What warning signs there were, were observed. Last season Qarabag beat Salzburg (who then won at Celtic Park), drew home and away with Twente and Saint Etienne, drew at home with Inter, and beat Europa League finalists, Dnipro. Remotely disrespect their challenge, and you’d leave Baku empty handed.
I think we would be over-generous to either team to make too much of the chances on show. James Forrest had the goal at his mercy, before choosing to make a pass, which, if it got through the immediate defender, would have found a heavily marked Leigh Griffiths, but shots from distance don’t count. This was a game without real chances. It also provided some evidence that James Forrest’s confidence is not where it once was.
The defence scarcely put a foot out of place but the performance of Stefan Johansen and Scott Brown was pivotal to the outcome. Johansen disrupted Qarabeg high up the field, showing incredible energy levels in that heat. Scott Brown held a deeper position throughout and got himself in the way of Qarabag repeatedly.
We had nothing going forward. Gary Mackay-Steven was put on his bum a few times early on and looked to be suffering heat-exhaustion more than anyone else. Nadir Ciftci was isolated, again, but the hoped-for link play didn’t materialise. He needs a link player. That’s a problem for another day. Between now and then, you and I have a Champions League play-off draw to worry about. Once we know our fate we can worry about being more creative.
It was an absolute treat again to see the Celtic FC Foundation logo, this time on the first choice jersey. Magners could have put their bottled water brand there instead, but they get what this relationship with Celtic is all about. The help they’ve given our Mary’s Meals, school kitchen appeal is further evidence of this.
Our competition where you can win a Celtic third choice (bumblebee) top, courtesy of Mangers, closes at 14:00 THIS AFTERNOON. To enter, email celticquicknews@gmail.com with the name of the country Mary’s Meals have built four CQN school kitchens in the subject line of your message.
If you can cope with the excitement of also sending a £1 or £2 to the appeal while entering, you can do so here. Thank you.
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Had a wee scroll back there and see there may be something afoot regarding attaching pictures of players to go alongside our blog name? If I’ve got that right I’d like Bobby Lennox please. Or Danny McGrain. Or failing that Big Bobo.
Have a fine Friday y’all…
Lovely day in Arbroath as well……which is a pity because I am off to the golf and this weather means there are no excuses. Just like the BBC and some posters were keen to inform us was the case for Celtic before we played Qarabag.
Low scoring will be my objective as well 0:-)
JJ
Jobo,
I wasn`t aware of that. Sounds like a great idea. I wonder who the most popular would be? Would the obvious candidates — Wee Jimmy, Henryk etc— come to the fore or would we have some personal favourite who would not normally feature? Interesting.
JJ
Anyway, must dash. Hope we get a CL Draw which pleases most 0:-)
Cheerio for now,
JJ
Can I have Tommy Burns? Heartbeat of Celtic. RIP Tam.
The one team that everyone in the Champions section of the draw today will want to avoid is……. Celtic. Bring it on.
HH
Bobby Murdoch, the etims podcast with Joe Craig gives a good insight into our 76/77 team.
He talks of how Kenny Dalglish indicated about the end of that season that he was going to Liverpool.
Joe also refers to Celtic as we quite often which is good to hear.
He said our most vocal players in that team were Roy Aitken and Pat Stanton. He speaks very highly of Pat and didn’t realise how tough a player Pat was. I always thought of Pat as a majestic midfielder.
STV Glasgow did an interview with Pat Stanton a few weeks ago. He said in it when Jock was boss at Hibs, Pat was played in defence. When he signed for us Jock remembered Pat’s performances there.
Pat said he always preferred playing in defence rather than midfield.
Starting to get excited about the draw but I feel we will get Partizan Belgrade or Maccabi.
BBC shortbread news reporting on the sheep game. Nothing yesterday about the champions.
2nd time this has happened recently. Radio the same.
Someone at Celtic should be publicly pointing this out. Blatant hunism.
If anything ever sums up the unwritten rule of our press, good things about Sevco and bad things about Celtic sell papers , is that ludicrous piece about the Qarabag players having a go at our players and their behaviour at the end of the game.
I shouldn’t let it rile me but it shows how desperate they are to portray us as negatively as possible.
http://videocelts.com/2015/08/blogs/latest-news/smith-urges-king-to-go-on-spending-spree-to-stop-celtic?
