Not as important a game for Celtic this time sadly and I won’t be attending sadly but still these games deserve a thread.
Looking at paddy power there and Benfica are 9/1 to win at Old Trafford. I think they’re smashing odds given it’s win or bust for them. They can score goals and while United are rightly favourites, 9/1 looks very long odds to me.
I’m happy rather than sad that this game isn’t as important for Celtic. I still want them to put in a proper away performance to end this away day hoodoo asap. The draw for the next round is being made on Friday, December 15th by the way. I agree that those Benfica odds are worth investigating, I assume ‘draw-no bet’ is still decent enough odds.
I was being sarcastic when I expressed disappointment at our qualification prior to the final round of games Bandage. Apologies for any confusion.
Of course, draw no bet is the ideal bet for those odds. Didn’t think of it earlier but that has to be the value bet. Interesting to see whether it is a standard division of odds or do they factor in the fact that a draw or a win would do United so it has a better chance of occurring than simple probabilities based on those odds would suggest.
Bandage you heading to Fraser’s for this one? (if you can get the time off).
Are you on for Fraser’s, rock? Obviously I want to see the game but RTE, Setanta and Sky are showing ManU and Arsenal as they’ve yet to ensure qualification. Sky are showing Celtic on the ‘red button’. I presume Fraser’s will have it one way or the other so it’s definitely there or one of the other Celtic pubs for me.
As for the team; Maloney didn’t travel due to the ankle knock that forced him to miss Saturday, Caldwell is out until Christmas with his knee, Jan Vinegar Hill is still hamstrung and Sno is unlikely to play due to already having 2 yellows with Maloney being the only other Celtic player on 2 yellows (as far as I know yellows are scrapped again at the end of the group stages). It’s probably too soon for Mark Wilson to come back in also. I’d go with a similar formation to the second half against ManU:
Boruc;
Telfer; Balde; McManus; Naylor;
Gravesen; Lennon; Jarosik;
Nakamura; McGeady;
Miller;
Magic and Miller simply don’t complement each other so I’d hold Magic in reserve. We’ll lack a little bit of depth on the bench now with the injuries building up. The fact that the league is in the bag will allow us to ensure all players are fully fit for the new year. There’s no point rushing anyone back, even for the derby on Sunday week.
Yeah I’m on for Frasers alright - we can discuss what you’ve planned for the Christmas party so far. I reckon it would be difficult enough to get the game on around town in general pubs anyway.
The team nearly picks itself though I imagine Jarosik will play more up front that you’ve suggested there. The only other options are Riordan (highly unlikely), Pearson (hopefully not) etc. Sno won’t play as I think Strachan has already suggested.
Off out to play football now but that was some opening half hour from Barca. Class going forward, still a little vulnerable at the back but they put piled on the pressure against Bremen from the start.
Yeah they were class, I love watching them when they play like that. 2nd goal was a gem and great thinking for the first by Ronaldinho. Ray Houghton talks some scheidt by the way, he was going on about Ronaldinho diving for the 1st goal when he was clearly hacked down.
Robbie Fowler got his 1st ever Champions League goal there, better than Larsson that fellah!!!
I note that Robbie is creeping up on Kenny Miller in this season’s CL scoring charts.
Well at the airport now ready to fly off to Copenhagen.Expected this to be the big deciding match for us but it is still very important. We need to win this to finally put to bed our poor away form in the champions league. I think its important that we top the group aswell so as we get our 2nd leg at home. Anyway still looking forwrd to getting over there and haing a few beers before the match. Heres hoping the plane dosn;t get delayed for 8 hours lke the one yesterday! For the lads who are heading to Frazers enjoy the match. And they gave us …
Can’t really hope for Robbie to catch Miller’s goal tally, Kenny is World Class after all.
Have a good one pagey. There’s no such thing as a meaningless Celtic game so looking forward to it immensely now.
Fair point jack.
I see he took his first goal with his ass too. It’s must be a lethal weapon for him - the fookin’ size of it!
