Out of the Champions League qualifiers at the hands of a team with a smaller budget than ours, for the second season in succession. Where did it all go wrong? Two shortcomings stand out: team planning and tactical strategy.
I’ll take the latter first. We had 60% possession last night, a remarkable figure for an away European game which was lost. We dominated possession, didn’t score a goal and conceded twice (for the fourth time in five games).
Let me take you back a few years to a Dominik Diamond TV interview with Martin O’Neill, then Leicester City manager, in 1999. O’Neill laid plain his tactical philosophy, “My teams have big guys who know how to defend, they have players who can throw dangerous balls into the box, and players who can get on the end of those balls and put them in the net”.
A year later, when Martin came to Celtic, it was like going to school as we watched the observance of these very rudimentary rules transform our club. His defenders could defend, he had wide players who could throw dangerous balls into the box, and strikers who knew where the goal was. Martin’s teams never dominated possession against a European peer, never mind a team who beat them so comfortably.
It doesn’t need to be explained that there was no team in the world who could score three times from corner kicks against the Celtic team of a decade or so back. Today, team planning has insufficiently focussed on a few fundamentals of the game: know how to defend, know how to translate possession into chances, and have a handful of players in the team who know where the goal is. This is the fittest, fastest, Celtic team I have ever seen, but we looked like busy fools last night.
Ronny Deila’s post-match comments about the team being scared was an instant reaction to the defeat, but it’s worth digging into what prompted this perception. There were actually many occasions when Celtic players showed for a pass, the Uefa possession and completed pass stats conform this, but what we never did was boss the middle of the park.
In yesterday’s blog I asked Celtic to own the park as I have had a worry about this aspect for a while. This is different from covering a lot of ground (we do that), or being able to make a pass (we do that too). We have Scott Brown (runner) and Nir Bitton (passer) in central midfield. I like both but we need extra bite in this area. Celtic’s most effective period over the last decade was when we had Wanyama and Brown central-mid. The role Wanyama fulfilled has been sacrificed for the player in the hole behind the lone striker.
Players of Wanyama’s calibre are not common, and we shouldn’t go 4-3-3 if all we have is a Kayal to fill the additional central midfield space, but Brown and Bitton are not enough in central midfield in Europe. It’s also clear that selection for the four advanced positions (the 3-1) has been so fluid since the start of the season we’re clearly not cohesive in that area of the field either.
For me, if it’s Brown and Bitton, and I think it should be, we need another Brown-Wanyama influencer. Think back to our last Champions League group to consider the prospect of playing a European game without Scott Brown. At the very least we need cover for him, but in Europe we need two in his position. Go 4-3-3.
So much for tactical strategy, what about team planning? For the third August since parting company with Gary Hooper we are hawking around for a striker. Gary’s not a panacea, so I’ll ignore him as a prospect for now, but while Leigh Griffiths has performed beyond the call of duty, we are, again, out of the Champions League without having any idea who our primary striker will be this season.
We are in a loop of mistakes, and frankly, the most likely next action is that we respond by recruiting an identikit of the many strikers who have passed through Parkhead gates in recent years. We know enough about this problem to be aware that it’s our primary challenge, yet we have been unable to overcome it.
In my State of the Club blog at the start of the season I cautioned that we’d swapped Gordon Strachan’s soft spot for recruiting from Hibs, for a desire to see stars at Dundee United. Ciftci, Mackay-Stevens and Armstrong have been our primary recruits for advanced positions in 2015. Only one won a place in the starting line-up last night, leaving us relying on players who struggled to get in the team a year (or longer) ago.
Ronny Deila may well be able to polish Dundee United players into top performers at Celtic, but we didn’t recruit the finished article. We should have known this, and should have been aware that our August cup finals would have made calls on bit-part players from recent seasons.
We will find the occasional Champions League player in Scotland, but you can’t raid a mid-table SPFL team and expect to leap to the very top table in the game. This team planning strategy always looked vulnerable and it’s proven to be.
On the money side, you know my views. Over any business period you pay what comes in, no more and no less. We’re losing to team who spend less than us, not more, and on this occasion a team who picked up a player we discarded.
