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Celtic Diary Friday September 19: Celts Kickstart European Campaign

Celtic came away from Austria last night with a creditable draw against group favourites Red Bull Salzburg. Twice in the lead, the hoops could have actually won the game, but the shock of being in front seemed to confuse the players, and they were caught cold a couple of times, once from a deflected shot, and once from an unstoppable free kick, put behind the excellent Craig Gordon by Jonathan Soriano, who after the game e-mailed Peter Lawwell to remind  him what he could have had.

Gordon made a number of superb stops, which kept Celtic in the game, although the hesitancy of the Salzburg forwards did its bit as well, and credit must also go to Scott Brown and Kris commons, who worked tirelessly to keep the Austrians at bay. In fact, Brown was so dehydrated after the game he failed to give a urine sample, and won’t return home until later today. Aleksandr Tonev managed his, which is perhaps a little surprising considering he’s had the piss taken out of him all week.

At this point it would be churlish to point out that the midfield did look a little over run at times, and it was crying out for a Kayal or a Bitton to shore things up and give the side a bit of stability, but lets face it, it was crying out for Kayal or Bitton to come on and give the side a bit of stability.

It was refreshing to see Ronny Deila abandon his high pressing game in favour of lumping it out of defence in the hope that someone would be on the end of it, so any criticism that he is inflexible is completely out of order.

New bhoy and surprise debutant Wakaso Mubarak opening the scoring with an excellently taken daisy cutter ( copyright Sunday Post ) which curled beyond the Salzburg keeper, showing that he has more talent that perhaps we dared to hope for, and he also displayed a certain thespian quality which is perhaps a little less desirable in the second half, when going down, looking to see if the ref had noticed , and then feigning pain that looked as though only morphine would ease it off.

Theres no place for that at Celtic.

Scott Brown put Celtic back in front after the austrians equalised with a shot and deflection reminiscent of Danny McGrain and George McCluskey back in the 1980 Cup Final, but the inevitable happened after kick boxer Emilio Izaguerre chopped down an Austrian around twenty five yards out, allowing Soriano to score what was probably the goal of the night in Europe.

For long periods, the game was similar to countless other european matches down the years. Celtic were hemmed in, with a midfield forced to be reactive rather than proactive. Woefully outnumbered, despite a gallant Kris Commons charging anyone down who had the ball no matter where they were, every time the Celtic cleared, it went straight to the opposition.

Poor Stefan Scepovic must be wondering what he has to shout to get a pass.

But , its a results business, and frankly, we got a result. Which, incidentally, the Diary said yesterday ” it would not be surprised to see “( a 2-2 draw ).

First time for everything, I suppose.

The fact that Craig Gordon was the man of the match shows how dominant Red Bull were, with something like twelve or thirteen efforts on target to Celtics two or three, and its not really the defence at fault, but the support in front of them. The keeper told the BBC after the game;

“I just go into each game and do the best I can,” 

“I know what I’m still striving for, still looking to improve, but I’ve been doing that my whole career.”

Celtic keeper Craig Gordon makes one of his many fantastic saves in Salzburg

 He’s looking like the keeper he used to be more and more as the season progresses. One double save last night was world class. As were a couple of others.

His manager agreed;

 

“Craig has been good all season but he is getting better all the time. He is a top professional, a fantastic man and I am so glad to have him in the group.

“I had only seen him playing for Sunderland on TV. I didn’t know him but our goalkeeping coach, Stevie Woods, said he was ready. He’s fit now and will get back to the level he was at before.

“Fraser was fantastic but now we have another good goalkeeper. He is very calm and so far he has been fantastic.” 

 On the game itself, Ronny was pleased with the result and effort;

” It was a good result. They are a good team and were difficult to play against.”

 “They played with high intensity and have very fit and quick players.

“I think we played much better as a team. It was important to get the point. Before the game we spoke about getting something from it.

“We are lasting the distance better over the 90 minutes. We need to be quicker with our passing but, with the team spirit we have, we’ll get points.

“Salzburg deserved to get the goal in the end. They had some chances and we had a fantastic goalkeeper. Yes, we were 2-1 up but their free-kick was fantastic.

“I am pleased with the point and happy with the performance. We are progressing but there is a lot of work to get better.” 

