End Of Match:

So what positives can we take from this defeat from Cardiff? None really only Caddis and McGowan get full pass marks while a BIG worry was the set up of the side in the first half. Roond pegs in square holes spring to mind wie Robbo and Broony looking so oot of sorts in this game.

The squad players that have come in huvnae done themselves any favours whatsoever. O'Dea struggled but came on to a decent game, Balde will have suitors phoning their bank managers to say 'Nah dinny bother', Hinkel is quickly becoming a squad player wie another decent 15mins only and Donati went from being terrible to fancing it in the last 15 mins.

On paper getting beat from Cardiff is terrible. Cardiff had a gameplan (stolen from Jimmy Calderwood and Jim Jeffries) and stuck to it. They played their 1st eleven and seasons tactics against a better side.

Us? We pished aboot, made changes and gave players games in roles they were not used to. The players tried, nae faulting their effort but the nagging doubt is that we need to go up the gears and will need to go up the gears in Oporto next week.

Porto could gie us a right humping if we go through the motions like we did tonight. But, we always go through the motions in pre-season and it's fuckin annoying....

End Of Match:

The ref blows for time up.

93': Great ba' in fae Caldwell and a last gasp heider only stops JVOH scoring what would have been a deserved equaliser.....

90' (+1): Caldwell halfs Loovens (who has been booting Tims awe night) in two.

90' (+1): Weak heider from Skippy after a Broony cross.

90': Cardiff's first sub. Time wasting in a freenley.

89': Mo, Mo keeps the 50/50 bounce ba'....

88': Celtic break but the ref blows as the lightweight Cardiff winger stays doon after Mick looks at him in a hard manner.

85': Great tackle from Balde after Mick looks as slow as a week in the Bar-L.

84': Long ba' to Skippy, linesman flags offside again.....never off

83': I huvnae said nuthin but the linesman has gave Cardiff the benefit of a big doubt on a few occassions.

82': Slack play creeping in now.

80': Caddis goes doon the right, crosses for JVOH but it's cleared for a corner. O'Dea heiders the corner across the bar. O'Dea is looking like an E and A floor on a Saturday night.

79': Donati is part of awe the guid things we are doing going forward....we are pressing but still don't look like scoring. Caldwell has given Donati freedom.

77': O'Dea is on wie a bandadge roond his heid.

76': Celtic pass, pass then pass...hit a long ba' to the Cardiff goalie.

75': O'dea goes off wie a heid knock and Celtic have used awe their subs...

71':

Cardiff player has a kick at Broony. Celtic keep the ba' but it ends wie Broony gieing away a soft free kick. I canny see us scoring if truth be told.

70': Still not a lot of chances but overall we look better.

68': Donati seems to have moved up field since Caldwell has came on. He loses the ba' 25 yards from Cardiffs goal....

67': Cardiff cross the halfway line. Their fans cheer. Skippy on for Sammy and Caldewell for Hartley. He goes to CM.....

65': McGowan.....unsure why as Gowser was oor best player.

61': Donati megs a man 25 yards from oor goal. McManus on for Hinkel, Caddis to the right, O'Dea to LB and JVOH is on for.........

61': Hartley hits the wa'. This ref is now stopping and starting the game for pish.

61': Free kick Robbo zone

60': We have upped the tempo and it's better. Robbo and Broony are now sweating at least.

58': Sammy tries to ootrun McNaughton and fails. Celtic, well McGowan keeps the ba' and we get a half chance.

57': Hartley boots Ledley. Free kick 30 yards from goal and cleared

55':

Donati loses the ba' 25 yards oot. TAXI FFS....

55': Hinkel and Robbo are playing better a long range daisy cutter by Robbo gets the goalies kness durty...better? Yes. Guid enough? MAYBE.

53': Great cross fae the free lick, McGowan is flagged offside but gets the goalies gloves durty wie a tame heider....a shot on goal at last.

52': Hinkel and McGowan combine, Broony gets the ba' and gets hoofed by Loovens. Broony gets booked for maoning.

51': Donati ponders gets caught luckly gets a free kick.He then gie's the ba' away fae the free kick. Taxi FFS.

49': McGowan caught offside again. 3rd time in this half.

48': Slack ba' fae Hinkel...

47': McGowan is looking a player..a striker? Dinny know...

46':

2nd half nae changes..Mon the hoops lets get fucked right in...

Half Time:

Celtic 0 Cardiff 1. Fecking pesh could be the saying for this. Cardiff have scored wie the only shot on goal in the whole game. They are no great shakes but we are really making it easy for them.