On just as important matters………
The golfers among you have three days to buy a raffle ticket – for £1 only – to win a round of golf at the fantastic Aberdour Golf Course for four people! Check it out here on ebay. Money raised (by Taggsybhoy) will go to the Foundation. This important work, always needs to be done, win, lose or draw.
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Enough for me tonight,only getting angrier at so called “Celtic fans”.
I know what I love,and no manager,board,trumpet will stop me loving the Hoops.
Cant wait for the weekend game.
Turkeybhoy,
After the first leg and losing the last minute I knew Celtic were out.
We survived Qarabag because they had no striker. Malmo had 2.
Paddy Power had Celtic at 1/2 to qualify however if Malmo scored the first goal it was game over.
The League is meaningless and the treble is a nonsense.
The club failed to prepare in one key ares for the CL — no investment in the weakest areas of the Team Striker, Left Back , midfield. Ciftci does not count …another dud.
The club would only be measured on one milestone this season CL qualification and close to £30M putting distance between Celtic and Ibrox Club..
I did not buy into all the early season back slapping…Celtic are poor Team and went out to an even weaker team.
Repeated failure in companies costs CEO their jobs. There can be no compromise regarding Lawwell.
It may take crowds to drop down to 20k and it will happen this season. It is a necessary evil to force out the guy who is rewarding himself for destroying our club.
i don’t appreciate failure by the CEO or Paul67 ignoring the elephant in the room while commenting on SFA bureaucracy. Celtic is dying on its feet.
Turkeybhoy and Burnley78……
The type of ‘supporters’ and board sycophants who will ensure that playing against Sevco will be the biggest game in town…..
Knock yourselves out…
Nite Nite ….Hail Hail
Turkey bhoy. Agree 100% with your comments
Paul67 says we spend what we earn
We stopped that years ago
We Sell them give a fraction to the manager and leave the rest for AGM balance sheet
Wrong priorities
.
SydneyTim..
Looking for Accomodation in Sydney around 28th Dec – 3rd Jan for my Nephew and GF..
Could You recommend a Wee Nook that is Nice but Pretty Central..?
I said The Rocks but bit Pricey at New Year..
Summi
Good Morning Timland.
I have long since hero worshipped fitba player’s,I watch them come,
I watch them go,our current crop of wee sensitive precious souls
let the club,manager,and fan’s down.
No doubt if RD is sacked they will suddenly find their shooting boots
for his replacement, that’s what usually happens.
Many on here think RD is not up to the task,I’m not convinced either
but would like to see him been given more time,if he is to survive he
needs to rid the dressing room of the one’s he can’t trust.
It may already be too late for him,it’s easier to get rid of a manager than
a clique in the dressing room.
Away tae work,if I’m late my gaffer will get into trouble.
The usual nonsense from the usual posters…oh bless the sainted Peter.
Peter Lawell, the man who takes no responsibility for his failings.
The usual pish…..its only those kiss his arse who are good Celtic supporters, while those who are not taken in by his fecking nonsense, are huns.
Now, I appreciate that CQN is basically a mouth-piece for the PLC, but in reality, you do all know he has failed, but refuse point blank to criticise his obvious failings…..that is foolish.
No man is bigger than Celtic…..especially not Peter Lawell.
People who have spent their whole lives following Celtic, deserve better, than to suffer the iniquity of businessmen who think they know about football.
It is stupidity, to continue to believe in someone who has repeatedly failed at his job.
Now, you can all kiss his arse forever and a day, if you like….but get him to feck away from the team, he knows zilch about football.
Applauding failure is not the way to go forward.
Peter Lawell, has earned millions from Celtic, he thrives, while the team is woeful….its unacceptable.
He should be held accountable for his gross mismanagement, and sacked.
I urge people to wake up….this cannot go on.
HH
The green man
Such seditious comment will have you hung my mhan
I’m in total agreement with you …but you will have known that
The “real” supporters tag would be funny if it wasn’t so sad
Ignorance of the facts coupled with a don’t dare comment attitude ….
Paul67
Where did it all go wrong?
