I’m reliably informed Legia will not ‘park the bus’ on Wednesday. Instead, with a three goal lead, they have enough legroom to play their normal game, attempt to compete in the middle of the park, and expose holes at the back, as they did last week. What’s more, they’re unsure they would be able to park the bus successfully for an extended period.
Set aside the debacle what was our defensive performance for a moment. The period of last week’s match Ronny Deila should initially concern himself with is the opening 25 minutes, when Celtic largely bossed the game. We then have to consider the 40 minutes we looked comfortable with 10 men; not an insignificant achievement away from home in Europe.
In short, Legia are a team which for large periods of the game we looked to have the measure of, despite the anomalies of playing a debutant, an inexperienced youth and with a left back who was left out. We should do far better at Murrayfield.
Legia believe they are going through. They unquestionably have the upper hand but the Celtic collapse in the final minutes, when we appeared to be too busy picking fights than sticking to plan, distorted the perceived difference between the teams. Celtic didn’t just underachieve, they did so on an epic scale. What Legia don’t know, is what a highly-functional Celtic team looks like.
We need to transform that epic failure into the kind of performance we are capable of in Europe. The defence needs to find the form which broke so many records last season. Ronny needs to find some of his awesomeness.
The reality is, despite last week’s debacle, we’re still in this tie – and should plan to go through.
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hodor?
this is getting too easy.
Second is nowhere
If Legia play like the did last week I can see them getting a result over the 90 mins I’m afraid.
Hopefully the Hoops have something up their sleeve. We must start with at least one of our most ptent strikers. Griffith’s or Stokes must start the match.
LB
Paul
I admire your confidence
stringer bell
12:13 on 4 August, 2014
sydneytim
11:41 on 4 August, 2014
Stringerbell. We are Celtic not Motherwell , st johnstone , Aberdeen etc etc
We have zero debt. Good thing to have, so we can afford to reinvest in the team. So you think it’s right that none if the vic money was given to Neil last summer ?
Ps. It was PL himself who said a number of years ago ” that every penny brought in would be reinvested in the team”
—-
Sydneytim
The statement fro PL was – to the best if my recollection- that every Lenny co I in would be reinvested. Nothi specifically about the team
Lenny spent about whe, £7m last summer? Most if it badly.
To get back to where we started, your contention was that the role of the CEO is to make sure every penny brought in is spent again on players, regardless of other circumstances.
I can’t see the logic in that at all.
Can’t see us agreeing on this, so best leave it there?
Have a good day (or night)!
Paul67 –
I hope Legia play at Murrayfield with the kind of abandon we played with in Poland! But I somehow doubt it. From their perspective, it may be half-time, but it’s only theirs to throw away. I suspect they will play with caution and try to hit Celtic on the break and exploit the spaces we leave at the back. The first step on the road to awesomeness for is to make sure we don’t lose stupid goals by playing to far up the park against a well-drilled side. It will be interesting to see if RD changes his approach in this tie.
Long time no post.Get the tactics right against Legia.Biton must play, in my opinion–best midfielder at the club,bar Scott Brown.VVD needs to waken up and smell the coffee, and I’m one of his fans.
“Comfortable for 40 mins with 10 men…….” i can say i wasn’t HH
Lenny =penny.
Predictive text :-)
An early goal and we have a chance, get 2 before half time and the tie is there for the winning! I Believe
In short, Legia are a team which for large periods of the game we looked to have the measure of,
Did you watch the game. You must be taking some strong mind numbing drugs to write that.
DEILA OUT
Paul 67
I’ve been thinking that we’d get a result.
But, after reading yer article – I’ve changed my mind.
Calling occupants of interplanetary ‘craft’ type of attempt at, brainwashing I’m afraid.
Nah, not for me, bye.
The Thai Tims and The Bangkok CSC
http://youtu.be/hRYQbHlkFiU
HH
Do not think this current starting 11 (any 11 picked from curent squad) have it in them to overturn a 3 goal deficit, would love to be proved wrong but i just dont think they have the nerve, determination or bottle. HH
Walk on with hope in your heart eh?
I am clapping happily.
Live in hope or walk in despair.
It’s a no brainer.
Fancy yourself as the next Ronny Deila? Think your better than Stein? then here is the invite code to the CQN Championship Fantasy Football League, we now have over 40 teams entered.
296638-123206
You have 12 days left to register your team & join the league.
http://fantasy.premierleague.com/
As an added incentive I’ve decided to offer some prizes for the top 3 come the end of the season. The winners will each receive items of their choosing from the Official Celtic Webstore to the tune of
1st £100
2nd £75
3rd £50
Or alternatively, winners can choose to donate any winnings to a Celtic charity of their choice.
Also if by some miracle I end up in the top 3, the winnings will be passed onto the next placed team.
HH
I have seen nothing in Delia to feel he can inspire the type of performance necessary.
Stringer. We can agree to disagree
Lenny spent more than 7m. Yes some very poor signings , but they came recommended by JP
Kevj – I replied again on last thread. Just thinking out loud. I am not sure about things off field. I do know we can only go with what we have this week. So I think we will be on.
And for the avoidance of doubt – my responses to you are honest and we’ll meant. We may not agree but I respect your opinion and right to voice it.
Keep the faith comrade!!
Marakesh Thank you, kind of you but this is not good idea. I mentioned that because cost of the trip for Polish fans travelling to Edinburgh is pretty high.
