Breaking down packed midfields

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Celtic faced a familiar problem yesterday.  Hearts packed the midfield, which sat close to their defensive line, making it difficult for Celtic to get through, over or wide.  Their best chance in the first half actually came from a Hearts corner kick, one of the few occasions the visitors ventured forward.

Sure, we need to beat Rangers, but dealing with the challenge of teams sitting tight and packing midfield will be key to winning the SPL, and that starts at Perth on Sunday.  St Johnstone will not be in confident mood after their 0-3 pasting at home yesterday, so you can expect them to sit three central midfielders in front of the defence.

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678 Comments

  1. Scotty Broon took exception to the Hertz players not giving the ball back at the throw ins when players were down. Shortly after coming on, Hammil said something to him at the front of the main stand at a throw in, it started from there.

     

     

    Scott Broon & Neil Lennon, both fighters, and wont take any crap from any of the opposition. Nothing Broon did on saturday upset me , or let me as a supporter down in anyway.

     

     

    whit happened to doing the Broony ? /.

     

     

    ps.

     

    couple of eejits in 138 saturday, spent the whole ninety berating every single pass and passage of play for the bhoys.

     

    and to sum them up, they managed to get the call and response chants wrong, i mean how difficult is it.

     

     

    come on you bhoys in green.

  2. Two questions to the floor

     

     

    Will Scott Brown be the guy that goes down in history as the Celtic Captain that killed off the hun ?

     

     

    Will Neil Lennon be the guy that goes down in history as the Celtic Manager that killed off the hun ?

     

     

    Hail Hail

  3. greenjedi

     

     

    Roy Keane – Man U captain – no shrinking violet. would you have stripped him of the captaincy ?

     

     

    Paul McStay was a great player, one of the best I have ever seen, was he a great captain ?

     

     

    I couldn’t care less if Brown has the armband, Neil Lennon thinks he should have so that is good enough for me. He has improved massively as a player since Lennon took over. Some of our players are too nice, Brown is not one of them. He brings a dynamism and energy to the team that the stats back up.

  4. McNair is the greatest on

    greenjedi says:

     

    12 December, 2011 at 12:03

     

    cardiffbhoy says:

     

    12 December, 2011 at 11:54

     

    Scott Brown

     

     

    As for those who criticise his behaviour on Saturday, did you say the same when Neil Lennon and Alan Thompson got involved in spats with nyaffs like Ian Black and the likes. Some posters are right, if Scott’s name was Sean he would get a lot less criticism on here.

     

     

    …………………….

     

     

    Would Billy McNeil, Andy Lynch, Danny McGrain, Roy Aitken, Paul McStay, Tom Boyd, Paul Lambert or Jackie McNamara behaved like that as Celtic Captain?

     

     

    BTW I missed out Lennon as he was at times just as bad if not worse than Brown and I would have stripped him of the Captaincy if I was the Manager at the time. I still loved him as a player, but he behaved in a manner unbecoming of his position1

     

     

    Everyone of the captains above could either handle themselves or had plenty in their teams who could dish it out if push came to shove. We have the makings of a fine side our main weaknessess are mental & physical strength – Broony has both in abundance.

  5. Awe_Naw_No_Annoni_Oan_Anaw_Noo says:

     

    12 December, 2011 at 12:03

     

    bigdanistheman

     

     

    Did she die of aids … did you not wear protection ?

     

     

    Hail Hail

     

     

    share

     

     

     

    Please elaborate

  6. bigdanistheman says:

     

    12 December, 2011 at 12:02

     

     

     

     

    To the mother of my wife

     

    I have some things to say

     

    So many things to thank you for

     

    Lord, help me find a way

     

     

    I see your love in my wife’s eyes

     

    The way you held her close

     

    Of all the people in your life

     

    She knows you loved her most!

