Efe Ambrose looked a tad nervous at the start of last night’s game. He wasn’t the only one. Adam Matthews was pressed into an early return from injury, a forced change, but Celtic’s decision to deploy a more adventurous line-up than in previous encounters with Barcelona was by choice.
The result was 36% possession, heady heights compared to last season’s win and narrow defeat, but oh what a price. When Barca went 4-0 up early in the second half I suggested “This could be our record defeat”. My Dad said “Artmedia was only one more than this”. I meant THE record defeat, not the record European defeat. We were a few bounces of the ball away.
Results like this are always possible at this level if the game plan is wrong. In the minutes before kick off on Champions League nights, when the stomach knots with tension, I tell myself there is no shame in defeat, but “let’s make sure it’s not 3-0 again”. This must always be the priority. There seems to be a couple of rules:
If we defend the 18 yard line, in numbers, we have a chance of winning Champions League games, but beauty will very much be in the eye of the beholder.
If we chase vanity marks, as we did at home to Juventus and Milan, and away to Barcelona, we’ll lose heavily.
Last season’s Champions League campaign was a textbook lesson on how pot 4 teams from weak leagues should tackle the tournament. Spartak Moscow had more possession at Celtic Park than Barcelona had at the Camp Nou last night, but Celtic won both games against the Russians. There is a shout out loud lesson here.
Between now and the beginning of the next European campaign we have a great opportunity to build upon the type of football we saw in the last two domestic games. If we do this well, we can prepare for next season with a more mature model, but venues like the Camp Nou should only see our bedrock tactics for the foreseeable future.
The Celtic Graves Society are commemorating the life of Peter Scarff, who died of TB 80 years ago this week at the age of 25. Peter, a teammate of John Thomson and Jimmy McGrory, scored 54 goals in 112 games for Celtic before contracting his fatal illness at 23. A short service will be held at Peter’s grave in Kilbarchan Cemetery at 11:30 this Saturday, 14 December. You are all welcome.
There’s a Celtic shirt signed by the first team squad available for auction on ebay in aid of the Wellburn Care Home in Dundee, run by the Little Sisters of the Poor. It’s currently going for a song, so get there and fill your boots.
“The centre of Astana very much had a western feel- vibrant, affluent with a splattering of large video screens on the buildings advertising top of the range cars to luxury apartments. With skyscraper office blocks and top-end hotels with marble kerbstones, this very much is one side of Asia.
“The stadium itself looked fairly new, the shape of it reminded me of Tyncastle, thankfully we were made welcome here though!”
From a trip to Kazakhstan page 136 of the 2014 CQN Annual, available here:
Sean Fallon, Celtic’s Iron Man:
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Sargassosea
03:28 on
13 December, 2013
Bilin` here in Sydney.Lamb chop on the barbie.Gentle drop of Torbreck.:-)
Anyway….Embarrassing,but meaningless, result will result in sporran opening.
Celtic won the other night.
petec – Oscar BraveO – God Bless.
03:36 on
13 December, 2013
Sport? Opium for the masses?
I am very confident that the Ashes is corruption free.
Not many sporting occasions we can say that about.
macjay1,
I love the olde Cricket, I reckon yer right, again.
There is not a lot of scope for cheating in such a PRESTIGIOUS competition.
I wish ye were having a beer with me FFM, 16, BOB and a guid few others right nooo. My olde fella is a walking historian but hates the Computers, he cannae switch wan on. The English Gematria says Computer is 666.
I cannae argue at all with the above but I do know that it was AMAZING THAT ROBERTTRESSEL paid such a HIGH compliment to that bampot Philvisreturns.
Wish i wasn’t unemployed ,got a strange feeling the Celtic shares are not on an upwards spiral for nothing ,just because the sevconians are on a downward’s spiral
Mr Shadey mike Sashley is not here for nothing in my eyes
Phil is just like Robert. Both Tremendous people.
Australia settling in.
I dinnae think this Series will see day 5, I’d love to see it get there but I cannae see it.
I love extremely patient players. Supporters? I hope they are patient too.
Ye dinnae get anywhere by heckling.
petec – Oscar BraveO – God Bless.
03:55 on
13 December, 2013
Having a beer?Maybe one of these days.
I miss philvis.He was much younger than me ,but we went to the same school and he had the marvellous ability to get his point over clearly,whether you agreed with it or not.
I usually agreed,mind you.:-)
Oldies,like me,often don`t know what they are missing until you demonstrate just how much is on offer on the internet.
Mate.Long time since I read a book.
