Alex Ferguson used to say that to do well in Europe that you need eight of your players to be on their game. Last night, in Baku, Celtic had fourteen.
The history books will record a 0-0 draw, but that doesn’t tell half the story. In fact, it doesn’t tell any of it. Except perhaps to confirm that celtic progressed to the final qualifying round of this years European champions League, which gives the side a decent shot at participating in the group stages, which is where you get to play European teams.
The tea time kick off meant a lot of “do you know I don’t feel very well ” conversations at work, where a lot of people seemed to agree that closing early would be a good idea so everyone can come back in the morning feeling tip top. Well, a lot of us will be feeling tip top today, as we look ahead to the next round.
Nerves started to kick in as the game drew closer, and if it was like that for the support, it’s worth wondering how the players were dealing with it. After last years trauma against Legia Warsaw, one could understand if a couple of players were still a little shell shocked, but the players have come a long way since then. Some who took part in those games have gone even further, making way for the side who took to the field last night.
Ahead of the game, interviewed by BT Sport, Ronny Deila said he expected the Azeri full backs to be more of a threat. Something he told Gary Mackay Steven and Stuart Armstrong as well, and as a result, apart from the odd occasion, that never happened as the two midfielders battled manfully to stifle that avenue.
Scott Brown and Nir Biton nullified any threat through the middle, mixing composure and energy, while Stefan Johansen, clearly told to disrupt any fluidity in the home ranks, at least until he got booked, was his usual bustling self. At the back, Virgil van Dijk was immense, Emilio Izaguirre covered his flank impeccably, sometimes in attack, sometimes in the middle, and sometime at the back. Sometimes at the same time as the ball was there.
Just kidding. Any doubts about his ability were dispelled last night as he tackled, intercepted and read the game superbly at times. Mikael Lustig looked much improved on the right, and he is on the way back to his best form. After a nervy start, Dedryck Boyata made his presence felt, and you can’t blame him for the nerves. If he had made the mistake that cost Celtic champions League football, it would have taken him until next year to even get near making up for it. Remember, Efe Ambrose still carries the scar from his Juventus game. The big Nigerian has an African Nations Cup medal, yet expert Celtic supporters still reckon he’s a dud.
Even Nadir Ciftci put in a shift. Under the circumstances last night, it’s no surprise he didn’t score. It was hard going for him, and support from the flanks not as evident as it usually is, with Mackay Steven and Armstrong under instructions to defend first, attack second. When he went off, and Leigh Griffiths came on, Celtic looked more likely to score, but that was more down to the pace of Griffiths and another late introduction, James Forrest, more than anything else, as the Azeri’s morale and energy began to wane.
They’d toiled for over an hour and mustered only one decent effort on goal, which lead to a spectacular save from Craig Gordon, and kept the scores level.
Overall, though, it has to be said that this was a mature, disciplined performance from a team where deep down we would not have been surprised if it had ended in one of those glorious failures we used to hear so much about.
The players fitness played a major part in this. It helped not only to keep them physically attuned to the game, but also mentally, and there were no tired tackles, no lapses in concentration and no silly mistakes as the game wore on. In fact, if anything, Celtic got stronger, rejuvenated by a few timely substituions.
A few chances were made, johansen and Forrest should have both scored, but there was no need to chase the game.
After all, as it stood, the match was already won.
Even a few mystifying decisions from the referee made no difference. in the past, the amount of fouls that went unpunished on celtic players would have led to indiscipline, but not this time. They kept the heid, and got the result.
One image summed it up for me, the knackered and dishevelled Gary Mackay Steven walking off the pitch when he was substituted, presumably before his body finally gave out.
After the game, ronny deila praised his players, and was gracious enough to acknowledge the opposition;
“It was an exciting game, right to the end there was so much nerves. I am proud of the team spirit that we had tonight,” said Deila.
“The midfield won balls all over the pitch and the defence was tight behind them. Defensively we were very, very good, and offensively we should have punished them more when we won the ball in so many good situations.
