-
3 in a row please.
-
You stole my McGeady comparison!!!
Good report there, not always easy to have perspective at this stage and perhaps my prediction about avoiding the blog will be wrong! I will be right enough as I'm off on a two day mini tour of Scotland!!
-
Just put this on the last thread before seeing there was a new article posted.
I haven't read through all the posts yet but I will do, just wanted to post my own thought before doing so.
For me, and I have been hating myself since a fortnight ago for thinking this way, tonight was just a game I wanted to see the back of. The chances of going through were always extremely slim since the result at Celtic Park. The two things I was hoping for were for us not to pick up any injuries and for us not to get a doing that would leave us demoralised.
On the game itself I was disappointed to say the least we went with one up front, but then you see the football they played and the ease the cut us open when we had 5 in the middle the you can see why we went that way. To play that way also you need your middle to be strong. Donati had a poor game along with Scott Brown, though to be fair Brown has yet again been shifted from the middle. In hindsight maybe Robson wide with Brown in the middle in place of Donati would have worked better, but it's easy to say after the event.
Samaras showed what a player he could be for us in the future. I just hope we can hold on to him for next season. The talent is there to build on. Guys like Samaras, McGeady, MacDonald, Wilson, Brown, Sno, and O'Dea we should be looking to build our future on. Get them all tied down on long term deals if they aren't already and build our future on them. Along with a couple of decent buys we have the foundations of a solid team for the next few years.
I have loved this years European campaign. We have had so much drama and emotion at Celtic Park this year it's been fantastic. The tension and joy of the Spartak match, the last minute wins over Milan and Shakhtar and taking the lead twice when under the cosh from Barca will live long in the memory.
Thank you Gordon and the players for your efforts and the joy you've brought us all over the whole campaign.
Now let's win the league so we can experience it all again next year!
-
Agre with most of what you say Paul. Still however believe that a player of Donatti's supposed pedigree should show up better on the European stage. Evander Sno played the role very well. Skoosh clearly was not fit, but desperate to play.
The result is now history.
Onwards and upwards.
-
Stevie67p
EXACTLY!
3inarow........
-
-
seemed to sum up some of the players we have at our club when they went looking for Ronaldinho's shirt at he end. Never saw Sutton Hartson Thompson like that. Found that strange like they seem to accept their fate as second best.
-
if you've read this before, I apologise, I've not seen it appear yet -
Imagine for a moment, my dear people. A world where Evander Sno had a run of games something akin to M Donati, nay S Brown, where he can eliminate the elementary mistakes which currently haunt his game. Can you see it ? More importantly, can you hear it ? That deafening silence ? Those with a subconscious racist streak in their make-up, lost for words ? I can hearthat silence my friends. And while no soothsayer, I respectfully suggest every doubting Tom sits up and sups from the cup of patience. Far from Barca standard this evening but mark my words, if we let Evander Sno go, we'll be the worse for it. As for those who argue - "he cannae play in the SPL, he better aff oan the continent" - would you reject any of the Barca player were they to come chapping ? No, no, no. You shape your football to suit lads like Sno. We've only realised how to do that vis-a-vis McGeady. He needn't be a special case.
Bring on the Rankers !!
-
Well done Evander. Never really rated the guy but tonight he played really well. Well done. I seen a different player which i have not seen before.
I'm one of his critics as i think he is too layed back etc.. buttonight he passed and was controlled. Well done once again.
Donati i have no complaints. Have been saying that i think he is a player. But tonight his passing and performance was criminal. I reckon he could have burned his bridges with regards our manager. He didn't look to chuffed.
First half the only person to come away for any credit was Naka. He put his foot on the ball, kept posseion and never gave it away.
I said today that Samaras should have started if it was one up front. Jan can not play the lone striker role. Either Skippy or Sammy would have been a better bet.
Thought Boruc should have done better with the goal.
Scott Brown although playing was no way near fit. He had a strapping on for his ankle injury sustained against Hibs. Brown will come good. I have no doubt at this level.
Mark Wilson at left back to compete with Nails till the end of the season?
Cold light day is that we were just not good enough to progress any further. The deadwood will have to be shipped out to bring in money and free up wages to allow for some half decent players to complement Aiden, Artur, Naka, Scott Brown at this level.
