Champions League sections are never easy so we are as well having one which is unequivocally difficult on paper. Despite finishing second from pot 4 in their group last season (a remarkable achievement), Celtic spent the vast majority of their time in the tournament under pressure. They had possession less than their opponents in all six group games, so although we were successful in the group stage, there should be no doubt as the the size of the challenge.
Conversely, we looked Juventus in the eye, which, in retrospect, could be regarded as over ambitious.
When Martin O’Neill’s Celtic drew Barcelona and Milan in the group section of the Champions League the manager was clearly exasperated at the apparently preposterous task. It was Martin’s last throw in the competition and he was anxious to break into the knockout stage for the first time.
The mood music seems different this time. Neil Lennon has been to the knockout stage already so the pressure to breakthrough is not there. Celtic can take one game at a time without the burden of having to prove themselves in this competition. They are now a part of this league, they might not win it, but they can compete with anyone.
We will be second favourites for each game, which is surely the way we would all prefer it to be. Despite what happened last year, even Barca will expect to comfortably overcome Celtic. Surely we can’t be as organised again?
Don’t bet against it.
STV painted an interest picture of the SFA this morning. The Association declined advice from Uefa to come into line with most of Europe (including England, crucially for many Scottish clubs) and extend the transfer window until the first business day of the week.
Doing so, however, would make a mockery of their suspension of Rangers International’s transfer embargo, which expires on 31 August. To accept Uefa’s advice would draw attention to their oversight in not noticing that August ends on a weekend.
We all know this to be the case, but the Association would rather ignore their mistake than help out member clubs and draw attention to it.
Even Jim Farry checked the calendar.
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67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon, supporting WEE OSCAR..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
18:30 on 30 August, 2013
So, Biton has signed on and Pikku is close to signing…….excellent ….!!!!
___________________________________________________________
Hear, hear M8(can I call ye M8?) :)
HH
TET
Are we stronger or weaker?
Might be a debate for Barcelona in December or “we’ll see”
Happy to be on the “we’ll see” train and enjoy or thole the journey.
Got to see the fantastic comeback on Wednesday, very well done.
With all the talk of strikers and rates, can someone advise on the best site to review strike rates of players? I’d even be interested in seeing if there’s a weighting by quality of league. Baseball has sabermetrics, and I’m sure football has something like that as well.
HH to all!
Istanbulcelt… Assume they r up-armoured… B6 or 7
Pukki in for tomorrow’s team? sign tonight, Think he Be a crackin player for us.
KLV
kevjungle
18:34 on 30 August, 2013
…….only if you promise to say something positive about our Club once a month ….M8
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
Auldheid
18:35 on 30 August, 2013
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I don’t know much aboot the 2 players we’ve signed – apart from video-clips etc
but we all know how misleading these things can be.
But, in this case – I can something – a hunch – telling me to be guided by the guid vibes
I’m getting.
HH
Kilbowie Kelt
18:22 on 30 August, 2013
…………………………….
God bless him indeed KK. He was in the first Celtic team that I watched at Dunfermline in 1956 which was a 1-1 draw. The team that day was Beattie, Haughney, Fallon, Boden, Evans, Peacock, Collins, Fernie, Walsh, Tully, Mochan. Goals: Collins (81)
As youngsters we only had eyes for the famous Charlie Tully but as you say that ginger man from Valleyfield was some player.
I am friendly with his niece and nephew who still live in Fife.
As you may know he went on to gain legendary status in Leicester and had a paper shop there for many years. He doesn’t keep great health now though.
I loved that “what bus” story of his.
H.H.
67 Heaven
When we sign a player I’m not in the least interested in how much he cost or what he is paid.
Those are assements of worth who presumably have seen the player in action.
I prefer to wait and see for myself but what I will say is that if its in a player NL and staff seem to be able to get it out. I’m prepared to give them time to do that and excited to see the lads in action.
I did like the look of the Israeli lad although I thought he might benefit from being introduced to a bowl of porridge.
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon, supporting WEE OSCAR..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors
18:39 on 30 August, 2013
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Aye – ok then….Sack the ‘Bhored’ :)
HH
We seem to sound like a financial advice site from time to time on here. Lets not forget we are fans watching our team, I also don’t care about if they worth yadda yadda yadda I only care how good they are and will they do a job for us? The money people will take care of these matters.
KLV
Watt out on loan? anybody hear anything?
KLV
With regards to Cardiff’s supposed interest in Finnbogason,Malky Mackay was on SSN the other night saying they had no interest in him at all.Unless he was bluffing of course.
BRTH
Latest from SSN Italia regarding Kaka’.
Real prepared to cancel his contract and give him a free.
Currently earning c€10 million pa. Milan appear interested.
Kaka’ – on the other hand – appears to be less so. Advised by his father.
Money, money, money…
HH!!
Guys,
remember that modern football contracts are very different to the old fashioned model we used to see.
In my office, I have a copy of a former well known players contract which shows him receiving £x per week/month/year plus agreed bonus for playing in a winning side, for winning the Scottish Cup and so on.
It also states that if the club sell him prior to the end of his contract, then he will receive three payments of £x — one on leaving, one 6 months later and the last on the anniversary of his departure.
His weekly or annual salary was the main component of the contract.
In more modern times, players contracts tend to spell out a sum per week or annum, and then there is a more complex and enhancing bonus structure which goes a considerable way to make up the actual payment to the player.
Then there are other bonuses for specific competitions which may be negotiated by the Captain on behalf of the first team squad.
I haven’t seen the detail of a new contract for 3-4 years so things may well have changed significantly again, but the basic sum per week for each player is not necessarily the most significant element anymore.
