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Celtic Diary Thursday October 3: The Rapid Syndrome

Some of you will be old enough to remember the Rapid Vienna story of 1984.

The Austrian side employed gamesmanship at Celtic Park when it became obvious that they couldn’t handle a far superior Celtic side.

A bottle launched from the jungle terracing landed near to an Austrian player, Rudi Weinhofer, who later appeared in a bandage, Hans Krankl led his team from the pitch, and Celtic emerged 3-1 winners on the night, with UEFA originally throwing out Rapids claims that Celtic had cheated.

Then it all went a little suspicious, with a replay being ordered at Old Trafford, where an overly emotional Celtic lost control and exited the tournament.

Tonight the old adage of learning from history lest it repeats itself should be stamped on the heads of every player and every supporter.

Got that, Neil ?

 “I was pleased to get Cluj again because it was a quick opportunity to right a wrong. 

Clearly fucking not.

“I don’t really look at it negatively or positively. You just have to put a perspective on it and look at what you’ve got in front of you. Gradually, we’re improving and it has been steady and really good progress since then.

“So, I’ve been delighted with the reaction.

“I don’t want to build it up as a revenge game. The important thing is that we play well and maximise the home advantage. 

Oh, maybe it is sinking in after all.

“We got off to a really good start with the point in Rennes and, if you want to qualify, you have to win your home games.

“Cluj are a good side and that has been underestimated. They ran Slavia Prague close in the qualifier and they’ve beaten Lazio.” 

They are a good side, and should Celtic throw everything into attack and lose their discipline, they will simply take the ball off us and run up the park and score.

I remember the manky old bigot Archie MacPherson using the phrase “keep the heid ” ahead of amny a similar game. These days he doesn;t say much worth listening to, but he has a point here…Celtic must keep the heid and play the game that is in front of them, and not try to remedy past faults.

Beating Cluj tonight is all about three points.

Nothing else matters.

 

The big difference between Celtic in the last game and Celtic now is Fraser Forster.

He will have a massive part to play tonight in keeping the defence alert.

Cluj are a very streetwise side, and their manager is a wily old sort, which is why one has to take this report with the proverbial pinch of salt..

Cluj coach Alin Minteuan insists ill boss Dan Petrescu can sicken Celtic once again.

The manager was unable to attend
 Wednesday night’s press conference in Glasgow’s east end after informing the squad he felt unwell prior to their departure for the stadium for training.

Petrescu still hopes to take his place in the technical area for tonight’s Europa League showdown.

But if he can’t No.2 Minteuan – who has been main man in the technical area for the last three domestic games with Petrescu serving a touchline ban – says the wily boss has already put an altered game plan in place to silence the home support for the second time in seven weeks after the heroics of their 4-3 Champions League victory in August.

He said: “We really hope Dan is with us on the bench for the game but if not we will prepare the team for this game. 

Mind games ?

One would not be surprised.

 

Celtic are a different side from the one that threw away a play off spot in the champions League, but there is still a niggling doubt that a lack of concentration could creep in, making tonights game at least as important as the original clash.

We need to show that we have grown up, and although I wouldn’t mind a return of the old emotional Neil Lennon, tonight is simply neither the time nor the place.

We may see the return of the calming influence of Nir Biton, perhaps alongside Chris Julien at centre half, with Elhamed and Greg Taylor in the full back positions.

Kris Ajer has been a little accident prone of late, and may be relegated to the bench, with Brown and MacGregor in front of Forrest and any two from a half a dozen supporting Edoaurd.

We can forget Rogic and Griffiths for now, as neither seem interested in playing for Celtic at the moment.

Scott Sinclair ? A strong possibility that he will feature, and perhaps even start.

Elyanoussi is another who Lennon could turn to, and on balance it will probably be the Norwegian who gets the nod, but perhaps the good thing is that if we can;t predict the line up, then there’s little chance that Petrescu will.

And there will almost certainly be a number of new faces in there, which make it a completely different game from the last one…

 

Elsewhere, and Brendan Rodgers has admitted that the timing of his departure from Celtic could have been better…

“I lived my dream managing Celtic, a club I supported. That journey will always be with me,” 

“But every manager and players will have goals and objectives they want to achieve in their career. 

