Tonights Champions League games

The Volt · 04-12-2007 10:20PM

commentators curse... shhh!!

smemon · 04-12-2007 10:21PM

Brutal atmosphere in Milan.. none at all from what i can see/hear.

Celtic were never going to get anything but a draw at best, even if it's a training match for Milan.

A Dub in Glasgo · 04-12-2007 10:35PM

I can hear Celtic fans singing for a lot of the game... maybe you had the sound turned down? Looks more than a training match for Milan, maybe you were not even watching the game?

Celtic are through thanks to the result in Donesk

ziggy · 04-12-2007 10:37PM

This post has been deleted.

smemon · 04-12-2007 10:42PM

A Dub in Glasgo wrote: »

I can hear Celtic fans singing for a lot of the game... maybe you had the sound turned down? Looks more than a training match for Milan, maybe you were not even watching the game?

Yeah a few celtic songs, but i was talking about the home fans more so..

I don't think Milan were all guns blazing. It wasn't a big night for them, there was no atmosphere or spark for them, and it was simply a case of turning up and getting the job done.

In the end Milan go away happy and so do Celtic.

Eirebear · 04-12-2007 10:46PM

Well done guys...at the end of the day over 6 games you deserved it (just!)
I just hope to god we can join you in the next round...then well see yous in the quarters

Raskolnikov · 04-12-2007 10:51PM

Rangers fans must be seething!

A Dub in Glasgo · 04-12-2007 10:53PM

It is more than I expected from this group considering the dreadful start from Celtic. I think Shakthar are a good side and they are now bottom

Guy:Incognito · 04-12-2007 10:53PM

Raskolnikov wrote: »

Rangers fans must be seething!

Obviuosly not:

Eirebear wrote: »

Well done guys...at the end of the day over 6 games you deserved it (just!)
I just hope to god we can join you in the next round...then well see yous in the quarters

eirebhoy · 04-12-2007 11:24PM

Only 5 goals concededed in 4 away games so far in the CL. An improvement in that department. Strachan is working miracles with that defence.

Necronomicon · 04-12-2007 11:33PM

Ah damn it to hell. I just realised that I can't make any changes next week to my FF team because tonight's games were the start of the gameweek. And I reckon there are a few in my team who won't play, Nesta and Oddo didn't play tonight.

Ah well, at least Lucarelli scored.

PHB · 04-12-2007 11:34PM

I'm happy Celtic are through, good for them. Really hope we get them in the knockout stages

Eirebear · 04-12-2007 11:42PM

Raskolnikov wrote: »

Rangers fans must be seething!

Not at all....i always knew they were jammy swines

I'll be pig sick if we go out...but thats only because were out, not because theyre through

OhNoYouDidn't · 05-12-2007 02:43AM

eirebhoy wrote: »

Only 5 goals concededed in 4 away games so far in the CL. An improvement in that department. Strachan is working miracles with that defence.

have you been watching the same games I have? Celtic are through despite Strachan.

Out of his depth in a puddle.

Eirebear · 05-12-2007 03:14AM

OhNoYouDidn't wrote: »

have you been watching the same games I have? Celtic are through despite Strachan.

Out of his depth in a puddle.

Thats twice on the trot he has negotiated the group stage with celtic....yes he has varried his luck this season...but thats celtic for you.

redspider · 05-12-2007 10:20AM

A great win last night by ......... Benfica , which is enough to send Celtic through to the next round. I think hats off, kudos, etc to Celtic for getting through in this difficult group. Also a big thanks to Benfica who won away in Donetsk in difficult conditions and fought to get that Uefa place.

Celtic will more than likely have a difficult draw in the next round but that's what you get at this level. It can only be a good thing, and who knows what can happen in two-legged head to heads. Celtic showed no fear against Milan so why would any team scare them?

As for the performance, well, it could have been better. The 'false whistle' incident was a let-off, play the whistle people always say, yeah, but which one(?), but the defending for the goal and at other times was not good enough. Players need to get closer to their opponents and not give them so much space, and mark players in the box, so that means pressure on Kaka, follow the runs of Cafu, etc, and mark the Inzaghi's - closely. Defending could be Celtic's achilles heel, as well as a lack of a finisher. McGeady is as good as any other winger in Europe at times. I hope he starts some shooting practice though to increase the power of his shots. His improvement in form this season is an example that it is never too late to learn and improve. And if he could add powerful shooting to his repetoire, he would be a top class player.

