So what did we learn? Nothing. Except that for ten minutes we played as we can. We didn’t need reminding that there’s a team inside that jumbled mass of bodies; we only have to look at the trophy haul from the last few years to know that.
Otherwise, this went exactly as we all might have thought it would go. Four more goals conceded in a Europa League campaign where we’ve conceded 17 of them in only five game. We are stone last in the Group. It has been an epic and awesome humiliation.
Any positive progress we might have thought we’d made in Europe after home and away wins versus Lazio last year has been well and truly erased in the horrors that have followed it.
The Ferencvaros game was, arguably, the last real chance to fix it before real damage was done. The real damage due arrived, at home to Prague. We should have acted then, but we’ve allowed the farce to continue. Points have been squandered in the league. We’re out of the League Cup. Eight more goals have been shipped in tonight’s competition.
And still, we’re nowhere near the end of this.
We created some chances tonight, but against an expansive team like Milan we were always going to do that. The fear ever was what they might to do us at the other end. They went through the motions tonight; we know that because when they needed to find an extra gear they were able to do it effortlessly.
Whatever we had in the tank, we expended it early.
Worries gnaw away at us, and all of them are fully justified.
Our vulnerability as a defensive unit is terrifying and we can only thank God that there are no stiffer tests than tonight yet in front of us. Ibrox remains not so much a daunting prospect as a possible theatre of nightmares I don’t even want to think too much about yet but I cannot imagine them doing worse to us there than Prague has already managed twice and Milan could have tonight had they fancied a cricket score.
No sane club leadership would want Neil Lennon in charge for that game; Billy Big Balls in the Bahamas and his grinning sidekick at Parkhead seem to be looking forward to it with enthusiasm. Remember how excited Hicks was on the drop-ship down to LV-426 in Aliens?
It’s a bit like that. It will probably end up the same way as well.
No amount of anger from the fans will shift the needle here; that’s been spelled out pretty clear from the reality deniers in the boardroom. For people who are allegedly risk averse they are taking one Hell of a one with the most important season in eons.
Like punch drunk gamblers, losing huge, but who don’t know how to just walk away when the losses are already so high they seem determined to stick with this way past the point where sanity itself snaps like elastic, in the hope they hit a miracle run of luck.
You read about those guys from time to time. Some of them are pictured grinning on the front pages of the tabloids. Know how they get there? Because those runs are so rare that it’s big news when some lucky punter goes on one. You know where the others end up? In the obituaries or the segments of the paper which deal with the bankruptcy courts.
Like our board, some fans will stick with this as long as “there’s a chance”, much as one of those crazed Vegas dream chasers retains a glimmer of hope whilst they can borrow a buck from the banker or find another few quid from the kid’s college fund or raise another grand or two from the mortgage. The sane players all went home hours ago, the losses minimal, the consequences no more acute than an amusing anecdote to share over beers.
They were blessed with only one bit of luck; they knew when to call it quits.
But hey, there’s one straw for all involved at Parkhead to cling to; they have a scapegoat for tonight’s shit-show, and it’s Vasilios Barkas. So, let the discussion move on from Lennon’s obvious failings and flaws and inability to put together a team with even a modicum of shape or tactical sense, and shift it instead to “Do you think we can get Forster in January?”
Yeah, cause that’ll solve all our problems, won’t it?
We’ve played five games since 5 November, the night Neil Lennon should have lost his job. We’ve won one of them. We’ve conceded 13 goals. We’ve gone out of two competitions. We’ve dropped crucial points in the league.
If you’re wondering what the board is waiting for you got your answer during the week, and it’s the same answer tonight and will be regardless of the result at the weekend.
They are waiting for more. For things to be worse.
Try and imagine what that looks like tonight. It isn’t easy to do, is it? Ask the gambler who’s lost it all though. There’s a name for it; rock bottom, and we ain’t hit it yet.
As someone in an even more desperate position – though he didn’t know it – once put it, “We’re on an express elevator to Hell … going down.”
notthebus on
Huns getting a bit of a doing after 25 mins..still 1-0
timhorton on
That was a bit better but defending
If we had held onto CG or brought in Marshall we would have had that money for a couple of CH’s.
Here is the question….would you trust Hammond to bring them in….he has to go IMO.
notthebus on
Neil Lennon after
@CelticFC
defeat by AC Milan “score line didn’t do us justice, a lot to be positive about going forward”.
