That was the latest instalment in a long running series of Behind the Couch Celtic away performances in Europe, with the wonderful exception that after Hapoel Be’er Shiva had us on the rack in the opening period of the second half, Celtic put five at the back and closed the game out without any stressful incidents in the final 15 minutes.
There are a few moments worthy of comment:
Hapoel’s penalty came as a consequence of Celtic pressing high up the field for the first time in the game. The home team dropped deep as they were temporarily reduced to 10 men, but when Celtic pressed high to take advantage of an opponent receiving treatment, they easily passed through us, switched the ball left and gave Saidy Janko his first difficult moment of the night.
More on Saidy in a moment, but we cannot allow teams to pass through us so easily. We should never have been caught so high up field. Our alertness, interceptions and tackling were not good enough. Craig Gordon’s block at the penalty was priceless (or at a price of circa £26m, if you’re being picky).
There’s a reason teams who mark zonally at corner kicks don’t mark the penalty spot. It’s because headers from the penalty spot need to be exceptional in order to beat the keeper. Sahar’s goal wasn’t an exceptional header. It bounced before passing Craig Gordon three feet inside the post. It should never have been a goal, and although Craig’s mistake for the second was more evident, the first was as worrying a goal to concede.
We’re fond of talking about “schoolboy errors” in football but Saidy’s lack of awareness of his direct opponent and goalkeeper at the second goal was a classic error from the 9-year-old’s game. I’ll be generous and say he’s not ready for a game at this level. Craig Gordon doesn’t have a let off for this one, either. While his fullback made a mistake, an alert keeper would have prevented the goal and knocked Saidy into next week. Awareness concerns exist for him too.
Whether it’s Craig’s self-confidence, or that the defence don’t have confidence in him, goalkeeping mistakes came perilously close to seeing us drop out of the Champions League last night.
Not that Craig shoulders all responsibility for what was a weak performance. The middle of the park was experimental and looked it. On the back of one of his best games for Celtic a week ago, Scott Brown’s passing, control and influence was miles off the pace.
Scott, Callum McGregor and Nir Bitton were swamped in midfield. Too few Celtic players were showing for the ball, which was thrown forward aimlessly whenever a Hapoel player closed us down. If central midfield is right, your defensive and goalkeeping frailties are less evident, but we were exposed too often at the back last night. There was a period in the second half when watching on TV made it impossible to know where we were going wrong. After a Hapoel chance, we would see a replay, and before it cut back to live pictures, Celtic had lost possession and were again under pressure. This happened repeatedly. Central midfield was the major problem with the performance, if not the result.
Don’t let any of this dampen your spirits. We’re into the Champions League group stage, a fact which will see us break through the £80m turnover mark for the first time. By comparison, turnover was £51m for 2014-15, the most recent season accounts are available for.
Despite the increase in expenditure this season, we’ll pay our bills without increasing borrowing or selling players. We’re on the circuit again, which means we’ll find it easier to attract talent going forward, it means we’ll find it easier to attract commercial deals and pretty much every KPI at the club will become that bit more attainable.
Last night was a transformational day in the life of your football club. We’re back, enjoy it!
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‘Rodgers has added four players so far but only two of them, Kolo Toure and Erik Sviatchenko, began the match against Hapoel. ‘
Eh??
Lol, and he will prob. Win a prize for that scoop.
TD67
Its a blog open to all…yes
But not open to hun trolls who call Celtic fans ‘Parasites’ and a ‘Cancer’
Wake up ffs
Whatever today’s CL draw brings, at least we’ll have three away games in Europe rather than Asia or the Middle East.
TD @8:24
You are correct of course.
They are obsessed and closed-minded – I, like you, speak my mind and always look to bring logic to any argument – I don’t care if they agree with me, or, not – actually I would be concerned if they did.
However although I only express my opinions on various subjects, some of these people support action that would actually damage Celtic and seem quite proud of that fact.
I will continue to post on anything I see fit – the negativity makes it more interesting, although the constant repetition can be boring.
Like you I don’t go in for the ‘meet your pen-pal’ activities, although I always have a sneeky peak at CQN corner on the way into CP – try to match monikers to faces…fun!
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 25TH AUGUST 2016 8:40 AM
So you know that Mats is a Hun? And you know this how?
Mats Nilloc
Ive had enough of your mouth.
Name place and time and we will sort this out like men
You can say to my face, what you have been saying about Celtic fans on the blog.
Lets have you big mouth
When and where
Mats,
You’ve posted as Horrid Henry, Mr Pastry, Mrs Pastry, Thompson Twin, Fred Quimby, among others. Much of the time talking utter shite, tell us all about the logic of that.
The GB by their actions in incurring fines which the club has to pay are parasites ON the body of the club.
The Truss with their own selfish and political agenda are a cancer which like to spread IN the body of the club.
Mats Nilloc
Say that to my face
When and where?
Mats you talk bollocks sometimes but as TD67 says, and he should know, don’t let the brown shirts chase you off the blog. This place needs some colour or it will become a sack the board towel throwing wailly wailly greeting faced place. So stay on , don’t worry about the blog hard men. You are going them a favour letting them get their frustrations out here rather than kicking the cat. The green man get a grip man. Threats of violence are not what CQN is about. Take a chill pill.
ANTIPODEANRED@8:53
Just supposing that you are right and I do like to change my ‘handle’ from time to time because maybe I have an absurd sense of humour – what in God’s name is that to do anyone?
By the way, I think Mrs Pastry was someone with a crush on him – never figured him for a trans-poster.