“Your situation can change very quickly. We won seven trophies on the spin and if I felt I could not take Celtic further it had to be the right club and I thought Leicester was too good an opportunity to turn down. The timing was not ideal but I left the team in a good place.” 

 

He’s managed to convince himself he was a Celtic supporter, such is the magnitude of the man’s own creative capabilities.

The problem with Rodgers, in retrospect, is that he lied shamelessly about his allegiances. We’d all have preferred it if he’d have just cut the crap and been honest.

 

Dave king has won a little more roadspace to kick his can down as the courts yesterday decided to wait until January to see if anyone else wants to come up with anything else they want to claim for.

This at least means the Morelos firesale could yet prolong their agony.

The South African fraudster is betting on a couple of sales and possibly even European money after christmas, a bit like Craig Whyte did with the original club.

 

It’s a depressing sign of the times that liars seem to hold the public eye more than they deserve. Hypocrisy is the order of the day as the country hurtles towards the disastrous possibility of no deal brexits and emergency governments.

Boris Johnson has told the country the national debt has been wiped out, an amazing claim that is easily disproved, but the national media mirror the Scottish sports media in their unwillingness to seek facts and question thise who do wrong.

Johnson also criticised Jeremy Corbyn for meeting Martin McGuiness, the obvious implication being that he supports terrorists.

This is Martin Mcguiness, who did indeed meet may British politicians….

Image

 

Any budding sports journalists might want to follow this story up..from the BBC…as you never know, there might be a similar story closer to home..

Juventus have launched a fresh appeal to have the 2005-06 Serie A title stripped from Inter Milan – just days before the two teams play each other.

Juve finished top that year but had the title revoked because of their role in the 2006 ‘Calciopoli’ match-fixing scandal – when five Italians teams were penalised for attempting to influence results by picking certain referees.

Juventus, who have made numerous prior appeals, have made a new pitch to the Italian Olympic Committee’s Collegio di Garanzia dello Sport tribunal.

AC Milan had finished second in 2005-06, but were also penalised in the scandal, so the title was handed to third-placed Inter Milan.

 

Yesterday, we had this..

Image result for mike ashley helicopter

PeteCon October 2, 2019 at 4:47 pm · Edit · Reply →

Caption: “…..and we’ve deducted the 25p that goes to The Rangers… 

Today… tonights referee is card happy Daniel Seibert, and one of our players could well give the others a heads up on him…but what was said  here ?

Image result for celtic v cluj

 

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4 years ago

“Lynx Africa!…ahm I right?”

Paddybhoy67
4 years ago
Reply to  Desimond

That actually made me laugh!

Whitearra
4 years ago
Reply to  Paddybhoy67

Excellent!

Puggy67
4 years ago

Caption: Here I am
Prayin’ for this moment to last
Livin’ on the music so fine
Borne on the wind
Makin’ it mine

Monti
4 years ago

Elyounoussi -” Let me introduce you to my little friend “

tony carlin
4 years ago

Ok let’s go: you can tell by the way I walk I’m ladies man, no time to talk!

Puggy67
4 years ago
Reply to  tony carlin

fans o’ the disco lights?

BJF
4 years ago

Caption “ Scott Brown says you wants chuck it mate and I agree.”
Ralph did you have to remind me of the longest most miserable journey of my life, coming back from Old Trafford after the Rapid Vienna game. I thought you were a bit hard on old Archie too. For tonight yet again I can’t make a home game, never missed do many in the past 20 seasons but confident our defence is in a much better place despite recent slip
ups. It will be good to see off Cluj and make a statement about post Christmas European football. So who is the most glib and shameless liar, King or Johnston? I am afraid the South African based comedian comes out of this one better.

Mark Gillespie
4 years ago

Ref: GASL can see in that direction.

Elyounousi: And that direction too. At the same time.

bgbolingoli
4 years ago

caption

“but ref, he is at 107 and counting….”

Monti
4 years ago
Reply to  bgbolingoli

🙂

The Cha
4 years ago
Reply to  bgbolingoli

😉

charlie
4 years ago
Puggy67
4 years ago

Caption:

Ref – you went in with two feet, a baseball bat and a knuckle duster breaking a leg, three ribs and fracturing his jaw.

Player – “the timing was not ideal.”

Annette McGurran
4 years ago

Only highlight from that night in Manchester was someone in the pub asking if they could walk me home. To Ayrshire!

