{"id":7583,"date":"2015-08-05T10:17:08","date_gmt":"2015-08-05T09:17:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=7583"},"modified":"2015-08-05T10:17:08","modified_gmt":"2015-08-05T09:17:08","slug":"celtic-diary-wednesday-august-5-optimistic-or-confident","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=7583","title":{"rendered":"Celtic Diary Wednesday August 5: Optimistic Or Confident ?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Supporters may be a little nervous about tonights pitch, the hat, the late kick off time and anything else the press can think of to get the butterflies going, such as Craig Swan in the Record;<\/p>\n

Weather conditions, a dreadful playing surface and talented opposition backed by a hostile home support are all factors his troops must overcome to progress to the qualifying play-off.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

In fact, it’s going to be nice and warm, the pitch has been made playable, and the opposition might be talented, but in their three competitive games this season they have only scored once. And a hostile crowd ?<\/p>\n

Well, it appears the club \u00a0have \u00a0even thought of that;<\/p>\n

\"Bhoys<\/p>\n

The look of delight on the childrens faces when they realised their gifts were made by New Balance….<\/p>\n

\n

A GROUP of Azerbaijani children were given a lasting memory of Celtic\u2019s visit to their country today (Tuesday) after they got a once-in-a-lifetime chance to meet some of the Hoops first-team stars and management.<\/em><\/p>\n

John Collins, John Kennedy, Nadir Ciftci and Craig Gordon visited the residents of the No.4 Zangilan District displacement centre, which acts as an educational and recreational facility for children and families displaced by the Azerbaijan\/Armenia conflict of the 1990s.<\/em><\/p>\n

More than 260 children attend the unit, which provides vital life skills and security to its members, and the school\u2019s football team got the chance to meet the Scottish champions when they paid a special visit to the centre earlier today.<\/em><\/p>\n

The club provided strips and footballs to the youngsters as a gift and the players and staff got involved in bounce game with the delighted youngsters.<\/em><\/p>\n

The British Ambassador for the country, Irfan Siddiq, thanked the Celts for the time they took to visit the children and said their time at the centre will have a lasting impact on the group.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

He said: \u201cThis school was built as part of a broader settlement by the Azerbaijan government to relocate families who were displaced as a result of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia in the early 1990s.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThere are around 320 families here and it has now become a home for these people who otherwise wouldn\u2019t have one.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDisplacement is a huge issue. Azerbaijan is a country with a population of 9.5million and 1million of those people were displaced from their homeland in the part of the country that is now being occupied by Armenia. So that\u2019s about 10 per cent of the overall population that was displaced.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIn the early 1990s Azerbaijan as a country was very poor and it was a huge challenge for them to try to provide for these people.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe economic development which has taken place in the last 25 years, a lot of which is down to Scottish people through British Petroleum,<\/em> has helped with that challenge and this is a real success story for British\/Azerbaijani co-operation, in particular Scottish\/Azerbaijan cooperation.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cNow we have had a world-famous Scottish football team come to be part of that.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

He added: \u201cFacilities like this are hugely important because these children have had to suffer a huge amount after being displaced from their homes and their families, and some of them have lost their families in the conflict.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cSo to have good facilities, a slightly better standard of life and some recreation possibilities and education opportunities is hugely important for their life chances.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI know this is a really important game for Celtic tomorrow so the fact that the management and the players have taken time out from their busy preparations to come and share their time with these kids who\u2019ve suffered so much is hugely valuable.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI hope that it will be a sign of not just Celtic\u2019s but the UK\u2019s interest in Azerbaijan and its people, and hopefully it will mean that Celtic also get a brilliant reception at the stadium tomorrow.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

Fuad Heseynov, deputy minister of the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons for Azerbaijan, was also present for the visit and he told the official Celtic website that the event will live with the children forever.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cFirst of all I would like to express deep thanks to the management of Celtic Football Club for this initiative,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was really great to have them here, especially as it\u2019s the first time the team has been in Azerbaijan.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cQarabag is a team that was originally from one of the occupied districts and meeting with these children is a big event for them.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYou could see how they enjoyed meeting the players and staff of such a famous team and I think such meetings mean a lot, and I\u2019m sure that these kids will keep it as a memory for the rest of their lives as it was one of the most historic days of their lives.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe wish all the best to Celtic and we hope that the best team wins tomorrow.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Embedded<\/p>\n

That’s taken in it’s entirety from the official website. I couldn’t find a comprehensive report on the visit anywhere else.<\/p>\n

Thats because the papers are more concerned with poor pitches, bad weather, hostile crowds and selling Virgil van Dijk.<\/p>\n

Ronny deila has spoken in the past at his bewilderment with the papers and their reluctance to get behnd a club which is representing Scotland in Europe. This is a good example of what he meant.<\/p>\n