2……
macjay1 for Neil Lennon
04:08 on 13 December, 2013
petec – Oscar BraveO – God Bless.
03:55 on
13 December, 2013
Having a beer?Maybe one of these days.
I miss philvis.He was much younger than me ,but we went to the same school and he had the marvellous ability to get his point over clearly,whether you agreed with it or not.
I usually agreed,mind you.:-)
Oldies,like me,often don`t know what they are missing until you demonstrate just how much is on offer on the internet.
Mate.Long time since I read a book.
_____________________________________________
As I said, I thought it was amazing of ROBERTTRESSEL more than anyone else to giv e such an endorsement to philvis. I’m listening as much as I can.
Aussies in control now.
If i had a steady income and the means and way’s i would have loved to put my emotional financial expenditure’s into Celtic ,and without sounding like Tony Donnelly ,i would have done it blindly. But because of the re election of Co ,and after all the honest mistakes , i had to refrain from putting my self through self inflicted punishment ,week after week .Being at the Milan Game and the referee pretty much going against us at every oppertunity ,as per ,on a weekly occasion ,i refuse to be abused in Scottish football ,and i will be for the for see able future .to be fair the person suffering most.
is me
These punters must read C.Q.N.
http://www.scotsman.com/sport/football/spfl/the-day-falkirk-hit-stein-s-celtic-side-for-six-1-3231779
Great CATCH.
Petec
And great bowling.
Up like a bird………….Shares are for insider traders and Kojo.
macjay1,
I got a little mair insight into WHY my DAD dodged St Joseph’s of Helensburgh. It came frae his Brother tonight an incredible reason to accept not having perfect INKwriting..
One of the best ever discussions. Corporal……….
Make a Mistake…… be fed Bread and Water…… And leave a Bible in there if they wannae read.
KRIS COMMONS fears Celtic will suffer more European humiliation — unless they rebuild with genuine quality.
Commons insists the failure to replace Gary Hooper and Victor Wanyama came back to haunt Celts in the 6-1 thrashing in Barcelona.Commons claims boss Neil Lennon must be allowed to sign top stars.
Commons said: “We have lost a lot of good quality players, and until we bring in quality to take us to that level, we are always going to be playing catch-up. We need to rebuild for next year because the target is to qualify for this competition again.
“The gaffer has had money to spend and he has not been shy in bringing in players for a couple of million.
“But we seem to be getting between £5million to £12m for players leaving — and spending £2m or £3m for others.
“From a business point of view, that’s pretty good, especially if you sell them on again.
“But if you are losing players of £6m or £12m quality, you need to try and bring in that quality.
Massacre “I know people are working hard on and off the field to try and get us the goals.
“But replacing someone like Gary Hooper is going to cost you between £6m to £10m and at the minute we are not willing to spend that.
“We have got a lot of good characters and the manager wants to strengthen again with players that can take us to the next level.”
Lennon has made a striker his top priority in January, and Commons admits Celtic are crying out for a hitman to fill Hooper’s boots. He added: “I think when you are relying on midfield quality to get goals, then once they dry up you are looking for a striker.
“In a Celtic team you are looking for a striker to get between 20 and 30 goals a season and we have not quite got that.”
Summer signings Teemu Pukki, Nir Biton and Derk Boerrigter came in for stick after the Barca collapse.
Commons, a second half sub in the Nou Camp massacre, insists every Celtic player must up their game in Europe.
He said: “It’s time for people to either stand up and be counted, or we must go and get some better players in.
“The squad is thin and the players who have come in are still finding their feet.
“It is difficult when you come to a big club like this and you are expected to be playing top standard, Champions League football.
“It can take a bit of time, but hopefully this is a building process for us and we can move on and do better next year.
“It is difficult. It’s a process of change for us and we need to keep plodding along but it is a tough task.”
Up like a bird
01:25 on
12 December, 2013
Three teams with in so called bigger leagues finished off with worse points totals
Marsielle Nil point
Anderlecht 1 point
Real Sociadad 1 point
Three teams finished on the same group points as us.
Cska moskova 3 point’s
Steaua Bucharest 3 points
And Viktoria pilsken qualified with 3 points to europa league .
Neither of these teams had to face the quality we had to face ,so looking back at it we far from disgraced ourself .proud of my team of cheaply assembled players .
Up like a bird
01:26 on
12 December, 2013
http://uk.soccerway.com/international/europe/uefa-champions-league/20132014/group-stage/r21299/?ICID=HP_POP_12
BoscoBhoy02
I posted that post about 26 hours ago
Come 2 Whqtever?
