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Ajax v Celtic; Champions League
Topic Started: Nov 5 2013, 04:17 PM (137 Views)
Caesar
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According to BBC Samaras & Commons are fit to ( dont know if that means 90 minutes ) Brown & Mathews & Birton all out but Derk is fit to play against his old mates and usually that means only one thing - he,ll get provoked into a red card :angry: .... naw only jokin it means he,ll be MOTM scoring the winner its Sods law :yay:

Ajax at the moment are enduring a terrible run of form .... our domestic form aint great so this has a turgid nil nil written all over it ............ hopefully we bring our European form to the game tomorrow not our SPL form

So will it be Ajax enjoying the bulk of possession with us on the break ? using Forrests speed with Derk replacing him is it too attack minded to play both

The usual back 4 with Virgil showing the Dutch footballing public a master class of total football ?

Is Ledley worthy of a start given his indifferent form or do we go with Kayals energy & drive

Samaras if fully fit is a must for me ... Pukki ? :hmmm: ... so Stokes up front with Izzy & Samaras on the left Lustig and a n other on the right

Commons shooting on sight Mulgrew making full use of every set piece which have been very ineffectual of late FF cheesing of Joe Hart by playing a blinder :yay:

I,m working tomorrow night :angry:

C,mon Celtic :scarf:
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pye266
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Tonight's Team>>>>>>

Forster, Lustig, Ambrose, Van Dijk, Izzaguirre, Forest, Kayal, Mulgrew, Commons, Samaras, Stokes.


MON THE HOOPS! :huddle: :ynwa: :scarf:
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♣ CELTIC ♥.......... I Just Cant Get Enough !...............
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pye266
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Ye can't butter this one up! Awful from the word go, No nothing, bar defence and forester, Poor poor Celtic, up against what is an awful Ajax team. Really ....poor management decisons and awful passing, no midfield and a forward line that well was never there... :yikes:
╔══════════════ ೋღ♥ ღೋ ══════════════╗
♣ CELTIC ♥.......... I Just Cant Get Enough !...............
╚══════════════ ೋღ♥ ღೋ ══════════════╝
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Wiggy
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It was a disappointing game last night, and Ajax deserved their win. It's clear that we haven't been able to find a replacement for Hooper,
but the most disappointing thing was that we couldn't create any clear cut chances. Too many of the midfield players looked uninterested
yesterday, and right now even a third place in the group doesn't look likely.

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Caesar
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Ajax reported to UEFA by some UEFA security official at the game for their fans " offensive " banner - Fenaian Bastards ? would rather they really hammered the racists & anti-semites around the European stadiums

Any chance the polis snatch squads could be brought to account , reminded me of countless demos I,ve been on
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desachi
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Disappointing all round.

Everything about that game was annoying from my perspective. Where to start? We clearly took ages to get going, giving the most sluggish away European performances for a while, and particularly disappointing given how well we played in Milan. I don't think anyone in particular wasn't giving it their all, I thought van Dijk and Lustig were superb and that the midfield were OK without being spectacular, but I do think we had too many players who weren't fully fit and for me, that is down to harsh economic realities as opposed to anything more disturbing with regards to personnel. Going into an away game at such a critical time with Commons and Samaras not at the races is a handicap that would be difficult for any side to get over.

I don't think Ajax is that good a team which is why I found the whole thing so frustrating, young, technically good they are but they have no real presence on this stage IMO. Added to that, there is the whole issue around the supporters and their unnecessary aggression toward the Celtic support. An utterly pointless football club, with utterly pointless fans... and they beat us.

Oh well, all part of the learning curve, 25 minutes of high intensity play but no goals to show for it, thanks mostly to not having enough fire power.

Back to the grind. :ynwa:
In the nation of the blind the one eyed man is king.

All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing

HWEUCSC & Chicago CSC

Buena Vista Celtic Club, Keeping the Green Flag Flying High
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Wiggy
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desachi
Nov 10 2013, 09:14 PM
Disappointing all round.

Everything about that game was annoying from my perspective. Where to start? We clearly took ages to get going, giving the most sluggish away European performances for a while, and particularly disappointing given how well we played in Milan. I don't think anyone in particular wasn't giving it their all, I thought van Dijk and Lustig were superb and that the midfield were OK without being spectacular, but I do think we had too many players who weren't fully fit and for me, that is down to harsh economic realities as opposed to anything more disturbing with regards to personnel. Going into an away game at such a critical time with Commons and Samaras not at the races is a handicap that would be difficult for any side to get over.

I don't think Ajax is that good a team which is why I found the whole thing so frustrating, young, technically good they are but they have no real presence on this stage IMO. Added to that, there is the whole issue around the supporters and their unnecessary aggression toward the Celtic support. An utterly pointless football club, with utterly pointless fans... and they beat us.

Oh well, all part of the learning curve, 25 minutes of high intensity play but no goals to show for it, thanks mostly to not having enough fire power.