As for Donetsk, I say Platini and Uefa are breathing a sigh of relief that the 'experiment' (see note*) to buy success in the CL failed, and doubly so as they failed to get through to Uefa as well. Platini will be another person who is glad to see Celtic qualify and Benfica in 3rd.

Not a brilliant european night for Celtic on the pitch but an overall achievement nonetheless .....

Redspider

Note * Rinat Akhmetov is the richest Ukrainian business oligarch with an estimated fortune of $4.0 billion. Akhmetov's main source of wealth is from his company, SCM Holdings (90% owned by him, 10% by spouse). He owns Shakhtar Donetsk.

_blank_ · 05-12-2007 10:26AM

redspider wrote: »

Celtic showed no fear against Milan so why would any team scare them?

Did you watch the game last night? They were absolutely bricking it. No fear, my hole.

redspider wrote: »

As for Donetsk, I say Platini and Uefa are breathing a sigh of relief that the 'experiment' (see note*) to buy success in the CL failed, and doubly so as they failed to get through to Uefa as well. Platini will be another person who is glad to see Celtic qualify and Benfica in 3rd.

Note * Rinat Akhmetov is the richest Ukrainian business oligarch with an estimated fortune of $4.0 billion. Akhmetov's main source of wealth is from his company, SCM Holdings (90% owned by him, 10% by spouse). He owns Shakhtar Donetsk.

This is absolutely bizarre tbh.

Do other clubs not spend money to gain success, especially in the CL?

Have Liverpool, Manchester and the two London clubs not spent money?

Have Real Madrid not spent silly money building the Galacticos, with the express intention of CL Success?

So what if another club appears on the scene with money to spend?

Just because they aren't one of the "traditional" clubs.

PauloMN · 05-12-2007 10:46AM

First of all, phew... delighted we got through, obviously it's hard to celebrate after losing a game and my mood last night was nothing like last season when we qualified after beating Utd in CP. Still, we're through and that's the main thing.

Hats off to Benfica, I knew they'd give Shakhtar a game for the UEFA Cup spot, but I thought Shakhtar still might have edged it. Two early goals killed them off, and it should have been 0-2 at the end as that penalty was simply not a penalty.

As regards Celtic, something that struck me this season in the CL was how we are all still quick to blame our defence for our away performances, me included. Yes there have been some mistakes and we definitely need to improve, but looking at the facts, we conceeded 4 goals in our 3 away group games - 1 last night, 1 (very late) to Benfica and 2 to Shakhtar. Last season, we let in 3 to Benfica, 3 to United and 3 to Copenhagen. 4 goals this season vs. 9 last season. That is some improvement.

For me, what was lacking in last night's performance was fluidity and confidence in midfield. McDonald is the best forward we have, and has great control and the ability to turn players, but he simply didn't get enough of the ball. Our midfield was not able to contain the game even for short spells, which was disappointing when we had 5 men in there for most of the game. Aside from McGeady and Brown, I thought midfield was quite poor - Donati, Hartley and Jarosik were just not in the game. Most frustrating was when we did surge forward, it was only one player - the rest were too slow getting forward and possession would be squandered again. I saw that happen with Brown, with McGeady and with Donati. Compare with how Milan attacked - the individual runs and positions of the other players, just waiting for passes and giving numerous options to the player with the ball.

McGeady and Brown are technically very good players, and Nakamura when he's back will hopefully solve some of the problems, but they need to perform better as a unit, especially away from home.

So for me, hats off to defence

, especially given the forced changes Strachan has had to make. Don't get me wrong, we still need to strengthen our defence come transfer time, but we also need to do something about our style of midfield play which simply isn't good enough.

redspider · 05-12-2007 11:06AM

DesF wrote: »

They were absolutely bricking it. No fear, my hole.

This is absolutely bizarre tbh. Do other clubs not spend money to gain success, especially in the CL? Have Liverpool, Manchester and the two London clubs not spent money? Have Real Madrid not spent silly money building the Galacticos, with the express intention of CL Success? So what if another club appears on the scene with money to spend? Just because they aren't one of the "traditional" clubs.

> Bricking It ... ???

I think I'll let other Celtic fans answer you on that one .... I certainly didnt see any 'bricks' last night, nor back in Parkhead a few weeks ago.