Well done Gordon though for giving it a try in the first leg. I'm glad we tried to give it a go by playing 4 4 2. Second half performance tonight was good and it was just a pity that we never managed to click and play in the first. I feel sorry for our manager sometimes. All his planning for games and it goes out the windy in these type of games either through individual mistakes from players or our team taking time to settle.
We know what is required to take us past the last 16. 2 centre halves, left back, midfield general to partner Brown and a top class striker.
Here's to 3 in a row bhoys. Heads down you can do it and bring yourself back to the top table.
Well done Gordon Strachan last 16 again. One year mate your going to crack it.
-
Paul, spot on I couldn't agree more.
I thought the number of times Brown left Wilson exposed was criminal.
Donati- poor, although in good company in the first half, at least he was always still looking for the ball.
Much as I like Barca-hated the condescending attitude shown to our players.
Samaras for me showed why we should sign him.
If only he had started with McDonald.
-
WGS
Another thing we need to get to the last 16 along with what you mentioned is a decent draw! Drawing AC then Barca two years running is hard luck whereas had we drawn a Porto or similar I feel we would have had a chance with what we have.
-
As for Scott Brown - has anyone sent kevin keegan a video yet ?
-
Pretty rounded comments from most people tonight. We avoided a hammering mostly because Barca were over elaborate and wasteful in finishing but also because of a lot of running and resilience from our team.
Barca felt they owned us from the first leg and, though we managed to relieve Blackburn and Liverpool of this notion in recent years, we never came close to denting the form boost Barca gave themselves from the first leg's second half.
I don't buy the "love-in" relationship affected the performance. Caldwell, Brown and Hartley tugged, pushed and kicked their way through Barca players tonight and Evander flailed his arms to good effect too.
No, Barca earned their superiority through superior play; we did not bring an inferiority complex with us, it was thrust upon us by them.
Finally, well done to Evander for another solid performance but we are in danger of over-reacting. Massimo is not a waste of space because he was poor tonight and Evander and Samaras are not proven starters yet because they performed relatively well. That's kojo thinking of the "what have you done for me lately??" type.
Unfortunately we would be chopping and changing our team each week based on last known form rather than expected consistency.
Don't get me wrong. I would be hapy to see Sno and Samaras start the next game. I just won't dismiss JVOH, Massimo and Scott Brown because they looked poor tonight against players who are better than them.
Onwards and upwards to 3 in a row and may our support travel home safely.
-
Porridgeandbananas,
Your 100% right. Wee bit of luck in the draw would be good as well.
-
Good summary of the game Paul.
I was fearful after the early goal, but I thought we defended pretty well overall.
Sno played very well. Why can some of our fans not see that he has great potential?
I agree with wgs (rather than WGS) on the one up front. JVoH put in a good shift but it's not his game. Long balls to flick on are no good without support. Samaras is far more mobile and holds up the forward pass better.
Overall I think we put up a creditable performance over two legs against a great side.
This year's campaign has been a lot of fun to follow, from the drama of Spartak through to the best game I ever saw at Celtic Park.
Thanks for the memories bhoys.
Now there's a league to be won.
-
Pace up front would give the midfield more time as the defensive line of the opposition would drop deeper. But we need a center midfielder to complement brown.
Incidently that formation seemed to work okay at the end of the game.
Still 4/5 players short of a good CL side like Lyon. Hope Artur is here next season.
-
Cameron (from the previous article). Aye.
I picked up on you Jock Stein comment as I think it is impossibly hard for Gordon to be compared to him. I also think it is impossibly hard to compare Gordon to Martin O’Neill; they were two great managers, the best in our previous 117 years.
Jock’s teams were hugely successful, but it was not always the flowing, attacking football we see in the Lisbon video. Some of the European Nights on Celtic TV have been an eye opener to me for the long ball football we often played.
Thismancraig, Campbeltown perhaps?
Malceye, if you consider that Evander and Mark (Paul) Wilson were parachuted into this game from nowhere it reflects even better on their performance.
Havana laugh, agree on Samaras.
-
Malceye
What a ridiculous comment.......anybody that does not rate sno is racist?
does that go for Donati's detractors or JVoH or ar you suggesting that it is purely based on colour. No doubt you are above that inherent racism and see Sno's true worth?