Statement from SFA saying the deadline is today because they don’t count Saturday as a working day. Wonder who dreamed that one up…….
CRC-Gotcha HH
desertbhoy
18:36 on 30 August, 2013
Istanbulcelt… Assume they r up-armoured… B6 or 7
!!!!!!!!!!
desertbhoy,
Completely different to Iraq ect. They don’t let us take any responsibility with our own protection. Basically it’s Normal un protected Toyota 4×4’s manned with conscript soldiers with semi-automatic machine guns……. i sometimes have to work in the middle of the desert by myself with these guys…. i have thought on more than 1 occasion
” please don’t let 1 of these guy’s take a wee turn or disliking to me”
Auldheid
I’m sure I read the Nir is 6 5″ and only 82 kg. Think he needs Guinness added to his porridge.
Tallybhoy 18.45
Surprised if that’s the case. World Cup in his home country at the end of the season. He needs games above anything else.
Did David Currie n Big Raman
pick up the wrang ties tae put oan ?
Hmmmm
From De Telegraaf
http://www.telegraaf.nl/telesport/21852172/__Finnbogason_blijft_in_Friesland__.html
“Finnbogason remains in Friesland
Alfred Finnbogason remains at SC Heerenveen, but extends his contract with the club not Frisian. That says Valentine Driessen, chief football Telesport, in the TV show Fox Sports Central. Finnbogason made all six goals this season.”
It sounds like he’s staying put. Or has something got lost in the Google (machine) translation? Perhaps by “but extends his contract with the club not Frisian” it means “but does not extend his contract with the Frisian club”. Who knows???
Meanwhile, let’s hope Pukki turns out to be Pukka.
Kevin,
He was linked with a move to St.Mirren on loan,but unless another striker comes in apart
from Pukki,I can’t see that happening.
Heffernan of Kilmarnock signs for Hibs incidentally.
Thank you one and all for the warmest of welcomes. Am feeling the love…
I enjoyed telling you guys my wee personal story and in a way it helped immensely. Strange that i shared it with perfect strangers though I feel I know many already simply by lurking over yer shoulders and rather treat you as strangers would like to think of you as friends im yet to meet.
The banter, stories, bickering, skullduggery but most of all love and sincerity is a joy to read on a daily basis i look forward to being part of it in one way or another. The blog is a credit to each and everyone of you.
God bless each and everyone of you
Hail Hail
SFA are the enemy, they have never ever done anything to benefit us in any shape or form and never will and still there are posters on here surprised and looking for justification. If i was Celtic i would ignore anything they do or say and see how they treat us in comparison to the formers and then claim victimization and then take the hole thing to uefa to let them decide who’s in the right and who gets away with murder or tax evasion, charity theft yadda yadda yadda.
KLV
Somebody on last night’s blog described Billy McNeil as frail. That’s news to me, Billy always has that fit, clean-cut , distinguished, almost statesmanlike appearance.
Watched and excellent interview when Jeff Stelling – another gentleman – relived the exploits of the legendary Lisbon Lions with Bobby Lennox, Bertie Auld and Billy who was his usual articulate self.
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma
I take it that old footballers contract was not a Rangers one.
No EBT.
ps.
ive got a wee thing to email you regarding our cup final conversation about the men who founded the club, and a great Glasgow-Donegal connection , and a Solicitor as well was the man in question. Just about to be hounered by Celtic Graves.
Off oot fur ma dinner(before I git it oan here) :)
Afore I go – C’mon the Negatonians / Mineshafters / Malcontents / Rebels :)
Stay peaceful and don’t let yer guard doon the way that I did last Friday night :(
Hail Hail – Off oot.
Tricoloured Ribbon
I think he needs game time, looks a shadow of the player who scored in last season’s CL in that small game against Barca. Hope he’s not messing things up behind the scenes.
KLV
Back in again…
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thecockanee
18:51 on 30 August, 2013
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Welcome to the madness M8 :)
You know I’ve go to ask, don’t ye ?
Well are ye ? :)
Off oot – Take Care.
http://twohundredpercent.net/?p=24026
Interesting article
Two third’s full
I think you will find that the SFA will make a statement saying that Saturday is in fact a working day, but that it only becomes a working day once Sandy Bryson has in fact declared it a working day — which he won’t do on a weekend day as that is not a working day until such time as he has specifically declared it to be a working day.
Therefore this statement of fact will clearly not be made this weekend and so will have to wait till Monday at the very earliest, by which time there will not have been a working Saturday within the transfer window, even though in the course of next week Sandy Bryson will declare that the non working Saturdays were in fact all working Saturdays when, due to circumstances not now prevailing, no one actually turned up for work…… which is a shame …… but there is nothing we can do about it now!
The new lad looks to me like he could do with noshing a few good sirloin steaks and an odd pint of Guinness.
Strange, i’m sure Sandy the shred worked all the hours God sent a while ago….
I will be in milan the week of our champions league game in September. Anyone idea how I can get a ticket for home or away ends. Been on Internet but some ticket sites look dodgy at best. Any info would be appreciated.
Royal Signaller 7.15 Salis.
http://twohundredpercent.net/?p=24026
Anybody seen this regarding our finances?
Morrissey the 23rd
17:42 on 30 August, 2013
‘@CelticResearch
Yer funny guy at the Telegraph @jonathanliew also wrote this humorous line last year. Since deleted of course.
https://twitter.com/CelticResearch/status/373473837096005632/photo/1‘
###
He was at Edinburgh University and has worked in Glasgow.
Being offensive seems to be his schtick, but I suspect he has an agenda.
That comment was deliberate and offensive. I hope his employers deal with him appropriately.