Jim Lister and
4 years ago

Caption
OK you black-shirted hun – so you’ve heard I’m going to sign for the Celts.

Whitearra
4 years ago

Caption : ‘Go on, pull my finger…’

Dziekanowski's nightclub child
4 years ago

Caption: Night fever, night fever…

4 years ago

Caption: ” ref, I see you shave your pits, it’s time you came out of the closet”…

Monti
4 years ago
Reply to  Weered

Weered,
Good afternoon sir, had your Lemsip yet?
Cough cough 🙂

The Cha
4 years ago
Reply to  Monti

You still got that, have you tried sucing on a Fisherman’s Friend? Cough.

The Cha
4 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

Sucking, even. 🙁

Monti
4 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

The Cha,
He could suck a golf ball through a hose pipe!

Monti
4 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

The Cha,
Can you leave Nob out of this? 🙂

4 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Monti… nope just sleeping it off.

Cha the old ones are best

Arsene Parcelie
4 years ago

Caption:
“You’d better have spelled my name right, two “ou”s and two “ess”es, and one “el”.

The Cha
4 years ago

Caption “Ya dirty Hun bassa!”

The Cha
4 years ago

Tonight’s game isn’t a replay of the earlier game and neither is at comparable to Rapid.

The earlier game was in the CL; that’s gone and we can’t get it back this year and can only try to not be in the same situation next year.

Rapid cheated and got away with it, that was the background to all the emotions swirling about Manchester.

Cluj may have been, er, robust but they didn’t cheat and we got what we deserved that night, we were beaten fair and square.

Tonight its simply about getting 3 points to help us to qualify out of the group, not revenge and we need to be careful about chasing extra goals, as we found out the last time.

George Lazenbhoy
4 years ago

Caption : the Saturday Night Fever competition heats up

Monti
4 years ago

Caption: Boris- Martin, do you think you could improve departure & arrival times.

Martin-” I’ve experience of ensuring departures for untimely foreign arrivals, should go like clockwork “

The Cha
4 years ago
Reply to  Monti

It’s a good guess but it’s not the (w)right caption.

Yoker Bhoy
4 years ago

I was at that Rapid game at CP as a teenager and remember their ‘gamesmanship’ only too well when they kicked and pulled at our players constantly, one of them even hooked Tommy Burns. When Weinhofer went down feigning injury, that was obviously too much for the halfwit that lobbed the bottle (I don’t think he was ever identified) and we all know the rest. Later that night on TV, we could see that the player was completely unaware of the missile thrown and had even started to get up when his mate, who had seen the bottle land a few feet away, urged him to stay down. The Austrian club then lost their case initially with UEFA as there was clearly no contact made but decided to appeal against the ruling. Bizarrely, they changed their plea, insisting that a different object, probably a coin, had hit the player on the back of the head causing a cut. Even more bizarrely, despite the fact they had clearly lied about the bottle during the initial hearing, UEFA accepted their version second time around leading to the fateful game at Old Trafford. I remember finding myself unable to believe that UEFA could rule in favour of a club who had clearly and shamelessly lied when presenting their plea for the initial hearing. Anyway, as Cha rightly says, none of this has any close connection to or will have any bearing on what happens tonight.

Yoker Bhoy
4 years ago
Reply to  Yoker Bhoy

I believe that the ‘cut’ to the head was self-inflicted and used as false evidence for the appeal. No coin was ever detected in flight by the TV cameras or found on the ground.

Yoker Bhoy
4 years ago
Reply to  Yoker Bhoy

To my knowledge, no coin was ever detected in flight by the TV cameras or found on the ground. The only evidence offered in the appeal was a scar from what was probably a self-inflicted head wound.

The Cha
4 years ago
Reply to  Yoker Bhoy

The other bizarre situation was video evidence was not allowed.

That evidence clearly showed that he hadn’t been hit by a bottle and they were a bunch of lying fuds.

The player himself was later shown with his head swathed in bandages, like Basil Fawlty, consistent with being hit by a bottle, brick or other such heavy object and not a little object like a coin.

Their medical staff gave evidence, which may have swung the decision, and contrast with the English Rugby bloodgate where the medics there were disciplined when they were rumbled, including being struck off.

