Duran Duran
Morning, all.
I went into last night’s match with a certain amount of trepidation, and I’m not going to deny it. My misgivings were certainly justified, because LASK made this a very difficult night for us. They had more shots than us and more on target, and even outscored us in xG by 1.75 to 0.88. That we kept a clean sheet was down to some very good defending when required, and an excellent display from Sinisalo in goal. That we significantly outstripped that xG? Well, bear with me!
LASK started like a house on fire, and even had the ball in the net inside twenty seconds. A simple ball over the top into the left hand channel was met with an unstoppable strike across the keeper and into the far top corner. It really was a peach of a finish, but fortunately for us he had wandered offside. It was a wake up call-but it took us a while to do so.
We looked good going forward all night, but our defence took a while to get a grip on proceedings-and if I’m honest, the midfield didn’t quite get there. Baur played well, but he is still getting to know his colleagues. Nygren does his best work going forward, though he manned up well when needed. And CalMac took a while to come into the game, though his second half performance in particular was excellent. For all the criticism in those words, it’s worth remembering that they had five in midfield to our three. And even more as the game wore on and they went hunting for a goal to get back into the tie.
We knew before the game started that these difficulties were likely. What we didn’t know beforehand was what we were going to bring to the table-and what a feast it was! I’ve seen better performances from us over the years, but I don’t remember being able to say that every goal was a peach. Not even the 6-2 game, though as far as I was concerned at the time-and now!-they were all a joy to behold!!! Let me explain…
After 25 minutes of end to end stuff, we were all breathless but with hearts in mouths. It was obvious this game wasn’t going to finish goalless, but could we get that vital opener? It hadn’t been for the want of trying, with Duran unlucky early on after a great ball from Donovan, and then shooting wide just afterwards. Hogh was tireless in his endeavours, tying up the opposition centre backs, but the goal when it came had a comfortingly familiar look to it.
Tierney received the ball on the overlap, crossed it in to the danger area. It was half cleared to the edge of the box, but there didn’t seem any danger as we had nobody running onto it. Still, it was close enough for Nygren to step across and whack it with his left into the postage stamp. As I said, a peach. And better was to come. Twice!
The second one came about due to Yang pressing the keeper. The ball broke to Tierney again, and in an almost carbon copy of our first goal, he swung it in and it was half cleared to the edge of the box. This time it fell to Duran to hit with his left, and he whacked it on the drop past a helpless keeper. The stadium was rocking-and so were LASK! It remained that way till half time, and till halfway through the second period. And possibly the best of the lot.
Donovan, who had a career best match in my opinion, looked to be in bother in his own box, but got it to Sinisalo who immediately spread it wide to Trusty. He got it forward to the circle for Høgh to lay off to Nygren. He went wider still to Duran, who returned it as Nygren ran into the box. With me so far?
Nygren then switched it straight back to the onrushing Duran to hammer into the net for the third. Three goals, all left footed. There’s one for the anoraks amongst ye!
At this stage, LASK knew another goal could be fatal for their hopes but getting one back would put a different complexion on things altogether. They had caused us bother all night, and the loss of Baur from our midfield didn’t do us any favours. Neither, sadly, did his replacement Hatate. He didn’t hide, no suggestion of that, but the drop in standards from him is shocking to watch. Sinisalo had to work hard for his clean sheet, I can tell you. One of his saves (EIGHT on the night!) in particular was a cracker.
We also continued to press till the end, and a flurry of corners plus a late break from Hassan had us hoping. Unfortunately, the fourth wouldn’t come. Not last night anyway-but this team has goals in it, and hopefully we will prove that again over in Austria. It would be even better if Duran added to his tally, as he is now the top scoring Colombian for any Glasgow team in the Champions League. Fatboy, then, is back in second place again (!)
To sum it up? A fantastic game of football from a neutral point of view. A fantastic result for us. A frustrating night for LASK, who must wonder how they drew a blank. And with both sides not playing this weekend, there is a lot for each management team to think about over the next few days. Normally, it would make sense to hold what we have while hoping to hit them on the break. But I suspect that sitting off this side-who look excellent going forward-might not be wise.
Who’d be a manager, huh?