     

     

    Your love spills out with every breath

     

    With every sigh and laugh

     

    When she tells of you and dad

     

    in some hilarious gaff

     

     

    And when she looks at me

     

    With soft and tender eyes

     

    I know it’s ’cause her heart was filled

     

    With love from someone wise

     

     

    From her youth she heard the words

     

    That strengthened her young soul

     

    And now those words pour forth from her

     

    Like water from a bowl

     

     

    She builds the words, thoughts and deeds

     

    She learned from you, her Mom

     

    Into her own blessed children

     

    like a precious healing balm

     

     

    She weaves a strong yet tender wall

     

    Of Love around us all

     

    So all her children are kept safe

     

    From every slip and fall

     

     

    Every day I see your love

     

    In what she says and does

     

    And I say a prayer to God each day

     

    For your heart, your prayers and your loves

  7. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Kano 1000 on

    Morning again chaps,

     

     

    sorry I had to rush out since my last post re the MBB.

     

     

    The prize goes to Steinreignsupreme for guessing that in the scenario painted to me yesterday MBB potentially just disappears with all the money leaving a train wreck behind– but the real train wreck would not be Rangers PLC— it would be Rangers 2012 Ltd!!!!

     

     

    Only a guess from A.N. Other but pretty reasonable argument IMHO.

  8. Half Time Tombola on

    Wasn’t great to watch on Saturday but what a way to win the 3 points – what a goal and what a save!

     

     

    The penalty was given purely because Hearts claimed for it and the ref seen VW’s arm in the air. A terrible decision that he couldn’t wait to give.

     

     

    Samaras was quite right to question the placement of the ball – no gamesmanship involved, only trying to get the ref to do his job correctly. Even when replacing the ball the ref walked away and allowed the Hearts player to try and cheat again, eventually getting it right the 3rd time. More power to you Sammi – we need more of this attitude throughout the team.

     

     

    As for Brown, I think he was brought on to noise them up and obviously did the job – thought his passing was also better than we’ve come to expect.

     

    Liked his attitude with Hamill at the end – we need more of that – put the huns in their place and let everyone know that we will NOT be bullied or let them have the final word. Whether you want your captain playing that role I don’t know but we need someone to do it and Broony is better at it than most in the team.

     

     

    Anyhoo, enough of such drivel – 2-1 to the Celts on Thursday!

     

     

    Hail Hail

  9. Philvisreturns @ 12 04 —

     

     

    My father is in his 90s. He is becoming rather confused . He has taken to phoning me at 6.00 am . Sometimes I truly do not understand what he is talking about –

     

     

    Recently —whilst ranting about Glasgow Ratners he described their owner as being –

     

     

    Fascination Fledgby ——

     

     

    I knew nothing . I had to look him up . It fits .

     

     

    Good —- he is not totally crazy – I thought.

  10. Tax officials are increasingly using legal powers to force the settlement of unpaid tax bills in Scotland, according to law firm McGrigors.

     

     

    Information obtained by McGrigors under the Freedom of Information Act showed the number of petitions for bankruptcy filed by HMRC in Scotland leapt by 97% over a three-year period.

     

     

    The number of winding up orders issued against businesses also jumped by 75%.

     

     

    The use of similar powers in England and Wales fell over the same period.

     

     

    Pamela Muir, from McGrigors, said the figures showed a “clear change in emphasis” at HMRC.

     

     

    She continued: “We are definitely seeing a hardening in attitudes at HMRC.

     

     

     

    Explains why Whyte is trying to deal directly with London…

     

     

    HH

  11. SteinReigned

     

     

    I don’t care about Hamill

     

     

    Serge

     

     

    Fight and commitment is great, during the game, not after it!

  12. optimistic little soldier on

    Football in Britain places far too much emphasis on the role of captain. Why does a captain have to be the leading charity donation provider, or the saintly type or the rable-rousing fist pumping type, or the guy that embodies the club??

     

     

    Why can’t it be the player that, when on the pitch, the other players respond to and are lead by?

     

     

    The only player we have in that mould is Scott Brown.