“But it was hot out there and the players got tired against a good team when they kept the ball. I’m just very happy and proud of the boys.
When was the last time Celtic kept a clean sheet away from home in Europe ? When it mattered ? Progress indeed.
And it was all done with a sense of maturity and professionalism.
Well, mostly;
Scoot Brown maturely screams in the face of a Qarabag player while Mikael Lustig bumps into another.
“I admire Qarabag. I think they are a very, very good football team, the way they play – I hope to see Celtic play like that in the future with no fear on the ball – attacking football.
“That’s what we want to do in Europe, so a lot of credit to them. But you saw that we were a team, staying together with good communication and a lot of discipline.
“They had a lot of legs, a lot of running all over the pitch for 90 minutes, winning balls all over, and then we can improve the play as well.”
And the next round ?
“We’ll take what’s coming and I don’t think that team will be better than the team we met today,”
That’s not to say he’ll take them lightly. There is a danger that after Qarabag the players may feel they are already there, such was the monumental effort in getting through this tie. He’s too professional for that. Maybe his remarks were tempered with a little sympathy for the Qarabag side, as he knows what it’s like to have such a heavy blow to the seasons hopes so early, or maybe they were a better side than we saw, and Celtic just didn’t allow them to play.
In the next round, Celtic will face one of five sides. Three of them are even from Europe.
League route
Automatic entrants: Valencia (ESP), Manchester United (ENG), Bayer Leverkusen (GER), Lazio (ITA), Sporting CP (POR)
Third qualifying round winners: AS Monaco (FRA), Rapid Wien (AUT), Club Brugge (BEL), CSKA Moskva (RUS), Shakhtar Donetsk (UKR)
Champions route
Third qualifying round winners: APOEL (CYP), Astana (KAZ), BATE Borisov (BLR), Celtic (SCO), Dinamo Zagreb (CRO), FC Basel (SUI), Partizan (SRB), Malmö (SWE), Maccabi Tel-Aviv (ISR), Skënderbeu (ALB)
Seeding
The teams with the five highest coefficients in each route – this applies to both League and Champions – will be seeded and drawn against the other five teams in that route. To determine each tie, one side apiece from the seeded and non-seeded pots will be drawn and placed in another pot, with the first of the two to then be picked out at home in the first leg.
The seeding pots will be confirmed on Friday morning.
Which prompted the Ibrox Evening Times to do a feature on why Europes best young manager and former city trader should be given a wild card entry.
The five Celtic could face are Astana, Partizan Belgrade, Malmo, Maccabi Tel Aviv and Skenderbeu.
Not exactly enough to raise the hackles on the neck, so herein lies the danger. A sort of Feyenoord after Leeds situation ?
Mind you, I’d like to have another crack at Partizan Belgrade. Put things back in their natural order.
Although it’s fairly obvious we’ll be heading to Kazakhstan. It’s how these things usually work out.
Even though teams from Albania are not normally associated with play off ties, its worth remembering there will be no duds left in the competition at this stage, and we’ll be needing a lot more of last nights professionalism when the ties roll around in a couple of weeks.
Credit too, has to go to BT Sport, who covered the game with a little more professionalism than Sky would have. simply by omitting to put in a bid for Neil McCann, Bt raised the quality of their offering, and with Chris Sutton summarising the match, and Neil Lennon and John Hartson offering their views in the studio, it was great to see Celtic minded pundits being allowed not only to offer admittedly partisan views, but they didn’t once mention what Mark Warburton would do in similar circumstances.
One member of the Etims team found the Dubrovnik CSC a willing host so that he could watch the game, which was a little bizarre, considering he was in Greenock.
He’s not in the picture, having began drinking shortly after breakfast. You can probably see his feet sticking out from under the table, though.
Those who went to the game last night will have seen something that may well be the future for football stadia.
From Graham A on twitter, the picture shows a street of bars and toilets inside the ground. It must be great to live in a grown up country.