 I really am starting to think that the bloke who watches our games isn’t Ronny Deila. Its some kind of look-a-like standing in for him while he stays at home working on his press conferences.

 Artur Boruc, once the darling of Celtic Park , has got himself into a bit of bother with a controversial tweet about the Titanic, which sank over a hundred years ago. He , on social media site Twitter, thanked all the passengers of the ship for taking the ice bucket challenge, which upset a lot of people, but presumably none of the survivors, who since they have all died now probably see getting into the lifeboat as merely delaying the inevitable.

 Elsewhere in the news , Scotland became the first country in the history of the world to vote against independence, with 55% of the population rejecting self determination and the rights of small nations, which ironically, amost exactly a hundred years ago, was one of the reasons for the declaration of the First World War.

 Those who awoke early this morning were greeted with the bizarre site of Labour politicians cheering for the continuation of a system which has seen the divide between the wealthy and the poor grow to Dickensian levels, with the help of Dickensian policies, brought about by a government which has only one supportive MP in the country.

 Way to go, Guys.

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When I, and countless others left Scotland back in the eighties, it wasn’t because we wanted to, its because we felt we had to.

There was nothing there for us, and it looks like there’ll be even less soon.

This tweet sums up how I feel about the whole thing.

You know the look on Wallace’s face when he pulls The Bruce’s helmet off and realises who it is? That’s the way I’m looking at you 55%ers ☹

 I hope they don’t have television or radio wherever Wallace is now. Otherwise he’ll be wondering why he bothered.

Prime Minister David Cameron wants Scotland to get right behind the rest of the UK now. In fact, he intends to put us about thirty years behind the rest of the UK.

Which, incident, should appeal to the demographic who pretty much won the vote for him, although Labour pretty much signed their death warrant north of the border as well.

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Celtic v Clyde. 1955. Yesterdays picture, although the romanticising about the old Grange Bar prompted more replies, and a few stories that had me asking yesteryear to leave me alone….

Anyone remember this guy ?

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Tommy
9 years ago

How can anyone from that era, forget the mad Anton Rogan and magic cross for macca in 88 cup final.

Tubbytubthumper
9 years ago

Anton Rogan?

Tubbytubthumper
9 years ago

Looks like he has had a particularly good kebab or a particularly dirty woman!

No wantin’ to get into the referendum debate with anybody today!

9 years ago

Let’s face it if it wasn’t for Gordon it could easily have been a Legia Warsaw night all over again, we were terrible for 80 minutes and shite the other 10, Oor midfield couldn’t find a pass all night, Ambrose???well enough said. The sooner Ronny ditches his vision of football the fekin better, it might work against the St.Mittens of the world but never in Europe, we don’t have the personnel to play his way, Real Madrid might but Certainly don’t, he needs to learn that we can’t afford to play such an attack minded midfield, especially away from home, every body and his dug new that midfield was going to get horsed, it needs a defensive look to it more, Kayal or Biton and leave McGregor out, we’re not good enough to play a fast passing game, we couldn’t manage a slow passing game last night, still maintain that Ronny isn’t the Man for CELTIC, and a lot will have to change before I’m anywhere near convinced any different.. HAIL HAIL

binkabhoy
9 years ago
Reply to  Keighley Bhoy

Bang on. Score was brilliant, but the same old deficiencies were all too evident.

Morto
9 years ago
Reply to  Keighley Bhoy

I made similar comments on another site lat night and got horsed nearly as badly as our midfield. Was beginning to wonder if it was just me so thanks for confirming my sanity.

tam the tim
9 years ago

Anton Rogan, wholehearted Tim. You’re right about labour Ralph, labour all my life. Now being run by arseholes who are scared of middle england. Good result for the Tic last night, never watched the match as I was working in the taxi. By the way, listening to that so-called commentator McLeod, he actually seems to want whoever the Tic are playing to beat us. He was at it when we played Legia and he got his wish with the two late goals and he was at it again last night. A total fucking disgrace.
HH

daviebhoy
9 years ago

Anton Rogan

holy sea
9 years ago

Set’s us up for a packed CP,for the Zagreb game.Not me saying it,but the club’s site.Can’t see it myself.25,000 at max.Not buying my Europa package,stilled pissed off with Maribor game.
At least the club,are bringing in a few extras,for the Zagreb game.Using the Green Brigade,to add numbers and noise.I hope these bhoys tell them where to go,and just turn up for league games.
A draw was what I thought we would get.This sets us up for
the big one !! I still need convincing with the Deila revolution.
If we get to next stage in Europa,then I will take my seat at Paradise.