-
Paul
Agree on Evander. I thought he played very well.He is looking more mature for such a young player. Keep it up son! A very decent 2nd half defensively. Not much to show up front. The thing about Henke, great scorer that he is, he was a great provider. Scott McDonald should watch his videos. When has Scott ever thundered in a 20 yarder? Yet more and more he is looking to score rather than play in a team mate. His choice of shot late on ignored Samaras (who can hit them!) inside and Naka who was unmarked out on the right. Wouldn't have changed the outcome but I've noticed this tendency in SMcD of late. Yes all strikers can be greedy but it is more important to be a team player. Get your head up more Scott and return the favour of your team mates.
-
It's not just luck in the draw. The group winners play the runners up. So if we want a better draw we need to win our group.
Now that would be a step forward!
-
Paul
Barca are a class outfit when they click
I felt first half hardly any Celtic players were looking to make contact with Barca players in possession - 2nd half Sno showed how it should be done
Also first half with the exception of Aiden and Naka very few players moving into space and looking to receive the ball - 2nd half Sno, Samaras and briefly McDonald showed how it should be done -
I disagree about VoH performing well -his isolation was entirely predictable given his lack of pace and telegraphed positioning - he is most definitely not a one up front player
All in all the experience needs to be banked and lessons learnt - however we still have a young side and next time they will be less in awe
I have always rated Sno and was not in the least surprised by his contribution
Time to concentrate on domestic domination
VertWolf
-
Not yet Paul, work this time so it's speed bonnie boat time!
Macrahanish in May (I think!)
-
They were miles beyond us in techique and deserved their win.
One question, I have been asking this in the pub for 2 years. Why are good teams able to pass and move whereas others pass and stand waiting. Its something I dont understand having never played the game. Do you have to be a massively talented player to release a ball then move rather than just meander up the park? Is it lack of talent that prevents this happening or lack of thought.
I think if we could pass then move into space rather than stand static waiting for a ball we would be a far better team.
We win SPL games because we have better skill if we could pass then get of our butts to receive a pass we would destroy SPL teams.
Not wanting to be negative but I have been banging on about this for ages. Ex Footballers from this blog! how hard is it to release a ball then move into space?
-
emuwas…
I have been sparing Scott McDonald a critical article, as he is so bountiful in the area it matters most, but there is one thing in particular he could improve on:
With a defender near, his first touch tends to cost Celtic possession.
If he gets an inch inside the box, he will score, but he has not figured out how to hold onto the ball 30 yards from goal.
Larsson is an interesting comparison. This was not the best part of Henriks game, but he knew the first thing he needed to do was not trap the ball (he was no Lubo in this respect), Larsson’s first objective was to ensure that the defender did not get the ball.
He would knock it into space instead of trying to keep it close.
VertWolf, aye, the physical challenge was evident in the second half.
-
Havana
a generalisation too far on my part, I concede. I do not accept however, that it is a trait that affects many a dim view of Evander's attributes. To suggest otherwise would be naive in the extreme. Contrary to the lovefest in Barcelona, not all Celtic fans are left wing intellects.
-
My post, without reading anything since pre match:
Overworked fullbacks did OK; Wilson slightly better than Gnasher. Both Central defenders did very well. Paticularly enjoyed GC refusing to be intimidated by Henry.
Midfield were pretty much overrun. Aiden will have learned more from facing Zambrotti than he would in ten years at home though. Evander did well for the most part when he came on.
Overall it was agame that Barca expected to win. Despite that, they showed us some respect and the game was played in a good spirit. Ronaldinho, in particular seemed to appreciate how he was played by Mark Wilson
-
Gordon J
Did you realise we have had 2 last group games to win our group in the last 2 years? Admittedly one was away to AC Milan, Champions of Europe, but the other was away to Copenhagen who the sheep pumped!!
-
a double negative omitted - "...that it is NOT a trait..."
-
Spelling and comma omissions courtesy of too much red wine and beer.
Hail Hail.
Three in a row here we go.
STAND UP FOR THE CHAMPIONS
-
Malceye
Have to agree with you. I said here a few months ago that Sno was one of the best young midfielders about and got pelters.
Next game he was on for less than a minute, sliped and I heard someone behind me shout "B has been on the spliffs"
enough said!!
Would he have shouted that about Donatti? Brown?
-
Paul...
Samaras did "equally well" as JVoh when he came on. As I posted in previous thread, I believe your statement is accurate, for about 5 minutes. In other words, he did as much (more, IMO) in 5 mins that JVoH did in 55 mins.
I posted a note before KO, expressing surprise at WGS's choice.
Who am I to question our manager's tactics/team selection (which is exactly what I thought at KO time) but when when Samaras came on an 'proved me right'... well....