Robson, Broony and Caddis are awe playing oot of position, MBroon and Balde are no daein their transfer hopes any guid, Hinkel is he actually playing, O'Dea has improved but FFS it's Stevie Thompson he is up against and he is daein a better joab than Balde right onough but.....if 9 of them got subbed at HT (Caddis and McGowan get to start the 2nd half) then they could have nae complaints.

40': Celtic play from the back, Caddis to Hartley flick through to Sammy who over runs...

38':

O'Dea has a great tackle in the 6 yard box on Thompson.

35': Celtic have took a hold of this game. Less long ba' mair passing. McGowan can be happy wie his 35mins...still nae cutting edge.

30': The game has developed into an SPL game. Cardiff sit back and hoof, Celtic pass, pass and lack the cutting edge. Broony and Robbo not in the game.

28':

Loovens does Broony. Hun cunt.

25': Celtic's passing play has been replaced wie aimless humps. Cardiff drop deep and allow Balde and O'Dea to have the ba'. O'Dea has improved but Cardiff's 'style' ahem is troubling us....

21': Comes to he haw

20': Cardiff now look up for this. Oor defence is shocking esp Balde. Corner Cardiff.

17': Goal Cardiff. Long ba' Thompson beats Balde in the air, McCormack gets a lucky flick and Ledley fires it past Broon. Poor, poor goal to lose. Fuck me.

15':

Long ba' almost caught oot the hoops and Mark Broon looks dodgy again. Great play wie Celtic ends wie McGowan hanging on to the ba' to long and giein Sammy a poor ba'. McGowan, Sammy and Caddis so far.

11': The ba' is brust...

10': Cardiff have got a grip of the game and there swamp the middle tactics have took hold.

8': Scott Broon is playing on the left wie Robson on the right. Broony is tucked in almost central though.

5': Only chance of the game for Cardiff and ex-hun Stevie Thompson hits the post after poor play from O'Dea. This chance was against the run of play wie Sammy and Caddis starting well.

1': Celtic break from The Huddle and kick off to an empty stadium....Donati passes sidewards

Before Kick Off: We have upped the tempo. Broony and Robbo are earning their corn now.

Before Kick Off: Change GS, Robbo and Broony are no working.

Before Kick Off: Stop this long ba' pish Celtic.

Before Kick Off: Celtic have started the better, winning a corner, which came to nothing. O'Dea once again troubled Broon wie a pass back and Caddis plus Sammy have started well.

Before Kick Off:

Celtic Team: Broon, Caddis, Balde, O'Dea, Hinkel, Broon, Hartley, Robson, Donati, Sammy and McGowan.

Looks like the usual 442 wie Caddis at LB, Broon at RM and Robbo-cop at LM. A CM pairing of Hartley and Mo disnny fill me wie hope even against the Leek munchers....McGowan that's a curve ba'....

Before Kick Off:

So, after the news that we might not see Paddy McCourt for sometime after a bucket incident (see comments) what do we want to see from tonights game?

Signings huvnae been forthcoming so it's the same auld, same auld. Should we be looking for an improvement on the 'fitba' style' this early or are we fearing the same mistakes will continue to get made and that new signings should be getting bedded in at this point?

And....what aboot the news that Ex-Hun Ross McCormack is/was a Tim?

Before Kick Off:

Here is the team from last nights Celtic X1 game in Belfast

Fox, Towell, Conroy, Ferry, Cuthbert, Lafferty, McGlinchey, Millar, Riordan, Gravesen, Gawley, Gaughan. Subs: Gaughan for Towell 69; Graham for Gawley 77; Monti for Gravesen 85

Can someone tell me if Paddy McCourt has been seen yet this pre-season?

Before Kick Off:

Just under 12 hours before kick off. Celtic can win this cup tonight and I'm sure if we do it will take pride and place alongside the replica European Cup in oor trophy room. Few things happening this morning all in the news section of the Celtic Homepage.

Bobo to Wolves, Tamas deal off (but could still be on), Naka being injured and Paul Caddis being GS new 'pet project'. Remember his last 'pet project'?. Aye, whatever happened to Ross Wallace the left back?

But...the rumour of the day comes from the funny 'The Fiver' from the guardian. It proclaims...

"In perhaps the most internecine feud in Old Firm history, the Queen's Celtic and the Pope's O'Rangers are squabbling over the signature of Bolo Zenden."

Oh dear.