Another ‘Clinical’ side for Celtic

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Atalanta sit sixth in Serie A, having won four and lost three of eight games.  Last term they finished behind only the big three in Italy: Inter, Milan and Juventus, while beating undefeated German champions, Bayer Leverkusen, in the Europa League in Dublin.

After a poor August, when they lost the Super Cup to Real Madrid and endured league defeats at Torino and Inter, they found their rhythm.  They  have yet to concede in the Champions League (0-0 home to Arsenal and 0-3 away win against Shakhtar Donetsk) and go into tomorrow’s game against Celtic in good form, having scored 10 and conceding only once this month.

The word we heard after Champions League matchday 2 was “clinical”, used repeatedly to describe Borussia Dortmund.  Expect nothing less from Atalanta.  This is a team full of confidence who will exploit open spaces.  We may hear “clinical” mentioned a lot in Europe this season.

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  1. Morning all.

     

     

    What did the calendar say after Tuesday?

     

    WTF

     

     

    In other news. Pilot Bob Johnson, age 75, died peacefully in his sleep yesterday.

     

    The rest of his passengers weren’t so lucky.

  2. There’s nothing like a confidence boosting article and that was nothing like a confidence boosting article

  3. I expect a long evening in Italy.

     

     

    Regardless though let’s keep some perspective. We’re in the groups and playing against sides which reached European finals last season.

     

     

    Getting comprehensively beaten is still a damn sight better than losing qualifying matches to Maribor, Cluj, Malmo and the rest.

  4. Celtic were handed a huge boost as Cameron Carter Vickers returned to training ahead of the Atalanta clash.

     

     

    The above from the Daily Ranger….apologises.

     

     

    HH.

  5. If ” Fit Enough” I wonder IF Brendan will play CCV, LIAM and AUSTON from the start, with the Two full backs in defence, while leaving out DIAZEN or NICOLAS against Atalanta. ?

     

     

    Whit dae I know ?

     

    LOL

     

    HH.

  6. In my personal 6 visits to Italy for Celtic CL games we have lost all 6.

     

     

    In these we have been really competitive and in with a chance of a result until the closing stages in 5 of them. Juventus in the last 16 was an exception.

     

     

    Hopefully tomorrow in Bergamo the law of averages kicked in…… I mean in a positive sense.

     

     

    We have the ability to spring a surprise or two. Daizen and Kyoto etc. Hope springs eternal.

     

     

    Nice also to visit one of the few Italian clubs who have more left leaning political bias.

  7. Big Jimmy on 22nd October 2024 12:15 pm

     

    “If ” Fit Enough” I wonder IF Brendan will play CCV, LIAM and AUSTON from the start, with the Two full backs in defence, while leaving out DIAZEN or NICOLAS against Atalanta. ?”

     

     

    I’d like to see a back 5 with CalMac, Bernardo and Engels/McCowan/Reo in front of them. I’d have Maeda and Kyogo up front. Both will do a shift and a half defensively too as well as both offering a threat on the counter. Whilst its 0-0 I’d also like to think we wont press quite so high up and leave massive gaps everywhere.

     

     

    I’ve moved the bigger sofa into the TV room just in case I need to hide behind it as I think we will go 4-3-3 and be quite open and one misplaced pass will see us outnumbered and ripped open with ease.

     

     

    QB

  8. Hopefully I’m wrong but I think if there was any chance of CCV featuring tomorrow, we would have seen him at some stage against Aberdeen.

  9. Paul 67,

     

     

    In the words of modern terminology, have we learned the lessons that will enable us to unclinical them.

     

     

    HH.

  10. Ally Mc Coist at the Spurs v West Ham Game.

     

    ” It can’t possibly be a penalty, Fletch, as his arm was still attached to his body!”

     

    Aye, since birth Ally!

     

    Hail!Hail!

     

    Terrymac

  11. Por Cierto on 22nd October 2024 12:19 pm

     

    Hope you’re well Jimmy. Aye its a good shout 3 CB’s and 2 FB’s. por cierto

     

    ………..

     

     

    I am reasonably okay mate, thanks for asking.

     

    I hope that you and the family are all fit and healthy.

     

     

    Like most Celtic supporters ( I assume ), I am concerned about the game against Atalanta and for good bloody reason !

     

    It MAY be a case of ” ALL Hands to the Pump” for 90 odd minutes…I hope not ?

     

    Maybe Brendan will have a ” PLAN X” in place to surprise us all ?

     

     

    LOL.

     

    HH Mate.

  12. QuadBhoy on 22nd October 2024 12:27 pm

     

    ” I’ve moved the bigger sofa into the TV room just in case I need to hide behind it as I think we will go 4-3-3 and be quite open and one misplaced pass will see us outnumbered and ripped open with ease.”

     

     

     

    …………….

     

    I am in the process of having my Butler and my Maid building a new version of The Berlin Wall in front of my TV for tomorrow nights game.

     

     

    LOL

     

    HH.