     

     

    He might be behind Ki in the goals scoring stakes, he might be behind Ledley in being able to pass the ball with his left foot, he’s behind Wanyama in strength and behind Kayal in ball composure… but he leads every single one of them in terms of fight, passion and drive. Each midfielder brings his own skill set to the team. We’ve no one like Brown, just like we’ve no one like Ledley. Doesn’t mean one is more valuable than the other.

     

     

    Scott Brown is no Zidane, but Zidane is no Scott Brown.

  13. Sorry Henry but the 1 I’ve put on is the 1 they picked

     

    I was just wondering if the commas were In the right

     

    Place

  14. Aw Naw

     

    I have no idea what this Bigdan characters crime is, although if it offends you that’s neither a bad thing or any reason for the rest of us to have endure any more of you’re disgusting bile.

     

    You have no idea how much of a black cloud you cast over CQN. You’re are Simply the Best disguised hun on CQN.

     

     

    Suppose it’s back into retirement…. again. Hate to say it, but, I’m beginning to think it would be great if there was a blog, not unlike CQN, I could enjoy that didn’t pander to a scumbag like you. Hey, no apologies anyone, if you can’t see how low Aw Naw is, I’ve nothing to say to you.

  15. BontyBhoy

     

     

    Have you a problem with Cha Du Ri? ;-)

     

     

    Cha Du Ri was outstanding on Saturday (given he’s regarded by some as the third choice right back at Celtic Park)

     

     

    A non stop machine, willing to give his all for Celtic, remarkable stamina and resilience.

     

     

    Limited with a football at his feet, but so are many professional footballers.

     

     

    Fit as a butcher’s dog, – I like him.

     

     

    HH

  16. No probs at all bigdan, if i showed the Rebel Ghirl that one ive just posted for you, she’d be astounded of the fore-head -) and would now be taking my temperature ?

  17. Steinreignedsupreme on

    greenjedi: 12 December, 2011 at 12:21

     

     

    “I don’t care about Hamill”

     

     

    I’m guessing that’s because he’s not a Celtic player … by that logic none of our opponents should be criticised regardless of what they do.

     

     

    As I said before, two guys with a reputation for noising up opponents have an argument and you just want to focus on the Celtic player and apportion all the blame to him despite not knowing the facts.

     

     

    You should apply for a job in the Scottish media. You’d have no trouble finding work … you wouldn’t even require the funny handshake.

  18. Cha was excellent at times on saturday and has been in his last few games

     

    his passing sometimes lets him down – but then Victors passing was mince at the start of the game too

     

    judge the players on what they do over 90 mins and and not just on what they didnt do on a couple of occasions

  19. Joe Filippis Haircut on

    I would say there is more to football than being able to kick a ball.Now on Saturday there is no doubt in my mind Hearts were bullying our young team and our youngstes were to nice to do anything about it.Then on comes Scott Brown and immediately starts giving them some of there own medicine back that then had the affect of making then nervous and thinking when is Broonie going to hit on me and believe me this affects how they play.Broonie does a great job of undermining the opposition and looking after his team mates and that is why all the managers who have worked with him would have him first on the team sheet.H.H.

  20. bournesouprecipe says:

     

    12 December, 2011 at 12:32

     

     

    Good post. Agree with you on Cha… he is an athlete, where too many Celtic players in the past have not been. He clearly prepares properly, because as well as being quick, (ok very quick…) he is in very good shape physically – this can only come from a very diligent training regime. Additionally, he keeps trying – constantly running back to make tackles etc. Agree- a limited footballer, but this is the SPL we are talking about! We have to be able to use a guy with that sort of speed somewhere in our squad – his ability to overlap, and go beyond the midfield, sometimes means he is the furthest Celt forward on the pitch. then, 10 seconsds later, he is back down near our corner flag. He gets dogs abuse on here, but for too long, we had sand dancers, midgets, and converted midfielders in the fullback slots. Now we have someone with a bit of physicality and an engine to match.

  21. Just logged on to discover that we are a bad lot….

     

     

    Where is our custodian’s… Scunnered