I venture to suggest, that you know why.
If the height of our transfer ambitions are Ciftci and Allen, I despair.
Not only is this downsizing, it is taking the p.
The spin on Scott Allen was a total farce, unveiled as though he was a 5 or 6 million pound player…..truly pitiful.
But that’s ok isn’t it, because we got a new display at CP exhibiting the legends, our greatest players…..while we sign the likes of Ciftci.
Yeah, that’s a stroke of genius….hark on about the greatness of our past, but ignore the reality of the present shambles.
Maybe Peter thinks we are too daft to notice.
No wonder we are going backwards….ridiculous hero worship of businessmen taken to unbelievable heights.
Its a farce….bring back the biscuit tin board, they could not do any worse…..and I’m sure they would be a lot cheaper than the sainted Peter.
Paul..im sorry for the rant, its nothing personal.
You have given me the opportunity to vent my spleen…I appreciate that
Hail Hail
THEGREENMAN
Many of us on here have pointed out that PL is de facto Director of Football. Many of us have also wondered how a 37% shareholding allows someone to act as though he owns the entire club.
PFAYR
Some things need said.
I know its a task on CQN to bypass all the mutterings of the cult of Peter…its like repeatedly battering your head against a wall, knowing fine well, that its going to hurt:)
Yeah….show us a massive display of Legends….we will instantly forget that its 2015.
Genius eh…..talk about sleight of hand.
HH
BMCUWP
The entire club?
Don’t you know he owns the universe….ive even heard he can fly:)
HH
BMCUWP
I believe he was driving a tractor at 2 yrs old.
HH
The Green Man on 27th August 2015 6:04 am
____________________________________________
Good morning fella….I hear you…Hail Hail.
Ye see….it’s like this….there was a Jungle filled with the underdogs of society who rebelled against the system that was put in place to screw them over.
Nowadays…the Celtic support in the ‘main’ are snobs who complacently think that…getting the huns put out of the same league as Celtic for three years that, they can now sit back and mock the hun-laughing-stock for evermore….thats so wrong.
If, I was a betting man and, I’m not…dont know how to bet apart from buying a lottery-ticket….anyway, If, Ronny’s Celtic were playing Warburtons huns today…I think I’d be wise to go to the bookies and get sumdy to put a bet on the huns winning….sadly.
When the huns were granted a licence to start again…that is the very point were the Internet-Bampots should have rallied and, let it be known to Celtic FC ‘specifically’ that…if the huns were granted alicence without having been properly investigated re: all the trophies that they stole and, all of the £140 million be paid back in full…’BEFORE’ they would be allowed to enter football at ‘ANY’ level.
Alas….the snobby-smug-jelly-&-ice-cream-gluttony…was to blame for the Celtic support specifically…taking their eyes off the ball as the huns were allowed in through the back door.
It’s sad to say this but…it looks like Timdom is about to reap what it has sown.
Nye Bevans Rebel Soldier…Hail Hail old Jungle Rebel.
Tri-Coloured-Ribbon…keep fighting Amigo…thoughts & prayers pal.
Phil and Olivia and family best wishes from my folks to yours.
Celtic fans take care….off oot. YNWA.
Good morning friends.
Breezy, damp and grey in ole EK
But not as bad as yesterday
Two more sleeps then time to go
Back to The Park where there’s going to be a show.
Those hurling abuse at PL seldom make constructive suggestions about what the new strategy should be, except:
“buy better players”.
Well, d’uh.
Two CL failures in a row do demand that our strategy be looked at, and perhaps amended. But there are no easy answers. And one of them certainly isn’t “Get that bx^%$$@ Lawwell tae f&*%!”
And ultimately, I suspect PL is merely carrying out a strategy agreed by the board, rather than running the club himself. So removing him will achieve little unless the shareholding structure of the club changes significantly.
IBV
You’re not wrong
However….what about The Sunday Herald advert …that got them telt .. :-))
INTERNET-BAMPOTS-VIGILANTES
As usual…you are spot on.
Its a race to be as S*** as sevco…..that’s the height of ambition at CP nowadays.