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Above article by BMCUWP
SL
So is that why the huns appointed McKlopp. To cut down on the tri annual compensation packages
Seems AJ is out for months, not weeks
𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗧𝗜𝗖 🤝 𝗗𝗨𝗠𝗕𝗔𝗥𝗧𝗢𝗡 | 𝗖𝗢𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡 𝗔𝗚𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 🍀
Celtic have entered into a Cooperation Agreement with League Two side Dumbarton for the 2026/27 season.
As part of the partnership, young goalkeeper Aidan Rice and midfielder Owen Hartington have joined Dumbarton to gain valuable first-team experience.
The agreement allows eligible U21 players to move freely between Celtic and Dumbarton outside of the usual transfer windows, giving our youngsters the opportunity to experience competitive senior football while continuing their development at Celtic.
Dumbarton boss Frank McKeown believes the partnership will be beneficial to both clubs and confirmed the agreement has been in the works for a number of months.
A really positive move for the development of Celtic’s young players. 👏 🍀
Bada
we need a proper replacement for AJ
he is injured too often now.
KT crossed the ball that led to the first two goals.
just saying like.
Saint Stivs on 20th August 2026 3:42 pm
something else happened last night that had me pondering.
that often repeated trope that “good players dont want to come to celtic” and wait to see what other options become available before deciding,
well how do we explain Kaspars absolute delight in the line up , looking up to the stands with the biggest smirk and a look of wonderment on his face ? followed by an absolute slefless performance he laid everythin on for his team and that laughin scorn and torment of the guy who pushed him over so funny,
no doubt in my mind at all, that bhoy wanted to be here.
and how do we explain Durans continous skills and hard work, met with hand waves, and claps and windmills to the crowd to get them up for it, and the shear joy of scoring two most excellent precision goals, ………. i mean why does a Colombian want to play football in Glasgow.
and the German under 21 captain, what on earth is he doing pitching up in the east end, without a gaurantee of champions league football to sweeten the misery that will be life in Scotland, that interview after, he was a-typically polite german, while being so obvious that this was the best experience of his football life so far.
and bringing on an Egyptian, from the highlight of the world cup to the football purgatory stepping stone that is the burden of playing in torrential rain on an ugly night, well apart from the end of the game celebration that was if he had won the actual world cup,
so no sirree, I am not buying the good players dont want to be here, we just got 4 brammers.
Saint Stivs,
Mika Baur has 1 u21 German cap that he got in March this year. He’s not captain and has never done so at youth level. He was great last night but we shouldn’t heap unwanted pressure and expectations on these young fellas. Play them and protect them
Awe Naw
I said yesterday that I think Mika Baur has something about him. I’m more certain about that after last night.
Whilst we do need to protect him I say play him and watch him grow.
Frodshambhoy
Agree
Ditto Donavon.
It’s why we lost Bernardo..he wants to play.Interesting that MON already talking about bringing him back in January. It’s the only way to develop. The hook up with Dumbarton is great news.
The problem is the aging Celtic support absolute aversion to any kind of jeopardy. There auld hearts just cannot take it. They are to used to seeing Celtic pump domestic opposition.
Sound familiar ? I blame the black cloud that follows me around. It’s a curse
Eintracht Frankfurt: Sporting director Markus Krösche is under pressure
Status:August 20, 2026, 4:22 PM
Instead of 30 to 40 transfers, Eintracht Frankfurt have only brought in four new players. Now, the goalkeeper debate has even reignited. It should have been over long ago.
Even the major sports information service suddenly couldn’t ignore Eintracht Frankfurt in its daily news preview . Crises and misfortunes always generate buzz. And so the agency ran a sensational headline: “Unrest on the Main: Stress test at the fifth-division club.” And to top it all off: “The situation is explosive, the sporting director is under pressure.”
All of that is true. However, this whole affair isn’t new, and that’s what’s truly alarming. Because in and around the city forest, many people, from staff to regulars at the local pub, are asking themselves: What are they doing there? Or rather: What aren’t they doing? There was talk of a massive overhaul, large-scale changes, 30, 40 transfers. And now? Well, four players have arrived. Supplements. At best. But real reinforcements? Leading figures? Star players? Not a chance. Now there’s even a goalkeeper debate raging again. This sensitive issue should have been resolved months ago. No, it had to be. It’s a travesty.