Something s never change….thank goodness HH
JOBO BALDIE on 7TH AUGUST 2015 6:47 AM
Had a wee scroll back there and see there may be something afoot regarding attaching pictures of players to go alongside our blog name? If I’ve got that right I’d like Bobby Lennox please. Or Danny McGrain. Or failing that Big Bobo.
Have a fine Friday y’all…
——————————-
If this is true, there is only one question…
Do I go for Mark McNally avec or sans heidband?
Has anyone bagged Tommy Gemmel?
If not, that’s who I’d have.
Just posting to see my name in Green really.
Have a nice day.
Hope we get the Albanians.
HH
Patrick
Saw you posting during the night
Some guys asking about cqn dreamte or whatever they call it
Listening toThe clash on the train this morning
Bank robber great start to the morning
Negative press for CELTIC ,I gave up on papers years ago..
Reading and rolling… :-)
If we have avitars can I have buzz bomb
Will miss the draw today as im off to marwell zoo ( no animal puns )
HH
Slender eu are ranked 224 in 3uafa rankings, two places behind Stromsgodset, three behind St Johnstone and five behind KR Reykyvic.
I bags Bobby Murdoch a Rolls Royce of a player .
Re photo beside your name……hope this works
@lymmbhoy: @CQN @CQNMagazine
Can I have this one please. HH http://t.co/eRyNp9jCE6
HH
My friends in Celtic,
Interesting connotations re having pictures next to our monikers.
No doubt the assorted cliques would get the cream and the rest of us would be lumbered with such as Wayne Biggins, Raphael Scheidt.et al. :-)
HH.
In the draw we will get the team with the dodgiest pitch…
Bognorbhoy
I went into my dads last night and he ranted and raved about the BBC papers etc
I told him I don’t read or watch their rubbish so it doesn’t upset me
Think he is so old school that he just wants to shout and bawl at their underhand stories and lies
Pat Stanton was so cool in defence for us that I’m surprised he’s still not playing. Great, great player (for Hibs and for us).
YorkBhoy
Motherwell ain’t in the draw…
Well done to Winning Captains and the team for the awe-inspiring new blog.
A magnificent effort by all concerned!
Can I please have CHARLIE GALLAGHER, a credit to Donegal and Glasgow.
Hail! Hail!
Terrymac
Winning Captains: Re photo for moniker. I would be quite pleased with Anjelina Jolie as my first choice. Failing that, ITV weather girl Lucy Verasamy as a second choice. However, I would be more than happy to settle for Lubo.
i dont think that the press have ever been friends of celtic, but i think its clear that since the demise of the huns the press are now openly anti celtic.
It doesnt matter though, the huns are still deid and they cant change that
BLANTYRETIM
Worked as a landscaper , in2003/2004 would buy the record as it was the way I kept up with Celtic. We were working in a bognorians garden,and he spots my paper . His words ‘ why is a Celtic supporter reading the daily ranger’ gave up that day ,felt better ever since
Hope to shake your dad’s hand at the caley game at Cqn corner
HH
Almore
Yer a little rascal.
I bagged the 1998 “smell the glove” t shirted league winning team or failing that Mr Thomas Boyd, a Celt who will not sell his soul.(for my pic moniker)
Get the incomparable Roy Croppie sorting these pics/monikers pretty damn quick.
HH to Celts everywhere. Have an excellent day.
Good morning CQNers,
Re Paul67’s leader comment,
Ciftci, like so many before him in the lone strike role don’t get the support, both Gary Mackay-Steven, and Stuart Armstrong provided such support for the lone-striker when they first joined us last year, if this can be recaptured I’d be more than hopeful Ciftci will be a big success.
Also, Mackay-Steven would be much more effective on the left – on the right he always comes in-field and managers will soon cotton on.
I know it’s a consideration for those great fans who travel Europe to support the team, but, for me, drawing the weakest team is the most important thing today, no matter the distance or the logistical challenge.
And it gives those same supporters the best chance of another 3 CL away matches this season.
So, Skenderbeu for me, away tie first, preferably.
Gearóid 1998: We can only live in hope:-)
Hope we get a decent draw today. At the end of the day our progress is in our own hands. There were many positive aspects from Wednesday night’s performance but we still lack that killer punch in the form of a prolific goal scorer. In Ronny we trust though.
Off to the gym in a desperate effort to make Almore Alless.
