When looking back on last season I suggested we would not have won the league if we persisted with the 4-2-3-1 formation that brought us to the brink of crisis in December. Creativity was ponderous and the players looked out of ideas. We switched to three at the back after the winter break and rolled towards the title. The same players looked commanding and worthy winners.
There were many failures last night, but reverting to the tried-and-tested-and-failed formation is high on the list. If there is another reason we failed to score more with so much possession, I don’t think it had a material impact.
After the Hamilton Accies demolition, it felt churlish to gripe about the volume of chances we conceded, but I could foresee having to write today’s article. High on my mind that day was what some unknown, but infinitely better, European striker would do to us in qualifying. We are wide open to the counter attack. Ferencvaros’ winner was a dreadful goal to concede – a clearance from the middle of their own half that we failed to defend. Although Elhamed was culpable, it was a consequence of how we play.
You have seen the opening goal before this season. Accies threw a set piece into the box, which was headed to the edge of a penalty area that was a Celtic Free Zone. We have conceded three goals this season, two of them as a consequence of not getting out to the edge of the box for the second ball at set pieces.
Neil Lennon seemed more upset about the second goal – which involved a clear individual error – than the first, which was a systemic failure to defend set pieces. We do not push out with rehearsed purpose. Motherwell will know that and if we do not fix it by Sunday, they will exploit what Hamilton and Ferenvaros already profited from.
For years I have written here that suggestions players do not look interested is a naïve comment by people that do know little about football, which is usually borne out when they burst into creativity following a tactical change. Neil threw this theory (and his players) under the bus after the game. Whatever mistakes Neil Lennon made last night, we know the man well enough to be sure something significant lay behind his post-match comments about players not wanting to be at Celtic.
We have been here before, from Kelvin, to Moussa to Dedryck. Based on the manager’s comments, I have no doubt some of the current crop are up to the same tricks. This is very disappointing, but it is not why we were knocked out of Europe, again, by a team with that cost a fraction of our own, and on this occasion to a team who have played fewer games than us.
The value for money return on our wage and player investment spend has brought historical highs domestically. Money spent is the blunt weapon that’s delivered nine-in-a-row, three trebles and counting, but we are regularly out boxed by European financial minnows, and if you blame Hatem Elhamed for last night, you are missing the big picture.
On a tactical note, I am not getting into whoever wants a move until the window closes. There are very important weeks ahead. Eye on the (remaining) prize.
506 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- »
I could name drop all night. I once played a friendly for St Columbkille’s boys’ guild down in Saltcoats. Bobby Lennox was the referee…and you know what?… he got most decisions right. He could have gone places that lad.😂
ernie lynch
A good cup run would get a bonus etc. And I don’t think they include payments to young players etc.
Even so, it will be a tight ship for pretty much all of those clubs.
Cannot see any of our wantaway plays wanting away to either of those divisions.
Wonder how that would compare with our own Championship clubs?
GLENDALYSTONSILS…and plenty other targets to hack on the pitch…
Thelurkintim…aye, hopefully he’ll be back in time for 15…😊
WEE BOBBY COLLINS our boys guild team our lady and st josephs glenboig would have beat you we were the bees knees we even had a former man united player in our team cyber pint if you know who it was 😎
Big Packy….you told that one before but I don’t remember…g’wan then! Remind us…
Btw …I’m cyber teetotal…
But only cyber…
majestic hartson
Kieran Tierney declared himself fit the day before the 2019 Scottish Cup Final.
Maybe wanted to go out in a blaze of glory…..
WEE BOBBY COLLINS, francis burns, played left back for united from 65 till 69 if i remember,iived 2 doors down from me , now lives in australia
Big Packy…strange! Don’t remember him. First teamer?
Really could not care less about Tierney now…but he had every right to move to Arsenal.
We also got good money.
I have been struggling with Celtic for over 24hrs now..never mind the manager looking depressed…FFS I am.
I do know that we really need to get a grip on things [us supporters]
If we are not careful we might be demotivating ourselves into the biggest shitstorm going.
We need to forget last night and move on.
We need Celtic to get back scalping scottish teams in our inferior league.
The alternative is to work ourselves into a frenzy the next time we drop points.
Things can change..even if we stay neck and neck with sevco for now ..even if we somehow beat them or get a draw in the sept match…..later on in the season we might be in a much better place and perhaps the crisis will be on them.
Stick together Celtic fans…we still have plenty of really good players ,plenty of talent.
For all Neil Lennons flaws he is one of us .He loves this club and he probably never got a wink of sleep last night.
He needs to be backed because the alternative at this stage is unthinkable and an open invitation to sevco to march to the league title.