  13. Wonder who’d win a duel between Che Adams and Che Catso ??

     

     

    PARLIAMOGLESGANUMERODUE CSC

  14. Big Jimmy on 22nd October 2024 12:51 pm

     

    “I am in the process of having my Butler and my Maid building a new version of The Berlin Wall in front of my TV for tomorrow nights game.”

     

     

    Genuine LOL moment during a crappy day at work. Thank you, I needed a wee laugh.

     

     

    Let’s hope we still have a sense of humour during/after the game! I fear we may need it.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    QB

  15. Has anyone broached the subject that perhaps a lot of our issues are stemming from Mcgregor?

     

     

    Seems to have lost a lot of pace and edge over the past 9-12 months.

  16. I fear Brendan will select his normal team, play his normal formation and apply his normal tactics. He has said as much. His belief is that we play his way in every game Home and away.

     

     

    I expect

     

    Schmichael

     

    Johnston

     

    Trusty(or CCV)

     

    Scales

     

    Valle

     

    Hatate

     

    Mcgregor

     

    Engels

     

    Kuhn

     

    Kyogo

     

    Maeda

     

     

    My worry is that Atalanta will have analysed our set up at Dortmund and have planned accordingly. Even Saturday showed how weak we are in transition and quick breaks by our opponents. Atalanta faced Leverkusen in Europa Final and unpicked the unbeaten German side and won the cup. They obviously have astute coaches.

     

     

    What we need to do is surprise them by changing our tactics. I fear Brendan will stick to his guns and another uncomfortable evening is on its way.

  17. An Tearmann on 22nd October 2024 1:14 pm

     

     

    What an excellent Videos that you have posted.

     

     

    Now I am even more worried as Atalantas strengths seem to match our weakness.

  18. The Battered Bunnet on

    In our reference win over Barca, we started notionally 4-4-2 but it quickly became apparent that we had 4 fullbacks – Commons in front of Lustig, Samaras in front of Matthews.

     

     

    Wanyama was (mostly) in front of Ambrose, Wilson and Mulgrew in the centre.

     

     

    That left Ledley and Miku closing space.

     

     

    Barca had 85% possession, 24 attempts at goal, 14 on target, 1 goal.

     

     

    We completed just 44% of our passes, gave the ball away 136 times (there was rarely a forward pass to be found), had 4 attempts at goal, 3 of which on target, 2 goals.

     

     

    Someone will likely have done the XG analysis, but it’s not needed. Much as the result was astonishing and the adrenaline level maintained at ‘wired’ for days afterwards, any other day of the year we’d have been pumped with that performance. And we often have been since. The next year they beat us 6-1.

     

     

    Was Lenny the rope-a-dope clever clogs? Had he conceived of a new system to compete in Europe? Or was that Barca team not quite up to snuff (they lost 7-0 on aggregate to Bayern in the semis) and we got lucky that night?

     

     

    Whatever way we set up against the top teams, we’ll lose most times. We simply don’t have defenders who are as good as the oppositions forwards, irrespective of how many of them we put on the park.

     

     

    I would though like to see us a little less exposed, a couple more jerseys in the middle of the park. Naked defending isn’t that attractive.

  19. TBB,

     

    Lenny had.Give them the wings.Fill the space from between the corner flags and the goal area.Try like hell to stop them getting the ball into the box from those areas.That’s how he explained it.Then again,that was against Barca,and what Lenny thought they were great at.

     

    It worked,but looking at the stats posted earlier,I think his tactics had a massive back up from Lady Luck.

  20. “It was a tough night and at this level you get punished for any mistakes. As a team, we will sit down and analyse the game and learn where we can do better ”

     

     

    Post Atalanta match press conference.

     

     

    Rinse and repeat as Brendan says, once again, getting humped playing 433 is better than a narrow defeat by switching to 442.

     

     

    “You can never make the same mistake twice because the second time you make it, it’s not a mistake, it’s a choice. -Unknown”

  21. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    A potential positive ahead of tomorrow is that everyone is so negative, which is almost the polar opposite of the hope/positivity ahead of Dortmund.

     

     

    I thought this was woefully misplaced and when asked what I’d like from the game I replied “just avoid a hammering”. We know how that worked out.

     

     

    Perhaps the the team and manager will surprise us tomorrow night, but whatever happens, just avoid a hammering 👍

  22. this league format, imho goal diwill be a decider on our positioning.

     

     

    losing heavily has to be avoided.

     

     

    one high score at celtic park does not mean we will do the same in our other home games.

     

     

    stop the shots and crosses. fill the gaps, stay disciplined.

     

     

    play jamesie.

  23. a few Michael Owen quotes – there are loads more!!

     

     

    ”It’s a good run, but it’s poor .”

     

    “Footballers these days often have to use their feet.”

     

    “He looks like a footballer.”

     

    “That would’ve been a goal had it gone inside the post.”

     

    “That’s a fantastic penalty, but he’ll be gutted it went wide.”

     

    “When they don’t score, they hardly ever win.”

     

    “I’ve been consistent in patches this season.”

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