The Diary has decided to ignore the Scottish press today, largely on the back of the Sun report which said Celtic had “scraped ” through, and instead, we’ll look at this rather disturbing story from the world of horse racing;
I suppose he must have thought it was worth it. Until Rory catches up with him.
It was the McStay brothers on the front page of the Celtic View yesterday, the latest from the family to serve Celtic, following a line of McStays involved with the club in years gone by.
The day before, we showed the picture of Jock Stein wading into the crowd at Annfield, Stirling , to seize an Irish flag and rebuke those who were singing rebel songs.
One of the replies pointed out that Rangers, now defunct, were signing someone that day, and it was Steins way of making sure the back page news was about Celtic.
Almost correct.
What Stein said was;
What Archie MacPherson said, in his Definitive biography of the Big Man was;
At the beginning of the season 1972/3, after the experience Rangers had had with some of their supporters misbehaving at Easter Road during a defeat by Hibs, Waddell announced that he would publicly address the crowd at Ibrox the following Saturday to denounce sectarianism among his supporters and to call for a new era of purity. This was to be on the back of the presentation of the Cup Winners Cup medals to the players, who had won them in Barcelona but who had been denied a presentation ceremony because of the riotous scenes at the end of that match. The newspapers were alerted and editors prepared for an occasion as solemn as an adult baptism in the River jordan.
On Saturday , August 12, Waddell, who was now general manager of the club walked out on to the pitch beore the game and stood in front of a microphone with his speech on a piece of paper. On that same day, Stein, some twenty miles away in Stirling at the tiny ground of the Albion, and knowing full well what was in play at Ibrox, walked round the pitch at half time, made sure there were photographers there and then vaulted over the perimeter fence and launched himself into the terracing where an Irish tricolour was being flaunted by a group of supporters. He wrenched it from their grasp and berated them for singing IRA songs.
Of the many occasions he could have done that, it was no coincidence he selected that very moment to intervene. Stein did not need a degree in journalism to work out who would win the publicity battle that day.
If you’ve not read Archie’s book yet, you should.
Every days a schoolday with Etims, thanks in no small part to the veteran reporter.
Caption competition. One of the better line ups from Celtics past enjoys a pre match ritual of beer, fags and talcum powder.
What is going on ?
Thanks again to Lisbon Lion for the pic.
Great result considering the conditions but my heart was in my mouth for the entire first half and part of the reason for that was down to 2 players.
GM-S left Lustig exposed to the overlap down their left too many times due to his inexperience at tracking back at this level.
I counted pehaps 5 occasions where Lustig had to cope with them doubling up on him on the counter becuse GM-S had sprinted inside and was struggling to get back.
Armstrong on the other hand was solid in front of Izzy.
Secondly the attitude of Johansen first half was ridiculous,petulance and constant needless fouling left him and us with a liability first half.
His half hearted attempt at a Glasgow He Man should have probably seen him walk.
Came out second half the player we know he can be so I’m guessing someone pulled him up at half time.
He needs to show more maturity than this if he is to fulfill his true potential I think.
Other than that I was well pleased with the effort and team work.
CS
I too see this as a definite weakness in Johansen’s game. He can work hard without careering into everything in sight and would probably be better for it. Ronny has known him a long time now and I cannot believe he will not be addressing this issue.
H H
I hope you are right PB.
I suspect he did have words at half time because Johansen came out much the player we know he can be.
The focus was back again and he was making the right choices.
‘Not exactly enough to raise the hackles on the neck, so herein lies the danger. A sort of Feyenoord after Leeds situation ?’
Spot on comment,I still haven’t got over it, but I think it is clear with all the hard work and preparation done so far that Ronny won’t allow himnself and the team to lapse into complacency and take anything for granted. Whoever we draw will mean two tough games, but last night’s efforts should give us all some confidence that we can get through.
jrw
I do not read papers but do catch the headlines sometimes on Latest Celtic News. The Mail was not alone in trying to downgrade our performance and achievement. As I said in my own comment, if this had been one of the EPL management master minders, it would be hailed as the tactic of the century. Have we not already seen that on several occasions? But it is an art of journalism in the UK and especially in Scotland, to knock anything or anybody off their imaginary pedestal rather than pay tribute where it is due.
