Give Us A Break!
Morning, all.
Tonight is a big night for us, and no mistake. We take a three goal lead to Austria to face their champions, LASK Linz. I mention that they are champions to remind us all that this is no diddy team we are facing, but we already know that from the first leg last week.
We scored three wonderful goals, but they could have taken the lead after only a few seconds with an absolute screamer of their own. It was far from the only time they caused us concern, including another goal, like that one correctly chalked off for offside. I wouldn’t go as far as their coach did after the game and say that they were the better side, but we could hardly have grumbled had our advantage been less than three.
There seems to be a school of thought amongst our fans that while this tie isn’t over, another goal from us should kill it. Well, if there is a genuine concern that they can score three, perhaps we should also be worried that they can score four-and the reported absence from training of Trusty does little to allay those fears! I well remember our run to Seville when we took a two goal lead to Stuttgart and quickly scored another two. That four goal advantage should have had us on easy street, but we lost three goals and were hanging on grimly at the end.
It’s football, and we all know that there are no certainties!
I expect that the management team will go with the same starting XI as last week, though we may be forced to call on Scales as a replacement for Trusty. We will have to be ready for a full-on onslaught right from the off, and that means our midfield will have to work overtime, while our attacking line will be our first line of defence. It won’t be a night for passengers, that’s for sure. It will take 100% commitment and 100% concentration, and all the while being on the lookout for a chance at a break.
That said, and having given myself the fear even writing this short article, I’m looking forward to the game. We would have been delighted a week ago at the position we are in now, and if I’m honest, I’ll settle for any result which sees us in the group stages of the top competition. I don’t care if tonight is another classic, one which we will be talking about for years to come, or an updated version of The Great Escape. Just as long as it has a happier ending. So you’ll pardon me if I don’t say-“Good luck!”
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Above article by BMCUWP
St Tams
I think it’s been decent. Difference of opinions , some good info given and in the main civil enough.
Celtic are back tonight , so minds will be focused as we get nearer.
San Luis
August 25, 2026 2:00 pm
Also a useful diversion to help calm the nerves.
Tonight is not a done deal. If they score as quickly as they did at Parkhead it could be a long night. I hope MON has them park the bus for the first 15 minutes at least and then take it from there.
As always, refs and associates will be important.
We will need to fight for everything yet not take
costly yellows or worse.
Play the European game early ( no, I don’t like it either).
Go down for free kicks, take some time to get up, kick, bite, scratch and stay organised.
Timing and personnel of ( unforced) subs absolutely crucial.
For sure they will mostly be a back three, press them cause they’re weak at that.
Fight Celtic, fight.
WEEFRA Happy hooooooopy birthday sir.
If they score as quickly as they did at Parkhead
——————–
they didnt,
Bobby.
No martyrdom from me.
But a ban from you.
It is a ban Bobby.call it what it is
You are the one doing it.
You are restricting and limiting my posts.
Why?
Thanks,
saint stivs
August 25, 2026 2:41 pm
If they score as quickly as they did at Parkhead
——————–
they didnt,
###
True. But a fraction of a second difference and the goal would have stood. My point stands.
LASK have asked to observe a minute of silence tonight in memory of the Celtic fan who passed away at the game last week.
Classy act from LASK.
I wont wish they win tonight, but, after tonight, I will look for their results in the future and hope they do well. Respect.
Saint Stivs on 25th August 2026 2:58 pm
I was sitting here thinking, how rare european away wins are, and then thought, how even rarer a run of unbeaten games away from home actually are, and especially against teams from good leagues.
If I am right, while it was not champions league, our end to last seasons away games saw a run of 3,
Feyenoord 3-1,
November – scorers Yang, Hatate, Nygren, all still at the club. and remember we were 1 nil down in 10 minutes.
Bologna 2-2,
January – Hatate and Trusty, we were 2-0 up at halftime, a real good first half.