Let's say... for our league run in, it concerns me.
-
i agree if tonight proved anything it was that jvoh is not a lone striker. too often although he won the ball in the air there was no point as he was heading it to nobody, or high in the air to himself.
his distribution is poor and mobility is suspect, and i don't think he holds the ball up like a sutton or even hartson the ball comes off him, too far.
naylor had a good game overall, wilson was caught very cold at the goal but had a reasonable game, but don't think he will trouble hinkel for the slot
hartley got pass marks along with sno, naka, and aiden and artur.
-
If Celtic players were swarming round the Barca "superstars" like schoolkids looking for shirts at the end of the game then this is very wrong.
The said shirts should be taken by the club and auctioned for the Celtic Charity Fund.
-
The world will record a narrow defeat for Celtic tonight and that is a good thing.
I was dissapointed by the lack of heart shown in the 1st half but very happy with the 2nd half display - the shape changed and Evander Sno made one helluva difference.
I will make comment on only 2 players:
Donati - doesn't have it, will never have it, soft, weak and slow - xit stage left asap please
Brown - has it, has it in spades but only seems to want to play when he feels like it. He told enayone who would listen that he was ;up' for the Hibs game and lo and behold he tuned in his best performance in the hoops. Tonight he was woefull. A player who has it but doesn't produce has a problem with where he is or the manager.
The solution to Donati is very much clearer than the way to get the best out of Brown - over to you Gordon!
In the final analysis I believe Evander has played himself into the team as did Hartley - Skippy and Gorgeous up front (sorry Jan is back up at best)and we can take 3 in a row.
Hail hail
-
A view from Barcelona
http://fcbnews.com/barca-1-celtic-0/
-
mikeythebhoy
you know it and I know it. So does everyone else (although I'm unsure of what the position is in the posh seats of the north and south stands). The occasional lapse in concentration, ie the reference to the "black so and so" when Mr Sno has a lapse of concentration. We might no like it but that doesn't mean to say that we pretend its not there. We need to stop patting ourselves on the back as fans and start facing some real questions - why don't we boo Brown ? He costs much much more than Sno, plays more often yet has honed the "skill" of inadvertently giving the ball away to a much greater degree than Sno. Some here may not like his languid style. But don't shy away from the fact that many don't appreciate a black man playing in such a languid style.
-
Jinkyredstar,
Been a bit mischeivious with that comment. Your implying Brown not happy at Celtic or with the manager hence his play.
Scott Brown had his ankle well strapped tonight might even took some injecton to play tonight due to the tackle by Murray on Saturday.
-
would dearly love to share the Brown 'has it' thing. I really would. Best I can do: he 'has it' against Killie, or Motherwell (hopefully).. or any other SPL side.
Sorry, but at 4M+, I find myself expecting a tad more
-
Tried posting earlier, but blogger seems to be playing up....
Not 100% sure how to feel about tonight. Part of me feels we were caught cold early doors but did improve as game went on, esp. second half. Other part of me feels we missed an opportunity to get in about Barca and really test them..
Positives from tonight: Sno and Samaras deserve run in team. Although I feel Sno may be a better bet for next season and we may need Hartley and Robson to help us to SPL this year.
Let's put tonight down to experience and start the assault for a TIAR/Scots Cup double this weekend...
-
Johnnyquest
Can you hear me out there? Good news. Michelob is being imported into the UK again. Now only if someone could ship out some Anchor Steam!!
-
havana laugh: are you seriously saying that Sno's low repute with some, indeed many, Celtic supporters has got nothing to do with race? A brave claim.
Obviously not everyone who boos the young lad when he comes on is a racist - it's always essential to include stupidity and ignorance in the equation when working out the motives of football fans, even our own, God bless them.
I am just old enough to remember hearing from my father and uncles about John Hughes's early days in the Celtic team. I think I am right in saying that he was even younger than Sno when he became an irregular feature of the first team and a regular target of empty heads in the Jungle and elsewhere. My Dad, and, later, Jock Stein(!) both reckoned that Yogi's size made it hard for the dimmer fan to grasp he was, after all, just a lad. Oddly enough this is the one area where being a wee guy can help - Aidan is slight and blessed with a baby face. This helped him through the adolescent period of his Celtic life, for it would have taken a heart of stone, and a skin like a rhino, to have given the bhoy McGeady the consistent unrelieved hostility the boy Sno gets every time he strips off his tracksuit at Celtic Park.