Anyway…Time for bed…it’s an age thingy. I’ll be back tomorrow and tell you how I sat in big Billy’s kitchen drinking tea and talking about our Lithuanian background…(then again, maybe I won’t.) :-)
Big Packy…say hello to bmcuw over on SC. I don’t visit there as I’m a loyal, oops! faithful one blog man…
Majestic Harrison
I read jucojames he was doing so well until he suggested John Kennedy as stand in
Stats aren’t the be all and end all I treat his stuff with a pinch of salt, interesting reading nonetheless
WEE BOBBY COLLINS, yes played a lot of first team games,anyway will speak tomorrow god willing, will tell bobby you were asking.H,H,
Celtic Mac @10:57pm
That may be so – the point the bhoy is making is that we had a young man playing the most games in world football, whilst giving him pain killing injections and him I ften not being able to give anywhere near 100%.
He couldn’t get out of bed for one game and his captain told him that to just get up and get on with it, even though careers have been ended because of it.
The way we managed his injury kept him out of the game for over a year.
Not only is that a risk to a young man’s career but from a business point of view you are surely putting one of your biggest assets at massive risk.
Doesn’t seem very progressive to me
GTTS,
I know what you mean – imagine CQN if JK got offered the job!!
For those that want tae bin our manager, and I’m not saying their wrong, cast your mind back tae deidco going for a crooked 10. After spending 14.45 million they exited the Champions League on August 27. 34 days later and they were out of the Europa. Before the next month was over naesurname was working his notice. How did that season, which initially showed so much promise. , pan oot. They won eff all and the Chairman would later be knighted for his business acumen.
Surely we could all see that KT was being flogged for all game, every game, even before he’d matured into adulthood. While for much of the time, izzie sat on the bench. A Bhoy who could have been used to see our games and ‘spell’ the lad.
We now do the same to Brown, at the end of his career.
Much of the KT maltreatment took place under BR. But not all. And Celtic failed in their duty of care to protect him from over playing and hammer throwers.
HH jg
FFS!
Good God.
‘For all Neil Lennons flaws he is one of us .’
That’s your well thought out argument for absolving him.
Holy Moly.
Tactically inept. Bizarre team selection.
Threw away a shot at £30m in the bank.
But, ‘For all Neil Lennons flaws he is one of us .’
Really?
After Cluj, Copenhagen etc.
‘For all Neil Lennons flaws he is one of us .’
I seriously despair.
Last night was the worst night ever for me watching the mighty Glasgow Celtic 0-1 down at half time and we were struck with a power cut , adding to my already stressful night then using the radio on my mobile & listening to the from events unfolding of another champions league failure of was off to bed in a bad mood , I was glad to see my daughter coming to visit me with my 4 week old grandson to cheer her old dad up she said & it made me realise there are more important things in life than football , onwards & upwards to the ten hail hail in Kenny we trust
Lenny
The KT stuff is really troubling me.
Like, eh, seriously troubling me.
VALE BHOY on 27TH AUGUST 2020 11:28 PM
Yes I SAID ..’for all Neil Lennons flaws he is one of us’
The completely disrespectful way you have replied is very sad.
My point being that he is a man who will be hurting.
He is a human being and a Celtic manager and player of great standing.
My point being that doing anything other than backing him at the moment is pointless.
The champions league is gone.
He is left to try and win us the title,some domestic cups and hopefully some better showings in the Europa.
All of which he managed just fine last season.
I see no point in changing managers right now and infact IF we did I could see it being pretty problematic to our domestic chances this year.
Perhaps you should grow up a bit
Heard a story about to break about Aribo and his mrs having a trip to Spain.
Supposed to emerge before the weekend fixtures.
Anyone else heard anything similar?
GARYGH; if its true, then he’ll be double-damned if it came after Boli. Not sure if pre or post?
On the result, ma hurting heid’s still nipping.
Our player performances weren’t abject but we were again simply undone by well-drilled Cluj clones.
Pissed at NFL for deflection tactic of rinsing un-named players; his emotional regulation valves need a re-set. And really feel for Ajer who while not a perfect player, is a model young pro entitled to optimise his value.
He tried and least knew which direction to try take the game; which is more than can be said for our team tacticians. HH
Gary G- heard same story
Jobo’s POTY,is interesting reading, I know it was difficult to pi k 1 player never mind 3,but Elyounoussi……..I would have hooked him at HT…..
Quadrophenian
Not sure of the truth of it but impression I got was that it was post Boli.
Bada : I was thinking El Hamed was one of my three top men just before he had his disaster.
Not a great sleep so ended up here. Just one thing I’ve noticed- speculative tweets by sly sports being presented as fact. Tut tut.
We haven’t helped ourselves with the performance and the result. But don’t make it easier for them- by disrupting on the basis pure speculation. We’ll know at the end of the window. This is perfect for them in this special season. Finally- some of the sense of entitlement here does come across as Hun-like.