Stuttgart 1-0
February – McCowan in the first minute, Celtic had other chances to score throughout the game.
So why bring this up ? well it is a testement to mentality installed by that “winning football games” manager, that this team that so many wanted to write off as a worst to ever win the league (still gets on my thruppenies) can go compete in others back yards, Holland, Italy and Germany.
Now we have players who scored goals in the champions league last season, and indeed show individual touches of brilliance in the first leg, you know what I am confident we are going to go for 4 undefeated in away european games,
over to you Martin and his bould bhoys.
The Real McCoy
Interval just now.
Great show 💚
The Scottish sports press have done everything in their power to try and get Lewis Ferguson to Ibrox this summer.
I think that was their dream transfer this window. They’ve only just stopped short of chipping in the money and buying him themselves.
Leggy
seen the stage show. Superb.
Also seen the Tenerife show. You know the thing where the karaoke tributes tour the pubs singing along to their iPads. Wel in the late lamented soul lodge my good lady happened to sing along with ‘the jersey boys’ only to be whisked from the audience, dressed in the gear and shown all the moves to walk like a man. I still have the video. I’ve still not been allowed to show it to anyone though for fear of speaking like Joe pasquale.
As long as we have gotten over our away disease of losing goals in clusters we will be fine tonight
Nabbla,
I got exactly the same message and a post blocked because I repeated the banned word you introduced.
I didn’t even mention it as I understand some words are just not welcome.
You seem to think it’s ok calling someone hun-like for using a word you don’t like, while freaking out cause a word you want to use is banned.
Maybe grow up a bit? Or at least try and be less of a hypocrite.
NABBLA
Last word on it-I’ve told you you’re not banned, despite your relentless trolling and use of a now banned word.
There are very few rules on here, and one is to be polite even when disagreeing with others.
how many split second offside goals did we have ruled out last season ?
H3
Unfortunately, I read an article earlier which said that LASK have a habit of scoring in clusters. Of course, that might have been wishful thinking on their part.
Bobby Murdoch.
Trolling,behave,tho i can see why you suggest it as questioning .i posted not using the word and got blocked from posting,several times,I cant restrict or limit my post size you can and you did.Shameful.
Anyways back to music here as it is blatantly obvious group think/psyche does not like being dissented.
Good day
MIKE IN TORONTO may need to change his moniker soon, when Drumpf renames Ontario, declares it a US Territory, then gets round to renaming Toronto.
I’m not going to the game tonight so that’s a guaranteed win for Celtic. You can all relax. I did get offered the chance to go in the away end and in cognito but I declined as I have two Motherwell relatives coming over for the Freiburg game. My mates father recovered from his slight illness so the away ticket wouldn’t have been available anyway and I doubt I could have hidden my allegiances. My mate is my old boss so his dad must be in his late eighties. Way to go I hope he goes home disappointed.
Win lose or draw …Martin O Neil,Martin O Neil,Martin O Neil,Martin O Neil…..
Iniq
even my84 year old mum was mocking him this morning over the Lake thing. You know is bad when ….
i was always a bit surprised that a narcissist like him didnt do a George Foreman (who named all of his kids George) and name all of his children Donald … although I dont think he really much cares for his own kids.
I am surprised that his preferred name for Lake Ontario wasnt Lake Trump. But I suspect that is only because a Lake isnt grand enough to carry the Trump brand. I suspect he is hoping for the Atlantic/Donald J Trump Ocean.
All joking aside, I am surprised he hasnt moved ahead with adding himself to Mount Rushmore yet. I suspect that is only because he is afraid of blowback in the upcoming midterms. But if the republicans somehow hold on to their majorities, it is a slam dunk he will add himself before his term is over.
MIT
And he won’t be happy with his likeness
Mike In Torumpto – has a certain ring to it 😂
He claims Lake Superior already named after him 🤷🏻♂️
p.s. friend from Scotland visiting your fine city this week. Think he’s going to Blue Jays on Thursday ⚾️.
