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.
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SFTB.
There’s a video of first goal from behind the goal, it’s been shown on Twitter, Ajer runs in the wrong direction, to the right, El Hamed points/ shouts for him to go left, by then it’s too late for Ajer to go and block.
I’m surprised our manager didn’t make more of that goal.
SFTB,
Sorry mate, that’s spot on feedback. I look like I’m spoiling for a row but just find myself morphing into the joker with a bipolar laugh/cry bout…
It’s the feeling that something positive should come out of this I guess. I want Neil to do what I keep telling him to do. Here. Obsessively :)
Welcome David – hope you’re patient – has anyone told Neil
at one time Elhamed refused to go into the front stand to collect the ball in case he injured himself , I don’t blame him , once again very unprofessional set up from us
Edouard, Griffiths, Ajeti, Klimala, Bayo (out on loan). Do Man City have five strikers?
the more i think about it the more bizarre it gets, can you imagine jock stein putting john clark up front as a striker, no i dont either.H.H.
IMHO, he looks unkempt and, worryingly, unhealthy.
agree , said the same during his pre match interview , something amiss.
Luciano Spalletti
Marcelino
‘JK’ and ‘organised’ in the same sentence is an oxymoron.
I think Lenny played Christie because he wanted to accommodate Ntcham and didn’t want to drop anyone. Last year was similar with CalMac moved to LB to fit Ntcham in.
Ajeti is not fully fit but against that team he’d have had a couple of great chances to score. All we needed was a presence in the pen box. We didn’t need him to cover every blade of grass.
When I told my Liverpool supporting friend this morning that we played Christie as a lone striker while leaving two on the bench his chin dropped.
It’s scary to think what was going on when our management team sanctioned that idea.
When you make your football so dependent on just a couple of key players on the pitch, it’ll be the life and death of your career on the sidelines.
An Dun
It’s scary to think what was going on when our management team sanctioned that idea.
………………
In a word arrogance
If an offer for ten million or more came in for Ajer then I’d move him on. He’s an extremely limited defender and would be tortured in a better league. We could surely secure better with the funds.
It’s scary to think what was going on when our management team sanctioned that idea.
maybe the mole could enlighten us.
AN DÚN, liking your optimism but it will never happen
Shaun Maloney
JOHNMON on 27TH AUGUST 2020 1:00 PM
Agree 100%
67ECW
Another thing some people seem to have missed but the Ferencvaros coach didn’t is that Elhamed had been booked and if he had a speed machine on a one on one situation against him there was no way Elhamed could commit a professional foul. We also had a speed machine in Frimpong on the bench for the same defensive position, he wasn’t brought on until after the damage was done. If Elhamed hadn’t been booked I’m sure the Ferencvaros player would have been chopped down outside the penalty box. Why are our coaching staff so naive.
Toney to Brentford £10 million
SFtBs @ 2:25 PM,
So which is it to be?
The Board has been selling our best players from underneath the manager?
or The Board has failed to sell wantaway players and left these dissatisfied players in the squad for the manager to deal with.
Well it’s hardly an either or is it? It is of course both.
The PLC touts players around and puts them in the shop window during the transfer period, we see who bites and how much we can make. Some players get their move some don’t.
We know this is how it works, the managers’ comments and the “leaked transfer document”
Then as Paul67 states in his leader; some of the many examples “from Kelvin, to Moussa to Dedryck.”
Some get their move like Moussa and VvD, some don’t like Dedryck and N’tcham.
A couple weeks ago we discussed this on CQN. My point was the culture and business dealings at Celtic disrupt the squad. You disagreed.
I wonder in the light of no strikers yesterday and Lenny’s interviews after the game, you are more inclined to agree with me?
Hail Hail
JIMMYNOTPAUL on 27TH AUGUST 2020 3:19 PM
SFTB.
There’s a video of first goal from behind the goal, it’s been shown on Twitter, Ajer runs in the wrong direction, to the right, El Hamed points/ shouts for him to go left, by then it’s too late for Ajer to go and block.
————————-
Bang on – ranted about that last night (amongst a host of other things).
View behind the goal is telling – five Celtic players run out towards the right hand side of the 6 yard box to mark two opposition player, or just to clear the lines, leaving a huge amount of space, and unmarked players, on the left of the box. Hence the goal.
Ajer was the most obvious headless chicken – no positional sense whatsoever as a center-back.
And for what it is worth, and I’ve been a solid supporter, but I think Neil needs to walk. Many differing reasons for that conclusion – but I need to get back to work!!!
HH
BGFC
Rapid Vienna, FC Midtjylland, and Young Boys are all in the third qualifying round for the Champions League Group Stages, while we join the likes of the Faroese on the outside looking in. What do these three teams have in common? Last season, they were all knocked out of the Europa League by the Zombie Club. Think about that for a moment, and let it sink in.
In all the righteous ( and justified ) vitriol posted since last night’s debacle, there have been many insightful contributions. Etims today says it all. Someone ( sorry I forget who ) posted on here that football assets will be liquidated to cover operational stupidity. Succinct but very true.