Mats Nilloc
There are, at least, two meeting points at CP for CQN participants. Both groups share space with other gatherings of Celtic fans who are just friends or from the same supporters bus gathering for a chat before the game.
Now, can you share with me- what technique you use for determining which is the CQN group and which faces belong to it, if you have never met with any of them before? How do you know you are not looking at a non-CQN group?
Oh! and please do not mention badges as identification! We have had genuine Celtic supporting CQNrs trying to meet up with the CQN group and failing to spot them. They would benefit from your explanation of how you can possibly recognise people you have not met before.
MATS
Well that’s really my point, your not supposed to have a mind of your own in here sometimes, if you don’t roll with them like in my case, I’m a stupid auld man who doesent know what he’s talking about, old moi? Yes I’m getting old, it’s my first time here at trying it, I’v never done it before but I’v a very very good idea how it ends, although some in here a lot younger than me seem to know what it’s all about and I know f… All? I was new at the teen age stuff, my 20s 30s 40s and 50s too and I’m getting the gist of the 60s as Wee speak, but one thing I always had was respect for my elders (excluding teachers :) )
Taurangabhoy
Brown Shirts….Really!
Threats of violence?
No…I want him to say what he is saying….to my face, not like a coward
The GB, by their actions last week, and subsequent charity drive, have brought more positive publicity to the Club and their supporters than anyone could have imagined. Credit to them for that. Financially this will, in the long term, bring benefits that will dwarf any UEFA fine we incur.
How does TGM know that I’m a man?
Morning all from a pleasantly sunny Beal Feirste.
Wits,
If you’re around I was told to back neil mulhollands three horses at fontwell today, and to make sure I’m on highgrove Percy on Saturday.
Any tips yourself?
Hail Hail
So Mats, tell us about the Trust’s agenda
Work has started- will catch reply later.
Hope it has that “absurd” sense of humour so readily detected in the previous postings of Mr. P, Thompson Twin and Horrid Henry. Wonder what the shelf life will be for the Mats N moniker
Just logged on for my morning catch up to see a troll is active.
Don’t feed the troll.
The Green Man
Calling out a blogger for a square go is not on.
I’m surprised Paul 67 allows it.
It is also not what one Celtic supporter should be doing to another.
TT
GARY67@9:03
Any collection for a deserving cause is to be welcomed – the initial demo that it was used to cover up was a wilful act that they knew would affect the club.
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 25TH AUGUST 2016 8:52 AM
Mats Nilloc
Ive had enough of your mouth.
Name place and time and we will sort this out like men
You can say to my face, what you have been saying about Celtic fans on the blog.
Lets have you big mouth
When and where
You REALY need to get a grip of yourself and stop the violent stuff in here, challenging people to fight is schoolboy playground stuff as I already posted.
Anyway a think Mats would batter you.
Swearing is not allowed but threatening of violence is .
What is going on with this blog?
TT
Mats Nilloc
I know exactly what you are.
And so do most of the blog….with the exception of the unwise.
You have been called out on numerous occasions under multiple names.
You are not fooling anybody.Celtic fan my arse…you Sir/Madam….are a fecking social darwinist troll.
As i said big mouth……anytime or place will suit me.
Id go a long way to have a serious discussion with you
TINYTIM on 25TH AUGUST 2016 9:08 AM
‘Swearing is not allowed but threatening of violence is .’
###
There have been no threats of violence.
Tinytim,
I agree that calling out people for a square go is out of order,
but you are having a laugh if you think he is a Celtic fan
Hun press desk pillock
A multi minukered press desk
Never a Celt
A hun
TD67 said:
” all cowboy hat and no cattle.”
Excellent, Tony, you come out with some crackers which make me laugh ( in a good way!).
JJ
I will be happy to take a red card for a numpty that calls Celtic fans ‘Parasites’, and a ‘Cancer’
ernie
Not even by implication:
“Name place and time and we will sort this out like men
You can say to my face, what you have been saying about Celtic fans on the blog.
Lets have you big mouth”
JJ
When did i offer any ‘Square go’…..show me
Or violence for that matter.
Behave
That, incidentally, was a question. I forgot the ` ? `.
GARY67 on 25TH AUGUST 2016 9:03 AM
The GB, by their actions last week, and subsequent charity drive, have brought more positive publicity to the Club and their supporters than anyone could have imagined. Credit to them for that. Financially this will, in the long term, bring benefits that will dwarf any UEFA fine we incur.
Sorry Garry I totally disagree with you on that, the GB did what they say the Israelis do, and that is what ever they want, and to who they want and don’t give a f…, the GB done the same with CFC and as I predicted Sugar coated it with a charity push to make them look like they had the moral high ground, they high jacked CFC to suit they’r agenda, and nothing good for CFC will come out of this IMO.
TGM – please stop this, it must be taking a toll on you – my advice is just ignore my posts – scroll past, or in the words of Dionne Warwick ‘Walk on By” – great song HH
CQN
The birthplace of the Skwerr No.
TGM,
chill a bit,am sure you weren’t offering to meet him for a cup of tea and a custard cream
The Green Man it would come across a lot better if you said I would love to share a pint of Guinness with you to have a frank exchange of views rather than sounding like a pretend hard man. If that was your intention fair play but if you were trying to threaten it is not Matts Nilloc whoever he is who needs to find another blog. I would really love to have a beer with just about everyone on here, your good self included. I doubt that anything I have to say would change what you or anyone else thinks. We are a broad Church. Hail hail.