When Craig Gordon pitched up at Celtic in 2014, two years after his last appearance as a footballer and five years since serious injury first blighted his career, I’m sure the keeper’s closest friends didn’t believe he would play 200 games in less than four years – let’s remember, he couldn’t get a gig at Newco under Ally McCoist.
Now is he a regular international and a treble winner with more league medals than exist in the locker rooms of every player in the league outside of Celtic. It would have been more appropriate to celebrate his 100th Celtic clean sheet on his 200th appearance with a win last night, but there was little the keeper could do about that.
This is a great story. Well done, Craig, and congratulations also to Stevie Woods for his insight and development work.
It would be wrong to characterise all of our six home league draws this season as performances against packed defences, Newco and Hibs both drew while pressing the game, but visiting teams have an effective strategy to pursue at Celtic Park: defend deeply and you are in with a chance.
Doing what Dundee, St Johnstone (twice) and Kilmarnock have done at Celtic Park this season is not easy, if it was we would have done it in Paris, but it provides us with a timely reminder of how much work is required to finish off the season with a Scottish Cup.
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May all your problems be fitba related. On the park fitba problems.
Our form isn’t great. One or two need to up their game. I’ve reservations about our tactics now and then. We need to refocus ourselves maybe. We are all a bit puzzled about Roberts and comperr not getting a run. But it is all relative. It’s a structurally sound club, winning the league, in the semi of the cup, another go at the CL beckons.
But all that said it is vital that we always keep demanding better and keeping an eye on potential problems. That’s the best way to keep our football problems ‘relative’. The critical friend is often the best friend.
It wasn’t just the ground that was empty, the toon was empty last night as well. Kikinthenakas dropped me off round from Babbity’s it looked closed as I approached it with only a couple of punters inside so I thought that l would head to the BV – same story so I decided to head home. Most places were empty with only a handful in O’Neill’s.
I don’t think we can blame the football on offer for the City or the ground being empty just shit weather and a lot of people having gone to sunnier climes for the Easter hols.
While posters are valid in saying we have no right to win every game i think they are missing the point.
We have been consistent this season in producing uninspired and in my opinion very poor quality football.
While injury has disrupted our season with key players missing for long spells i think the system and coaching are the main problem.
There also seems to be a refusal of coaches to see any flaws and continuing the same faltering path.
People are justified in saying criticism is not valid as we can win a second treble but with our vast financial advantage over the whole of Scottish football the odds are in our favour.
Europe was a disaster in terms of lessening our standing in European football and at times our naivety was amateurish.
Someone posted last night our turgid displays of possession football was a consequence of Brendan readying us to be better in Europe.Have no idea how they came to that conclusion as our possession obsession leads to few chances and constantly puts our defenders under pressure.
in my opinion we are resembling a Mourinho type team who have been overcoached to the detriment of our players natural talent.
Players who have the skill and ability to beat their man now seem focused only on the highest possession passes which are often sideways and backwards rather than being positive with passes.
Any team who shows positional discipline has nothing to fear from our slow and often purposeless play.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 5TH APRIL 2018 1:45 PM
What happened to the Bobby Madden season ticket money?
Spare ticket for SF in Westwood Bar EK….
Look how McLean was punished after cheating us in the SF…….oh wait…..
FAN-A-TIC on 5TH APRIL 2018 2:52 PM
Players who have the skill and ability to beat their man now seem focused only on the highest possession passes which are often sideways and backwards rather than being positive with passes.
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I find it very difficult to disagree with that statement. A wee ball over the top for the striker to run onto wouldn’t go amiss now and again, but what do I know?
FAN-A-TIC
So you’re saying Brendan is not up to the job??
And that the players are coached not to take on their player in case we lose possession, have I got that right so far??
And that the natural talent of the squad has had that talent coached out of them by Brendan and his team??
Wow interesting…
Rodgers ooot was the cry…
SP
I keep thinking that the bloodied noses we took in Europe this season has had a negative affect on Brendan and our players. Could be a mentallity issue. Teams are doing to us, what we should have done to PSG. Think we need to help Moussa and Griff more, and the goals will return in the league and cup. Giving Hamilton a hiding on Sunday, would be a good start to the rest of the season.