Your’e some tosser - you really are
What is your position on Man City now?
Wait now. Are you going to defend Fowler here? Last night was the first I’ve seen of him since the opening day of the season and he’s more out of shape than he was at Manchester City and Leeds (if that’s possible). It’s alright if you’re a lazy nobody (me) but not if you’re a professional athlete. The disrespect to the supporters who crazily still idolise him is staggering. He’s somewhere between a has-been and a never-was-anything-of-substance-in-the-first-place-been. Embarrassing viewing.
My problem is that I am fed up of all your little comments about him. He is clearly a cult hero by evidence of the esteem he is held in by each and every Liverpool fan so why can’t you just leave it there. You love Liam Dunne but I have learned to just accept that - why can’t you afford me the same courtesy?
I could go on about why Fowler is such a legend in my eyes but I think that is irrelevant because I shouldn’t have to explain myself. You say that he is out of shape and overweight but how many goals did he score last night? You conveniently forget little things like that. You mention him being a disgrace to the supporters but if he was twenty stone and scored two goals in every European game then I would be delighted and I am sure that other supporter will feel the same as well
What is your position on Man City? I am interested to know because in the last year or so you seem to have completely forgotten about them. Do you still support them?
Exactly Farmer. Everybody has their heroes and with quite a few Liverpool fans of our generation their football hero is Fowler, why cant you leave it at that? To me Liam Dunne was not only a thug but wasnt anywhere near as good as Wexford people make him out to be, do I have a little dig everytime you mention him? No.
While I appreciate your support Jack I must draw attention to the contradiction in your last line 
Slight contradiction I know farmer but you know what I was trying to say!!
jack, that last paragraph is better than golden!!!
To even compare Liam Dunne to Robbie Fowler defies belief. Liam Dunne has won all the major honours in his chosen sport. 1 All Ireland Senior Hurling title, 2 Leinster Senior Hurling titles, 2 Inter-Provincial Hurling Titles, 2 Leinster Under 21 Hurling Titles, 3 All Star Awards (a disgracefully low number), 5 Wexford Senior Hurling Championship Titles, 1 Waterford Crystal Hurler of the Year Award. The only thing missing from his cabinet are club titles on the national stage.
Robbie Fowler scored some goals for a poor Liverpool side in the mid 1990s. Am I missing something here? Last night saw his first goals in the premier club football competition in a dead rubber game. farmer, it’s slightly disingenuous to suggest his 2 goals last night are a fine achievement given that Galatasaray were already assured of bottom place and Liverpool were assured of winning the group. Surely if he had anything to offer he’d be wheeled out for more important games than Carling Cup ties and pressure and intensity free CL games. He’s never done it on the international stage for his country either and despite England having a shocking tournament record for a country with its resources he could never force his way into their team.
At the age of 35 Liam Dunne rolled back the years in the summer of 2003 to show why some of us who regarded him as a hero at the age of 9 in 1990 still regarded him as a hero 13 years later as adults. 15 years of commitment, skill, leadership and perseverance and going strong right at the very end of that. An absolute inspiration.
Meanwhile Fowler’s best days were behind him at the age of 25. And his best days were winning League Cups and FA Cups. Not League titles or excelling at the elite level. When faced with injury problems he lost all his appetite and desire and since 2000 has been happily accepting pay cheques while putting fook all effort in.
Contrast this to the shattered leg Dunner suffered that kept him out of the game for 20 months at the age of 30. Sure he could have retired but the honour of wearing the Wexford jersey drove him. I actually find it offensive that he could be compared to a chancer like Fowler.
farmer, as for Manchester City - check out the Champions League Mathday 4 thread. Just to clarify I haven’t forgotten them, they have 4 quality players in Richards, Dunne, Barton and Trabelsi but lack pace and creativity and have a relatively toothless front pair. Like at the start of the season I predict a finish of around 12th. Hope this clarifies matters.