Tonight we face one of the strongest teams in the Europa League. Salzburg have won all five group games, reached last season’s semi-finals (where they were robbed) and are out of sight in their domestic league.
We held a halftime lead in the away game but Salzburg wore us down and eventually exploited every weakness. We have a long and hard 90 minutes ahead.
Despite this, there is reasons to be confident. Celtic are playing as well as they have in a year, perhaps longer. And no matter the quality of opposition, Celtic Park is always a difficult place to travel to. It intimidates visitors just as it inspires Celtic players.
Salzburg are three days away from their winter break, Celtic will undoubtedly be the hungrier team. You would always fancy a hungry team over a team that had already achieved.
I have no doubt Leigh Griffiths will get all the help necessary to see him make a full and complete recovery from what ails him. He has the support of the club, his loved ones and the entire Celtic family, and will receive the best help money can buy.
Going from being a successful internationally recognised athlete, to so publicly stepping away from the frontline due to personal issues, will give others permission to do likewise. There are thousands like Leigh living and working among us, yet to ask for help. If a confident, alpha male, like Leigh can stop his life to get some professional help, you can too.
I suspect Celtic would have been happy for the police to suggest taking 750 tickets for Ibrox was unsafe, but as this is not the case, they had little choice but to accept. Starting a boycott would have been straightforward, the problem comes when you want to end it years later.
Newco are in this situation with the BBC. They banned Chris McLaughlin from Ibrox in 2015, resulting in a show of solidarity from the BBC with their journalist. The ban was lifted temporarily before some people noticed and got really angry, so it was re-imposed. Now the whole business looks like a disproportionate act, especially as few can remember why the ban was introduced.
Having taken a public stance Newco have been unable to change their mind and admit journalists, whether they report on arrests or not (the reason Chris McLaughlin was banned).
If Celtic were to decline tickets for Ibrox due to safety concerns, it will be difficult for them to reverse this stance in years to come as no circumstances would change. You can be sure Newco will not revert to the previous ticket arrangement, having succumbed to requests to inhibit Celtic celebrations at their home ground.
And besides, how many Newco fans are anywhere near the ground at full time? As long as fans get to the ground safely, they should have the freedom of Glasgow to make their way home.
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First?
2nd.
Still looking for 2 tickets for tonight. Email me at bobbypetta@sky.com
There you go, P67 has cut the legs from under me again.
Could somebody c&p my post from the previous page please
i’m too pashed to try again.
H.H Mick
Speedy recovery for the very brave Leigh Griffiths.
Leigh has fought adversity for most of his Celtic career and won.
He was not a Ronnie favourite and went on to win his place ,become our top scorer and first pick.
Same with Brendan but he always battled the odds and has been pivotal in our success.
The future should hold no fears for the wee man as he is a battler and with the supporters and club behind him things are going to get better.
Out of position on screen – Threw me
Very good article Paul. Been a while since I’ve been on here. Still some familiar names posting.
Especially liked your bit about Leigh…I’ve now taken the steps I needed to.
As I rarely attend games away from Celtic Park I didn’t think it was my place to offer an opinion on whether or not our Club should accept the Ibrox tickets. But what I do know is that when I settle down to watch that game on TV, my mind will invariably drift towards the potential safety issue of our supporters in the corner. So as a non attender at away grounds then personally I’d have been happier if we had declined the tickets.
All the best Leigh.
For Mick,
Melbourne Mick on 13th December 2018 12:16 pm
Hello again all you young rebels.
Tonights the night
It’s gonna be alright
Coz i luv you bhoys
Aint nobody gonna stop us now.
Been singing that all day, to myself of course, my voice is like
a frog with larin.. laryngi.. with a sore throat.
Although the game is not tonight for us antipodean tims but early
tomorrow morning, no problem, coupla cans laid out ready, don’t
want to faff about with a kettle and tea in the morn. it’s too
distracting. two sannies wrapped in cling film, and a wee bottle
of Auchentoshan for full time.
You’re Celtic united
You make me so exited
you’re every schoolbhoys dream
you’re a rhapsody
A melody…..
Go on Rod we’re with you.
H.H Mick
MIT – I enjoyed the tunes this morning, cheers. I’ll be taking in today’s game from McVeigh’s. Pop by if you have time for a bit of Christmas cheer.
slainte
tony
“The Greeks, zero points from five games, have capitulated since August”
——-
Not sure they were that great in August, Paul. We should have beaten them.
Salzburg will be a difficult opponent. They wouldn’t have achieved the success they have if they weren’t a hungry team. They will be desperate for the 100% record. With no games coming up they will be desperate to win this one.
All the best, Leigh. Get yourself well.
NOTTACLUE1
Thank you my good man, normally BMCUW corrects my late
posts but as you know he’s sine die.
Can anybody tell me why? because in all the umpteen years i’ve
been posting on CQN no one has ever been terminally cast adrift
and i’ve read some brutal stuff on here.
