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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TBJ-I think a gesture from the Club would speak for us all mate .Hh
Paul67 et al
The Celtic cousins both lost giants this week;
Ireland; Seamus Heaney
Scotland; Big Mags Haney
Weefra
Try 10% of that and that’s being generous. In truth I never wear colours but my son has started wearing them and not only does he not care about opinions, he has become acutely aware of the reaction of a lot of locals as a result. Believe it or not, its supposed to be a lot better these days but having only lived in e place for 7 years on and off I couldn’t really comment on that.
JP-its a rite of passage on here-just wait till you hear what youve got to do with the goat!
hold on..wait a minute
wrang blog!!!
Ally mccosit has demanded to know the names of the 16000 tims who live in Larkhall.
Luxcelt
Biton looks to be a combination of an investment but also a guy who will make himself a regular and no doubt move onto pastures new in self proclaimed ‘the best league in the world’. A number of man city fans saw him in action when he spend two periods there and loved what they saw.
bjmac,
Shouldn’t you be down at the driving range instead of posting on here? We’ve got a tie to win!
Still waiting on the signings that we need.
Campbell Ogilivie makes Jim Farry look like Mothe Theresa. The bold Jim got kicked out for delaying one registration ( although he probably had some other skeletons ).
Compare to Ogilvie who turned illegal registration , EBTs, etc into daily business.
Ogilvie has a year left and in a way his skullduggery was a key enabler to the financial ruin of the Ibrox club and subsequent liquidation. I can see see him joining the Tribute act when he gives up the SFA Presidents role. Even the tribute act will not be so stupid to employ that imbecile Longmuir, so there is a role potentially for SFA/ Rangers man.
For any Tims in Berlin during CL the Blarney pub in Methfesel Str just off Mehringdam is the place to be it was rockin. The owner is a Celtic supporting German. The AC Milan game was on in the back tv and there was nobody watching it ; he asked us if we wanted the Celtic game on that one too.
Anyways awaiting the necessary signings as we still have a long way to go. We need to be ambitious as CL plus a good Europa Cup run could have a pot of gold waiting.
My bhoy, who lives in Helsinki, told me there are rumours flying around Finland, that Pukki has bought out his current contract at Schalke. Emdy else heard this and is it possible? By possible, I mean if he had bought out his contract, would we still have to pay a transfer fee for him. Free agent and all that. Personally I think it’s nonsense.
Weefra HH supporting Wee Oscar
Big-voiced Scullion
Ally McCoist already has the names of the 16,000 Larkhall tims on some sheets of A4 that he’ll be waving about at a press conference later.
“10 minutes is aw it took me tae git aw these names frae the boys in the dressin’ room.”
setting free the bears:
Not only are you arguing hypothesis again but if I read your last paragraph correctly you are introducing mentalism.
tbbia@1424
Brilliant. Pmsl there.
Weefra. HH supporting Wee Oscar
Paul67 et al
Welcome Nir Biton! Nir offers some good options to our forward play.
Did I hear Neil Lennon say he’d rather not go into the last couple of days of the transfer window still looking for players?
cadizzy 14:30 on 30 August, 2013
Big-voiced Scullion
Ally McCoist already has the names of the 16,000 Larkhall tims on some sheets of A4 that he’ll be waving about at a press conference later.
“10 minutes is aw it took me tae git aw these names frae the boys in the dressin’ room.”
————–
All written in invisible ink of course. He’s absolutely cleaver is ole Sleekit.
Hi, do you see if we sign that Pukki?
Does that mean we will have to change to doing the “Hukki Pukki” instead of the Huddle if he scores ?
Marti
The sleekit one on SSN talking shoite.
HenriksChip
13:54 on 30 August, 2013
It doesn’t make sense to penalise all clubs because the SFA screwed up dealing with the Zombies. In any case the transfer ban on the Huns has been a joke. Personally, they should be allowed to sign who they like, the more the merrier. The sooner they will go bust. Maybe, they were the other club in for Bale
__________________
Far more likely that in the near future many of them will be out on BAIL.
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Cadizzy- never mind the [Jane] Horrocks.
Are you planning on coming up for any of the Euro games?
Absolutely clever as well is ole Sleekit.
Afternoon all
Woke up this morning and remembered I am going to Milan by bus. And I’m just a social drinker. Gulp.
Now at work – reading back I see my friend Sydney Tim is coming in for a bit of flak. I’d looked on my Facebook page and there he is moaning about the poor crowds at NRL matches.
What a bloke – and as big a Tim as I’ve met . Just not always the cheeriest one!
Jimbo67 supporting Oscar Knox
Livibhoy
All fine and dandy comparing Neil Lennons european to poor old Sir Walters
How do they compare to Scotland best paid manager ???
After years of mistrust in the SFA’s motivations became justified, because the Sevco fiasco ensured their innate partiality became manifest, I’m not willing to take their “incompetence” at face value.