H H
If RD is building a way of playing, a new Celtic way if you like, then I will say that with last nights performance he is well on the way. I do however feel that we treated Quarabag with too much respect. I appreciate that the conditions, heat and playing surface were very poor but when we ran at them they defended in numbers and if the numbers are defending then they can’t be attacking. As I said if this is a building block to how RD wants us to play, then it was a superb defensive display and I look forward to when we pin teams back and let them worry about our players.
Also agree with not commenting on the Scottish media’s attempts to underplay our performance, first one I read last night was the daily mail “Celtic scrape through in nervy win”
I tend to ignore what the agenda ridden media have to say about Celtic now bud.
It changes nothing in the big scheme of things Celtic ground out a very good result on a shite pitch in conditions not suitable for top level Football.
So fuck them bud.
HH
yestim
You have some good points but being exceptional means knowing when and when not. For too long we have been deluded by the knowing when and that has led to many a disaster. I think we as a support may have to mature as well and realise negativity, however unfortunate, is as much part of the success route as the brave cavalry charge.
H H
Hi PB,
I fully agree, I have watched all sorts of Celtic performances over the years and some of our glorious failing have come from exactly what you are implying, gung ho!! football at it’s best. However I felt that last night when we got the ball in midfield they fell into a heavy retreat. I bit more ambition, just a very wee bit, might have put the tie to bed earlier in the game.
Please don’t confuse this with not believing in RD, I thought we were superb last night
yestim
I very much take your point. I believe that next step in maturity will most certainly come. I think last night Ronny simply wanted the right result and safety first was the priority. He may have thought the team might not be ready yet to absorb the concept of combining both defending and taking advantage when the opportunity arises. Consequently we were probably more negative than we needed to be on occasion. I firmly believe this will be the next stage when the bogeyman that has haunted us in qualifiers in recent years is finally disposed of.
H H
Great defensive performance, was just wondering if we’ve ever had a quicker back four? Ally that to the physical presence of VVD and Boyata and you’ve got something to build on; having Gordon behind and Bitton/Brown in front helps as well of course.
Looking forward to the draw and these three league games before the next European tie to try and inject some sharpness and cohesion into our forward play. Griffiths knows he’ll get the nod when fit so hopefully he’ll score a few, perhaps rotating Commons/Forrest into that creative three will generate a determination to be better as Armstrong in particular needs to start showing.
Gerry
As long as Virgil stays, our only real problem is up front. I agree about speedy forwards but to just get past a man is not enough. The ball must be used wisely afterwards and we are simply quite dreadful at that. I am not sure how valuable a player like Ciftci is just running around disrupting opposition defenders. That needs to have some consequences like providing opportunities for others or creating chances for himself. I simply do not get it right now.
But hey, this is not a day for too much analysis or criticism.
H H
Boyata was great defensively, but needs to work on his distribution
Cifcti played well as did Izzi –
and Bitton was immense!!
A job well done !!
stu67
I am not sure we need that from him. Virgil is the class act. I am quite happy for Boyata to be a defence clearer.
H H
Great result last night…not a great game to view but the tension made it an almost unbearable must watch with thankfully not too many behind the couch moments.
Thog
You obviously didn’t look through my window and I was only listening 🙂
H H
Football aside, one thing that came over very strongly for me last night was the fantastic team spirit and willingness to work for each other from start to finish, from Gordon through to Ciftci/Griffiths – even all the way through to those on the bench : Check out Big Efe beaming blurrily in the background above! 🙂
Of course, there are plenty of areas where we need to improve in order to progress further – not the least of which is taking our chances & scoring the odd goal – but when team spirit and will to win are rewarded with the right result, this can be a major confidence booster and orm the foundations on which a successful side are built.
We’re a long way from being the finished article, but don’t forget that last season, Celtic were simply not good enough for the CL group stages. This year, we actually look like a side who not only deserve to be there, but – if we can start converting the growing confidence into goals – could even cause a few a scares.