Any suggestions for entertainment/ dining appreciated.
I’ve not been since 2018.
( I’m usually up in Georgian Bay , although we did visit family in Sudbury and in London last year)
🏴 🇨🇦
HH 💚🍀
MIKE IN TORUMPTO.
“All joking aside, I am surprised he hasnt moved ahead with adding himself to Mount Rushmore yet.”
——————
Hi Mike:
During his first term I read that it had been explored, but sculptors concluded that the available surfaces on either side of the existing 4 busts were so heavily fractured as to render an addition infeasible.
Wouldn’t surprise me if he erected a 100 foot high statute with gold leaf as an alternative.😱
HH
INIQUITOUS IV😊
Either Sabah of Azerbaijan or Hapoel Be’er Sheva will be at the Big Show for the very first time. Israelis lead 2-1.
Now 3-1, invaluable away goal.
Nope, offside by a ba’ hair. Goal chalked off.
Midfielder Simic of Sabah has scored 6 in their 7 qualifiers so far.
Sabah hit post.
Hapoel score 1-0, 3-1 on aggregate.
If Hapoel go through, their home games will be in Bucharest.
Serbian Zlatanovic with 3rd CL goal in 3 games for Hapoel.
TRM
what part of the city are your friends in? Travel through the city is getting silly … took me 70 minutes to get across the city last week for a dinner! So it can make a difference. Let me know what things they like and I’ll see if I can come up with a few options
The Real McCoy.
The Celtic Irish pub on Yonge Street was a great wee bar when I visited it when we played Roma in Toronto.
HH
INIQUITOUS IV😊
Both teams with many unforced errors. Whoever reaches the Group stage will not survive these. Israelis looking comfortable so far.
Sabah midfield porous, almost non existent.
Aff oot, things to do, fish tae fry, as they say.
Laters.😊
Just reading about a principal in Ohio who was fired for allowing a student who had become homeless to continue attending school.
16 year old kid was living in his car as family stuff was bad at home (sounds like drugs). But the kid seems like a good kid, and in spite of living in his car, was still attending school.
His mum moved away, so technically he no longer qualified for that school as his parent resided elsewhere. The kid has one more year of school, and the principal wanted him to graduate, so allowed the kid to move in with his family, so he could finish high school there. When it was later discovered, the principal was told he would have to expel the student. When he refused, he was fired.
i know laws are there for a reason (residency is tied to taxes and funding, I get it … and have to be careful about students living with teachers. … I get that too ….but what about a little common sense (better to have a kid graduate than be forced to drop out)… and more importantly … how about some basic human decency?
hope someone hires this principal… sounds like a good guy …and this kid graduates…. Sounds like a good kid.
if anyone is interested, I’ll post if I hear anything more on this story.
Team out, same as last week.
Same as last week
Mike,
Sickening, buddy.
Why am I not surprised to learn the story comes from America.
HH 🍀
Sensible. No changes, Yang gives the defence protection. Plenty winners on the bench if needed.
Dread hapoel going through.
we don’t need that draw in the group stage.
Hoop hoop hooray,
From earlier,
Would love to see that video 😳😳
Anyway, 7 pints in and so looking forward to the game tonight.
No behind the sofa for me.
A couple of drams and “ Anybody fancy the final in Madrid
HH 🍀🍀🍀💚💚💚🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
Mike in Toronto
August 25, 2026 6:21 pm
Only In America by The Drifters
Dolly Parton RIP.
San luis
Who are all the winners on the bench ?
SABAH score 94 min equaliser. ET now.
Both teams terrible, wouldn’t mind either away in Group, if we qualify.
Baku would be a bit of a trek.
Bucharest still a trek plus the Israeli question.
HH
MIKEINTORONTO
Shocking story which pretty much sums up the US these days.
Just past from Baur, great ball from Yang.
This game will never finish 0:0 !
End to end like the first game. Not for the feint hearted.