Those who organised the visit to the school cannot be praised enough, and the publicity around it can only stand the club in good stead.<\/p>\n

Well, publicity outside Scotland, that is.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

But manager Ronny Deila appears to be taking everything \u00a0in his stride.<\/p>\n

If he is worried about any potential problems, he’s not letting it show;<\/p>\n

‘Since coming to Celtic I have been very impressed with the players and how they handle different situations and it will be no trouble tonight either.<\/em><\/p>\n

‘Everything has been perfect. The plane journey was shorter than normal, the hotel is fantastic and it will be good that the sun will be away.<\/em><\/p>\n

‘I think we have done everything we can to put in a good performance.<\/em><\/p>\n

‘It is not a perfect pitch of course. But it is a pitch and we are used to playing on those types of pitches in Scotland in the winter so we have to make the best of the situation.<\/em><\/p>\n

‘Again, this is how it is in football, sometimes you have different conditions and you have to handle that.’\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

As usual the hacks brought up the virgil van Dijk stories, and Ronny slapped them down straight away, denying that any offers have been made. Undeterred, the hacks tried a different line, warning that if Celtic don’t make it through tonight, he could be away in the morning etc;<\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI am not even thinking about that.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe do not need to do anything. I don\u2019t think about failure. I think about how to win. That\u2019s the most\u00a0<\/em>
\nimportant thing.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI have been very impressed with Virgil. He has been learning things and has more experience.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cLast season we should have done things differently and this year we have done things differently.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThe two last matches have been among his best as well.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou could see in our game against Qarabag at home that he is a top international player.<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cHe has shown that over time. It is good for Celtic and it\u2019s good for him.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen \u00a37m was mentioned I said we would not consider it.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThat is not even close and there\u2019s been nothing in terms of offers yet.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe know what our players are worth and first of all it\u2019s about creating a team and achieving things for Celtic.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s very positive that clubs are interested in our players \u2013 that means we are doing something right. But we don\u2019t think about that right now.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cMy dream for Virgil and all the other players is to get into the Champions League,<\/a>play good football there and show they can perform at the highest level.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThen they can go to the biggest clubs in Europe if they\u2019re going to leave us.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThat is a step up. But the clubs from six downwards in England, like Southampton, are not bigger than us.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThey have more money than us but they\u2019re not bigger clubs.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n


\nScott Brown reflected the calm;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

‘You have to trust in your defence, midfield and strike force and let everyone do their job.<\/em><\/p>\n

‘We defend well as a team and we can keep a clean sheet and score.’\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

We have talked about that (the Champions League) over the last season and a half. It\u2019s huge for this club. It\u2019s where we belong, we\u2019re a big club and we need to make sure we produce results now. It\u2019ll be a big step for us if we can win this game.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThey are very technical and they have some skilful players. They try to work as well as they possibly can as a team together but, overall, we are as good as anybody in this competition and this is where we need to go and show it.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the big stages that we know what we need to do on the day. We\u2019ve been there in the past and we\u2019re going to do it again.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\u201cI\u2019ve played in conditions like this a couple of times with Scotland, coming up through the youths in the Under 19s and 20s when I went to Macedonia. We\u2019ve played at two o\u2019clock in the afternoon in the heat and it\u2019s not great but we need to manage the conditions and play that way.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cWe have to try and control the game, keep the ball and try to play at our tempo as well.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/em>In fact, if anyone was feeling the pressure , it was Gurban gurbanov, the Qarabag coach;\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

‘We can’t change the pitch but we will do our best to play at the highest level,’\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

‘We can’t let Celtic score, that is very important.<\/em><\/p>\n

‘It will be a hard game, the advantage is with Celtic but we have 90 minutes to change that.’ \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Team news ?<\/p>\n

Celtic will start with eleven players, one of whom will be handed a different coloured shirt and be told he can catch , punch or palm the ball away.<\/p>\n

\u00a0I don’t know, do I ?<\/p>\n

\u00a0Though I would be very surprised if it’s not \u00a0Gordon; Lustig ,van Dijk, Boyata , Izaguirre, Brown, Biton, Armstrong, Johansen, Mackay Steven and Ciftci.<\/p>\n

Commons , Forrest and Griffiths will deputise at some point as long as no-one gets injured.<\/p>\n

What i would like to see is a lot more pressure on the keeper from set pieces. Although I didn’t see the first leg, from all acoounts the only time pressure was applied was at the corner when Boyata scored. Griffiths was harassing the keeper. From set pieces, one thing that might bring results is Boyata or van Dijk supporting the attack. With someone doing a Hooper on the keeper.<\/p>\n