Back to the grind. :ynwa:
I wouldn't call Ajax an utterly pointless football club - I can still remember the early 1970's when my interest in football started. Back then Ajax was what Barca is today - a team playing football the way it should be played. And Ajax' style of football also influenced the Dutch national team in 1974 and 1978, and later FC Barcelona (due to Cruyff).

But I was disappointed to see the picture of the "Fenian Bastards" banner, and to hear the stories of how some Ajax fans and Dutch police behaved. Maybe the good reputation of the Celtic fans hasn't reached Amsterdam ?
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desachi
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What they did in the past is under no question, they have an important part in the history of the game. That was then, this is now. In one respect there are similarities between us and them, once great sides, limited by the size of the respective leagues they operate in, both responsible for the game changing in some respects on a European stage.

That was then. Now, what do they bring to the game? A big club, motivated by anger and hatred and trying to retain their reputation by all the wrong reasons, hence my point. Look at where Celtic are in this whole thing, haven't made much of an impact in Europe for years (Seville and a few one off results aside), yet the support don't go intimidating people. Ajax, on the other hand, from their antagonistic approach, are, IMO, utterly pointless.

Hunnish.
In the nation of the blind the one eyed man is king.

All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing

HWEUCSC & Chicago CSC

Buena Vista Celtic Club, Keeping the Green Flag Flying High
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Wiggy
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I agree that the current Ajax team isn't a very good one,
and that the Ajax fans doesn't seem to be a very friendly
bunch, and at least some of them behave in a Hunnish way.
This saddens me when I think of the former Ajax teams,
and their contribution to football.




Edited by Wiggy, Nov 13 2013, 10:21 AM.
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desachi
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Precisely my point.

All that history, trivialised by them behaving like a bunch of huns. Sad indeed. Pointless. They are truly one of the great sides of European football history, and now behave.... like that. :rolleyes:
In the nation of the blind the one eyed man is king.

All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing

HWEUCSC & Chicago CSC

Buena Vista Celtic Club, Keeping the Green Flag Flying High
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Wiggy
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Quote:
 

Ajax fined for banner at Celtic game

Uefa has fined Ajax £21,000 for fans displaying an offensive banner at their
Champions League home game against Celtic.

The Amsterdam club originally faced a "discriminatory behaviour" charge,
which was altered to "improper conduct".

Ajax won 1-0 to leapfrog Celtic into third place in Group H, having lost 2-1
in Glasgow.

Celtic's visit to the Netherlands was marred by scenes of crowd trouble.

Ajax face a second Uefa disciplinary hearing next week after fans ripped up
seats at Celtic Park when the teams first met last month.

A statement from Ajax read: "Ajax have been fined by Uefa after a banner
appeared on the stands of the Amsterdam ArenA during the match against
Celtic FC.

"The banner was aimed at Ajax's opponents that night. Uefa imposed a fine of
25,000 euros.

"The possible penalty for such an offense is a fine of 50,000 euros plus the
closure of some parts of the stadium at the next European home game.

"After a prompt and adequate response from Ajax the fine was halved and the
partial closure averted. The penalty will be recovered from those responsible.

"Another case is in process arising from disturbances during Ajax's match
against Celtic FC in Glasgow. A ruling is expected to follow on Thursday,
21 November."


http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/24919815
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Caesar
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This for me has been the most frustrating CL campaign as some crucial moments in games v Barca & Milan have gone against us due to a combination of bad luck & poor finnishing

Against Barca their goalie made a wonderfull save then Mulgrew headed wide when he should,ve scored then they score .... Brown stupidly getting sent off to be missed for half our games

Against Milan we dominated but didnt score then lose to 2 sucker punches with Balottelli admiting they were lucky

I believe the current Ajax side are nothing great but we chose to be at our most ineffectual

Its easy for this Monday morning quarter back to tell the world where our coaching staff & players went wrong ....... so I will :devil:

I know that players arent bricklayers who can build the perfect brick fireplace or barbeque and build it exactly the same day in day out men playing any sport cannot replicate the outstanding performance from the Saturday to the Wednesday ..... the tennis player cant repeat time after time the perfect drop shot or ace likewise the golfer with his putting

Footballers are better players when they have self belief and belief in their team mates when they have confidence in the tactics employed

We will imo be lucky to get Europa Cup football so my exasperation is directed at players who I know can take a corner or free kick but in some cases look as if they,re attempting it for the first time

Our lack of creativity and an out & out goal scorer/poacher has been blindingly obvious to us all which cant be replaced with effort , desire and a full Celtic Park

Injuries and bad luck are to be expected but imo we should have got a point v Barca at least a point v Milan we shot ourselves in the foot when Brown got sent off we had a mid table Serie A on the ropes in the San Siro then snatched defeat from the jaws of victory

In Amsterdam our strategy imo was wrong which wasnt helped by some of our big game players nowhere to be seen having to play players who werent fully fit ..... we dont have a Lubo or Naka suppling the ammunition for a poacher who will guarantee 30 goals a season

Our manager is now faced with a number of dilemmas eg- is Ledley worth another contract he scored twice on Saturday with his Martin Peters style of ghosting into their penalty area no player is guaranteed to go a season injury free

Is Commons to be our playmaker ? ... it was Forrests goal that got us here but how long do we tolerate his anonymity in games yes patience is a virtue and even the greatest players form can dip ..... will Kayal recover the form before McCullochs assault ?

