{"id":12545,"date":"2018-02-22T09:33:12","date_gmt":"2018-02-22T09:33:12","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=12545"},"modified":"2018-02-22T09:33:12","modified_gmt":"2018-02-22T09:33:12","slug":"celtic-diary-thursday-february-22-are-we-ready","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=12545","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Thursday February 22: Are We Ready ?"},"content":{"rendered":"

I am.<\/p>\n

After surprising a few experts with a 1-0 win over highly rated Zenit at Celtic Park last Thursday, the hoops are out to do it again tonight in St Petersburg.<\/p>\n

Well, the result doesn’t matter in a sense as long as Celtic emerge victorious over the two games, and even thats possibly secondary to the players giving it one hundred per cent.<\/p>\n

Most analysts cite the winter break as the reason for a somewhat lethargic performance from the Russian club last week, but all of them acknowledge that Celtic took advantage of that. What they haven;t acknowledged is that Celtic were excellent, and perhaps as a result haven’t been given the credit for what was achieved.<\/p>\n

So, on to tonight..<\/p>\n

Well, boss , whats the plan ?<\/p>\n

\u201cWe would want to score,\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI think that\u2019s more the point. Our idea is to go and win the game. If we can\u2019t win it, okay, try not to lose it. That\u2019s key. We believe we can score and that\u2019s what we want to do.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cIt\u2019s important that we keep our concentration. You see it at all levels. You saw the Chelsea game on Tuesday. Chelsea were outstanding in their defensive organisation. It only takes one mistake at that level and\u00a0<\/em>
\nplayers punish you.<\/em><\/div>\n

\u201cLast week we never had that. We just had one moment where they got down the side and crossed it and Dorus [De Vries] made a good save. Apart from that we defended very well. If we can do that and\u00a0<\/em>
\nattack well alongside that, we believe we will score.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s important that you stay calm. No matter how it goes, we are always going to be in the game. When the group are\u00a0together and focused, we are playing well. It gives us a great chance but we respect it\u2019s a tough game.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have to be perfect to win the game but we know we need to be at a high level. Of course, Zenit are going to be motivated after we dominated every aspect of the game last week. They will probably be\u00a0<\/em>
\ndisappointed with their performance,<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cSo, they will want to show in front of their own supporters that they are much better than that. For us, it\u2019s a case of matching that intensity and aggression, staying calm and when we have the ball, to show our qualities.\u201d<\/em><\/div>\n

Fair enough. We’re going to try to win the game, or at least not to lose it.<\/p>\n

Hardly inspiring, but certainly not lacking in common sense.<\/p>\n

How about some inspiring stuff, just to get the lads rocking and the fans rolling ?<\/p>\n

\u201cIf we can play at the level we played in the first game we can be a match for any team.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cOf course there will always be an expectancy on the other team because of their standing and probably the quality they have.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were near perfect in the first game. I\u2019m hoping if we play to that level again over here then we\u2019ve got a great opportunity to go through.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Nearly there…<\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n

\u201cWe played and concentrated very well. When we do that we can match a lot of teams.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n
\n
\n
\n
\u201cIn a lot of the away games in Europe, if you take out the real superpowers we\u2019ve faced, then we\u2019ve generally played pretty well.\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
Nope, slipping again…<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\n
\n
My guess is he’s saved the best for the dressing room, which will be a little more enthusiastic than the press conference..<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Watch his reaction to the goal last Thursday and you’ll see what I mean. He wants this, and coupled with the stories emerging that he feels he’s let hinself and the support down, there will be what poets call a buring desire within him to do well tonight.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n
<\/figure>\n

So, how does he go about it ?<\/p>\n

I’d suggest exactly the way he went about it last week, with Sinclair, Rogic and Musonda on the bench if needed to win the tie, and Hendry if we need a third centre half to close it down.<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

The Russians have to score, so everyone will have to put in a shift defending, the key to winning the game, as far as I’m concerned, lies in Dembele holding up the long and usually acurate Des Vries kicks, at least until someone gets there to help out, or in Forrest and Tierney taking the pressure of with runs to the half way line and beyond, like Didier Agathe used to.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Rodgers may not have sounded inspiring in the words above, but there was a lot of sense in what he said.<\/p>\n

Especially this bit..<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important that you stay calm. No matter how it goes, we are always going to be in the game.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The clean sheet last week , and even the single goal victory is crucial. An away goal tonight will make it very difficult for Zenit to retain any kind of discipline or patience.<\/p>\n

And if its early, you’ll see their shoulders drop instantly.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What you won;t see is captain Scott Brown let his shoulders drop. He’s a bit of a battler, as they say, and latched on to his reminisces about the last trip to Russia, is a very telling sentence..<\/p>\n

