Reo Hatate missed three games through injury early this season. During that period, we scored only one goal, went out the League Cup and dropped our only points of the season before Saturday. Reo returned as a second half substitute at home to Dundee, with only a penalty goal separating the teams, but within seven minutes of Reo’s appearance Kyogo and Matt O’Riley goals put the game to bed.
Reo is out again, and Celtic are blunt; again. It is no coincidence we have only dropped points when sans-Reo. He is the key to unlocking packed defences when minds and limbs are tired (which contrasts to the more open game we saw against Atletico).
Four full games without him, scoring only one goal, is quite a statistic for a team that rattles goals in for fun at other times. We have three league games before the November international break: St Mirren at home, Ross County away, then Aberdeen at home, with the return trip to Madrid scheduled in between.
With the likelihood of a win slowly slipping away, Brendan Rodgers turned to David Turnbull, James Forrest and Mikey Johnston, memories of 20-21 came flooding back. Mikey’s last appearance for Celtic came 21 months ago, also against Hibernian. The changes didn’t affect the result, but in the circumstances, Mikey did all right. He was certainly one of our better performers during his time on the field.
Until Wednesday, Brendan can ponder why a player tweaks a hamstring 35 seconds into a game.
Comments Section
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Happy Monday from a cold and damp Kentucky.
Hi ho aipple
Brendan’s probably too busy pondering why he has bring on Ralston, Forrest and MJ to think too much about Reo’s hamstring.
“For the victims, there is no hierarchy of death and suffering.”
👏👏👏
Cold and damp in TX today also, with a high of 51F (about 10 in old money).
Loving it! 🔥 tonight.
Blame it on CalMac for me. Having is most ineffective season to date
Reo got whacked in a challenge in the early stages right in the hamstring area so that may have contributed to injury and how severe it has turned out if reports are true.
Surely as one Reo-shaped door closes another standby-sized one opens ?
Don’t panic Mr Mainwaring…This is why we have a big squad.
Step forward Bernardo, Iwata, Turnbull or Holm.
Personally I like Tony Ralston for RB but think he’s mibby lost some of that belief Ange seemed to instil in him – all that; ‘I have no first choice RB but two equals I can rely on…’ kinda narrative.
STILL5PTSCLEAR CSC
Apt reminder about war-mongering and war-moderating P67.
Recruitment will be fully tested in Reo’s absence. I’m surprised Holm seems to be getting further away from contention. Mikey Johnston has had plenty of time to make it. I keep waiting for him to mature.
The situation in Gaza is unspeakable, as was the Hamas massacre. An unspeakable tragedy all round.
From discussions on last article…
A simple banner the GB or any other group/person at Celtic Park could create could read…
Videos
Assisting
Rangers
Would get media attention and gets right to the point that so far, that’s all VAR has done.
If this were repeated at other teams, grounds etc along with the outrageous penalty stats, it might start to get some traction.
I doubt this will ever be a UK wide issue, as the EPL etc don’t care what goes on in Scotland. However, it only has to make it onto a few radio shows to get people talking and those penalty stats involving the Huns speak for themselves.
Someone posted this yesterday…
Last league penalty against at Ibrox was the 14th of September 2019 against Livingston. 74 league games have been played at Ibrox since and none conceded.
Also the last league penalty conceded at all was 18th of January 2022 against Aberdeen 65 games ago.
How can that be defended with any explanation?
😳🤷🏼♂️🤬💩
Paul
You’ve fallen into the causation/correlation trap which surprises me
There is little data to support your central tenet
Hatate remains a provider of occasional golden moments (extremely shiny ones) but not a reliable giver of 90 or even 70 minute performances. And that’s before we talk about defensive effectiveness especially off the ball.
It’s a cult I tell ya!
Paul, your house your rules, and all that, but I think the moderation process could do with some openness / transparency – especially given how often this site has brought up same for referees…
Perhaps a little note explaining why one was removed
And I’m not talking a note say ” stop talking shoit” as one mod put it
Morning Quad & TEXASTIM
Cheeky wee Monday off for me.
CBN at 12.33
I was disinclined to say that because although that’s my sense of it, I don’t have the data. Pleased you do and you have.
Paul67
‘Blamed’ for a draw’
the ole CQN blame game trap – irony?
Stale performance, not surprising after Champions League draining. We’ve been away to Aberdeen, Livingston, Zombies, Motherwell, Hearts, Hibs. and got 16 from 18 points. Now we have 7 home games and 4 away against the ‘ easier ’ teams before new year which means we’re steering well on course, for 12 from 13 titles.
