After the two drubbings at the hand of Paris St Germain, I read how they were among the best teams ever to visit Celtic Park. In the next round of the Champions League they lost home and away to Real Madrid (currently 15 points off the pace in La Liga). The truth is, we flattered the French champions-elect.
PSG are not on the level of any of the Barcelona teams we have faced in recent years, or the Milan or Juventus teams who eliminated us from the Champions League knock out stages. They have abundant talent, but this is not a team who should be beating us 0-5 and 7-1.
The Milan team we faced in 2007, who were on their way to winning the Champions League, contained Maldini, Gattuso, Seedorf, Pirlo, Inzaghi, Ambrosini and Kaka. Celtic held them to two 0-0s over 90 minutes, with Telfer, McManus, O’Dea, Naylor and Sno in the side, none of whom would get into the current side.
Truth is, we have better players than at any point under Gordon Strachan and Neil Lennon. The current crop have and will continue to achieve more domestically than their predecessors, but we cannot go toe-to-toe with Europe’s moneyed elite any more than Morton can at Celtic Park.
This season’s Champions League group was a five defeat and one win success. We eliminated a higher seed – progress in anyone’s book. But conceding five, six and seven goals needs to stop. Defending against overwhelming talent is an art. Let’s learn it.
299 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- »
As an aside,seems we may have lost a good poster,MAHETHEMADMAN
I got a mail from him this morning,detailing why.
He posted his reasons-not re CQN-on JJ in the comments section here.
https://johnjamessite.com/2018/03/06/scotlands-dirty-secret/
See BEPPE 1125
Difficult to argue with the points he raises,but I wish he would change his mind.
I wish Celtic would give him reason to do so.
First for a while,that!
OBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 7TH MARCH 2018 10:44 AM
Yes. it is difficult to find fault with Beppe’s comments.
The only part where I would question is with the level of compliance he suggests from Celtic.
Celtic operate in the football industry in Scotland and are subject to the SFA’s rules.
The pity is that another club is not subject to those rules.
I can understand the boycott call. In fact it is a weapon that should be used in certain circumstances.
Should we reach the cup final, the clamour for tickets will be great. This tells the SFA that they are doing great work and have produced an event of unrivaled popularity.
Similarly, the packed syands when Sevco come calling, tells the Celtic Board that this is what the fans’s want.
So, what to do?
Leave Hampden empty of Celtic supporters and do likewise when the devil comes a calling.
Tough choices surely, but there is no other way to get the message across.
Full stadiums spells happy customers.
Full stadiums condones the cheating and lies.
OBBY, you were a victim of a rushed c&p. : > )
At the risk of becoming predictable let me just say these little words
CARTHAGO DELENDA EST
BMCUW
Congratulations on your podium, but it was only possible because, as usual, I was posting on the previous article after everyone had jumped over here. ;)
My post…
…Just listening to last nights Snyde SSB. Gordon Dalziel is defending referees in particular and Willies Collum in particular, and is fairly generous in his praise. Around 41 minutes 21 seconds in, he finishes his point and Roger Hannah says, “I’m beginning to think that Andrew Dallas and Willie Collum have bought him a couple of lassies… he’s suddenly the referees’ pal”
What an absolutely bizarre thing to say on the radio.
Something, as a sports journalist in Scotland, that he has experience of? Maybe? allegedly?
It’s a recurring favoured accusation on JJ’s site.
Worth a listen anyway, just before that I’m sure Dalziel says “Escape goats”
:-)
HOM THE HIM
(Sorry,couldnae resist that,no offence intended!)
Replied on previous thread.
WITS – any whispers for next week?
WHATISTHESTARS
Have you written that out 100 times yet?
PHYLLISDIETRICHSON
Might actually be a horse called Whisper running next week!
Replace John Kennedy with Kolo Toure….
Thom
Spot on. I can’t express strongly enough my admiration for the men and bhoys such as Auldheid, the res 12 team and indeed anyone who in spite of the highest of barriers being placed in their path, continue to try and uncover the deceit and corruption which prevails at the heart of Scottish football. It’s only when we have transparency will those who have been, or still are in authoritative positions be at least exposed, if not held to account, for their part in the entire corrupt process.
As we know, corruption is authority plus monopoly, minus transparency.
I pray that the efforts of the aforementioned group provides that transparency.
If it fails, and it may well do as the corruption ( which is partly borne out of bigotry) is deeply entrenched, then it may well be that withdrawing our finance is the only feasible option left open to us.
That would be a heart wrenching course of action for many, as most of us love Celtic more than we hate the wrong doers. It may well be the only course of action that will bring the corruption to the attention of a wider audience.
Our defence (under BR) continues to be our Achillies Heel. It’s entirely fine being the meanest defence in Scotland , but every time we go up a level you have the impression that we are going to ship goals at a fast and furious rate. This, as P67says, has to be addresed. However, the entire blame sits not with the defeders alone, our MF has let them down on one occassion too many in Europe.
Look at RM last night they dropped Kroos, Modric, Bale and sat in tight, hitting at pace on the break and often, we need to be more defensively minded in big games, and develop a set structure to these 2 legged ties.
Get that right and we can defo go beyound Christmas in the CL.
Can’t say I completely agree with you, Paul67, about PSG. They dominated our Group, not just us. In fact, in the first leg against Real Madrid they were the better team for much of the match. 3-1 flattered Real Madrid and they were able to play a containment game last night.