Bigot card played to the detriment of the supporters.
Associate Celtic with thems….old firm pish.
I tell you what….Lenin, Stalin, and Trotsky, would have learned a few things from the Celtic PLC.
Gravy for life.
Hope you are well….keep on telling it like it is.
Hail Hail
Italiabhoy
The downsizing doesn’t just relate to the playing staff …the management fur one
Also …Lawwell gets paid far too much
Happy 6-2 Day
http://youtu.be/Y7mATqJlJnE
15yrs ago today
Enjoy
HH
ITALIABHOY
With respect…..ultimately someone needs to carry the can for massive underachievement.
As the man in charge….Peter Lawell is responsible.
Now, I don’t have all the solutions….as I’m only a wee fan who has followed the team for 47 yrs, what would I know eh.
However, once the board become more important than the team on the pitch, there needs to be changes.
I don’t know when it will happen, but believe me, it will.
Celtic supporters got rid of the biscuit tin board, …they can also get rid of the current PLC.
HH
feel less angry than i did yesterday and even better tomorrow…………..however this has me rolling about pishin’ masel……………what a bunch of t***ers. Nicky laws says,”we’re ready for celtic”.
Enter the laughing policeman!!!!……..
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hI1nPd7hezM
Lymmbhoy
Halcyon Days
Thanks ..cheered me up no end
Good morning, Jobo, well said.
Sometimes I wish I was paid to go on to fan websites of opposing teams. I would wind them up something rotten.
AND, it would be better than being on here, right now.
Aff oot, as kevjungle would say. The school run waits.
Thanks for that Lymmbhoy.
Great memories!
Fourstonecoppi
Stop it ..I’m in danger of coming out my bad mood
Ready for a humping that’s all that shower of roasters are ready for
Oh such flippancy….we would thrash sevco….really!
Serious delusion.
What I saw on Tuesday….was a Celtic team who chucked it.
Now…if you honestly think we are that good…you are in for a shock this season.
They, unlike us….have got the bit between their teeth….we are, according to our manager “scared”.
Now, what do you think the huns think about that statement eh?
Too much bs on here….we could not beat Malmo, we played like halfwits.
So I wouldn’t be too sure of anything.
The players are either scared….or RD is incapable…..take your pick.
HH
The Green Man
Sevco are a decent team at their level
Their defence is awful…they are wide open thro the middle
Hibs should have beat them on Sunday and Hibs are poor
We are no longer a progressive club, a self-satisfied complacency has descended about the place with only the occasional embarrassment in Europe to cause the board to shift uncomfortably in their padded chairs.
It could be argued we nearly did the treble last year and the board are doing a fantastic job in husbanding our resources effectively to maintain our position of a big fish in a small pool. Personally I believe this complacency, and it has to be said contempt, is migrating to the manager and team and the indiscipline and lack of respect on the pitch is evidence the whole club needs a new drive and invigoration.
Europe is where we should be targeting our progression, clearly we are in the doldrums and this malaise, I fear, will grow and the board will be shifting in their comfortable seats more often when watching SPFL games.
I’m sorry I can’t offer a solution to this other than to say it rests in the hand of Peter Lawwell and board, and accept this is a cop-out.
LYMMBHOY – When Celtic were Celtic eh….thanks for sharing that clip pal.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Margaret McGill on 27th August 2015 12:16 am
Where did it all go wrong?
Approximately when the donut was told emphatically that Celtic in the EPL was a definite no circa 2004
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Yeah, 100% agreement – Hail Hail
Martin O’Neill made it clear after our 1/4 final defeat in the Uefa Cup to Villa Real…on hearing the news that, PL was being brought in to ‘downsize’ every aspect of the club apart from – fans admission prices and, high earning executive level bonuses…MO’N said that “Celtic would now be moving in the slow lane.”
Imho…MO’N was the last ‘non’ puppet employee at management level…a poster on here used to go by the name of – “Peter Lawwell is driving Celtic FC toward a slow car-crash!” – Looks like that particular poster was on the money as they say…imho
I’m not fit enough to rattle the Celtic hierarchy’s cages any more so. I’m going away now.