All the harder away games in the first 10, Brendan’s second window beckoning, which will allow more transition to ‘his’ line up through the revolving door in Parkhead.
Using the squad of players he has named and strippped isn’t sending a message to anyone. The only ‘moan’ is because it’s not new men that got the chance to be game changers.
‘ Cheating ‘ brings Celtic angst to the surface, the only place it can be suppressed is in Parkhead, starting again Wednesday.
Celtic Glasgow CSC
THE BATTERED BUNNET on 30TH OCTOBER 2023 12:40 PM
CBN at 12.33
I was disinclined to say that because although that’s my sense of it, I don’t have the data. Pleased you do and you have.
————-
Thanks
And sad to say when that opinion is proffered online with evidence the most vile abuse from “our own” follows
It is an article of faith amongst a significant chunk of the support that Hatate is part McStay and part Moravcik
I love him too as he can be very inventive and fun
But the performance data simply doesn’t stack
We miss Aaron Mooy!
Simple fact …Celtic have been crying out for a box to box creative midfielder for years ..because as the word suggests they create chances and goals …oh for a Paul McStay or John Collins type now 🤔
Carpe, as recent times show, a player like that would likely be snapped up by others by the time they reach u17
Don’t blame it on the sunshine
Don’t blame it on the moonlight
Don’t blame it on the good times
Blame it on the boogie
Jackie, are we signing Eboue?
Hearing Hatate could be out for 10 weeks
no, going old school BBO
AT- From earlier, the guys who bought Wrexham are genuine guys,and doing a lot for the whole community, it’s well worth a watch. The memorial to the mining disaster, has fallen into disrepair, they are going to restore it,and move it to a more prominent part of the town.
Rodgers can’t have projects foisted onto him in January. In the most important league campaign for years (by dint of the revamped CL) he must call the shots and be backed.
/
CARPE DIEM 63@12:53pm
Correct………right now depending on MOR after him ..nothing.
Have to say the only one who looked like beating a man was MJ
Alistair Johnston trained today
thumbs up BD
CELTIC BY NUMBERS on 30TH OCTOBER 2023 12:33 PM
I think that’s Paul67’s point. When you have 75% possession against a packed defence the sort of golden moments that Reo provides become vital. What you do without the ball becomes less important, same with consistency when you’re getting the ball back straight away anyway.
Different story in a 3 man midfield against more progressive opponents. He would have been bypassed in the second half against Atletico, when a runner like Bernardo was far more effective
My take on it anyway
Reo out till new year..confirmed by BR
oh pox. should’ve done your warm ups Reo!
The defeat against St Mirren last season lives long in the memory. The sort of tactics we come up against often – low block vs attack. 80% possession, 688 passes, 4 shots on goal
A never-to-be-repeated midfield of Calmac, Turnbull and Mooy who got hooked at half time for Reo, although it could have easily have been any of the three. And Jota on the bench didn’t help
Lessons were learned by everyone watching that game
Way too many hamstrings going , 35 seconds that’s not warming up and stretching properly in my mind, Ababa rips his quad off and he is out for 4 months granted with his national team but this is outrageous soft tissue injuries. Players need to address this.
4 shots on target but on goal
St Mirren XG 0.8
Celtic XG 1.03
Signed in summer 2023
Kyogo ✅
Matt O’Riley ✅
Calum MacGregor ✅
Reo Hatate ✅ injured
Liel Abada ✅ injured
Anthony Ralston ✅
Luis Palma ✅
Odin Thiago Holm £2.5M ❓
Marco Tilio under £1M❓
Yang Hyun-jun under £1M❓
Kwon Hyeok-kyu under £1M ❓
Maik Nawrocki £4M❓
Gustaf Lagerbielke £4M ❓
Nat Phillips (loan) ❓
Paulo Bernardo (loan) ❓
Ten league games played, five point gap.
As I said yesterday,for me the problem for me was Calmac running around the midfield,in his Scotland role,demanding passes,and more intent on keeping possesion,knocking the ball square,with Bernardo,just being crowded out of his job.Calmac should have been used further forward to help out O Riley,and get some service to Kyogo.The hole left when REO went off,never filled.Calmac is,or used to be a box to box player,up until Broony left hence his goals,its now time BR moved him back there.Bernardo,Iwata,Odin,perfectly capable of playing the role.
The observation of going long made by BR was telling,short crisp passing was more effective.
I’m still trying to work out Palmer. but he does like a long cross field pass.
Not sure he is going to be long term answer.