Billy Connolly summed it up for me In the The Victoria Bar as I sold our newspaper, “dont let our own scum assimilate you”
A new day, still gutted.
We know the consequences of that disastrous, timid and insipid defeat.
This self inflicted catastrophic footballing humilation in the current climate will not go away quickly or quietly.
HH to all .
JAMESGANG @ 11:27 PM,
It always amazes me when, the considered and smart Celtic supporters get caught up and brain washed by the propoganda…
From my recollection BR made a lot more comment about the way Celtic were officiated domestically. Him, Steve Clarke et al were the ones complaining about the officiating in Scottish Football matches at that time.
In fact, so much so that a bunch of managers got together with the SFA and their officials for a summit, remember?
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46902736
Lenny (then at Hibs) was voted as the representative of the managers, then Steve Clarke was given the Scotland job and Brendan Rodgers left and nought was done – it is now business as usual again.
…”Much of the KT maltreatment took place under BR. But not all. And Celtic failed in their duty of care to protect him from over playing and hammer throwers.
What makes you think Brendan Rodgers maltreated KT, not his style at all imo.
As stated, BR made representations about the way Celtic players were officiated.
For the best part of three months before Brendan Rodgers left he didn’t play Kieran. In fact Kieran needed serious treatment and an operation.
However when Lenny came and took over from BR as caretaker it was him that played KT despite the medical conditions.
Why? Did someone want Kieran in the shop window, obviously BR wasn’t prepared to do that.
As usual, when looking at “the rhats” time – only the facts have changed to protect the guilty…
Anyway once the 2018/19 season was over KT got his operation and did his recuperation with Arsenal who restored his career…
Thank goodness for that young man’s sake.
Can you remember the CQN leader at the time KT left – insinuating we might have sold Arsenal a pup? A pretty sad read in the light of where we are today.
https://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/kt-medical-advice-player-hierarchy-being-ready-to-make-a-deal/
I don’t know what his medical advice has been, but if you read about chronic osteitis pubis, you get an insight into where an athlete’s head may be when he has a persistent injury that is not responding as hoped…
“Osteitis pubis is a painful degenerative condition of the pubic symphysis, surrounding soft tissues and tendons…. It is currently considered as one of the most debilitating pain syndromes for athletes. Although the condition is considered self-limiting, it often requires stoppage of sporting activities for several months, representing a significant problem especially for elite athletes.”
…If we are serious about making progress as a football club, we need to take our player trading onto another level. That means everyone has a price and we should be ready with replacement options whenever a value offer arrives…
At Celtic, we love our history more than any others do, but football is all about tomorrow. Time to get busy writing the next chapter.
Hail Hail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rz8ge4aw8Ws
Want a new LB?
Kostas Tsimikas has arrived at Liverpool from Olympiakos in an £11m deal as back-up for left-back Andrew Robertson.
11m for a back~up!
Good morning, friends and a Big Happy Friday from a dryish and improving East Kilbride.
We never get too long to wallow in our latest defeat with the Motherwell game only 2 sleeps away. Fingers crossed for a return to 3-5-2. Time for work ;-)
Hello again all you young rebels.
A lovely sunny 18 degs today in Melbourne, spring just round the corner
but it hasn’t alleviated or changed my mood.
But we’ve all had our rant at that debacle the other night, it was so unnecessary.
The quest for the ten has got us all backbiting, slagging, and really some really
pathetic posts from the trolls.
But where do we go now?
Do we stick with the Lurgan legend?
Does he even want to carry us on to the ten?
Will he even be allowed to ?
Me? having calmed down and although a bad team selection too far, i’m willing
to stick with Lenny and give him the chance to be immortal.
A lot of questions in my post, so i’m away to ask Mr Rid Biddy he’s always got the
answers, and anyway i’ll need to man the barricades, there’s bound to be a horde
of bilious bigots out there to laugh and mock me.
What do you mean they’re extinct here on the rebel peninsula for the last ten years?
KTF we shall overcome.
We always have.
H.H. Mick
While i’m on here can anyone tell me why we need an opinion
from the cheekie chump McMoist on CQN?
Who gives a feck?
Talking about chumps, big Jimmy’s favourite word for erseholes.
How are you Jimmy?
H.H. Mick
MNCELT on 27TH AUGUST 2020 9:49 PM
Not only do we have football experts on here that could run our team (and club) in their sleep, but we also have medical experts diagnosing the health of our manager through watching video clips. I found the latter disgraceful btw. No place for it on a blog and the comment should have been deleted.
—–
Good post. After what Neil’s gone through to play and manage us he’ll always have my support.
God bless Neil Lennon.