timbuffy
9 years ago

Democracy has prevailed, the people have spoken . . . the b*st*rds.

binkabhoy
9 years ago
Reply to  timbuffy

Is it really a democracy when you have the resources and ruthlessness of the establishment including the fourth estate throwing their weight into it?

Jamie Mac
9 years ago
Reply to  binkabhoy

Yes. It really is a democracy. Now we move on, or we end up like some backwards third world nation like Zimbabwe, Afghanistan or Northern Ireland where every election is rigged.

binkabhoy
9 years ago
Reply to  Jamie Mac

JM I never said rigged.

holy sea
9 years ago
Reply to  binkabhoy

Here,Here.
Yip,the good old establishment,with the orange order as it’s underbelly.Pigs,one and all.

andy bhoy
9 years ago

Shame on the 55%.
Wee sleekit cowe’rin tim’rous beasties.

Bawsman
9 years ago

Guys,
1. it was never going to be independence without control of the purse.
2. We would have been booted out of the EU and taking large doses of medicine to get back in.
3. We all agree there are no politicians capable of taking us forward.
When you pick a fight you need to have a strategy. Alex Salmond could not convince over half the population there was one.
I know a lot of hurt is being felt today, I’m not gloating, all I’ve said all along was I couldn’t see a plan post Separation, seems that was the majority view.

jebus
9 years ago
Reply to  Bawsman

england are gona vote us out of the EU next year anyway bud, but hey ho 55% of the country are happy for them to do that. We should all enjoy the boris/UKIP goverment the shitebags have left us with.

Celtic125
9 years ago
Reply to  Bawsman

FUCK RIGHT OFF YOU SANCTIMONIOUS PRICK! WHAT HAPPENS NOW AND GOING FORWARD IS DOWN ON YOU AND YOUR CROWD.

john bhoy
9 years ago
Reply to  Bawsman

Would love a strong Scotland independent and providing better opportunity. It wasn’t going to happen with salmond and no depth of plan. Also I as a weegie living in Edinburgh I feel I have much more in common with geordies scousers etc than the dour petty and rather boring locals so would rather be part of a biggee nation which has many greay people.

JRB1
9 years ago
Reply to  john bhoy

Hmmmm! ….Me thinks I know the author??

celtsfan67
9 years ago

Roll on the right wing policies, the extension of zero hours contracts, the reduction in public spending, the slow death of the NHS. Congratulations to the Unionists. I wonder how long it will take before they realise they’ve shat on their grandchildrens doorstep. At least the right wing Scottish Labour party are now dead.

Devoy45
9 years ago

Bawsman, I hear you man but if you didn’t think there was a post-separation plan with a YES, wait until you see what NO have got cooked up for youse!

One Scottish Tory MP in a house of 650 yet they rule us! And 55% think that’s ok! Jings, crivvens. Naebody here but us chickens!

I hope my own grandweans have more balls than my fellow senior citizens!Don’t blame me I voted YES.

2-2 last night surpised me. Why can’t we win 1-0 or 2-1? It’s a league though and an away draw is ok. So far so good.We need to link up better. How we miss wee Forrest but Wakaso looked pretty sharp.

Anton Rogan! A one-off thank god.

Doc
9 years ago

Bought and sold for Saxon gold. Theres already talk of reducing powers and a 10% budget cut. Going by the voting demographics, maybe a mild winter saved the uk.

Lucky to get a draw last night, the seive defence isn’t really working for us.

Jimbo
9 years ago

RONNY FYI

If you don’t control the midfield you don’t control or win games, yet again in Europe this year totally overrun in the middle of the park. Salzburgh picked up every second phase ball and thankfully seemed to run out of stream after they equalized.

Why not bring on Briton/Kayal when we were leading 2-1 FFS

I fear for the next game, we got away with it last night JUST !!!