As for the game tonight, absolutely no progress since day one of our manager's reign. His epitaph will be that he could not build: not a defence, not a midfield. There's no evidence of comradeship in our team; the whole is less than the sum of the parts. 'The Celtic defensive unit' is a receding memory and a faint hope for the future; O for A Band of Brothers in the midfield!
-
WGS
I fully appreciate thta Scott had his ankle strapped but was alluding more to his weak performances since before new year. I don't have a clue if he is unhappy at CP, however he does seem to turn on and off like a tap - to me that is a personal problem. All players can go up and down in form, however Scott seems almost to chose his stage at will suggesting he can do it when he wants to but needs a bit of encouragement (injury accepted which, I agree could have mitigated tonight....however why did he complete 90 mins and Hartley was taken off?)
Still on borad for the champions
Cheers
-
malceye - During a "Glasgow derby" at Parkhead when the Dick was in charge, I pulled up a guy behind me in 408 for calling Van Bronkhurst a Black B and told him to join the BNP.
We would be the biggest hypocrites on the planet to tolerate this nonsense within our support. Challenge it every time.
TTTT
-
To all those picking apart the team. Give it a rest for crying out loud.
We have a team that is made up of:
Boruc: One of the best in the world and only 28.
Wilson: 2nd appearance after a long injury, and only 23.
Caldwell: 24 years old
McManus: 25
Naylor:27
Naka: 29
Brown: 22
Hartley: 31
Donati: 26
McGeady: 21
Jan: 29
Skippy: 24
Sno: 20
Samaras: 23
How much can that team improve if it sticks together? 8 of the 14 are under 25 and even then, you have Donati who has never played at that level. We have tohe potential..get behind them....support them....encourage them and just imagine how good they can become.
-
TTTT
absolutely, always challenge. However, the point I'm trying to make is that it exists and is the root cause for the dislike of many.
-
deliasmith...
happily, I'm mature enough to have been been a regular spectator in the early 70s, and was witness to many of "Big Yogi's" (aka John Hughes) finest hours.
And it's true, he could be a very frustrating player in the hoops, and hence subject to fans' fury, but I am totally baffled by any racist implications...
-
deliasmith
Not in Barca but was in Bratislava to see the team GS inherited from the almighty MON lose 5-0.
No progress - MON left in hard personal times (not using an excuse as some RFC fans have suggested to me) - without ever reaching this far in Europe.
Huns might get to UEFA final without getting anywhere near the calibre of team we've played tonight, same as we did in 2003. Look at Sevilla for comparison between competions. Agree with Sno sentiment but can't with the GS no progress crap.
-
malceye - if he was a white, laid back Dutch midfielder then there would be marginally less negativity towards Evander.
As I stated previously, I believe that he is 'unforgiven' for his poor display at Mordor earlier in the season. He was repeatedly caught on the ball and gave away a goal, but he wasn't alone in that Hoops performance.
I have high hopes for this lad. The club needs to be careful that they do not chase away players like Evander and Darren O'Dea.
TTTT
-
WGS,
if as you say Brown wasnt 100% then IMO he shouldnt have played, end off. whats the point of a big squad if we are going to use cripples anyway.
I'm not going to dig Donati as I've had my doubts and still hope to be proved wrong, I do think he is a bit lightweight but think he can still come on, we have signed him for 4 years so he'd better.
As for big Evander, I'm just looking forward to Easter and my lenten fast is over so I can return to the pub of Sno baters and gloat, given the chance I think he will only improve by the game.
We gave Barca too much respect IMO and should have kicked, scratched and bit that barca side of their game, at least let them know they were playing in a mans game.
We nearly played a whole 90 mins against them, the first 45 at home and the second half away, had we attempted to keep up that level of preformance we might even have got a result.
-
malceye.
For what it's worth, I've a pal who has a real dislike of Evander because he says "naebody wi' splay feet has ever made it as a top class fitba player. He waddles when he runs."
Hardly rational thought but his skin colour doesn't come into it.
Me, i like him as a player. Needs to realise thought that time on the ball in the SPL is something you don't usually get a lot of. Hopefully tonights showing is the start of real good things to come from Evander, preferably in a Celtic shirt.
-
please please please tell me... that the colour of a Celtic player's skin is NOT.. repeat NOT a factor in ANYONE's assessment of him...