The pictures could be grouped ……
Main stand
Celtic end
Jungle
And for lurking © T.D, giruy huns ……
The away end
Can’t wait to see who we will defeat in the play offs. Next Country to go Green and White. Whoever we get we this team is hungry for it, they want it badly. CL this season, I am sue of it. Hail Hail
Greenpinata
Pics besides monikers will reveal new cliques!
There may be a gang of Tommy Burns after you or who knows…..maybe Henriks!
Personally i want a photo of a bit of roasted cheese next to mine :)
Why do people prefer the second leg at home? In the event of a draw at full time, it gives the opposition 30 extra minutes to score an away goal which means the home team would then need 2.
It happened in one of the ties last night, and had Aberdeen got a second in normal time they would have been in that position.
If the rules changed so that away goals don’t “count double” after normal time, then second leg at home is an obvious advantage.
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 7th August 2015 12:01 am
Your question from last night, sorry for delay. Not me I’m afraid.
HH
Morning Timdom
Beautiful, cool early summer morning.
If this carries on we may have a lovely summer after what’s seemed a near unending spring.
Watched the Baku match late on Wed night. Was at a funeral down south and boarding a plane as the 2nd half kicked off! You can imagine my mad scramble to switch in the phone as soon as we touched down!
So I watched it in a relaxed, more objective manner than I could ‘live’.
We were excellent. Professional, dedicated, passionate and together. Everything we weren’t this time last year at Murrayfield.
As Tims I think we live in perennial fear of euro near misses and the return of the Sieve. Neither seemed on the cards the other night.
The Cat. Best bit of business since Henke. So pleased that a great pro is now enjoying the success he deserves.
Izzie. Amazing how well he defended when asked to be primarily a defender. I’d start spelling him and Tierney on a 70:20 mins basis to bring through the youngster and preserve our wee Honduran Hoop.
VVD. Supreme. I hope one day we have the £ clout and competitive environment to attract but also keep his ilk.
Boyata. On Saturday he passed the ball 5 out 6 times to a Ross County player in a 10 min spell. But on Wed he was a beautifully imposing no nonsense defender.
Lustig. I’m a huge fan. Adds a nous and composure that calms the whe defence. Let’s spell him with Fisher and Janko in the league?
Bitton. I often get it wrong but from the moment he orchestrated the annihilation of Hearts several years ago under Lenny I’ve been raving about this kid. Xavi-seque in his ‘wing mirror’ ability to be aware of his space.
Broonie. Covered every blade of sand on that pitch. He galvanises us. Controlled horribleness. Who’d want to play against him?!!? I think his absence this time last year was pivotal.
Johannsen. I’m a fan of his energy. Not of his composure! I’d swap him and Armstrong as I think the latter’s a wee bit lost out on the left.
Cifti. Jury is out for me. Saw some amazing goals versus other Scottish teams on Sevcoscene some Sunday nights. But also saw VVD put him in his pocket for 90 mins when he played against us.
GMS. Worked his wee school socks off. That was the only thing to do the other night. Want him to increase his gallus quotient once he’s playing back here in the league. Apparently when he’s not training he spends a his free time doing Keepy ups and tricks. Go for it wee mhan, though not 1-0 away in Europe I’ll grant you!
Wee James Forrest. He may be wee but he’s not a kid anymore. I wouldn’t judge him on the other evening. I find looking at the Ross County and similar matches more instructive. Anonymous with precious little movement. He has pace. His raison d’être should be get the ball, beat the man, cross it into a dangerous area. Get back to the basics.
The Griff. Has won me over. Didn’t think he was man enough to fulfil his potential at Celtic. So far I’m glad to be wrong. I’ll raise a tea cake to that.
KC. Set to be a cameo player rather than a keystone in Ronny’s setup. That’s kinda what is expected.
Chris Sutton. Has been rehabilitated in my eyes. Amazing how he changed after eating the Viking in person and interviewing him. Too much to think he could do a job coaching our too static forward line into some dynamic movement off the ball? Perhaps. But someone needs to.
BT coverage was devoid of Hunnish hate. Almost like they were rooting for the club from their own country. With a calm, insightful, erudite Lurgan bhoy looking the better for not being hounded by hate.
HH jamesgang
Apols in advance for any typos. Fat fingers. Stupid iPhone!
I had a terrible nightmare last night….
it didn’t scare me at all….