HH
STARRY PLOUGH on 5TH APRIL 2018 2:42 PM
Now if Stuart Armstrong could pass a bar maybe he’d be a player:)))
****
I agree … what this team needs is a good lawyer or two… decide who will take free kicks, deal with referees… and generally run things :)
Cant think of too many in football,but, of course, Socrates was a doctor …
Several prominent athletes in other sports, however,have combined athletics and legal careers
Steve Young – Hall of Fame QB for the 49’ers is but one of several NFL players who have law degrees, as is Allan Page, a legend at Notre Dame and in the NFL ( inductd to the Hall of Fame), before becoming a Judge!
Ken Dryden is a Hall of Fame goalie for hockey’s montreal canadiens is a lawyer and was a politician after his hockey career …
Tony LaRusso (hot headed manager of baseball’s St. Louis Cardinals … although he is reputed to have said that he would rather ride the buses inthe minors than be a laywer … so we may leave him out)
What the world and football needs …. more lawyers!
Looks like season ticket prices have went up 3%.
mike in toronto
Terry Evans sang with Ry Cooder& The Moula Banda Rhythm Aces
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AoE9K3xqRQw&list=RDAoE9K3xqRQw Johnny Cash song.
He also made an album with Hans Theessink.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJb7dh71kKo
On a tour of Britain and Ireland in 1998, Dan Penn made a striking introduction to his best known song. “Everybody keeps asking me which is my favourite version of Dark End Of The Street,” he said, “as if there was any other than James Carr’s. Not even mine. I’ll sing it anyway. But I wish I had James here.”
Soukouis
l dont know much about TE’s work … but you have piqued my curiosity. I will be giving him a listen. Thanks.
Yulia Skripal’s first words, “Are sevco in administration yet?”
MiT
Stuart Armstrong studied for six years to achieve an Open University Law Degree. He is currently studying German language. Don’t know if the two are related?
His passing the baw could improve SP.
Congratulations to Craig on overcoming trials and tribulations to play so many games and win so many honours with Celtic. A big thank you for all the tremendous saves and excellent performances for Celtic.
Hail! Hail!
*STOLEN FROM TWITTER*
If every village idiot in the UK was moved into one village, Boris Johnson would be the village idiot for that village.
D17
Yes D. My ticket has increased by 3% to £628.
Going by comments on here since last night, think a few will not renew for 2018/2019.
MIKE IN TORONTO
:)))
Bada Bing
PMSL re BoJo
Pog
That novichok antidote that does not exist, seems to be some miraculous wonderstuff.
Awe naw no another post lost in cyberspace:((((
BB
:)) He would be the biggest, mumbling, bumbling liar in the village too.
and while I am on a rant …
There seems to be in increasingly common sentiment on CQN that, as none of us are professional football coaches (at least, none who work at BR’s level), it is beyond our ken to comprehend the workings of the mind of the great and powerful BR … such that he should be immune from criticism from the likes of us …
nonsense… it is football …not brain surgery … its not that complicated…. (and personally, I think the hard part is not the formulation of the idea, but the translation of that idea into a reality which is more complicated) .
and many of the great discoveries have come from people who were not experts, let alone professionals, in the fields in which they are now best known…
Robert Evans… an authority on supernovas is a Minister by trade who had an interest in astronomy
Michael Faraday was an apprentice to a bookseller, who discovered the modern concept of electromagnetism
Gregor Mendel … who we now consider the father of modern genetics was a priest and physicist… his work on genetics was ignored or dismissed until many years after his death …
so, I say, BR is fair game … who knows? the next Stefan Kovacs could already be posting on CQN … as an accountant … or a taxi driver … or who knows?
in a few years, the Jules Rimet trophy may be renamed the Fan-A-Tic World Cup, after the influential football manager, who got his start on CQN !
:)
DD,
That’ll be the antidote for the Novichok that cannot be detected. Maybe they used the ole Monkland’s Novichok aka Buckfast ?
I can see the headlines “Sergei and Yulia Skripal awaken after several weeks in a Buckfast induced coma – Monkland’s denies involvement.”