Nye Bevans keep it lit pal.
Tri-Coloured-Ribon…keep battling Amigo.
Philbhoy, Olivia and family stay strong and good luck.
BMCUW’s sorry for missing yer Mum’s birthday…give her a belated kiss from me:)
Stay safe Tims…the zombies are awe gallus again…oot. YNWA.
The situation with those in power at Celtic is a little like the situation with those in power in UK. It’s difficult to come to terms with the fact that it isn’t going to change any time soon. Moreover, even if the regime does change, will we see much of a difference as the same people will be pulling the strings.
Seriously, how do we change it? Can we do it without that old favourites phrase on here – internecine strife – that damages the club and the fanbase?
I don’t have the answer, and I don’t expect anyone to hand me the answer on a plate. It’s a difficult question, and many on here will probably say it’s the wrong question!
Murdochbhoy
Those who run the club are responsible for it’s performance …if not them then who ….
The whole purpose of senior management is that you are responsible both when times are good and bad
Kev
Best wishes pal
Now, lets be honest….the only reason that RD is Celtic manager, is because he was the cheapest option to satisfy DD&PL….that was the only consideration.
Any experienced manager, would have told them to feck off…and several did so.
These are the kind of people who run our club, and its so sad to me, to see Celtic run like a corner shop.
DD&PL need chased…..as far as I can see, they don’t not have the best interests of Celtic at heart….Money is their god.
Football is my god.
I don’t know how…..but we need to get rid of them……before they turn Celtic into sevco.
HH
….PFAYR SUPPORTS WEEOSCAR @ 7:45 AM
Indeed, my ‘cop out’ was simply to acknowledge I hadn’t furnished any ideas on what measures the board should take to set us on a progressive route.
KEVJUNGLE on 27th August 2015 7:42 am
Hope your doing mate…
As the Clock strikes 08:00, the Hooter sounds.
Until we meet again…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Nye Bevans’ rebel soldier on 27th August 2015 5:28 am
Good Morning Timland.
I have long since hero worshipped fitba player’s,I watch them come,
I watch them go,our current crop of wee sensitive precious souls
let the club,manager,and fan’s down.
No doubt if RD is sacked they will suddenly find their shooting boots
for his replacement, that’s what usually happens.
Many on here think RD is not up to the task,I’m not convinced either
but would like to see him been given more time,…
——————————————————————————————————————————-
Sorry but we don’t have more time. We have to to start preparing for next season’s UCL group stage qualification is now as the league title is a given. RD has failed on three occasions in 15 months. Last season it could be argued that it wasn’t his team so we cut him a bit of slack even though we should not have lost to Maribor at home having did the hard bit in the away tie.
This season he demanded and rightly got the pre-season preparation he decided was necessary which cut out any money spinning trips to far flung places. He had his own team on the park in Malmo which failed abysmally. This wasn’t the usual herioc failure stuff – this was abject surrender by his his players aided and abbeted by a bizarre team selection and even more bizarre substitutions.
The bottom line is that he is not a good manager no matter how hard he works on the players fitness levels. He is rigid in his ideas and is unable to change things on the park when things go a bit pear shaped. When the cameras panned onto to him on Tuesday evening, he looked haunted and the stench of failure emanating from the dug-out was palpable. Yes, the team will canter the league and we will have another crack at qualifying for the CL group stage next season. However, if we leave it to Ronny Delia, we take a massive risk that he will fail for a fourth time. Let’s not forget, a good predictor of future behaviour is past behaviour.
Could we worse, we might have Roy Keane as manager.
Ronny Deila has my support while he is the Celtic manager. And I hope is the manager for many years to come. We’ve had worse results in the past with allegedly better teams, we’ll have bad results in the future.
But there are many good times ahead, because there is always the next game.
That’s good enough for me.
And for the record, I’m happy with the board and Peter Lawell too. Mainly because I recognise the environment we operate in.
In case anyone hasn’t noticed, it was the players who failed on Tuesday night.
Yes, you can say the manager is responsible, the board is responsible, PL is responsible. In a corporate sense that is true. In football terms, it was the players.