For most of my life, Celtic have not had top quality keepers. Then we had Boruc and Forster and Gordon- we saw there was another level out there
Bain is a decent SPFL level keeper- close to Rab Douglas level- a confident guy and a big personality
Barkas is a good keeper- a Greek internationalist but he has been “meh!” Since he came here- he has not been truly poor- like Muggleton and Andrews- but he has not outshone Bain and he has not had one impressive save with us.
Hazard & Doohan are both prospects. It is hard to argue that they would weaken us. Doohan is currently on loan so the choice falls on Hazard.
Nominative Determinism would suggest he is not well named for a keeper but he might be just the right match for our back line
Coneybhoy on
we have only one senior ch on the books – julienne
we use 2 midfielders, one loanee and one youth in emergency
We had little cover for our experienced RB and we let him go
We lost a brilliant LB (with no cover) and brought in 3 players to cover
we had 2 great strikers but sold one. Got away with it due to his form and fitness. Scatter gunned and bought a few strikers who can’t get a game or are in a carousel to get a few minutes
We had 2 top level keepers and a decent back up and the 2 top keepers are gone. We spent on a keeper on nobodies radar and he is at best average and at worst pointless
that is strategic failure biting us. We got away with it under Rodgers due to motivation and a lucky run on fitness
LB looks OK for this season but the other positions are causing us to ship record breaking amounts of goals and keeping us at an OK standard of scoring
Mark McNally, Paul McGugan, Brian O’Neill would put in a better shift in our back 4. Poor players but had heart and could tackle – sometimes
notthebus on
NL,,”We had plenty of great play going forward and good control of the midfield at times. We looked really positive. I thought there was a lot to be positive about.”
excathedra44 on
Cant be bothered reading back,I feared we would have collapsed under the unrelenting pressure,instead I thought we played very well,with a bit of luck we could have had 3 or 4.
No Manager can legislate for bad decision making and positioning, as seen at the first goal,assist by a stupid foul by RC.
Second goal a bit unlucky that a Holywood flick came off.
3rd and 4th El Hameed who I had high hopes for,cant tackle,plus soon as its in on goal forget it,who signed this goalkeeper.
A more industrial style full back,would have launched the Norwegian winger into the Boards,instead we backed off and allowed him in on goal.
Not too worried about tonight, other than we needed to avoid a humiliation, the like of which we experienced under Brendan,and there wasn’t a pitchfork in sight.
westcraigs on
Is it true that st mirren offered Craig Gordon more money than we did? Is he earning more at hearts than we were prepared to pay him?
Tommy burns didnt solve the goalkeeping problem. They had Goram who was a big occasion player. We had goalkeepers who froze on the big occasion. if we had Goram, Tommy would have won the league.
Martin O’Neil didn’t solve the goalkeeping situation. We had such a formidable team that we got to a UEFA cup final with an average goalkeeper.
in 2000 Gerry McNee asked Alex Ferguson what he would do if he was Martin O’Neil . The answer. Buy the best available goalkeeper in Europe.
We need to get Forster back.
notthebus on
2-1 to Liegge
notthebus on
Sevco with Celtic like defending
danso_1888 on
huns 1 each
fourstonecoppi on
watched a bit of the huns there…..hate to say it ( spit spit vomit vomit) they’re a doggedly determined team
Greenpinata on
SFTB,
Of course we should have started with Hazard. The perfect opportunity.
Bain is what you say. No disrespect there.
I don’t think we will persevere with Barkas. Probably a good keeper who hasn’t fitted in. It happens.
2-2 at the Bigotdome at halftime, same as us. We’ll see if the final results are similar.
Ron Bacardi on
Now back to getting 10 in a row .
geebee1978 on
BIG WAVY on 3RD DECEMBER 2020 8:45 PM
Barkas has the same defence in front of him FF had.
Sometimes a big, dominant goalkeeper who’s making top saves can bring calm to a defence.
stebhoy on
rangers get another dodgy penalty – we never get breaks like that in Europe
big wavy on
27 goals conceded in the last 11 games.
prestonpans bhoys on
Ray
Said before, they carry some luck in Europe, played against teams who have just lost manager; hit with covid; getting hammered and against run of play score; of course the penalty 9 for Tavhun
RC on
Hazard
Ralston Welsh Julien Taylor
Bitton Soro Ajer
Frimpong Griff Edouard
Julien only because Duff y is worse.
prince of keepers on
Our defending is appalling and our desire to do the dirty work in and around the box is not good enough. The 1st goal tonight while the keeper is not blameless came from a brainless unnecessary foul from Christie which gave Milan a free kick dead centre about 25 yard from goal – who woulda thunk Milan would have someone with deadly technique from there. As I said brainless!