There are even rumors now that Markus Krösche is provoking his dismissal with his policies. That’s nonsense. But the highly decorated manager should hurry; he needs to show his true colors now. And provide Adi Hütter with a team capable of having a smooth season. No one’s talking about Europe right now anyway.
Black Dog Celtic
Because it means so much to so many who have little else, or choose to relegate the good in their lives below the visceral enjoyment Celtic gives them, it becomes the core meaning in their lives.
The Highs can never be enough.
How can they be?
Ok lads last one. Just pointing out two things
1) It’s not just Celtic
2) I’ve got it twice as bad as you
Drastic step at Eintracht Frankfurt
Two weeks before the transfer window closes, Eintracht Frankfurt has more problems than ever before.
From
Fabian Küpper
The transfer window is rapidly approaching this year’s deadline day, and while many teams already have their squad structures in place, things look different for Eintracht Frankfurt . With just under two weeks left before the end of the transfer period, the Hessian club seems to have more issues to address than at the beginning.
There are still plans to make changes in goal, defense, and attack. Kaua Santos was completely stripped of confidence after the 0-7 debacle against Brentford, which is why he could still be sold. His replacement is expected to be Noah Atubolu, who recently changed his agent out of frustration.
“We’re always working on it behind the scenes. As long as the transfer window is open, we’ll try to do the best we can for ourselves. We’ll see where that ultimately leads. We still have almost ten days,” said coach Adi Hütter, implicitly calling for further new signings.
To address the issues as quickly as possible, the supervisory board has decided on a drastic step that should particularly please sporting director Markus Krösche.
According to Bild , sales will be put on hold, with the focus instead on new signings. This means Krösche can buy without having to think about departures beforehand. Sales will only take place on deadline day if necessary. The new motto is: act, don’t react.
The top priority right now is to assemble a competitive and, above all, Bundesliga caliber team. To that end, in addition to Atubolu, they are looking to bring in an experienced and fast center-back, ideally one who is also left-footed. Incidentally, according to Bild , both the new goalkeeper and the new center-back are expected to be signed by the weekend, when Eintracht Frankfurt kicks off their competitive season in the DFB Cup .
Arnaud Kalimuendo remains the preferred candidate for the striker position, but negotiations have been stalled for weeks. The Frenchman wants to return to Eintracht Frankfurt, but transfer negotiations with Nottingham Forest continue to be complicated – perhaps this change in focus will finally bring some movement to the situation.
All the panic about replacing engels.baur was sensational last night.what a player hes going to be.enjoy while hes here.hes got everything !!
10 man Kairat probably already bounced from Europa as well.
Down 0-3 to Anderlecht after 73 minutes.
Ach, What Could Have Been 😁
HH
They let their pub die 👍
BADABING 1251
It is always sad to lose anyone, and we all feel it especially when it happens during a match.
R I P, another good man gone.
As we know, many of us met each other, either online or in person, via CQN. I’ve never hidden my gratitude for that, and I have a great deal of respect for PAUL67 personally.
About eight years ago, SOLKITTS sent me a photo from an early 70s meeting of the Ardrossan Garryowen Club. A big night out, with a couple of Celtic players plus “the committee”
Recognise anyone?
I forwarded it to my Dad, who must have been on nightshift at the time of the photo! He pointed out a few-including our club President, a Mr Courtenay, who had sadly died shortly after that photo.
At Ibrox, as we played R1ngers.
Well, I’d recently met his son, Tom. Also a regular on CQN. He lived in London, so I forwarded the photo, and this is where it gets spooky/weird.
Tom was staying in a hotel about 1/2 a mile from my parents’ house. He was back home to visit his Mum in a hospice.
He phoned me two nights later. He had shown his Mum the photo. Think about it-he had died about 1970, how many working class folk had cameras back then? She didn’t have a photo of her husband apart from their wedding photo. And my mate sends me a 50 yo newspaper cutting from a club he was never in, and I send it to a fella that I’ve only met once. Just in time for his Mum to see a photo of her husband.
As I said, spooky/weird.
Celtic v Falkirk on Saturday, August 29 (Kick-off 3pm) and Celtic v Aberdeen on Wednesday, Septembr 2 (Kick-off 7:45pm) will go on sale from 10am tomorrow, Friday, August 21.
Europa play offs.