\u201cThe last time we played a Russian team – against Spartak – it was one of the best.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was us winning on penalties and Tommy jumping on top of us in the celebrations was something special. If we get through against Zenit it will be right up there with that night. That was an emotional one, getting us in to the Champions League.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIf we can get to the last 16 this year it would be fantastic for the club.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt would be a big achievement because you see some of the teams that are in this competition at this stage. There\u2019s the likes of Atletico Madrid in there but we need to get through this one first.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou could see how much it means to the manager last week,\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt showed he loves the club and he believes in us. We played well on the day and everything felt right for us.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEven things like the Europa League balls are fantastic. It was one of those nights. No one could quite believe it when he scored, and we were all over each other in the celebrations.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0Then he was asked about a possible title race, with domestic rivals now less than ten points behind…<\/div>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll be fine. We just need to get back to killing teams off and doing what we have been doing for a while now.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to do it against Zenit, but it was a good performance in the first leg, with the ball and the way we pressed. We put a top quality team under pressure and if we can do that against them then we can do it in the SPFL.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe need to get back to doing the hard stuff instead of thinking the games are going to be easy.\u201d\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

There, I think we have it.<\/p>\n

Rodgers thinks he’s been complacent, the players now realise they have, and its time to rock and roll, starting tonight.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How far can we go in Europe ? Who knows ?<\/p>\n

Robert Pires has an inkling though..when he was asked who were the favourites for the tournament..<\/p>\n

Atletico and Arsenal are the favourites, for me this is the final in Lyon,\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

They both have a lot of experience, especially in the Champions League.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThey just need to avoid each other and Celtic if they want to face each other in the final.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI love Celtic, it is not easy for any team, especially in Celtic Park, the atmosphere is amazing,\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you are a player, inside, playing against Celtic, it is a great atmosphere, it is still very close to the pitch, maybe only Liverpool has a similar atmosphere.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThat\u2019s why it is very difficult to win in Celtic Park.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

That’s that then. Lyon it is.<\/p>\n

What i noticed about that wasn’t what Pires said, but what Olivia Leigh said in her “opinion 2 at the foot of her article, on Thisisfutbol.com, the badly spelt international site…<\/p>\n

Pires may have only played at Celtic Park once he was retired,\u00a0in\u00a0Stiliyan Petrov\u2019s charity mach in 2013, but Arsenal and Atletico Madrid should take notice of his advice. The Bhoys weren\u2019t expected to beat Zenit at Celtic Park, but that\u2019s exactly what they did. Brendan Rodgers\u2019 side may face a difficult task getting a result in Russia but with them having a 1-0 lead from their first meeting, then they\u2019ve given themselves a good chance. Rodgers knows that his performance as Hoops boss will be judged on how his side perform in the Europa League in the second half of the season, and will no doubt have a plan for the game in Russia.<\/em><\/p>\n

He has. He’s going to try to win the game, or at least not to lose it. We covered that at the top of the page.<\/p>\n

And perhaps that will be good enough…..<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Elsewhere, and it has transpired that a club over on the dark side of town has secured more than they said they had secured when they had to apply for a payday loan…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Around \u00a36m secured against a \u00a33m loan…<\/p>\n

Food for thought follows from a fairly wise man…<\/p>\n

Brogan Rogan Trevino<\/strong>\u200f\u00a0<\/span><\/span>@BroganRoganTrev<\/b><\/span><\/a><\/p>\n

Imagine you wanted to boot someone out of a company but can only do so by forcing an Admin & rescue plan – but you don’t want to be seen to trigger an Admin. What to do? Why not take out a mental loan, give the lender the right to appoint, default, & then sit back and wait? Hmmm.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Or, you could just raid the bank accounts of your support, like you have been doing for the last six years…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

No wonder they are stressed and uptight most of the time.<\/p>\n

When you feel unloved and unwanted there can be an edge to do things you wouldn’t normally do, and your health, both physical and mental can suffer.<\/p>\n

Anyone remember\u00a0 the smash hit childrens tv series Pipkins ?<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

The one with the alcoholic hare ?<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

Remember the piglet character ?<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Well, look at what happened to him…<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Ah, well, at least they’ve still got their songs..<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Caption competition from yesterday …<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

puggy67<\/cite><\/span>\u00a0February 21, 2018<\/abbr>\u00a0at\u00a010:42 am<\/abbr><\/span>\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0Edit<\/span><\/a>\u00a0\u00b7\u00a0Reply<\/a>\u00a0\u2192<\/div>\n
\n

Caption: In lieu of a RRM Sevco appoint a Genetically Modified one as manager.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

today…<\/p>\n

\"Image<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I am. After surprising a few experts with a 1-0 win over highly rated Zenit at Celtic Park last Thursday, the hoops are out to…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":12546,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/etims.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/02\/7b2fb4c41021a50e7a9d10375bf0fc0b.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2J7If-3gl","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12545"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=12545"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12545\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12547,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12545\/revisions\/12547"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/12546"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=12545"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=12545"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=12545"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}