After so much slow build-up play this season, and so many misplaced passes, the sight of Roberts, Christie, Allan and Griffiths pinging the ball around the field was a revelation. I know the game was won before the three substitutes grabbed hold of things, and that there are vastly more challenging scenarios than Inverness at home, but the new blood have asked a big question of the incumbent three attacking midfielders.
The comfort on the ball the three substitutes brought was also contagious, Lustig looked less like a panicked fawn as he confidently back-heeled the ball into space.
The balance in the team has shifted damagingly in favour of players who can run, or perhaps jump, but who are unconvincing with the ball at their feet. So much so, Craig Gordon clears the ball up the field, instead of playing-in Bitton or a central defender, more than we’ve seen from a Celtic keeper in decades.
Christie, Roberts and Allan will not change this overnight (the latter’s misplaced pass against Ajax was costly), but they are doing enough to justify some faith in their selection. New Douglas Park should be an ideal opportunity to strut their stuff.
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Sftb.
Spirited and we’ll thought out defence of James forrest the footballer last night.
Off course the hundreds dad. The cowardice. The swinging the lead. All overly emotional comments from exasperated bloggers getting out their seats as James fails to deliver.
All missing the most obvious and glaring weakness in his game.
He runs funny.
Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooood moring
CQN………………………………………………………………..
TheSunisShiningOntheCosta
When’s we James’s contract run oot, some saying the summer, some saying Christmas ???????????????
BigJoedoesn’tKnow
The good ship Celtic seems to be navigating the waters pretty well – for a rudderless ship!! Always room for improvement,it may be on an erratic course but it is being navigated albeit not to everyone’s taste. H H Hebcelt
canamalar
“Looking forward to this being dissected :)”
I’ll decline thanks. I said my piece about the exaggerated justifications for not liking the player. In your latest summation you were more reasonable. I was out with old pals from school last night and we were discussing one of our school’s fitba stars, Frank Welsh. Frank was brought straight to Celtic from school. He was identified as Big Billy’s successor and was ahead of Roddy McDonald in the pecking order. But Frank developed a “mysterious” groin injury and he ended up as a full time occupant of the treatment table. It was mysterious because we had no sports science in this country at the time and physios were mostly ex players who had done a first aid course and passed O level biology. So he got let go with a suspicion that “it was all in the mind” just as it was allegedly, with Shaun Maloney too. Though Frank went on to play with a few clubs, after Celtic, he was never the talent he should have been. Injuries impede potential, progress and achievement. You can attribute any other factors you want- in the end- JF sparkled when fit and was too often unfit which is a shame for us and for him. I wish him nothing but well. These guys, pro footballers, to reach the level they do, have to overcome greater odds and more opposition than we face to get our positions in our jobs. Accusations of cowardice do not fit the bill as any form of explanation.
St. Stiv’s
Very good! It is true and Raheem Sterling has the same style- as if they had a handbag on both arms. It must be a balance thing but, as I have never moved as fast, I cannot comment with any insight at all (now, there’s a set-up line!)
Anyone think Callum Mcgregor has the same odd?? running style as wee James? H H Hebcelt
http://hollowverse.com/neymar/
It may be that some other club will do to JF that Wigan did to Maloney – got him properly fit to the stage that one writer said he was the best player in the lower half of the EPL.
Shaun bulked up to the state that he looked like a rugby scrum half and seemed 10 times more resilient.
Hebcelt – re Callum McGregor’s running style – I always think he runs like an Irish dancer, with his arms by his sides.
I think he runs like a shoplifter wi a frozen chicken down his shorts.
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 22ND FEBRUARY 2016 11:00 PM
‘The Battle of the Boyne took place in Ireland.
The 12th marches commemorate that victory .
No argument there , surely.
No anti-Irishism . Quite the reverse.Support for Irish protestantism and the Ulster plantation.
Anti Catholicism……………..loud and clear.’
####
Not quite.
Generally speaking in Scotland historically there was hostility towards Irish Catholic immigrants. There was no such hostility towards Protestant immigrants from Ireland or towards indigenous Scottish Catholics.
The explanation is that back then people saw things in racial terms, in a way that people today find hard to comprehend.
Irish Catholics were seen as being racially different and inferior to native Scots. Irish Protestants would be thought of as racially Scottish as would indigenous Scottish Catholics.
It seems ridiculous to us today but that’s how people thought back then.
No doubt future generations will regard us as being similarly preposterous with regard to something or other.
Result
Meeting next door to abbots ford bar coneybhoy mentioned
Oldtim
Behind m&s at Waverley st end of rose st
“After so much slow build-up play this season” Paul67
I don`t watch much football on TV but based on what I have seen, all teams , when confronted by packed and organised defences adopt a slow build up because no other more productive option is available. Surely even the most frustrated of supporters can see that if a more attacking option was available it would be preferred?
JJ
SFTB said: ” How anyone who decried the boy as a coward or a lead swinger can criticise him for leaving is beyond me.”
I am sure that is not beyond you at all, SFTB 0:-)
JJ
Is everyone on their way to meet BT in Edinburgh? 0:-)
Might as well enjoy this beautiful day with a wee bike ride,
Cheerio for now,
JJ
PS. BT& The Bhoys, enjoy yourselves !
See the huns are scrapping the “development” team………………….
Lets see how the SMSM spin this to he a master stoke from Scotland’s newest club, or is it a company
BigJoelovestheSPIN
Napoli 1-AC Milan 1 .
Napoli were the superior team but failed to convert their superiority into goals . Napoli remain 2nd in Serie A . Napoli ‘s Manager sent to the stand in consequence of loudly berating the Match Officials re his perception that they were Officiating the game in favour of AC Milan.