Kairat 0 Anderlecht 3
Jagiellonia 4 Iberia1999 0. ( Sevco will be kicking themselves🤣 )
Mjallby 0 Red Bull Salzburg 1. ( Austrian teams doing well )
Lech Poznan 5 Thun 0. Palma’s team flying.
Besiktas 2 Zalgiris 0 at HT ( Oh with first goal ).
Conference
Lincoln Red Imps 0 Larne 2 ( 2 goals in last 6 minutes ).
Good evening, friends.
For once, with 2 hours still left to vote, I’m delighted not to be on the scrounge for emails to reach the “charity” target as 100+ have already flowed in. But please do jeep them coming in the hope that this becomes the Highest Ever turnout.
Remember, results delayed until around 10pm but voting still (more or less) closes,at 9.
Thank you.
Sencelpoty@gmail.com
Zombies drop RRaskin and Shankland from starting line up.im assuming they are trying to protect Raskin from doing a Chermitti. But Shankland wont be happy getting dropped for that big lump of wood Naderi.
or did they drop them Both to avoid another fight over who gets to be captain?
Still a bhoy at heart
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZN8LxHgCk/
Motherwell 1 Freiburg 0
Gornik and Bernardo down 0-1 to Monaco after 37 minutes.
Lech Poznan now up 7-0 against Thun.
For now, Girona refuses to let Yaser Asprilla (22) leave. The winger wants to stay in Europe despite interest from French clubs Celtic , Valencia , and Lecce . The Colombian’s personal goal is to play in La Liga. https://s.w.org/images/core/emoji/17.0.2/svg/1f1e8-1f1f4.svg
Sevco with 3 more subs than Jablonec.
Saracchi came on for last 15 minutes in Houston’s 1-0 win at Vancouver.
Kyogo nowhere to be seen in Los Angeles 1-0 loss at Colorado.
Jablonec huddle being lustily booed. Lots of empty spaces at the Bigotdome.
Jablonec huddle being lustily booed. Lots of empty spaces at the Bigotdome.
—————-
the bishopton rangers bus passed me earlier, lucky if there was 20 on the 50 seater.
apathy has set in, i couldnt even be bothered giving them the vicky.
Penrice desperate tackle from behind. Lucky not to be booked
INIQUITOUS IV
August 20, 2026 7:40 pm
Lech Poznan now up 7-0 against Thun.
———
Bugger. Read that quickly, thought it was Thehun.
saint stivs
August 20, 2026 7:50 pm
Jablonec huddle being lustily booed. Lots of empty spaces at the Bigotdome.
—————-
the bishopton rangers bus passed me earlier, lucky if there was 20 on the 50 seater.
apathy has set in, i couldnt even be bothered giving them the vicky.
————————-
Saint:
You could have given them the energy saver – ONE finger!🤣
HH
INIQUITOUS IV😊
Fernandes booked for awful tackle.
Left footed Penrice on previous Tav (pen) corner and free kick duties from the right.
Hearts 0 Rapid 0
Gent 0 Hibs 0
Motherwell 1-1 v Freiburg after 28 minutes.
Gassama and Dragocevic go close for Sevco from distance.
I had half anticipated that top of the Czech league Jablonec might be on a level close to LASK, but they are nowhere near it. Much, much slower.
Tromso 0 Brighton 0. full time.
Brann 1-0 up at PAOK after 60.
Reflects improvement in Norwegian football.
Big striker rag dolling huns defence
Big striker rag dolling huns defence
The Huns defence fouling non stop, forgetting they don’t have a Scottish MIB.
Dragocevic hits post.
Hibs miss penalty.
Czechs really struggling now.
Benfica 1 Aarhus 0.
Trabzonspor and Mohammed Salah lose 0-1 at home to Ferencvaros.
Just lost my dodgy Sevco stream.
Hearts 0 Rapid Vienna 1.
Could be out of 3 Euro competitions in a row.
Gornik 1 Monaco 3.
Sigur starts for Hajduk Split. Up 1-0 vs Rakow Czestochowa.
I’m down to a postage stamp screen. “No need to refresh. Waiting in direct source going live.”😱
Before I went blank, Sevco appeared to be physically dominating Czechs.
Screen back uo.
The hun hordes must be wondering how the fk they’ve ended up with McInnes