The 3rd and 4th beggar belief with a failure to engage the attacker until he is in full flow or in the box and when we do engage an Under 7 would put in a better challenge than ElHamed.
Cant be needing to score 3-4 goals a game to win, actually thought we were ok for periods of the game tonight but goals we are conceding is killing us. Need to settle on a defensive unit and practice horsing the ball into Row z for a few weeks
glendalystonsils on
Enjoyed our two goals and two or three wee attacking episodes after that , but defensively we are an utter shambles .Personnel who are not up to it and organisation (did I really just call it that?) Can’t blame the keeper or RB for being poor , blame the twat who signed them . Can’t blame Bitton for not being a CB , he never claimed to be . Broonie’s young legs are on the bench and they’re called Soro . Ten January windows won’t sort this out . there has been dereliction of duty within every level of the club.
big wavy on
Geebee1978
I’m a big FF fan (who had a settled 2 Kris/Chris in front of him) but this scenario is not like for like. I’m also seeing a new guy with none of that consistency and a wide open DM. The goals we give away in front of him are amateur.
I also don’t think for a moment FF is coming back.
HH
Ray Singh-Carr on
Prestonpans Bhoy
Too right. It is almost like they have some sort of pact with Beelzebub.
However, even for them luck can be a fickle mistress. These things even themselves out…………hopefully.
HH
BhoyfromSky on
They Have a guardian angel looking after their European Journey…Brother Dallas …he is a big influence with whom they get to referee their games …..no…check the dodgy decisions…Benfica strolling the game until the red card for a dive by Kent….
859 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 16
- 17
- 18
- 19
- 20
- 21
- 22
- 23
- »
TinyTim on 3rd December 2020 8:08 pm
Jeremy Frimpong does not have one assist this season.
He is a waste of a shirt .
He’s not up to the physicality of top level fitba .
Can’t pick a final ball and can’t defend .
He flatters to deceive in every match .
TT
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Total bull
Tonight’s match article … minus the link.
———–
So what did we learn? Nothing. Except that for ten minutes we played as we can. We didn’t need reminding that there’s a team inside that jumbled mass of bodies; we only have to look at the trophy haul from the last few years to know that.
Otherwise, this went exactly as we all might have thought it would go. Four more goals conceded in a Europa League campaign where we’ve conceded 17 of them in only five game. We are stone last in the Group. It has been an epic and awesome humiliation.
Any positive progress we might have thought we’d made in Europe after home and away wins versus Lazio last year has been well and truly erased in the horrors that have followed it.
The Ferencvaros game was, arguably, the last real chance to fix it before real damage was done. The real damage due arrived, at home to Prague. We should have acted then, but we’ve allowed the farce to continue. Points have been squandered in the league. We’re out of the League Cup. Eight more goals have been shipped in tonight’s competition.
And still, we’re nowhere near the end of this.
We created some chances tonight, but against an expansive team like Milan we were always going to do that. The fear ever was what they might to do us at the other end. They went through the motions tonight; we know that because when they needed to find an extra gear they were able to do it effortlessly.
Whatever we had in the tank, we expended it early.
Worries gnaw away at us, and all of them are fully justified.
Our vulnerability as a defensive unit is terrifying and we can only thank God that there are no stiffer tests than tonight yet in front of us. Ibrox remains not so much a daunting prospect as a possible theatre of nightmares I don’t even want to think too much about yet but I cannot imagine them doing worse to us there than Prague has already managed twice and Milan could have tonight had they fancied a cricket score.
No sane club leadership would want Neil Lennon in charge for that game; Billy Big Balls in the Bahamas and his grinning sidekick at Parkhead seem to be looking forward to it with enthusiasm. Remember how excited Hicks was on the drop-ship down to LV-426 in Aliens?
It’s a bit like that. It will probably end up the same way as well.
No amount of anger from the fans will shift the needle here; that’s been spelled out pretty clear from the reality deniers in the boardroom. For people who are allegedly risk averse they are taking one Hell of a one with the most important season in eons.
Like punch drunk gamblers, losing huge, but who don’t know how to just walk away when the losses are already so high they seem determined to stick with this way past the point where sanity itself snaps like elastic, in the hope they hit a miracle run of luck.
You read about those guys from time to time. Some of them are pictured grinning on the front pages of the tabloids. Know how they get there? Because those runs are so rare that it’s big news when some lucky punter goes on one. You know where the others end up? In the obituaries or the segments of the paper which deal with the bankruptcy courts.