For all those who voted NO yesterday well done your vote counted, but will be worth NOTHING from now on…. Muppet.

kris
9 years ago

CG was The Great Wall last nite, but Im still far from convinced about Ronny, but we gave Salmond 2 years to convince half the population and he still could nt do it so Ronny’s got time on his hands

BTW who the feck gets offended about Titanic jokes? There’s was a Disneyland ride named after it last time I was in Florida!!

jpm 88
9 years ago

Although a Scot/ Irish living in England, I was desperately hoping for a Yes vote, but always felt they were up against it with everyone who was lined up against them. Even the Queen broke the rules by putting her view out there.Though , as someone once said, if a Country needs to be convinced of going for Independence, then it really doesn’t want it enough.
The Scottish stereotype of everything coming down to £s shillings and pence gained some credence in this campaign.
If the Irish had thought this way there would be no Republic today.
Now , get ready for a B Johnson/ Farage coalition.
We down here were always in danger of being stuck with that; can’t believe Scotland (where I was born and brought up) passed on the chance to escape that dreadful possibility.
All Yes voters can do now is punish the Scot Labour Party for their complicitness.
Also, don’t be surprised by a G. Brown attempt at regaining leadership of the Labour Party, on the strength of “single handedly saving the union”.(more self-serving)
As for CQN claiming this vote result could or should aid Celtic’s path to the EPL! DREAM ON! As much chance of that as Scotland getting those “promised” new powers.

deadhead67
9 years ago

Another daft selection last night but we got away with it,we are hampered by having three really good right backs crocked,but delia must be living on borrowed time
Very proud to have voted no very pleased with the result,the nhs saved my bank account saved no monopoly money,and the dirty orange bastard salmond getting humped
been fighting the tartan tories all my adult life ,a one policy party that should now disband and leave us all in peace,never desert the poor and the working class in the uk or anywhere in the world
INTERNATIONALISM BEFORE NATIONALISM

jpm 88
9 years ago
Reply to  deadhead67

deadheaad,

“dirty O B Salmond getting humped”
If you think that’s getting humped, wait and see what Boris and Nigel have in store for Scotland. They didn’t like the fright they got, and they will seek retribution.

deadhead67
9 years ago

JPM THE ONLY THING THAT COULD HAVE WAVERED MY VOTE WAS ALL THESE NEW POWERS,the scottish parliament is a joke as the great tam dayell said ,devolution is a sure route to separation,luckily we rebuffed that disaster last night,for me no coming together nats are the enemy always have been always will be , offer nought but romanticised rubbish,salmond could answer nothing put to him everything was scaremongering, and then we have the trotts who thought that a yes vote would bring about a far left govt,nobody in scotland would vote for that,then we have buisness for a yes vote led by the bigot and homophobe souter one of biggest scum bag in scotland,yes voter should be ashamed of themselves

andy bhoy
9 years ago
Reply to  deadhead67

Deadhead, are you not joining your brothers down in George Square tonight? Pure scum.

delbhoy
9 years ago

Your a fucking tosser deadhead, salmonds an orange bastard but your the one voting tories, aye that makes sense. Go and annoy folk on follow follow with your other 55% of huns who shamed the country yesterday

Frank McGaaaarvey
9 years ago
Reply to  delbhoy

Delbhoy,

Ashamedly it ain’t just huns who make up the 55%. I know we would like to simplify it as such but if deedlife is really a Jungle Jim he certainly ain’t in the minority by any means. I’m scunnered and completely deflated today. You 55%ers have made your bed and we all have to lie in it. What I can’t comprehend is people celebrating nothing changing! Well nothing changing yet, changes are a coming and they won’t be pleasant.

Oh, and the football? I will settle for the result but not every team we face will be as wasteful in front of goal as energy drink Salzburg. Delighted with the progress of Craig Gordon which could turn into our best value signing since a certain Henke.

holy sea
9 years ago

Frank,
Agree,sadly quite a No of Tims in 55%.
Look no further than our own Celtic board.
Typified,by ex-board member the warmonger Reid,
with his smug beaming face,as the vote came in.