Sad to see the ridiculous posts wanting Deila out. Lennon left him a flat team which appears to believe its better than it actually is.
Celtic looked fine with ten men until they lost the rag. Individual errors cost Celtic in Poland against a team no better than Aberdeen.
” comfortable ” ????.
Mmm,
I left the stadium relieved that Legia hadn’t scored 6 or7 .
Well, I’ll be cheering the Bhoys on but I can’t share Paul67’s optimism. The absence of Scott Brown makes a huge difference to Celtic, we saw that last season in the CL after his suspension. We also lack the pace of Samaras and Forrest. And our strikers?
Paul
You say we “largely bossed” the game for the first 25m, then looked comfortable for the first 40m we played with 10 men. By my reckoning that was the last 10m of the first half and the first 35m of the second.
Clearly this is all about opinions and you are perfectly entitled to yours, and have a job to do in terms of “rallying the troops”, so to speak.
However I would take issue with both parts of your opinion.
We looked the better team until scoring. Legia dominated thereafter and IMO increasingly so after the 15′ mark. I watched the game in Kelly’s in Pollokshaws Road and there were plenty of concerned viewers regarding the manner in which a relatively limited outfit totally overran our midfield. The surprise was it took them so long to take the lead.
Your definition of “comfortable” must differ from mine. While I admit having entertained hopes of escaping with the 1-2 defeat, Legia passed up several opportunities to score a third, not including the first penalty miss.
I have no confidence in the ability of the management to turn this round in 7 days, coupled with the attitude and ability of the playing staff to adhere to the instruction of the management.
I hope to be proved wrong.
After Ross County in the semi final, after sion in the uefa I had my doubts. I’ve learned since to give a guy time.
Three competitive games in and people are calling for deila to go?
FFS
Keeping a clean sheet is going to be our biggest challenge especially if they have a go.
HH
just another tim
12:16 on 4 August, 2014
An early goal and we have a chance, get 2 before half time and the tie is there for the winning! I Believe
I’m sorry to say, I don’t think well go through. Target should be (worst case) , 1-0 by halftime, 2-0 by the hour mark, then we could do it. A lead by half time would be massive and I don’t think we need to go hell for leather to get it.
Is the game being televised on weds?
It’s a big ask…
I log on every morning at 6am (noon Glasgow time). Today’s post # at that time-18-is lowest I have ever seen. Want to be believe we have a chance but just can’t see where it comes from.Still, been a fan for 47 years and this club has surprised me a few times.
I love the CL but if RD is going to oversee a big change in style and format, it might be better taking place in the EL than in the unforgiving group stages of the CL.
We really need Biton and Henderson in the team, then ball retention would be better. But as Liam played 90 minutes in the heat in Helsinki it doesn’t look like he’ll be included.
Henning Bergs coat was on a shoogly peg before last weeks game. Ronny Deila effectively took it aff the peg and helped him into it.
If Legia come and play exactly the same way and we push our centre mids up on to theirs we can expect a similar outcome. Withdrawing Mulgrew and an other in front of the defence and putting Johansen in front allows our full backs to defend and get assistance as well as bomb on.
Team should pick itself but I want Biton as a holding midfielder supported by Charlie.
Commons in the hole and stokes and Grifiths up front.
Early goal pressure is on. 2nd goal Legia panic. Could Legia get a man sent off? The referee was certainly sympathetic in the first leg and their two pens added to our heads going down in the final minutes.
A strong ref will be needed for this one.
Downsizing of belief among celtic supporters eh? When you don’t think the current team can score three goals and more against SPL type opposition, you’re as well chucking it.
We might not do it, but we can.
RobertTressell
It’s only on Celtic TV for overseas subscribers as far as I know. If your not going to the game & are in the UK you’ll have to rely on a dodgy stream.
HH
so, Henning Berg, might just be as daft as Ronni.
He will bring his team who are 3 goals up, and not defend the lead, but instead play their normal game , to try and scoremore.
and the band played “believe it if you like”.
The game will depend on what suprise choices the bold Onnies choose. A wee left back up front. An extra goolkeeper. Big Derk at Centre back.
I offcourse go to the game with hope in my heart, but hoping for a football miracle.
Syd
Sorry, you seem to have jumped topics and decades.
I can hardly keep up.
Re Strikers
You are (I think) holding PL to his statement that all cash generated is reinvested in the team.
Up until a year ago he was largely as good as his word, as can be tracked by the movement in debt over the period – debt movement reflects cashflows.
We are now in an extraordinary situation where we have a shedload of cash in the bank, we’ll see quite how much in a few weeks time when the annual report is published. I reckon it’ll be in excess of £10M, perhaps considerably more as the timing of receipts for last summer’s player sales determines.
De facto, PL has NOT reinvested all cash generated back into the team.
It is legitimate to ask why not, and what’s the plan. What’s the big idea.
More so when we have a new management team at the club and we’re being royally rogered by Champions League makeweights as we were last week.
Paul 67
We all view games differently.
I thought we had an ok opening 20 mins, but also thought we went backwards after the equaliser, and were very fortunate that it was only 4.
I’m usually upbeat, but really cannot see us overturning a 3 goal deficit with our current front line.
Will be there, as always, lending my support and hoping that you optomism is well justified.
HH
Robert Tressell
I think you’re making the same mistake as others in saying Legia are no better than our SPL opposition.