBBIA
Aye,that’s why I left Kilwinning-fed up wi the white lightning and red cheddar…..
Michael Marra RIP .
His —– If I Was An Englishman —-is a top choon .
The excellent
Ofcom received nine ‘complaints’ about Alex Thomson asking Kelvin MacKenzie some awkward questions – another rousing success for the Zombies.
Yet another world record, I reckon…
Michael Marra RIP .
His —– If I Was An Englishman —-is a top choon .
The excellent Dundee band —-The Hazey Jane — includes a son and daughter of Michael Marra .
Good enough to have been invited to play in Austin , Texas and good enough to have recently opened for Wilco on a European tour.
Can I have raspbery….
About broonie coming off ,yeah I agree. He`s like the
heart and soul of team.
Sad news about Michael Marra. Saw him in Mauchline of all places, headlining a local Burns festival.
A natural raconteur, and came across as a good guy.
Seem to remember him using an ironing board as a keyboard stand.
Normans ——-
Surprising number of people in Sicily with red hair , pale skin ,blue eyes and freckles —- descended from Normans .
The Norman Cathedral in Monreale is one of the wonders of the world [ fab ice cream -nae jelly- in a wee cafe just across the square too ———]
Two sevconians in work discussing how quickly their latest top was selling out. Just had to chip in that it was probably a world record for a fourth tier team.
Well you have to.
I have been a big fan since hearing Niel Gow’s Apprentice from the “On Stolen Stationery” album.
Saw him at a charity concert in Dundee with Sheena Wellington and his patter was brilliant. The tale about playing a tune on Rommell’s piano is class.
He was a Dundee fan I believe despite the fact he wrote a song about Hamish McAlpine.
His wife Peggy is a Celtic fan who tried to convert him.
South of tunis
When I was in Sicily I had red hair, blue eyes and freckles.
My skin though was scarlet due to standing around old temples all day in 35 degree plus temperatures.
Fantastic place though.
DBBIA
Have visited Falaise several times, the place of William’s birth.
Fascinating man and not one I’d be inclined to put in the ole ‘hun’ bracket.
Big Nan .
Yes ——- Michael Marra was a Dundee fan .
Big Nan
He wrote that song for a show called “a wee home from home” which was a sort of story about a dancer Frank Mcconnell, Frank performed and done all the choreography, whilst Michael (sitting at the edge of the stage ) performed all the music as well as writing it. Michael told me that he actually wrote the song with Frank’s mum in mind…..imagine having a song like that written about you.
Lennon n Mac
Just back on. Yeh found O’Neils, thanks very much for the info. Good pub with a lot of Celts in it and a good atmosphere. £2 a pint not bad neither! Nae wonder I had a sore head this morning!
Thanks again. HH
BMCUW
Trust you, pedant :-)
Hope you are well and feel suitably rested after your venture north of thye wall!
southside ——
Had you done it this summer it would have been 45 degrees plus . It was hot !
South of Tunis
Do you know the house in Tunis he refers to in his tale of Rommel?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVhlxsXX1jw
Spinner of yarns extrodinaire!
Perhaps a slice of Brillat- Savarin, or Pont l’Evoque, washed down with cider, to take the ole mind off the ole pillagin’.
pedrocaravanachio67
Yes indeed, a brilliant man and when one thinks about the honours that are handed out to entertainers such as Jimmy Savile et al while the likes of Marra go undecorated.
Not that he would have wanted honoured but like I say he did work for charity without any fuss and was a truly world class talent.
Why set out over the tricky, cold and turbulent Manche when you can stay at home with some boursin and freshly baked brioche?
Summa of Sammi….
14:22 on
24 October, 2012
Ha Ha, I’m still delirilious after last night :-)
HH
CRC
Guys
I picked up a European Health Insurance Card at Glasgow Airport this morn at 4.15 ish on the way back from Barca. Its for a Gareth Brian McGowan
If you know Gareth is he can get my email addy fromPaul
Big Nan ——-
I’ve been in Hammamet but don’t know the house .
My moniker comes from living in the part of Sicily that is further south than the city of Tunis in Tunisia. The first post I ever made was from a bar called South of Tunis and that was shorter than Big Eyed Beans From Venus. [ heat makes me lazy ]
have not been on for a while,on holiday in Los Angelos at Sevconian Brother in Laws abode,tried to Educate him and his son waste of time,but as usual there had great time.Saw super Sally at Edinburgh Castle Yesterday on T V,He said THAT they would be back in Europe in the not to distant future,I thought the only way Sevco would see Europe would be on Thomas Cook charters on all inclusive holidays to Europe
H H
..one for you CQN’ers in the Smoke….
I’ve a friend who’s recently moved to London who’s wanting to know if the “Twelve Pins” in Finsbury is a “recommended” venue?
Any comments?
South of tunis
Toured there about 15 years ago. Was amazed how unspoilt it was, locals staring at us due to our pale appearance, well apart from my scarlet face. Come to think of it, that’s probably what they staring at. Is it still as unspoilt by tourism?
Big Nan
Well said.
His other Celtic connection was that he wrote a song called “the flight of the Heron” about or very own Gil Heron.
i posted the lyrics on here about a year ago….absolutely brilliant.
“His life’s work has told our family story, and the story of his beloved Dundee. Michael’s songs are his legacy, given to Scotland by one wee boy from Lochee.”