Jeremiah 10
Ramie……
Lurked for most of the past week and noticed you are on a count down… most recently number 2.
I may be completely wrong but have already seen a few posts re Kano’s birthday; if this is indeed what it is… then hoopy birthday for him tomorrow.
HH
UP LIKE A BIRD
Not seen you posting before,mate-and not saying that to make the obvious crass comment!
Honest,me lord…
Obviously you have,but I wisnae paying attention.
Point is. You state you are unemployed.
Well,you are very lucky PHILVISRETURNS isn’t on any more to rip you a new one,ya malingerer!
He is universally-nearly-missed,though misguided n
I reckon that if you let us know the area in which you live,and your area of expertise,someone on here will be able to help.
It is a frequent occurrence on here. Place is full of good guys. And gals.
Mind,if you stay in Swindon,I’ve got first dibs!
BOSCOBHOY 02
I saw your post from earlier today when I was catching up.
Noted. I hope TRAVELLERBHOY comes back on.
There’s a wealth of experience and a well of hope if he does.
He has a 5yo kid,something I don’t have,to build his recovery around.
DESERTBHOY
I’ll forward you his addy.
You can wish him a Happy Hoopy Birthday.
Keep him in your thoughts,mate.
Morning all
Just in from Barca after long journey home. Cup if tea and a swatch at the cricket before a shower and then bed. I regaled the sight with my adventures earlier on.
I will add though that I travelled alongside several Green Brigaders. Nice lads, walking encyclopaedias on Celtic, very anxious about what happens next for themselves as currently they are banned. Unlike many of the older fans I travelled with or met and who also seemed on some mission to relive misspent youths the young lads behaved like grown ups. String ’em up I say!
Jimbo67 supporting Oscar Knox
JIMBO67
I heard you were a credit to your generation,and when I get to your age,I hope to earn the same level of respect.
BMCUWP
Hi Young yin
Well there is photgraphic evidence to suggest that sometime after the fourth goal went in to suggest my normal level of refined sophistication
may have fallen a touch.
Jimbo67 supporting Oscar Knox
JIMBO67
I always insist that photographic evidence can be faked,and I wisnae there,so ah’m no guilty so am urnae.
And there’s some faked photographic evidence to prove it!
I’m gutted that the trip was ruined by the football,mate. But I’m jealous of you-and everyone else-who was there.
It was my sister’s first time supporting us overseas,but she won’t be allowed back.
Bloody jinx.
BMCUWP
Clever use of … Nearly … Above :-))
Twisty 4-34
Commons says it as it is
Think Lenny put him up to this ??
Good morning friends and a Big Happy Friday The 13th from a damp but still unseasonally mild East Kilbride.
Less than 32 hours till kick off. Woo-hoo… ;-)
This Test is finely balanced, will England get them oot soon?
England, if they wanna retain the Ashes they huv to get 2 wickets, Jam & Spoooon.
I’d hate to rely on KP to win anything but he can win this Test Match, assuming England skittle the rest of the Aussie Batsmen quickly.
CookCapitano.csc
BMCUW… Mailed!
PFayr supports WeeOscar @ 07:05 on 13 December, 2013
Commons says it as it is
Think Lenny put him up to this ??
—————————————————————-
I seriously doubt it. I suspect Commons was still pissed off (with Lennon) about not starting the game and only being brought on when we were 5-0 down. Lawwell will have Commons card marked for these comments and I expect he’ll be quietly dropped then sold at the end of this season.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS ………FC not PLC
05:23 on 13 December, 2013
UP LIKE A BIRD
Well,you are very lucky PHILVISRETURNS isn’t on any more to rip you a new one,ya malingerer!
He is universally-nearly-missed,though misguided n
_____________________________________________
Was he misguided? I listened to a great debate last night with my Dad and My Uncle and both of them were scathing of Margeret Thatcher. I saw a lot more open mindedness in my young Uncle, still retired, than my old fella, perhaps Uncle Michael has just heard more Life experiences than ma Fan Dabi Dozi Dad (He is the most amazing Dad). Uncle Mick was Drunk but Auntie Margaret wisnae and she ayeways keeps him in check.
Like Roberto, I really miss philvisreturns and I hope he and his family are doing very well. If he disnae know what he means to me, well I failed in conveying what I really wanted to say.
philvisreturns introduction?
m6bhoy
I have to dash but I cannot leave without mentioning that, in a four line post, you make six negative assumptions and don`t have a shred of evidence to support any of them. Do you work for the MSSM?
JJ