We were turned over tonight by brown ones, black ones... hell, even white ones.
-
emusanorphan:
Let me know if you find someone who imports Anchor Steam!
-
Good review of the game Paul.
Poor first half with a much improved second half. I agree with Ghord's post match comments that we will progress beyond this stage in the future. This squad is getting better and with a few choice additions, who knows what we will be able to achieve?
If Barca win it this year then we will have been knocked out by the champions two years running!
Well done Evander, I really hope that you make it here. Well done the Bhoys, lets concentrate on 3 in a row now.
-
mikey...
if the huns get past W.Bremen... I'll eat this laptop.
-
Serenity
Ditto. The key word being "choice" . More physicality, and technical skills should be the objective, we must keep the ball beter away from home. We always look pressurised in posesion. Pace up front should help as it will force the defenders deeper, giving the midfield more space.
Not withstanding the fact that we may end up spending a further couple of million at Lennoxtown building an indoor pitch we should have the ability to buy 3/4 players who can significantly improve the side. For me we need a left back, centre back, centre mid and striker. We have the cash to spare, and can still loose some additional "dead wood" to help balance the books.
-
Paul67
At the risk of being pedantic, Scott Brown was not playing centre mid, Naka was for the most part and did well. I agree that Donati and Brown were poor but for different reasons. Brown was willing but had a poor touch/vision, Donati was indecisive, slow and not prepared to undo his mistakes. When Sno made his first mistake in losing the ball, he was first back to cover. My kind of player and has bags of potential. I got slagged in my CSC for saying that Sno had a good game vs Milan away last year because he made 1 mistake. No-one could see the good he did. The same thing happens to Caldwell, 1 mistake and he is vilified.
I think we should all look at the positive work our defenders and defensive players do before subtracting the mistakes.
The opposite was evident during the MON era when a sizable percentage of fans looked at the high profile negative moves by players(mostly Lennon) and ignored the regular positive passes.
Tonight made my mind up that Sno and Robson have to start vs Rangers in centre mid, with Brown right, McGeady left.
McDonald/Hesselink up font.
Samasas as impact, Hartley to close out the win!!
-
Harry's Hoodie: I was using Yogi as an example of our long and dishonourable tradition of picking on certain types - big, talented, laid-back, young guys in his case.
Evander has it better than Yogi did because the abuse is projected from farther away, higher up and a seated position; also he probably doesn't understand the dialect his detractors are using. He has it worse because ... he's ... b l a c k
-
johnymac
Agree 100% this is still a team of young men some still boys yet up against the calibre of barcelona for goodness sake
Did any one in all honesty think we could have beaten them ,i thought we might have made a better game of it but if this young team sticks together im sure exiting time lie ahead of that im certain
-
-
-
I posted at the end of the Live Updates not realising that a new article had been posted:
With time to reflect I still take a lot of heart from the much better second half! The team benefitted from the changes made by GS - Sno and Samaras made terrific composed contributions and helped the team play so much better all round. I thought Sno and Samaras showed real quality, and helped McGeady and Nakamura make more of a contribution. In my view Sno & Samaras both served notice that they are worth a place in the starting eleven.
The way we were caught cold by Barca in the first ten minutes simply highlights the relatively slow SPL games which do not prepare players for the pace of the CL at this stage of the competition. Scott Brown in particular seemed lost during the first ten minutes, allowing players to run off him and exposing Mark Wilson repeatedly. For a player who has had little match practice, MW acquitted himself well and should be given a deal of credit for sticking to his task.
On the way home I heard a comment on the radio from a pundit - don't know who but clearly a celtic supporter - along the lines that Celtic have too much money tied up in the wages of make weight players who are unlikely to feature in Celtic's starting eleven. He suggested that in a smaller squad the same money should be redirected in favour of more players with genuine quality and flair - I suppose Donati of whom I was a fan was expected to be such a quality flair player but he seems to have confirmed tonight that he is fatally flawed). Boruc, Naka, McGeady, Samaras and Sno showed that they have that bit more to offer when up against the might of Barca. Maybe the pundit has a point.
We weren't disgraced tonight, and after our second half display we can take pride in the team. Now let's get on and win the SPL and invest for next season's CL campaign.
C'mon the Hoops!
-
Posted this on the last article, shame Blogger's being strange again.
Boruc, excellent. McManus was good,as was Wilson, Caldwell and Naylor could have been better, but were not terrible.