\u00a0One nil is not the most comfortable of leads, but it is a lead, and I’d rather be in Celtic’s position than Qarabags. So , too, would the Qarabag coach. They have to score twice without reply, which is twice as many as they have managed in three games to date. One win, one defeat, one draw.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Celtic have four wins from four games. Nine goals, one conceded, and four of them came in the solitary away match to date.<\/p>\n

Ronny’s system , and I hope this doesn’t bite me in the arse in the morning, appears to be geared for away matches in Europe. High pressing, quick breakaways with pace, Cifcti holding it up until others get there. Or Griffiths being on the end of the final ball, running at the back line, some of whom would be caught upfield.<\/p>\n

\u00a0This might sound a little more heart than head, but I expect Celtic to win again tonight, and by a greater margin than in Glasgow.<\/p>\n

It’s a strange game, because it’s almost as though supporters-alright, mostly me-are a litttle afraid to be too optimistic, but there’s no need not to feel quietly confident.<\/p>\n

Away from that, and to take your mind off the nerves, Legia Warsaw have been awarded a 3-0 win over Albanian side Kukkesi after a Legia player was struck by a stone thrown from the crowd , causing the match to be abandoned.<\/p>\n

\u00a0No doubt they will refuse the result, and allow football to be the victor and offer to replay the game.<\/p>\n

Hypocrisy was not confined to Europe, as Richard Gough did his best to deflect attention away from another director walking away from Second Rangers, when Douglas Park-the only one with any money-stood down earlier in the week.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Gough, who once said;<\/p>\n

\"Embedded<\/p>\n

\u00a0Thinks it wasn’t dead after all. In the Ibrox Evening Times, he said;<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is what I\u2019ve said all along that this club is like a family. It is going to be here for another 143 years. It is not a football club; it\u2019s an institution. An institution that was very close to getting damaged beyond repair.\u00a0<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Close to being damaged beyond repair ? It’s fucking dead. You can’t get more damaged than that.<\/p>\n

\u00a0” Hullo, Mrs Malph ? It’s the hospital here. your husband is dead. “<\/p>\n

” Are you sure he isn’t just close to being damaged beyond repair ? “<\/p>\n

” Well, we could wait three years and see if anyone’s daft enough to believe it. “<\/p>\n

Three fans were jailed ater their part in a spot of trouble in the Grassmarket, Edinburgh when the fooball was on. See if you can spot why the BBC \/ Ibrox spat may played a part in the wordage of this report, from the Edinburgh Evening News, who you would have thought would have no qualms about telling us who they were supporting.<\/p>\n

Three football fans jailed over Grassmarket riot<\/h1>\n

THREE football fans have been jailed for their part in a mass riot in the Grassmarket, with banning orders of up to ten years handed out.<\/em><\/p>\n

The trouble flared up between rival fans ahead of the Ramsden\u2019s Cup Final clash between Rangers and Raith Rovers at Easter Road on April 6 last year.<\/em><\/p>\n

The atmosphere turned ugly about an hour before kick off, leading to police closing the road briefly with 13 people detained.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n

Witnesses had reported seeing \u201crunning battles\u201d between the police and supporters, while pictures appeared to show dozens of officers surrounding, or \u201ckettling\u201d a section of the Rangers support at the West End of the square.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n

Speaking at the time, one witness said the fighting had spilled out of a Grassmarket bar and said bottles had been thrown by some supporters.<\/em><\/p>\n

Christopher Kloumann, 41, from Renfrew, was handed a sentence of 160 days imprisonment and a Football Banning Order lasting 10 years.<\/em><\/p>\n

Greg Buchanan, 41, from Glasgow, was sentenced to 100 days in prison and was banned from football for three years.<\/em><\/p>\n

Mark John Murray, 24, from Glasgow was also given 100 days imprisonment and a three-year banning order while Alister Galbraith, 29, from Paisley was order to perform 180 hours, to be completed within six\u00a0months.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/em><\/div>\n

A Football Banning Order prevents those under it from attending regulated football matches throughout the whole of the United Kingdom.<\/em><\/p>\n

Emma White, football liaison prosecutor for the east of Scotland, said: \u201cProsecutors will continue to work with the police in tackling football-related disorder and offensive behaviour. The rival groups of fans in this case were clearly intent on causing trouble and I hope that the outcome today sends out a strong message that such violent and disorderly conduct is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.\u201d \u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Well, who did they support ? It’s a bit of a mystery to me.<\/p>\n

\n

Have a look at this front page, from a Celtic View of yesteryear. Who are the two youngsters, and why was it a “family affair ” ?<\/p>\n

\n

\"Embedded<\/p>\n

\n

\n

\u00a0Actually, the main headline could also apply to todays team.<\/p>\n

\n

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