Chant of the night —-” We would prefer to starve than sleep with Berlusconi “.
Today’s get up and out choons -.
Gloria Ann Taylor -Love Is A Hurtin ‘Thing ( Selector Sounds)
Help Me —-Ray Sharpe and The King Curtis Orchestra (Atco ) .
Ristretto downed – back to transplanting onion sets -way down south .
South Of Tunis
What a chop the Gloria Ann Taylor…
Cheers:))
Chop hmmmm Choon:)))
Big Joe – always good to see you posting. Hitting Cala de Mijas in April and then Javia in late June. Canny beat the ole Costas!
Wee Jobo
For me JF has had long enough at the club to establish himself and has never really done it. Injuries obviously haven’t helped.
Too often takes the wrong option and still has a tendency to sit on the floor protesting when he thinks he has been fouled, rather than getting on with the game.
Think a move suits both parties. Maybe not being the “promising youngster” at his next club will help him push on.
James Forrest’s problem in my opinion has always been that he lacks football intelligence and in his position it’s vital he picks the right option, that being said he’s not the only one in our current team:))
Bring on The Accies..
http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/scottish_fa_news.cfm?page=1957&newsCategoryID=7&newsID=15972
Scottish Cup tie confirmed as 12 noon on the Sunday.
CELTIC have now been informed by the SFA that the Scottish Cup quarter-final tie at home to Morton will take place on Sunday, March 6 (KO: 12noon).
Mothers Day, 12 noon kick off, 15k max.
Top tier open according to JPT
Ticket prices £15 & £5.
With Regards to JF , It came as no surprise to me he rejected a new contract . As I posted yesterday , as far as I was concerned , he has appeared to show little interest in playing for the hoops . No doub this lad has had a time of it with injuries . But recently while being fit has shown nothing , which is a pity as I feel that celtic need good wingers . The boy Roberts looks a good yin , but he s only here short term , also going by reports it was hoped the young boy that’s been loaned out to Partick would fill the void , but if he can’t get into thistles team , then I doesn’t bode well . I hope RD has his finger on the pulse and acknowledges the need for a winger . I was also impressed on Saturday with our young guns . But I felt earlier on in the game ,celtic were being bullied by ICT . No doubt celtic have invested well in Allan, Christie , Mackay smith , Roberts . But these lads need a midfield enforcer to back them up . Broonie won’t be there for ever . So IMHO that’s one for the wish list .
jimtim on 23rd February 2016 10:49 am
Thistle’s only played one game (a cup tie at Tannadice) since Aiden Nesbitt signed on loan.
The four year deal offered to James Forrest is obviously testament to the high regard he is held in at Celtic. This is a new era in team sports in all codes when the the players on the bench are as of equal importance as the starters and you always expected something to happen when James was sprung from the bench. We saw this happen recently when Arsenal brought on a couple of highly skilled players to snatch a couple of goals that gave them the win against Leicester City. James always an exciting player to watch when fit and best of luck to him if he decides to move on.
SSN giving us the Mark Warburton show today.That muppet interviewing fairly slabbering all over him.Nauseating.
Forrest,never thought I would say this,but he wont be missed.The future is already at our club,if only Rd would get his finger out and play them.
i actualy think allan is quite a tough boy. dirty even,
Celtic have been fined €13,000 by a UEFA disciplinary panel over crowd trouble during their Europa League match against Fenerbahce and for “improper conduct by the team”.
The Scottish champions were found guilty of two rule breaches by the governing body, one for the setting off of fireworks by supporters and another for the team picking up five yellow cards.
The Scottish champions were charged by European football’s governing body after fans let off flares in the Europa League group stage match in Turkey in December.
The match, which ended in a 1-1 draw, also saw the use of pyrotechnics by fans of the Turkish club.
http://sport.stv.tv/football/clubs/celtic/1343399-celtic-uefa-fenerbahce-verdict/
Wonder if the players who let the club down and got us fined will be paying their share of the fine?
ernie lynch on 23rd February 2016 9:31 am
“Generally speaking in Scotland historically there was hostility towards Irish Catholic immigrants. There was no such hostility towards Protestant immigrants from Ireland or towards indigenous Scottish Catholics. ”
“Generally speaking in Scotland historically there was hostility towards Irish Catholic immigrants. ”
Because of their religion,not their race.
======================================================================
“There was no such hostility towards Protestant immigrants from Ireland ”
Agreed.Quite the reverse in fact. Precisely my argument.
Scottish religious bigotry.Not racism.
—————————————————————————————————————————
“or towards indigenous Scottish Catholics.”
Not my experience ,or that of my friends and family.
A Catholic was targeted and discriminated against, irrespective of their racial background….Irish,Polish,Italian…..Fenians all to the religious bigots who bestrode our land.
That`s religious bigotry.
Not racism.
Hence the apology made by the Church of Scotland.
To their eternal credit.
SFTB 11.56
When I read that post last night I thought if not straight from Corinthians 13 it most certainly was in that Corinthian spirit.
https://radicalmanchester.wordpress.com/2010/04/12/the-anti-irish-riot-in-ashton-under-lyne-may-1868/
Ernie Lynch
Was happening all over.
HH
Meanwhile, up in Dundee. . .
Midfielder Nick Ross: “I have played against Rangers a few times at Ibrox”
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=6fgDxAASI_c
Michael O’Neill offered a new 4 year deal with the North of Ireland, reported to be worth 2m.
Celtic have been fined €13,000 by UEFA over crowd disorder & improper conduct of the team not good but could have been a lot worse