That – in itself – has to be seen as a huge step in the right direction!
CJB
Have to go along with that first part and, in many ways, that is just so, so essential in great teams.
H H
I am a big big fan of Tache, I honestly think he is the true class in the back four. However my only slight criticism of him last night was that as vice captain he wasn’t constantly in the ear of that referee! As a fellow Swede he should have been talking to him throughout the match
BofN
He has to watch his step. His wicket is very sticky at times and being in a ref’s ear might not be the best place for him. That could be a red card to the bullish.
H H
Did archie say in his book that the riot that meant the game never properly finished was down to Franco,s fascist police rather than the hun scum.because he has said that on many occcasions
deadhead67
If it is true then it cannot be denied – just saying!
H H
As for last night we were lucky we were playing a very poor side,and our manager trying to pull a fast one saying they were great,we gave the ball away time and time again in midfield and by playing long inaccurate balls to big fat slow so called striker who,s a well known thug,and loads of daft celtic fans buy it,
Cock!
Away and take yer heid furra shite Deaddybear 69
deadhead67
I firmly believe you are entitled to your “opinions” (in inverted commas because there is a great deal of doubt about their authenticity). I am just not sure they should be expressed on this intelligent site.
H H
Admit it, u are a hun…
Ralph
I woke up this morning. That is a blessing for me each day. But today, I woke up with a knot in my stomach the size of an elephant’s……….ear. The cold sweat was quite inexplicable at first till I realised this was a post CL qualifier morning. For a long time that has not been great to wake up to. Then, a thing called sunshine – it does exist. It has just not reached Stoke yet – lit up the room with the brightest ray of realisation. We were through, not by some quirk of fate or breach of rules but simply on merit and ability. That is a feeling worth savouring, a long forgotten emotion to be drooled over. And I am doing just that. Oh, what a lovely day!
I have not had the pleasure as yet of watching the game but I am looking forward to doing so with great anticipation. Historically we would have condemned and abused the management and team for playing for stubborn containment and a 0-0 scoreline. No sir, such is not the style of the headless horsemen of fantasy cavalry charges, blown away by nonentities and humiliated by third rate. This is far from the pastry cook “let’s be ‘avin’ you” war cry that so often epitomised our approach in Europe. No, this was mind bogglingly different. This was a tale, not so much from the unexpected as from the unimaginable. This was what many of us had forgotten existed, at Celtic Park at least. This was mature, calculated, minutely prepared, game winning against quite daunting odds and totally professional football. That which is raved about and applauded as genius when applied by overrated EPL and Latino managers. This? this was about getting through to the next round. It was not about glorious defeat but about inglorious success if necessary. That is down to two things, a manager who knows the game and a team that knows its manager. Ronny Deila is the most progressive and football intelligent manager we have seen at Celtic since Jock Stein. There is no doubt about this in my mind. The team is now not only on side with the manager, his style and his tactics, but is growing in confidence, in concentration and in obedience to the manager’s instructions. That is before I even mention the levels of fitness. We won last night because we did what we had to do based on the manager’s knowledge of the opposition, the conditions and the refereeing and how to deal with them. The team did it almost to the letter and a man. I would be a fool to think the team is at a level or of the ability to be a guaranteed contender for the trophy or even the final stages, but the progress this season is palpable, inspiring and makes a 0-0 draw a wonderfully special achievement.
So, this is a day for which I am grateful for two reasons. One I am still breathing (I think) and secondly I have further CL football to look forward to but with more hope and less fear than at 5pm yesterday. The progress is great to see and I feel we should be less nervous of the opposition in the next round. We have proven we are very capable of beating what opposition there is left in our qualifiers. However, I do take your Feynoord analogy very much to heart. But, like you and others say, we have a manager now who does not tolerate complacency. He holds heads high but feet firmly rooted. For that reason, the knot in my stomach should be more in kin with the one on my hanky for the next game and getting up the next day should be a walk in the sun.