In terms of the Donetsk money, its fine for clubs to spend money on their teams, both purchases and players salaries, if this money is from the genuine fanbase. This is done at Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, etc, etc and many of the traditional clubs, and non-traditional too. What Uefa and many in the game dont like to see is some billionaire coming in and trying to buy instant success with his new toy as a play-thing, to run these clubs at a loss, etc.

Its true that there have been grey cases in the past, Blackburn Rovers success in the mid-90's, AC Milan's success with the backing by Berlusconi,etc, and there will continue to be. There is nothing that much wrong with some owners over-spending on their club, if it is within reason. But its all about scale.

With the Abramovich situation at Chelsea, it is clearly something that Uefa and Fifa and many in the sport dont want to see as a roadmap for success. So far, Chelsea have not won the CL which is Abramovich's clear aim, and Uefa are happy with that. If Chelsea would have won the CL for the last 3 years in a row, I suspect they would be less happy.

The story about Donetsk is that it was seen as a similar type of investment, this year at any rate, with substantial new funds being spent by the club, at a rate not matching that from the fan base. Also, you could end up in a situation with Donetsk meeting Chelsea and Chelsea winning. All murky with a couple of oligarch's involved. Uefa are watching these ownerships carefully, and they will be only too glad, off the record of course, to see Donetsk knocked out, I would think.

Redspider

_blank_ · 05-12-2007 11:23AM

redspider wrote: »

> Bricking It ... ???

I think I'll let other Celtic fans answer you on that one .... I certainly didnt see any 'bricks' last night, nor back in Parkhead a few weeks ago.

Ok so, what about this?

eirebhoy wrote: »

Celtic players afraid to get forward which means there's very little options when they're in the final 3rd.

redspider wrote: »

In terms of the Donetsk money, its fine for clubs to spend money on their teams, both purchases and players salaries, if this money is from the genuine fanbase. This is done at Man Utd, Arsenal, Liverpool, Barcelona, Real Madrid, etc, etc and many of the traditional clubs, and non-traditional too.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the bulk of the United money came from a Stock Exchange floatation. hardly a genuine fan base is it?

And now they are backed by an American billionaire. Doesn't matter the nationality though. American, Russian, Ukrainian, Israeli, Irish (Celtic).

redspider wrote: »

What Uefa and many in the game dont like to see is some billionaire coming in and trying to buy instant success with his new toy as a play-thing, to run these clubs at a loss, etc.

Boo-hoo. Football is a business these days.

redspider wrote: »

Its true that there have been grey cases in the past, Blackburn Rovers success in the mid-90's, AC Milan's success with the backing by Berlusconi,etc, and there will continue to be. There is nothing that much wrong with some owners over-spending on their club, if it is within reason. But its all about scale.

Grey area? How exactly. Jack Walker money-rolled Blackburn Rovers to a title win. Same as Abramovic did with Chelsea. The only difference is that it took less money to do so in the early/mid 90s.

Ditto Milan.

redspider wrote: »

The story about Donetsk is that it was seen as a similar type of investment, this year at any rate, with substantial new funds being spent by the club, at a rate not matching that from the fan base. Also, you could end up in a situation with Donetsk meeting Chelsea and Chelsea winning. All murky with a couple of oligarch's involved. Uefa are watching these ownerships carefully, and they will be only too glad, off the record of course, to see Donetsk knocked out, I would think.

So, some friends own clubs.

Of course there has never been colusion between teams before, has there?

Eirebear · 05-12-2007 11:34AM

"Celtic showed no fear against Milan?"

Spider...ive already said well done on getting through and all the rest of it but come on...
Celtic were soundly beaten by a team who didnt really look bothered for the first 70 minutes of the game!:eek:

Interesting to note that on a head to head record Celtic actually wouldnt have went through against anyone!

eirebhoy · 05-12-2007 02:06PM

Eirebear wrote: »

Celtic were soundly beaten by a team who didnt really look bothered for the first 70 minutes of the game!:eek:

tbh I think people imagine this. Milan played last night pretty much like they did in the previous 5 games against Celtic. Just because they don't play the British way and pressurise the opposition goalkeeper and centre halves doesn't mean they're not trying.

Eirebear · 05-12-2007 05:30PM

eirebhoy wrote: »

tbh I think people imagine this. Milan played last night pretty much like they did in the previous 5 games against Celtic. Just because they don't play the British way and pressurise the opposition goalkeeper and centre halves doesn't mean they're not trying.

Milan were booed off at half time by their own fans Eirebhoy...come on.

Tonights Champions League games

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