Phyllis Dietrichson
I was given these a few weeks back .I did a small each way lucky 31
Presenting Percy in the RSA chase
Apples Shakira in the The Triupmh
Cause of Causes in the Cross Country
Glenloe in the Pertemps
Burning Ambition in the Fox Hunters
All above are near enough to favourites so no state secrets revealed there
I like Supasundae for the Stayers Hurdle..Harringtons horses are in good form ( Might even back Our Duke in the Gold Cup)
Will also keep an eye on Josephs O’Brien’s runners ( especially anything he has for JP in handicaps)
Paul 67 said:
” But conceding five, six and seven goals needs to stop.”
I disagree. Indeed, I am hoping out opponents on Sunday concede by one of those amounts.
JJ
Wits/Phyllis
Stables out of form last 31 days:
Rebecca Menzies 0-22
P J Rothwell 0-18
Noel Meade 1-41
Jonjo O’Neill 1-34
Stables In the last 2 weeks
David Pipe is 0-15
Tom George is 0-16
Charlie Longsdon 0-11
Mick Appleby is 0-24
Joseph O’Brien is 0-15
Joseph needs to see a bit of a revival. Hopefully he’s keeping it for the festival.
Paul67
I completely agree with the article, question is how do we go about it?
Conceding soft, avoidable goals is unacceptable against any side, teams like PSG and Barca have enough of an advantage without us handing them more.
I think you are spot on about the ‘learning’ part. The question is, have our defensive coaches learned what is required? If so, can they educate our players in how to implement successful defending?
Is the nervousness and fecklessness we seem to show against these teams a result of not knowing what to do defensively or not being confident in implementing it?
The fact that we have conceded fewer goals domestically than our competitors is not much consolation when we concede 6 or 7 in a big European game.
Finally, Sevco still 3/1 for Sunday. So far, those very confident Sevconians are not expressing that confidence via the Bookies.
Cheerio for now.
JJ
Doing a bit better:
Stables in the last 31 days
Paul Nicholls 19-77 (24.68%)
Alan King 15-61 (24.59%)
Colin Tizzard 15-62 (24.19%)
Nicky Henderson 13-61 (21.31%)
Dan Skelton 12-75 (16.00%)
Olly Murphy (10-44) (22.673%)
Fergal O’Brien 8-26 (30.77%)
Warren Greatrex 8-36 (22.22%)
Nigel Twiston Davies 8-53 (15.09%)
Dr Richard Newland 6-14 (42.86%)
Henry Daly 5-15 (33.33%)
Twists
Interesting stats
I wonder is Joseph keeping his powder dry ?
However I prefer backing inform stables
NME to cease printing…
Yeah interesting . Of course it could all change at Cheltenham, but running without winners for weeks at a time kinda alarms me too.
Wits
You should definitely be avoiding:
20 Year Records
Cheltenham Festival
Paul Webber 0-57
Charlie Longsdon 0-56
Brian Ellison 0-32
Tom George 1-77 (0-63 since 2002)
Tom George
Nick Gifford 0-27
Tim Vaughan 0-40
John Ferguson 0-40
Oliver Sherwood 0-30
Peter Bowen 0-37
Nicky Richards 0-35
Martin Keighley 0-31
!!BADA BING!! on 7TH MARCH 2018 12:44 PM
NME to cease printing…
Pity. One of the few things printed on newsprint that’s still worth reading.
I think there is an assumption that because John Kennedy was a Centre Half then he is the defensive coach, I do not know if Celtic employ him in this capacity, I would think with the knowledge and experience that BR has inChris Davies and Glen Driscoll then it is a collective effort with agame plan formulated accordingly , hope the game plan is spot on for the Sevco game , no hiders or quitters need apply.
Lattes or lassies?
John Kennedy’s wiki says First Team Coach..
As I have said before I would be seriously surprised if the defence was his sole responsibility..
And they’re off
?????
?????
A wee update from etims regarding the petition being sent to Celtic to encourage them to contact the SFA Compliance Officer with a view to him divulging the outcome of his investigation into the awarding of a UEFA club licence to RFC in 2011.
http://etims.net/?p=12593
!!Bada Bing!! 7th March 2018 12:26 pm
why he is there baffles me, but don’t have all the facts, and easily baffled
I agree with Paul67 about the players who played against Milan, except one – I’d definitely have Telfer in the current team – a very dependable defender.
Good comment on PSG from Barney Ronay of the Guardian.
As Madrid march on to the last eight the fascination with PSG’s attempts to conquer European club football will remain. Perhaps in the months to come the temptation will be there to ask what is the point of this club in its current state, refashioned as the de facto Qatari embassy in Europe.
Deprived of a place among the European elite the entire project begins to look ludicrous, a club whose outstanding achievement to date is to make Real Madrid look like a paragon of egalitarian sporting virtue; not to mention a champion team that for all its gathering cobwebs will take some stopping from here.
It’s the Chinese Year of the Dog and the ole
Sevcs are barking mad..
Buffalo Springfield – “Mr Soul”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrFvZYTPQaw
Another take on PSG.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/psg-vs-real-madrid-paris-saint-germain-mbappe-cavani-di-maria-champions-league-a8243491.html
SOUKOUS
Thanks for the John Martyn link yesterday, I spent the rest of the afternoon wistfully remembering my 20’s in Glasgow and listening to the great man.
Met him a couple of times in a pub in Yorkhill, he was vaguely impressed that a group of young stoners like him listened to his music:))
May You Never CSC
I don’t think Kennedy is the strikers coach….