VFR on 5TH APRIL 2018 11:17 AM
EMERALDBEE\O/ STILL PROUD TO BE AN INTERNET BAMPOT on 5TH APRIL 2018 11:05 AM
The point I was making (not clearly) is that we created 26 chances last night; the shooting was poor. On another night we would have scored a few! I would be worried if we weren’t creating chances.
*that’s what the Big Mhan used tae say after games similar tae last nights.
MIKE IN TORONTO
Nobody said that today so you’re just repeating your previous rants about said subject.I would hardly say it’s a common sentiment..
Here’s a wee thought if you’re going to criticise the manager put his name in your post, not coaching, systems etc etc.
Nothing worse than folk dancing ronûnd the subject if you think the manager is to blame say that clearly..
VFR (Anyone)
Is there a Fans Forum imminent and is anyone asking for questions on behalf of CQN?
Finally, a meme about Celtic fans…
https://twitter.com/thepaulcarlin/status/981884137433894912?s=21
You don’t know what a meme is, do you?
STARRY PLOUGH
Attributing words i didn’t say is not an honest debate.
I have never once said Rodgers out.
But i do feel he has not not done a great job this season though for a variety of reasons.
Rodgers as i have often said is a very good coach but our European performances showed he has a lot to learn.
I said the players seem conditioned to make only the highest percentage passes and that seems to have credence witnessing our style of play.
He has to have witnessed that our play lacks potency and our possession style has put to much pressure on the defense?
This far on in the season i would have expected some adjustments to our style and tactics and it is a concern there has been none.
Pog
Maybe it was Lourdes Holy Water, or ACGR visited Salisbury District Hospital with a bottle of his Water of Life?
Starry … was going to reply, but Fanatic beat me to it.
FAN-A-TIC
Just say the man’s name in your posts so we know who you’re talking about!
Rodgers out was a light hearted end to the post but that’s not really your style is it???
Nobody on here thought that Brendan had experience or didn’t need to learn at European level, the problem is my opinion is the supports over inflated idea of our Euro standing, we’re ranked 46th in Europe, FC Basel are 18th for Gods sake!!
You’ve consistently punted the idea that the players have had their talent coached out of them by Brendan Rodgers, which runs contrary t the opinions last year when he was being praised for improving players we thought were finished!
And we’re obsessed by possession so the system would be, what, when there’s no movement ahead punt the ball into the opposition half or area???
We don’t have one great passer of the ball in our midfield and that might beware the idea of percentages passes come from as we all saw how slack passing cost us.
Improvement comes slowly in most things and in his second season the manager hasn’t replicated his first season, there are quite a few factors involved in that, what I find distressing is the reaction online to every poor performance, some of the stuff on FB last night was unlike in it’s vitriol, that’s not the Celtic support I know…
Imagine Nir Bitton was playing last night…
SAN LUIS on 5TH APRIL 2018 12:40 PM
VFR
Can you point out what in my previous post was ” way overboard”.
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Certainly:
When you read so many posters taking ‘positives’ from last nights performance, when none exist, you know a cover up is going on.
Lets not kid ourselves, there was little difference between what we endured last night and what we seen exactly 2 years ago with a RD team v the same opposition with the same outcome.
You also quote me as saying “26 shots on target”; I didn’t. I stated 26 shots on goal – only 7 on target.
26 shots/chances ain’t bad but the finishing was poor.
KTF
Auldheid, I’m happy to resurrect the questions the o the SLO if there is an appetite for it.
KTF
Starry … where you and I see things differently is that I think we do, in fact, have several players in our midfield who are, or at least could be, very good passers of the ball …
odsonne has shown some lovely passing ability … and, in the brief time he has played, so has Kouassi … Calum McGregor has shown a lovely touch and vision on occasion, and (and this is one I have to eat some crow on) Scott Brown’s passing has improved immeasurably over the years … but the static system that we seem to have adopted seems too otten to be stifling the innate passing skills that I see in the players..
I know injuries, make it hard to be consistent… but, for me, and as Fanatic has said, the way we are set up is not bringing out the best in the players at the moment… and that is BR’s responsibility.
Who win win in a fight between a coacher out and a coacher in?