Brown i thought was good,considering the service he received and pressure the Barca players put on him. Donati...just never got into it. Nakamura was a tad below his usual standards i felt, his touch,passing and dribbling being just not quite up to his usual very high standards. Hartley was fine, though at times he might as well not have been on the pitch.
McGeady, flashed between Good and Below Average to be honest Though the first half was certainly forgetful for him, he livened up/had increased service in the second.
JVOH, not his fault that Samaras was better than him in my opinion, his selection was really where i felt Strachan went wrong (once again against Barca) tactically. Samaras was good, and should have started against this Barca team.
All in all, we werent terrible, theres no shame in losing 1-0 to this Barca team, but neither were we anything more than fine, which frustrates me. I guess im just annoyed that during the mutual 'love-in' of the sides before the game, it doesnt look that anyone hammered into the players that yes, Barca may have an outrageous squad, but we are Celtic, and they should fear us.
-
I have never been a fan of Evander Sno. I think my very first comment about him was 'meet the new Adam Virgo'! He had a decent half a game tonight but let's not get too carried away by his performance - I'm sure the manager won't.
What I do object to is that any previous comment I or anyone else has made about him is somehow influenced by the colour of his skin. For others on here to suggest that this is the case I find offensive, very offensive!
-
kingoh,
I agree with you that you should be able to critisize any player without their colour being an issue and this site usually lets you do that.
Evander has had some stick , however, which has used his colour as a stick to beat him with. e.g at the 1-1 with st.mirren in dec, the wags behind me thought it was hilarious when one old boy said "first sleet, then snow then they bring on that (bloomin) black Sno". Laughs all round and then he set up their hero Riordan to equalise , so they went home happy.
I used to get into trouble with TGFITW in the'80s when challenging the IRA songs and the wanabee casuals. There will always be objectionable people at the games but i've always felt it was a minority hence they can be marginalised.
-
Harry'sHoody :- Will you eat it on it's on or with a side dish of microchips?
-
kingoh: "What I do object to is that any previous comment I or anyone else has made about him is somehow influenced by the colour of his skin."
I'd be very cautious with the "anyone else" if I were you.
-
kingoh: "What I do object to is that any previous comment I or anyone else has made about him is somehow influenced by the colour of his skin."
I'd be very cautious with the "anyone else" if I were you.
-
Had to miss the game tonight to spend 3 hours in London persuading Marie Curie to build a new Hospice in Glasgow - good news we have a new Hospice- bad news, not that we lost but I come on here to witness alleged racism. Strachan got his tactics wrong 1st half - I knew it, you knew it - he sorted it and we came back strongly - primarily because of Evander (and Scotty tucking in). I was battered in McGinns for pulling up a guy who shouted rubbish at Didier Agathe - we have racist scum supporting us as well - don't try to say we don't, we do and it makes me sick. Anyone on CQN who is even mildly affected by people's colour should quite frankly GTF! Not our style - Celtic are more than a Club - just like our Catalan Cousins.
Our soul as a Club is enshrined in the this - "Celtic has always been more than a football club. Part of that extra quality of Celtic has been the social dimension linked to the reasons Brother Walfrid founded Celtic back in the 1880s."
Celtic Social Charter
The best that Celtic stands for is supporting the charitable principles of its founder.
The best that Celtic stands for is promoting health and well-being, understanding and positive social integration.
The best that Celtic stands for is as an inclusive organisation being open to all regardless of age, sex, race, religion or disability.
The best that Celtic stands for is upholding a shared set of positive values including success, fair play, and appreciation of skills.
The best that Celtic stands for is building on the renowned qualities of our supporters.
The last sentence is the most important!!!!!
Some of our players grew up tonight - we have an average age of 24 - give the bhoys a cheer and hail! hail! Tell all the Huns you know that it's gonae be 3 in a row!!
DavieL
-
delia...
I take your point. In that case I(wanted to bold that but don't know how!) reserve the right to praise/criticise players without being called a racist by others.
-
Disappointed that we didn't give it a better go in the first half.
Positives though range from
Gary Caldwell having a good game, saving two certain goals with a header and a block
and
realising we have the strength in depth to weather a few injuries and provide competition and alternatives in the run in to 3iar.
3 full backs, Wilson, Hinkel, Naylor.
3 centre backs Caldwell, McManus, O'Dea plus Balde and Kennedy if they can regain fitness.
in midfield, Naka, Brown, McGeady, Robson, Hartley, Donati, Sno
3 genuine strikers in JVOH, McDonald and Samaras.