I,m not suggested we terminate the contracts of our entire midfield & forward line excluding our captain but I,m not satisfied with one acceptable game a month from some of our best performers nor am I fooled by an under acheiving player scoring a couple of goals

I dont know if Izzys rampaging runs up & down the wing v Ross County is going to repeated the rest of the season I dont know if Fisher is a flash in the pan I dont know if Stokes ordinary performances will be replaced by a run of goals starting v Aberdeen

Pukki & Balde atm are exempt from my rant as it does take time to acclimitise to a new league , team language etc

Imo we knew close season 2012 that all of the above were ahead of us imo we should be planning for next seasons CL qualifiers .... I know its traditionally very difficult to recruit good players in January as teams fighting relegation or title contenders dont want to lose their best players but the day the close season transfer window opens we should sign the players we need - no excuses

This CL campaign has been a huge disappointment with the seeds being sown over a year ago , we got drawn in the toughest group possible but with vision & ambition we could have had the best ever qualification with our standing & reputation in Europe going through the roof
Edited by Caesar, Nov 13 2013, 07:25 PM.
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desachi
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All excellent points. :thumb up:

I am not sure there is still the will to advance. The system is a nonsense, it rewards participation and not progress and cannot be healthy for either Celtic or the Scottish game. When you read all this drivel about Celtic being happy to just qualify for the group stages, it smacks of a lack of ambition and a smug contentedness that can only emanate from the bean counters at Celtic Park.

I understand the importance of the commercial side of the game, football is now precisely that, the maintenance of a system that is anti-competitive, with such inflated figures involved from the clubs to the players, all done with the consent of the average fan dishing out their hard earned cash etc, but this seems to have dripped down onto the playing staff. There is no edge anymore, too many players who know that now they are in, they are in. What is the downside for players? They don't do well, but they have been presented on the big stage, and if they want to leave, there are plenty of clubs in other countries who know their names etc.

It is unhealthy, and needs to become competitive again, something we don't see in other areas where money rules the day (e.g. this nonsense about finishing in the top 4 of the EPL, qualifying for the group stages, parachuting into the Europa Cup for 3rd place teams, or for teams that fall at the last qualifying hurdle of the CL qualification stage, or even for non champions to be playing in the CL).

I think this is where it comes from, the top. Bear in mind, I am not sparing the effort of the players, or even some of the selection and tactical decisions made by the management, but if the entire game is so anti-competition (with the exception of a handful of clubs) then you can understand it to some extent.

At the end of the day, this bastardisation of the beautiful game has come from the victory of those who worship at the altar of commercialism and the corporation. It is why I can't get as excited as I used to about the beautiful game, a game I used to love, because I am no longer convinced the players genuinely want to win, no longer can I suspend my disbelief regarding these overpaid, prancing, image conscious young men's intentions. And it isn't just "foreigners" or those who supported other teams as boys, it is the vast majority of them, tainted by the lure of money, raised in environments which stifle their best instincts and turn them into clones of some "solid professional."

Bit of a rant there, but there you go. I want Celtic to sign hungry players, those who want to be superstars, the attitude of guys like Balde, who seems to be genuinely honoured to be at Celtic, who want to make a mark.

There are plenty of debates, season upon season regarding how certain Celtic sides would stand up in the recent history of the club, and the last decade has shown us a lot. We had a board that initially backed MON, and that team was up there with the best in the history of the club, hunger, desire, the will to win etc, followed by WGS, who did what he could but had a team that, without the likes of Nakamura, would have done a very decent impression of Lou Macari's Celtic, followed by Mowbray, who did not inspire anyone with the confidence to give him more time.

Now we have Lennon, young, learning, hungry, but with no real backing. It beggars belief that the manager has not been sufficiently backed to replace a top goalscorer and a midfield powerhouse. If you don't replace these then you are rolling the dice on what happens, and I think this is what has happened this season in Europe. We look short, we are lacking options and any half decent side can sniff that out. Look at the bench and you see even more CL novices. That isn't Celtic going in the right direction, it is Celtic regressing.

Hope they address these things in January, surely they know they have qualifiers in July to prepare for, and to be able to go into those with a settled side would be something of a bonus, I would have thought. Ask the money men and they will tell you that is months of wages that didn't need to be paid though. :rolleyes:

I still maintain Ajax were there for the taking by a Celtic who were on any semblance of form. Would have beaten them last year I think. Very disappointing, even a week on.
In the nation of the blind the one eyed man is king.

All that is necessary for evil to succeed is that good men do nothing

HWEUCSC & Chicago CSC

Buena Vista Celtic Club, Keeping the Green Flag Flying High
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Wiggy
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Not usually a fan of Twitter, but here is a Dutch lawyer,
who is covering the case against the jailed Celtic fans :

https://twitter.com/strafzaken

Edited by Wiggy, Nov 21 2013, 07:17 PM.
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