Frank McGaaaarvey
9 years ago
Reply to  holy sea

Yep HS, I got a further kick in the nads this morning as I turned on the TV to put on cartoons for the wee ‘un only to be greeted with the nauseating sight of those school prefects Ruth Davidson & Douglas Alexander sitting holding hands with smug coupons talking about the “sovereign will” of the Scottish people. Couple this with the sight of the simian brigade turning George Square into Last Night Of The Proms. It has truly been a grey day indeed.

tombhoy
9 years ago

Agree stupid team selection and subs reminded of ploy in the fifties when a goal down and running out of time get a big de fender at center forward Sean Fallon or mike haughney panic yes I go back that far. Anyone else out there in Hampden ona certain day in 1957 will never forget scenes afterwards keep the faith

yestim
9 years ago

Very disappointed in the No vote. Didn’t take long though to see the pledge changing into moonbeams. Haig on BBC news this morning at 7.45, stated that if Scots raise more money from taxes the central government would reduce the funding given to Scotland through Barnet formula. Give with one hand take with the other.

andy bhoy
9 years ago

Time to drive the Tory loving Labour party into the fuckin sea, shower of fucking scumbags.

andy bhoy
9 years ago
Reply to  andy bhoy

Deadhead is probably that condescending cunt Jim Murphy. Oh, if I see that creep at the Park, I’ll swing for it.

Patrick
9 years ago

A bit over the top abuse flying around today in here. Vote is over, time will tell how the No vote will play out. Everybody is entitled to their vote ( and their abuse I suppose ). I’m entertained by the absolute certainty everybody seems to have about what will happen next on either side utopia v dystopia. As for the draw we were lucky to get it and time will also tell for Ronnie’s Road. I think he should stop talking about EUFA Cup Finals. Although I have never been able to tell the future very well, I have sneaky suspicion we will be watching teams other than Celtic in the final. Hope I’m wrong.

tam the tim
9 years ago

At least Salmond said the referendum wasn’t about him. I have never and never will vote Scot Nats but we had the chance to go for a better political setup in Scotland than the self serving lot that have been lording it over us for decades. When the people who voted for the status quo see what’s in store if the tories are elected with a clear majority next year, first thing on the agenda, the little englanders withdrawal from the EU, taking with it hundreds of thousands of jobs, they will sorely regret their decision. If you are watching the box tonight you can see the triumphalism in George Sq. Guess who’s behind it?
HH

Derek m
9 years ago

Exactly tam , and frank I know it’s not just Huns however seeing them spout there vile in the square tonight sums it up. I even think sensible people have been influenced by the fact they have a leniency towards rangers and this somehow makes them unable to give up the crown.

Speaking to no voters at work etc , they give there reasons but it nine times out of ten comes out they are prody rangers fans. Fact. It’s a sad reflection of scotland

Rab Wallace
9 years ago

Fuck England & the gutless, gormless 55% who were stupid enough to vote no.
Scotland lost a chance to be independent on the back of these idiot’s.
Forcing 45% to lie in the bed you made & taking away the right to complain Cameron & his cunt mates in England have been given a mandate to fucking ruin the place well done fucking morons!

Ps: Deila is a dick get rid of him now..

Rab Wallace
9 years ago

And now for news just in I won an award from my wife for potty mouth of the week.

Buckie1967
9 years ago

Deadbrain hope you enjoyed watching what your no vote has given this country after what’s happened tonight in George square alex salmond a dirty orange bastard oh how you make me weep.
After doing your no vote did you not think the orange order,the royalists, the Torys & the traitors from the Labour Party sucked you in like the sucker you are.
In it together ma fucken arse we are going to be down trodden right into the gutter & it’s people like you & your orange mates that’s done it.
Hope you gave a wee chorus of god save the queen wen the result came in, the people that fought for this country must be spinning in there graves, now we are just a county in England .
Result last night are we never pleased thought we did well after all the other european games this season Christ it was 2-2 and there first goal goalie had it covered and we could have scored another 2 on the break I know they could have scored more as well but they didn’t.
So come on we got a point away from home and that’s a bonus oh and did your tip of 2-2 keep it up only £2 on it. More tips please ha ha ha.

Dan The Man
9 years ago

Bawsman,
Of course now that we have taken the Queen’s shilling what do we have:

No control over our own finances

Will be out of Europe after the next Election as UKIP
and The Tories get into bed together.