Anybody?
Moderators?
Paul67?
H.H Mick
Moderators, please delete Big Jimmy’s post at 7.19am. It is a character assassination over nothing. Possibly one of the worst posts I have read on here.
TOTony
Cheers. All the best of the holidays to you and the kids.
Sadly, I have a case going next week, for which I have meetings this afternoon. So, at best it will be a dodgy feed on my phone, if I can sneak it by them.
We are really overdue for a catch up. Over the holidays perhaps?
The DUP.
Is it just me, or, do others think when a member of the DUP starts talking they automatically sound enraged? They seem permanently annoyed regardless of the topic?
Some time ago I was studying intermittent explosive disorder. I think when relating this condition to DUP members, you could safely remove the word ‘ intermittent ‘.
Adding that unmistakable NI Ian Paisley like brogue accent seems to add to the perma rage perception I get.
Are any of them ever happy? Do they laugh? Ever?
T&T . Old Paisley & Mairtín used to laugh a lot. They were nicknamed the Chuckle Brothers but yes I totally empathise with your post. A shower of cranky ugly piss pots the lot of them.
The only time I can remember Ian Paisley smiling and laughing was when he was in the company of Martin McGuinness. Believe it or not!
MIT – No problem and yes for sure a catch up over the Christmas holidays. TAL is taking care of Almore when he is over so maybe we can join them for a few glasses of ale?
slainte
tony
http://celticbynumberscom.ipage.com/defeat-by-european-elite/
It is a top top side that comes to Celtic Park tonight. Progression will be a major achievement for this Celtic side given this quality plus RB Leipzig.
Celtic 3-1 Salzburg
COYBIG
HH
Anne Lundon still wearing green and the carpet in the European Supreme Court ( I think) is also green !
JJ
Does anybody think that Sammy Wilson has reached ‘peak ugliness’ i.e. it wouldn’t be possible for him to be any more ugly ?
Bloody hell ! The green carpet was given more air time than Celtic on Reporting Scotland !
We were treated to a clip of Sevco training , a report on Seeting g`s comments and a travelogue of the Christmas Market ( but no shots of the actual Sevco supporters. I wonder why?).
Celtic? Nothing
JJ
I’m sure the hun hordes,will be imposing their ‘banter’, on the good folk of Vienna
Under six hours until Light Show II ( That`s `two`, not,` eleven` ! ) begins.
JJ
I don`t suppose we need anything other than the occasion itself tonight but I feel the atmosphere will be helped if Sevco have already departed Europe by the time we KO.
Lights on for us; Lights out for Them.
JJ
PETETHEBEAT. Everything about the DUP is ugly; their coupons being merely the outward expression of their inner foulness.
And what about Arlene Foster? She reminds me of the wee wumman wi the husky voice from Still Game that Boabby the Barman woke up beside. Brrrrrrrrrrr!
Best wishes to Leigh. As stated, the boy is a fighter.
Looking at the final group matches in the CL last night, it was noticeable how many of the already qualified either lost or drew.
On further examination, most, if not all, fielded weakened teams, placing more emphasis in upcoming league games.
If Salzburg put out their strongest team tonight, it would suggest to my paranoid mind that the old R B alliance is alive and well.
From Twitter
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DuTIL8cW0AAjV9Z.jpg
bb
watching season 6 ray donovan, great show.
Big Jimmy
Don’t want to fall out (i do enough of that at work), and I know more is allowed on here than in the past. Having said that, for me, think your posts at 7:19 and 12:50 cross the line.
Perhaps BP can not mention you in the future, and you do the same for him?
BP is a blog friend, so if you don’t want to ask they be removed, I will.
Tim H-latest episode here,they are back in Boston , above the bar they are in ,is a Celtic scarf
Hope there is more football on display tonight than there is on this blog today !
Does Broony start as he is more defensive or do we go with the the Classy Calmac?
Or both?
Lets take these as a given:
Gordon
Lustig Bankovic Simunovic Tierney
Forrest Christie
Edouard.
We are then left with three from the following:
Brown,Ntcham,Rogic,McGregor and Sinclair.
I think we can assume Sinclair so, two from that impressive quartet is no easy task.
I would guess Rogic and McGregor with Ntcham and Rogic being the least likely pairing. Broony and Ntcham? Over to you Brendan.
JJ
From the Amazon to Borneo,
From Africa to Tokyo,
To the darkest jungles of the world,
But nowhere could I lose him.
Na, na, na, na, na, na, na…
Around in circles everyway,
Good luck to everyone who is lucky enough to pull on the Hoops tonight, all we ask is try your best. To all those heading to Celtic Park, good luck to you too. Enjoy yourselves and play your part.
COYBIG
????????????
?⚽️
I cannae wait. I hope the disco lights go off their heads every time we score a goal. :)
Team sheet latest……………….James Forrest