Looking forward now to watching the game. It is amazing how a boring hour and half will seem like a beautiful eternity.
The caption: One thing I am certain of, Big Jock would not have allowed any smokin’ ‘r drinkin’ if the match was important or not so I am going for a charity or glamour game where the media were allowed dressing room access. I just do not see the club publicising players smoking or drinking, if that is what they are doing. The picture is a bit hazy for the eyes of les anciens like me. From the direction of the “smoke”, I think the smoker is hiding in the lavy from the Big Man. By the way, the beer is Stella and deadhead67 reckons that is not real beer. So, query answered by our resident genius.
By the way, that stadium precinct is brilliant. That would give a whole new meaning to the match day experience – and I am not referring to pyrotechnics.
Finally, the Sky sports bit is simply top drawer – even for you. Brilliant! But then, this is the ETims Diary.
H H
What a day! I even got posted first time. Monitor must still be in Baku – best place for him 🙂
H H
I spent some R&R in Dubrovnek when I was on Active Sevice with the UN in the 90’s.
Lovely wee place good times 😉
Woke up with a smile this morning – that was the most compact Ive seen Celtic away from home in Europe in many a long day. Augurs well for the future.
On an nunrelated, yet related note, I watched the game on a BT stream here in Ireland; the commentary and analysis was for me the straw that broke the camel’s back – a channel, commentators and panelists who actually wanted Celtic to win. Once the BT stream finished, I rang my provider and cancelled Sky immediately after 8 years of constant subscriptions
While I agreed with all the theory in the Diary about doing this, I just couldnt give up my Celtic fix so easily and had held of cancelling month after month. Last night, I ordered BT Sport instead (half the cost) there and then and a bit of research today informed me that of the next 7 live Celtic games, Sky have only 2 anyway and BT 5. Plus they have all the Euro games, regardless of whether we’re Champions League or not.
So FCK SKY is basically what I’m saying…….. HH
liatroimbhoy
Aye, isn’t Sky just the limit! Well done. I wish you many a happy day with BT.
H H
P B, did you ever go to the Newcastle Celtic Supporters’ meetings in a pub in Low Fell in the 60s when Harold Williamson used to be our guest of honour? Tommy Baldwin of Chelsea occasionally dropped in as well
patrickqu
Naw! I still had my marbles back then and was living in Scotland or I could have been in the Midlands then too. Today I am in the pits out in Ashington and rarely get to the toon now. When a bit fitter, I used to go to the Irish Club when the games were on or did a recce round the Newcastle pubs looking for the game being shown. God, that led to many a lost day – and night. Well, it’s simply not polite to refuse a drink don’t you think? Most often there were no providers especially when English games were on. Celtic were a big miss then. Now I am back to my youth and enjoy listening on the CTV wireless.
H H
Be sure and let Sky know why we are cancelling. Make it hit home.
Last night was different. I can’t see MON, Strachan or Lennon having the nous to manage that kind of match against a very adept team who could have sliced us open more than once, repeating the glorious failure thing so familiar to us older Bhoys. We have lost to worse teams than Qarabag in the past. In many decades of supporting the Tic this was something very different and I have to credit Deila and his methods for it. We may be on the verge of something: think 1965 ish?
i never believed Celtic any Celtic team were capable of what we witnessed last night. i’ve never seen anything like it. Measured, controlled and ultra professional. Fabulous. All credit to RD, JC and the players. i won’t even complain about the misses! Was there no one else other than me waiting on the late sucker punch? i thought eventually someone would put a foot wrong but no. that wasn’t on the menu last night. BRAVO BRAVO BRAVO
Great comments fro everyone above. Agree what was said..so won’t add to those. Apart from what the Hun aka Dickhead67 stated as he’s a prick. Anyhoo, caption: Who hired that stripper? She looks like a guy.
Carl Bigginslater: I always expect the late sucker punch and couldn’t believe it when the ref finally whistled. That’s why this game was so different than anything from our recent past…if you know our history!