Obviously, 35 years later, I’m over it. 😉

That’s for when we play those fuds again and tonight’s all about Celtic-Cluj and the only bearing on previous encounter isn’t revenge but to ensure we don’t make the same mistakes.

Monti
4 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

Are you over 35?

🙂

Stevie D
4 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

Remember it well Cha. The bottle landed several yards from him and he disappeared for medical attention only to reappear wearing the biggest turban I’ve ever seen. You’d think the authorities might’ve at least asked to examine the wound.

Stevie D
4 years ago
Reply to  The Cha

Christ was that really 35 years ago?

Yoker Bhoy
4 years ago

With regard to tonight’s game, three adjectives beginning with R come to mind. We have to be Resolute in our intentions to control and win the game, Relentless in pressurising them when they’re in possession and Ruthless in front of goal.

Forster

Elhamed Ajer Jullien Boli

Brown McGregor

Forrest Christie Sinclair

Edouard

Subs: Gordon, Bauer, Bitton, Ntcham, Hayes, Elyounoussi, Afolabi

Prediction: Celtic 2 Cluj 0 (Edouard 2)

COYBIG

CD
4 years ago

Yes , remember Old Trafford game very well , big Roy leading the Calvary charge , rattled the crossbar then from the ensuing rebound the Austrians break up the park and bang wallop hit the only goal and we were completely sucked in , this must never happen again . Stay calm and focused and we will get the job done.

Monti
4 years ago

Happy Birthday Harry Harry Harry Hood!
R.I.P.

Munti
4 years ago
Reply to  Monti

How the feck can he have a happy birthday if he’s deid? Jeez.

jimmybee
4 years ago

Cluj shouldn’t be underestimated tonight. They were excellent against us and deserved their win.
So I’m a little more apprehensive about tonight.
Forster
Ajer Jullien El Hamed
Bauer rwb Hayes Lwb
Brown def midfielder
Forrest Ntcham McGregor.
Edouard.
Subs Gordon Boli Bitton Sinclair Christie elyionoussi.
COYBIG
3_2

Salad queen
4 years ago

I was at the match in 1984 and was sure the score was 3 0 as I had a tenner on 4 0 at 50/1 and peter grant missed a penalty.
Or maybe I was pissed as usual.

jimmybee
4 years ago
Reply to  Salad queen

It was 3_0 m8

SteveNaive
4 years ago

The Old Trafford game, picked up in a Marina which was just hanging together. Three in the back and a guy pulls out a bottle of Martini and passes it round It’s the right one, the bright one, that’s Martini.
Over 40,000 in the ground but Celts should never have taken the game. Same as Racing Club

4 years ago

Archie McPherson’s loyalties may have lain with Rangers but he has called out anti-Catholic bigotry more than once.
He wrote that he witnessed a ‘journalist’ interview big Billy. The hack then turn to his cronies and made a disparaging comment on Billy’s religion.
Archie also admitted in print that in the 70s, BBC Scotland had no RC employees.
Doesn’t sound like a bigot to me.

Iain in Alberta
4 years ago

I believe Archie is a Celtic supporter.
Jimmybee I like your team line-up but think NFL will go more along with Yoker. Possibly Elyanoussi (spelling?) instead of Sincs.

From yesterday Diary team v Lazio
Oluwayemi, youth 16yo signed this summer England youth intl.
Frimpong, Elhamed, Jullien, Boli;
Kouassi, Ntcham,
Wee Dembele, Edouard, Sincs,
Bayo;

With Elyanoussi, Oko-Flex and Afolabi to feature off the bench.

I will take a 1-0 tonight with BFF stopping them.
HH Harry Hood

jimmybee
4 years ago

Yes I remember both games very well.
We played brilliantly at Celtic park but we were poor in Manchester. Cheatin bastards

Cartvale88
4 years ago

Caption

Your supposed to hold the card up you moron !

Rapid Vuenna what an atmosphere, Celtc played well TB especially, but Vienna what a pack of rogues.
The board as Stevie says should have told them no replay, as The Racing game, but Celtic boards are noted for a lack of cohones

Regarding tonight, why do negative Ralph, only reason we were beaten that night was Broonies daft handball let them back in

3-1 to Celtic

Monti
4 years ago

Where’s Mike?

jimmybee
4 years ago

Team news
Forster
El Hamed Ajer Jullien Boli
Brown McGregor
Forrest Christie Elyounoussi
Edouard

Yoker Bhoy
4 years ago

Ya beauty! A last minute Young Boys goal to scunner the hunners. Ha ha.