Ferencvaros were 17/2 to win last night, so some people made out like bandits, after hearing the team announcement. Personally, I had the exactly the same feeling of doom as I had last season on learning that Calum would be left back. After repeating this insanity, how can we ever trust Neil Lennon again? Watching him slump, listless and disheveled, in the dugout while the game slipped away, was alarming. Why did he not learn from Cluj, when we were in a position to win several times, and repeatedly blew it? Why, at 1-1, with the possibility of extra time and the Hungarians tiring, were both Julien and Ajer so far up the pitch, leaving their main danger man one on one? The inescapable conclusion is that he is a mediocre coach with no tactical vision. Making no change in formation for the home game against Sevco last December, after they had swamped us at Hampden a short time before, was a flashing red light.
Sunday should be interesting.
52, 000 of us paid for season tickets knowing that we’d probably be watching much of it on our TVs or laptops. Most can access a dodgy stream for the same…52,000 paid the full whack. Many with more than one ST in a household.
That’s supporting your team.
For Lennon and the rest of his ‘management’ team to come up with that formation last night is an insult to those ST holders and all the other fans who support in other ways.
FIVE games into the season we have had:
Bolingoli (words fail)
Griffiths ( no more sympathy for that chancer)
Fannying about in the transfer market (Turnbull has hardly been noticed)
That team formation last night (unbelievable. 2 strikers on the bench)
Throwing the players under the bus (like a rank amateur trying to divert blame from himself and his inadequacies)
Telling us that he played players who want to leave (FFS!)
All of the above suggest something I said weeks ago, Lennon has lost control. Lawwell is being Lawwell. He likes a gamble with other people’s money and ambitions.
I won’t even start on the board rolling over to Wee Jimmy Krankie and her snp trolls.
That’s how they treat us.
I, for one, have lost all respect for those running our club and our team.
You can’t plug a leaky defensive with a defensive coach that’s nuts
It is the entire setup that is the issue
Under Brendan we were very open and got hammered by good teams , against middle ranking and local Scottish teams at least when we lost the ball we tried to get it back quickly and our tactic often was a series of niggling fouls to prevent the opposition breaking on us.
We are possibly more open under Neil but folks get confused because at least there is less messing about at the back … we lose our way after 60 to 70 minutes against most decent opposition just at the time most Scottish teams start to tire against us ….
Feels like a rut is setting in that it is OK to be hopeless against very mediocre opposition, primarily because of the 10 …. we will not the rock the boat unless Neil losses the plot
There are better managers than Neil clearly but can they adapt to poor std in Scotland and the jump to the Euro stuff , simple answer is better preparation , better organisation, more demanding of our selves, board need to set the bar higher and they will then have their answer on the way forward
BTW welcome mr turnbull, but to be perfectly honest if we signed messi it would not make a jot of difference, the players need to be coached/ managed in my day, and the coach/ manager at the moment is not up to it im afraid,, but lets stop talking about the manager, the ones who need to go is the feckin board every feckin tory one of them, and take neil with you.H.H
EKBHOY
We’ve started fannying about at the back again.
BTW, the solution is simple. Start supporting rugby. You can attend the match and have a bevvy.
Jobsagoodun.
Seen it too many times, Lennon said he seen ‘bits and bobs’ of Ferencvaros leading up to the game, arrogance he can’t back up
Bada
Unfortunately neither bits nor bobs were playing last night – don’t think they were even on the bench.
Think Neil has lost it.
I generally do not complain on this great site, but some of the reaction to last night’s defeat incredible, ridiculous.
I’m hurting as much as anybody, but sack Neil, sack the board is garbage, absolute garbage.
Sure, Neil’s line up and set up was wrong, a mistake,no doubt. BUT, let me see anyone on here who has never made a mistake, I’m certain it will be a short list.
For all you people who want Neil to go, get a fucking grip!!!!!
KINGLuBO
Lenin – What Is To Be Done?
Lennon – What Is To Be Done?
I wonder how Klima feels this morning
I assume Ajeti is considered not yet match fit
When it was confirmed Eddy could not play Klima must have thought OK big opportunity
Instead NL re-arranged the team and left him out – talk about a vote of no confidence
There are 4 strikers in the building one is injured, one is not match fit, one has gone awol and I’m still not good enough
Poor management
And on the subject of Poor Management
I have said a few times that I have yet to see NL smile – am I reading too much into this
What of the new coach Gavin S ??
67ECW
Kinglubo – I hear ya but the point is that Lennon has been making the same mistakes over and over – he has not learned from poor team selection and defeats (tactics) and he has not learned from public media outburst affecting player morale , hibs and now celtic.
He’s a passionate fan but he needs to separate that from managing and coaching a football team.
We will see on Sunday who the players react to him
67CW He was smiling after the goal against Dundee United but I take your point, he doesn’t look well.
Kinglubo – Any need for the swearies fella?
Vale Bhoy
I’d still suggest that although there is still some fannying about at the back , it’s less than the heart in mouth stuff under Brendan ….
Our main issue is that our players are not technically gifted enough to play the patient build up , too many touches , ball moves too slow , step overs etc …. the opposition know this , effectively give us the ball and wait for us to lose concentration after 60 mins
Team of tanner ba guys who eventually lose shape
If the club want to progress in Europe the reset button will need to be pressed , I suspect the only point of debate is not if but when
According to Glasgow Live, Ajer’s agent has been quick off the mark, seeking a valuation that will allow him to leave Celtic.
I’d tell him to eff off.
We put a valuation that suits us if a buying Club meets it then he’s offski.
Big Wavy
Never knew you were such a puritan, apologies none the less if I offended you.
All the best
KINGLuBO