Hopefully we emerged without injuries and we can now focus on winning yet another double.
'GG philosophical in defeat
-
kingoh: "What I do object to is that any previous comment I or anyone else has made about him is somehow influenced by the colour of his skin."
I'd be very cautious with the "anyone else" if I were you.
-
Just finished watching the game. Men against boys first half but I thought we made a game of it second. For me, WGS got it wrong in Europe again with the team selection. It is difficult when you go one down after two minutes, but where were the goals going to come from with JVoH playing as an isolated front man?
Barcelona are a great side and deserve to go through. We can have no complaints about the outcome. However, I fail to see why WGS didn't recognise this before the tie started and approach the game with a sense of good old fashioned Scottish aggression. We haven't the players to compete on a level playing field with sides like this. We need to ruffle some feathers and knock these world class players off their stride. The one decent thing Scott Brown did all night was leave Ronaldinho with a painful ankle midway through the second half. He did very little after that. To have not a single player booked in a game that meant so much says a lot for our lack of bottle and lack of aggression. Jock Stein would have set our stall out a lot differently.
As for player performances..
Boruc - Two very good saves but I thought he was suspect at the goal
Wilson - Thought he stuck to his task admirably and had a solid game
Mick - Excellent game
Caldwell - Played well enough but suffers from the odd lack of concentration. Unforgiveable at this level
Naylor - Read Caldwell. Got forward on a couple of occasions but failed to deliver good crosses into the box
Naka - One player who would not look out of place in the Barca side
Brown - Dissappointing. If we get a 5m+ offer in the summer then he should leave
Donati - Some careless passes in first half and some composed play as well. Without consistency though and can also leave if we get a good offer
Hartley - Good performance but he should not have played in this game. Offered nothing that could be construed as a goal threat.
McGeady - Not his best game but 10 for effort
JVoH - No idea why we would lead with him in the first half. He is not an out and out goalscorer. Not his best game
Sno - Another player who can play at the very highest level
Samaras - Would have played him from the start. Good composure on the ball and able to find space where JVoH couldn't
McDonald - Why leave our top scorer on the bench when we need goals? Would have played him from the start
WGS - No pass marks for our manager from me tonight. He got it all wrong.
Hopefully the bhoys got through with no injuries. Full marks to our support who could be heard throughout the game on the Spanish tele.
Next time, let's not be so nice.
-
Donati was poor last night, but I think some of us are far too quick to reach conclusions only to change them. I also think in Donati's case too many of us are being influenced by comments from many in the media who seem to have singled him out for criticism for whatever reason. I have watched him closely over the last few games and generally been impressed. Even the greatest players have bad games.
There are several other examples of fickle behaviour. Scott Brown was (if you believe some) a superb player at the weekend but became a waste of money again three days later.
I have been impressed with what I have seen from Samaras, but he was crucified on CQN for his performance against St Mirren. Likewise Sno has come full circle. After a great early performance against Benfica he then became a real target for the boo boys but is now back in favour. We really do need to take a longer term view.
As for the match itself I'm a little dissapointed overall. We seemed a bit overawed by the whole thing and made too many basic errors. Pleased with the improvement in the second half and a couple of the individual performances and good to see Mark Wilson back. Hopefully our young team will have learned a lot.
bryce
-
deliasmith last night @23.38 you said
'As for the game tonight, absolutely no progress since day one of our manager's reign'.
Unbelievable, you are entitled to your opinion but that comment is utter mince!!!!!
Ever heard of a team called Artmedia?
anycommentaslongasitsnegative.csc
-
Let's be honest- the tie was lost in Glasgow. The depressing thing is that supposing we had gone to the Nou Camp defending a lead, the outcome would be the same. We would concede an early goal, and not be able to recover.
The same mistakes are being made again and again.
Some players did play well, but unfortunately there is no evidence that they would play as well under genuine pressure. The performance we got from Caldwell last night was a fortnight too late. ESno comes on at halftime, we're 4-2 down away from home. No pressure, so he plays well. Would he play so well if the game was still 0-0?
On the subject of race, I don't think that has much too do with it. Life as a Celtic supporter in the John Barnes era could be difficult, I never heard him being abused by the sect114 diehards on the basis of his colour.
Which isn't to say he didn't get abuse.
You go into a