Stevie D
4 years ago

Well that must’ve put about 10 million
on Tavernier’s valuation. Ho ho ho!

4 years ago

How good is christie? And McGregor and Eduardo and what a fucking ball from Bolingoli

4 years ago

Christie brilliant!!!

Yoker Bhoy
4 years ago

Plenty of good stuff so far and wonderful commitment and intensity. Broonie has been immense. Another goal should put this out of their reach.

Puggy67
4 years ago

There’s only one Bolingoli
Feeds Eddourd fae the goalie
He’s Congolese
With bionic knees
Sprinting in a Boli wonderland

Puggy67
4 years ago

I see Immobile scored for Lazio – we need to watch him he’s deadly but lacks pace.

4 years ago
Reply to  Puggy67

Was that a joke?

Yoker Bhoy
4 years ago

Excellent 2-0 win, fine all-round team performance and could have had more goals. Nice to be top of two leagues simultaneously but still a long way to go.

For the record, KT played a blinder for Arsenal tonight and provided the assist for one of their goals in their 4-0 win.

Basically, a very good night for us. Absolutely delighted.

HH

jimmybee
4 years ago

Great night the bhoys played really well.
What a move for the first goal McGregors pass was amazing pinpoint perfection. Boli speed to get there and great cross headed in.
All players played their part against a very street wise team who really should have been down to 10 upto all the tricks of the day.
Well done Broony and the bhoys.
HH

Puggy67
4 years ago

Never realised I supported ‘they’ and ‘them’ BT Sport you’ve got a paid pundit that doesn’t want to say ‘Celtic’ give that fud a Jozo for our games.

BJF
4 years ago

This team will get better, Ntcham, Sinclair,Taylor,Griffiths, Mikey, Hayes, Jozo ( hopefully) Bauer, Bayo, plus the 11 on the park at the kick off, what a squad Celtic has built. Imagine some clowns didn’t rate Bolingoli after about 5 minutes!

henkesdreadlocks
4 years ago
Reply to  BJF

Did you watch him in the first 5 or 6 games? He was horrendous and he still has the ability to be horrendous, but fair play to him, he seems to be settling down.

Monti
4 years ago
Reply to  BJF

BJF,
” Clowns ” is a bit of a poor term to use towards your fellow Tims, some like myself may be too quick to judge, however there’s no shame in being proved wrong & i’d be the first to admit to that if it ever happens.
Boli is improving game by game & is looking fine just now, long may that continue.
Drop the ‘ clown ‘ patter though…..unless in response to anything Charlie Saiz posts. 🙂

Monti
4 years ago
Reply to  Monti

Or Mike 🙂

Monti
4 years ago
Reply to  Monti

In fact add Weered to that 🙂

charlie
4 years ago

a had mclair for the first goal and 3-0 in the vienna game bought a wee runaboot wae ma winnings cause the bookies payed oot …………the runaboot took me tae manchester but oan the wae hame the arse fell ooty it in tollcross ha ha aint tims who buy runaboots withoot the advice ae a mechanic grand ha ha ha ha

charlie
4 years ago

like lenny sais this is only the begining COYBIG

charlie
4 years ago
Puggy67
4 years ago

Bonnie Greer on Question Time. Black Fenian woman from Chicago, superb.

charlie
4 years ago
4 years ago

I must say Lenny has transformed us and I take back the crap I spoke after the last Cluj game. Everyone was in fire last night. No one played bad for 90 minutes. Brilliant. And as for the tranny fucking opportunist midget . Take heed on how to set up a team for Europe

BJF
4 years ago

Henkesdreadlocks yes I did watch Boli all his games, you are right he was very poor defensively in two or three of them but better in another couple. He clearly had pace but defensively, oops. My point is however we should be measured and look over a reasonable period.
I remember Wim’s team losing to Dunfermline in August and a mate of mine said he won’t do get him out. I like what I see at the moment but I won’t finslky decide until early next year. What is brilliant is if he doesn’t do well we have a guy waiting in the wings, no pun intended.

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