Here’s a conspiracy innuendo for you!
The SFA knew exactly what they were doing with the date, it is quite normal to extend the transfer window in these circumstances. Let’s face it, the embargo was only imposed last year.
What if the SFA knew they would have a problem with this date, what if they believed they’d get away with going with the default position? i.e. Extending the window by 48hrs, then apologising for getting the Sevco embargo date wrong.
Under those circumstances, they could argue, not extending the window would put all Scottish Football Clubs at a disadvantage therefore we need to go with the other Associations default position and extend the window.
Then of course they’d have to deal with their position re~the Sevco transfer status…
The SFA suits put their Hands-up – apologies but under the letter of the law Sevco has a 48hr transfer window, which just coincides with the two busiests transfers days of the year.
Now if I’m correct the fact that they have (as per) put all other Football Clubs at a disadvantage to provide for one institution says two things…
A They didn’t get away with it, now was it the Clubs, was it fear of the Supporters reaction (since the pheonix in the SPL nonsense was curtailed) or was it UEFA’s quiet word (since the UEFA licence was issued despite the wee tax case)
B Once they realised that this ruse wouldn’t fly, they would have spoke to Sevco, came up with the trialist wheeze, and azked them to do the right thing and go with the spirit of the embargo and relinquish the right to sign someone until after 2nd of September.
Of course they would have got short shrift, meaning the SFA have ended up with the embarrassing situation they are in this weekend.
For me this is not an oversight, it is another effect of the Omnishambles the Football Authorities created, when they decided to “Fix” Rangers.
I just E-mailed uefa and thanked Mr Gianni Infantino, for the way he assisted Billy during the draw last night .
Tauranga – Keep hope in your heart wee Oscar and family
13:22 on
30 August, 2013
——————————–
aye ,well nailed….Braw!
Away back to work, it’s a necessary evil. Here’s hoping for three points tomorrow and a couple more new bhoys signed, sealed and delivered before the deadline passes. HH guys.
RIP Seamus
That Norman, Ken and Sidney signalled Prod
And Seamus (call me Sean) was sure-fire Pape.
O land of password, handgrip, wink and nod,
Of open minds as open as a trap,
Sign the petition please: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/GettingInvolved/Petitions/judgesmasonregister
whats the paddy power story?
Is Biton one of the midfielders that say “Nir”
For you older pythons…
Kikinthenakas
Mid-Term Break
I sat all morning in the college sick bay Counting bells knelling classes to a close. At two o’clock our neighbors drove me home.
In the porch I met my father crying–He had always taken funerals in his stride–And Big Jim Evans saying it was a hard blow.
The baby cooed and laughed and rocked the pram When I came in, and I was embarrassed By old men standing up to shake my hand
And tell me they were ‘sorry for my trouble,’ Whispers informed strangers I was the eldest, Away at school, as my mother held my hand
In hers and coughed out angry tearless sighs. At ten o’clock the ambulance arrived With the corpse, stanched and bandaged by the nurses.
Next morning I went up into the room. Snowdrops And candles soothed the bedside; I saw him For the first time in six weeks. Paler now,
Wearing a poppy bruise on his left temple, He lay in the four foot box as in his cot. No gaudy scars, the bumper knocked him clear.
A four foot box, a foot for every year.
Seamus Heaney
morrisey the 23rd
you’re amazing , just looking at that vid scares the …. out of me
NegAnon2 13.48. That is a fair well made post and I would totally agree with what you say.
Big Nan
14:44 on
30 August, 2013
……………………….
signed………..braw…
Doc – I got exactly the same response, word for word.
Kevin Prince Boateng leaves Milan for Schalke – good for us on two accounts – one of Milan main players gone and pretty much confirms Putti is ours!
Meanwhile AC sign Marti from Juve – swear he scored twice against us last year
HH
kelvinbhoy
ticket office called me there and asked if i would move seats to let your wee ghirl sit in mine..no problem h.h
Hello Canamalar
I saw your earlier post, and you seem to be a bit down, so I wanted to take a moment to encourage you to keep posting, and working on your project.
I live in Canada, and rarely get back to see Celtic in person anymore, so my direct involvement is quite limited. However, I do believe that the work you are doing is of tremendous importance to the ongoing well being of Celtic.
As I recently said to neganon, you and he seem to put in a selfless shift, and instead of thanks, you catch a lot of flak. While I agree that you are the target of many personal comments, I dont think they are really aimed at you per se; rather, anyone who is doing what you are trying to do would face much the same. So, try not to let it get to you (easier said than done, I realize).
As I also said to neganon, I dont agree with every word you say (nor do I agree with everything our host says), but I think you are on the right track. And I do respect your passion for the club, and your untiring efforts to do what you see is right.
so, if it hasn’t been said of late, I would like to thank you for caring about the club, and for the hard work you put in to try to make a difference. It may not seem like it sometimes, but there are those of us on here who do appreciate your efforts.
KTF
Hail Hail