Like our board, some fans will stick with this as long as “there’s a chance”, much as one of those crazed Vegas dream chasers retains a glimmer of hope whilst they can borrow a buck from the banker or find another few quid from the kid’s college fund or raise another grand or two from the mortgage. The sane players all went home hours ago, the losses minimal, the consequences no more acute than an amusing anecdote to share over beers.
They were blessed with only one bit of luck; they knew when to call it quits.
But hey, there’s one straw for all involved at Parkhead to cling to; they have a scapegoat for tonight’s shit-show, and it’s Vasilios Barkas. So, let the discussion move on from Lennon’s obvious failings and flaws and inability to put together a team with even a modicum of shape or tactical sense, and shift it instead to “Do you think we can get Forster in January?”
Yeah, cause that’ll solve all our problems, won’t it?
We’ve played five games since 5 November, the night Neil Lennon should have lost his job. We’ve won one of them. We’ve conceded 13 goals. We’ve gone out of two competitions. We’ve dropped crucial points in the league.
If you’re wondering what the board is waiting for you got your answer during the week, and it’s the same answer tonight and will be regardless of the result at the weekend.
They are waiting for more. For things to be worse.
Try and imagine what that looks like tonight. It isn’t easy to do, is it? Ask the gambler who’s lost it all though. There’s a name for it; rock bottom, and we ain’t hit it yet.
As someone in an even more desperate position – though he didn’t know it – once put it, “We’re on an express elevator to Hell … going down.”
Huns getting a bit of a doing after 25 mins..still 1-0
That was a bit better but defending
If we had held onto CG or brought in Marshall we would have had that money for a couple of CH’s.
Here is the question….would you trust Hammond to bring them in….he has to go IMO.
Neil Lennon after
@CelticFC
defeat by AC Milan “score line didn’t do us justice, a lot to be positive about going forward”.
Defence is weak as waahter.
Frimpers did well going forward.
Glad it’s over.
NOTTHEBUS on 3RD DECEMBER 2020 8:15 PM
FOURSTONECOPPI
Neil Lennon, do you know different?……….no just asking. wasn’t sure thot maybe a lawell , cos hes seriously pish!….but then with a pish defence!!!
SAINT STIVS on 3RD DECEMBER 2020 8:17 PM
Maybe Taylor needs to stick an o at the end of his name.
Gregio ?
——-
😁😁😁
Yeah, not the brightest comment. I was underwhelmed when I saw the team and thought we should have changed nearly everything from Sunday.
However we were good up to a point, but what have we learned tonight. ?
Nothing we didn’t already know. Imo we missed a perfect opportunity to see what we have got against a very good team.
Cheers and HH.
Does anyone think we should risk Hazard in a game
For most of my life, Celtic have not had top quality keepers. Then we had Boruc and Forster and Gordon- we saw there was another level out there
Bain is a decent SPFL level keeper- close to Rab Douglas level- a confident guy and a big personality
Barkas is a good keeper- a Greek internationalist but he has been “meh!” Since he came here- he has not been truly poor- like Muggleton and Andrews- but he has not outshone Bain and he has not had one impressive save with us.
Hazard & Doohan are both prospects. It is hard to argue that they would weaken us. Doohan is currently on loan so the choice falls on Hazard.
Nominative Determinism would suggest he is not well named for a keeper but he might be just the right match for our back line
we have only one senior ch on the books – julienne
we use 2 midfielders, one loanee and one youth in emergency
We had little cover for our experienced RB and we let him go
We lost a brilliant LB (with no cover) and brought in 3 players to cover
we had 2 great strikers but sold one. Got away with it due to his form and fitness. Scatter gunned and bought a few strikers who can’t get a game or are in a carousel to get a few minutes
We had 2 top level keepers and a decent back up and the 2 top keepers are gone. We spent on a keeper on nobodies radar and he is at best average and at worst pointless
that is strategic failure biting us. We got away with it under Rodgers due to motivation and a lucky run on fitness
LB looks OK for this season but the other positions are causing us to ship record breaking amounts of goals and keeping us at an OK standard of scoring
Mark McNally, Paul McGugan, Brian O’Neill would put in a better shift in our back 4. Poor players but had heart and could tackle – sometimes
NL,,”We had plenty of great play going forward and good control of the midfield at times. We looked really positive. I thought there was a lot to be positive about.”
Cant be bothered reading back,I feared we would have collapsed under the unrelenting pressure,instead I thought we played very well,with a bit of luck we could have had 3 or 4.
