You and I have watched a lot of Celtic away from home in the Champions League; we know what to expect. Stick to your task, clear the ball long, tackle hard and exploit set-pieces as best we can. That’s been the plan for 27 away games. 25 of them ended in defeat.
Away game 28, in Barcelona, fell apart at the seams, but last night in Manchester built on the progress in Monchengladbach. From nowhere, Celtic have gone two unbeaten away from home in this tournament.
It wasn’t just the result (in either game) we had more attempts at goal, more attempts on target, we passed with speed and precision under pressure. City caught us on the break to score, and could have added another, on the break, but we had the better of the chances in both halves. Moussa Dembele, Gary Mackay-Steven and Leigh Griffiths will all feel they should have scored.
Jozo Simunovic and Erik Sviatchenko again proved they can operate at Champions League level. The difference in central defence since last year, when one or other of them was unavailable, is beyond credible.
The night was another success for Stuart Armstrong, who built on a transformational visit to Motherwell on Saturday. James Forrest took on and beat three players to setup Dembele, but James fell to a familiar foe and retired injured.
Gary Mackay-Steven, playing his first senior game in over eight months, looked exhausted after his first sprint. There are no shortcuts to match fitness. That chance, when he was clean through with Caballero to beat, will no doubt haunt the player, but he delivered a performance reminiscent of the one he gave in the San Siro two years ago, before being sacrificed. As though alchemy is at work, Celtic have squad-fillers from earlier times looking the part at the highest level.
I had a notion that it wouldn’t be too bad if Patrick Roberts had an anonymous game. That lasted all of four minutes, when he waltzed into the Manchester City box to open the scoring. Did he do enough to convince Pep Guardiola that he’ll be needed in the City squad next season when his loan to Celtic ends? Probably not. That’s the way of it at Manchester City. They will spend >£100m between now and 1 September; Patrick will go the way of Jason Denayer.
Bring on Partick Thistle.
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AWE_NAW_NO_ANNONI_OAN_ANAW_NOO on 8TH DECEMBER 2016 10:39 AM
‘Dalglish , speaking in his role as McDonald’s head of Scottish football,’
####
Seems to be a busy week for hamburger related football stories.
Ernie,
yes we have had the burger van versus cafe debate
the flying burger fan disgruntled horse tragedy
and now KD taking training dressed as Ronald Mc Donald
thinking it was Allan and all for the kids
HH
Ernie Lynch @ 09:28
Okay if you say so however following the link and further research would tend to disprove your thesis
https://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/chm/outreach/migration/backgroundreading/politics/
Songbook debate
It’s not all negative. If you’re a taxi driver you can always throw on the Rheb tunes and get your arm right into visiting Irish Celtic supporters.
HH
I just saw the article about Thunder Road’s Club Captains artwork. I have to say having seen some of his artwork really is a labour of love and from personal experience he is very generous with his time. It’s great to see his work being made available for such a worthy cause too.
HH & Offski
Belter from John James…
‘Their six-game tenure in the UCL may well be deemed a failure, but it was a lucrative failure. Messi, Neymar and Suarez, three of the best players of their generation, turned up at Celtic Park. Celtic competed. Is that failure? Would one rather travel to Leipzig wearing a crash helmet to see how the other half live?’
And another….
‘Scotland’s second club, Aberdeen FC, parked the bus at Ibrox and were inordinately unconvincing against a mediocre Rangers. They were lucky winners of the corresponding fixture at Pittodrie earlier in the season, in which the Rangers fans introduced unsafe standing by ripping out their seats and using them as projectiles.’
AWE_NAW_NO_ANNONI_OAN_ANAW_NOO
Lotta Sevconians running scared, surely the end is nigh:))
Scottish FA to appoint Joey Barton as new football tsar
By Matthew Beard
Monday 08 December 2016
Joey Barton is to be appointed to give his opinion on everything that is failing in and around football grounds within Scotland by the start of next year. The full-time job will involve work with clubs and schools and is being funded by Holyrood and the Scottish Football Association (SFA).
First minister Nicola Sturgeon said the Scottish Executive had pledged £975,000 to the project over three years. She said “Joey is an International footballer who has experience of the Scottish game and is highly regarded”
She continued: “This will provide a tremendous boost for the nation and enable us to look inwardly to where our national game is failing players, schools and youth groups across Scotland.” An SFA spokesman said: “It is evident that across Scotland that the reduction in standards from individuals and organisations needs to be tackled. It is still prevalent at large and small grounds.”
But the Scottish Conservatives have questioned whether the post will make a difference. A Tory spokesperson said: “Appointing an Englishman to this position is abhorrent. We need to show racism the red card but we would question whether putting public money into this post and an Ex English players bank account is really going to change the engrained attitudes within Scottish football. It’s an area that is more up to the clubs and the SFA to deal with.”
A cross-party report recommended that Joey should be given a second chance and that Scotland has to show it´s caring side more be embracing Joey as the new tsar, He has played in the EPL ,continental Europe and and for the Old Firm”
An SFA spokesman ” The decision has been made, it was not a unanimous decision but the majority decided that this will give Scottish football the kick that is needed”.
Mick
take a look at the history of the club you purport to support then tell me why there is such a strong identification with Ireland and it’s struggles against the British Terrorist state?
MWD
LENNYBHOY @ 9:05 PM
“We have made great strides under Brendan both domestically and in Europe.
On Dembele, he’s a Player. He is young but I like him, he is a different type of Player from Leigh. Moussa offers more in way of a physical presence and creates space for others. Yes he hasn’t been as free scoring of late but his work rate creates chances for others. I think what I am saying is if other Players were not chipping in with goals then it might be time for Brendan to rethink.
Leigh is more of a goal scorer but in my opinion Dembele offers more , if we were not winning games I would give Leigh a run. That said it wouldn’t do any harm to freshen things up.
Might even be an idea to start them both for a few games.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!”
Good post last night and I totally agree…
Griff and Dembele are not interchangable.
Griff gives you a constant threat, movement and goals, however what he is not is a one up front, back to the defence Striker Dembele is.
In fact I believe many in our first team squad, not just the Griff, struggle to make the most of a 4-2-3-1 type formation.
So although I’m sure Dembele is somewhat jaded after the amount if games he’s played, not having Sinclair, who is a master in this formation, in the team has also effected Dembele’s contribution.
Don’t get me wrong, Griff when asked to do a job – one up front – improvises to great effect. However if we are going to be a serious UCL team, we need to play these systems to maximum effect.
It might cut it at SPL but in Europe… nae. This unfortunately is the Griff conundrum.
Hail Hail
AWE_NAW_NO_ANNONI_OAN_ANAW_NOO
Yer in fine form
You do a wee online paper The Daily Gnash!
MICKBHOY1888 on 8TH DECEMBER 2016 10:55 AM
That article hardly disproves my point.
new article posted.
Moonbeams
Show me the evidence that the belting out of Irish rebel songs in anyway motivates any of the present day players or management
I have said before I know of more people of Irish descent in the west of Scotland that chose to go and join the armed forces of Great Britain than ever chose to rush across the Irish Sea to volunteer for the cause
Even go back to the Spanish civil where thousands upon thousands had the courage of their convictions to make their way to Spain and fight for what they believed in. Compare that to all the brave wee volunteers who made their way across the Irish Sea to bolster the numbers of their Provo comrades
HI PAUL STILL CANT GET ONTO CELTIC TV MOST ANNOYING !!!