We will of course have better politicians running the country with Scotland’s interests deeply rooted in. Their hearts and minds , look out for the Boris and Nigel double act coming to the fore. Wassock!!!!!

Dan The Man
9 years ago

Tam the Tim

Like you I have never voted SNP but the time is coming when some tactical voting might be necessary . Labour in Scotland are just another version of The Tories ,The Tories are just The Tories they are Sh,?! and I will never in my life,what is left of it vote Lib Dem after the shafting at the Last Election. What am I left with SNP or The Greens. Difficult choice. Heading towards something I have never done in my life and that is a No Vote
That is the true political awakening in Scotland after last night. We are a nation of no hopers ,it’s a shame because there are 1.6m of us out there who had the audacity to dream of something better but The Tories,Labour and Lib Dems (Spit) pulled the rug and the Westminster juggernaut will stick the boot in at the first opportunity. It could have been so different if the old Scottish trait of not having the balls to grasp the opportunity when it presents itself had not raised it’s ugly head.

Talking of Ugly Heads did you see some of them in George Square tonight?

9 years ago

I hope all the no voters get to see the scenes in central Glasgow tonight. That’s the society that you’ve just voted for.
Right wing, fascist, little england triumphalists.
If I could, I think I’d leave Scotland just now.
Never felt so disgusted by politics in my life.
I’ve lived through the thatcher years and didn’t think it could get any worse than that, but last night poved me wrong.
The no voters are all just a bunch of self satisfied, middle class, comfortably off, right wing little Englanders, who don’t give a fuck for anyone else but themselves. Whatever happened to our caring society ?
I’ve voted labour all my life, but to see them in bed with the tories makes my blood boil. Labour are dead in my eyes. I hope everybody who voted yes last night lets their labour party councillor / MP / MEP that they won’t be voting for them again.
Shame on the no voters – you’ve condemned our country into a living death of right wing fascism. I hope you all listened to your hero Farange this morning telling you what is coming. The South of England will become more prosperous and the rest of the country will be supporting this (particularly oil revenue) and we’ll be out of Europe within the next 5 years. UKIP will be the biggest party after the tories (libdems are dead) and the next government will be a tory / ukip coalition. Labour will be as important as the greens (hell mend them, as my wee mammy would say)- yes, the future is looking bright. Thank god I’m ready to retire and my mortgage is as good as taken care of. Inflation will spiral in the next 3 – 5 years and jobs will be lost as the cuts deepen.
democracy won last night, but the notion / hope for a caring society died completely.
I really do hope the no’s are proud of themselves – the future of my children / grandchildren was thrown away last night in a self satisfying orgy of right wing politics.

As for Celtic, I was working all day yesterday and have only managed to watch the first half, which I recorded. From what I’ve seen, we were gubbed and stole a point. Not sure if I’m more happy that we stole a point or more annoyed about how we played. At least Celtic have the chance to get things right in the future, Scotland lost that chance last night.

9 years ago

Ralph, my 10 minute rant disappeared as soon as I hit the send button – possibly censored, however, if you can find it, could you print it, thanks

Doc
9 years ago
Reply to  Andy Docherty

Your not regular on here until your lenghty, well thought out comments disappear when you hit the big green button, never to be seen again…
Talking of which, have the gremlins finally got PensionerBhoy or has he moved to a sunny desert island with no internet. If if’s the latter, how’s he fixed for scouting work. Can’t do worse than Bangura or Balde.

AntonDeclan
9 years ago

Anton Rogan, who always gave his all fur ra Cellic.
Ralph – Picture brings back memories of trips up north with the R&R! HH & KTF everyone.

BroxburnBhoy
9 years ago

Lots of doom and gloom with some amount of vitriol thrown in. Don’t worry too much the UK voters are not daft enough to vote themselves out of the EU. Even with the silly verbose buffoons who would like to leave the EU spouting nationalistic nonsense, the majority of sensible voters will probably vote to stay with the larger community. I wonder if any of your readers have experienced a similar situation?

highseastim
9 years ago

I went to bed on Thursday night believing I lived in an up and coming country, but woke up in a province called North Britain, I’m offshore at the moment and you would not believe how “pig sick” the vast majority are at the result. You’d think everyone had had a death in the family.

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