No Manager can legislate for bad decision making and positioning, as seen at the first goal,assist by a stupid foul by RC.
Second goal a bit unlucky that a Holywood flick came off.
3rd and 4th El Hameed who I had high hopes for,cant tackle,plus soon as its in on goal forget it,who signed this goalkeeper.
A more industrial style full back,would have launched the Norwegian winger into the Boards,instead we backed off and allowed him in on goal.
Not too worried about tonight, other than we needed to avoid a humiliation, the like of which we experienced under Brendan,and there wasn’t a pitchfork in sight.
Is it true that st mirren offered Craig Gordon more money than we did? Is he earning more at hearts than we were prepared to pay him?
Tommy burns didnt solve the goalkeeping problem. They had Goram who was a big occasion player. We had goalkeepers who froze on the big occasion. if we had Goram, Tommy would have won the league.
Martin O’Neil didn’t solve the goalkeeping situation. We had such a formidable team that we got to a UEFA cup final with an average goalkeeper.
in 2000 Gerry McNee asked Alex Ferguson what he would do if he was Martin O’Neil . The answer. Buy the best available goalkeeper in Europe.
We need to get Forster back.
2-1 to Liegge
Sevco with Celtic like defending
huns 1 each
watched a bit of the huns there…..hate to say it ( spit spit vomit vomit) they’re a doggedly determined team
SFTB,
Of course we should have started with Hazard. The perfect opportunity.
Bain is what you say. No disrespect there.
I don’t think we will persevere with Barkas. Probably a good keeper who hasn’t fitted in. It happens.
HH.
yeow
I think Barkas regrets coming here
Even Leeds are running scared of the eye-watering £70,000 p/w Fraser Forster earns.
If money is important to Neil Lennon, it’s important to FF.
Get a bloody defence in front of Barkas and judge him then.
CQNPOTY@GMAIL.COM
Soft Pen to Sevco. Quelle surprise.
Penalty for the Huns.
Emdy won a pen yet 😂😂
2-2 at the Bigotdome at halftime, same as us. We’ll see if the final results are similar.
Now back to getting 10 in a row .
BIG WAVY on 3RD DECEMBER 2020 8:45 PM
Barkas has the same defence in front of him FF had.
Sometimes a big, dominant goalkeeper who’s making top saves can bring calm to a defence.
rangers get another dodgy penalty – we never get breaks like that in Europe
27 goals conceded in the last 11 games.
Ray
Said before, they carry some luck in Europe, played against teams who have just lost manager; hit with covid; getting hammered and against run of play score; of course the penalty 9 for Tavhun
Hazard
Ralston Welsh Julien Taylor
Bitton Soro Ajer
Frimpong Griff Edouard
Julien only because Duff y is worse.
Our defending is appalling and our desire to do the dirty work in and around the box is not good enough. The 1st goal tonight while the keeper is not blameless came from a brainless unnecessary foul from Christie which gave Milan a free kick dead centre about 25 yard from goal – who woulda thunk Milan would have someone with deadly technique from there. As I said brainless!
The 3rd and 4th beggar belief with a failure to engage the attacker until he is in full flow or in the box and when we do engage an Under 7 would put in a better challenge than ElHamed.
Cant be needing to score 3-4 goals a game to win, actually thought we were ok for periods of the game tonight but goals we are conceding is killing us. Need to settle on a defensive unit and practice horsing the ball into Row z for a few weeks
Enjoyed our two goals and two or three wee attacking episodes after that , but defensively we are an utter shambles .Personnel who are not up to it and organisation (did I really just call it that?) Can’t blame the keeper or RB for being poor , blame the twat who signed them . Can’t blame Bitton for not being a CB , he never claimed to be . Broonie’s young legs are on the bench and they’re called Soro . Ten January windows won’t sort this out . there has been dereliction of duty within every level of the club.
Geebee1978
I’m a big FF fan (who had a settled 2 Kris/Chris in front of him) but this scenario is not like for like. I’m also seeing a new guy with none of that consistency and a wide open DM. The goals we give away in front of him are amateur.
I also don’t think for a moment FF is coming back.
HH
Prestonpans Bhoy
Too right. It is almost like they have some sort of pact with Beelzebub.
However, even for them luck can be a fickle mistress. These things even themselves out…………hopefully.
HH
They Have a guardian angel looking after their European Journey…Brother Dallas …he is a big influence with whom they get to referee their games …..no…check the dodgy decisions…Benfica strolling the game until the red card for a dive by Kent….
Taylor couldn’t lace Laxalt’s boots