I was annoyed at Dundee United, who were poor in the first half – not even setup defensively as well as teams near the bottom of the table, but then flipped into an effective pressing side late in the game. They are third in the table on merit and could have caused Celtic more trouble, had they gone for it earlier in the game.
So much of the football we watch is ‘Defence v Attack’, so all in the stadium were alarmed when it was announced that Nicolas Kuhn had dropped out of the lineup before kick-off. Nicolas is our most effective opener of tight defences, and the late change seemed to impact Celtic’s flow. Early in the game the ball most often went left, to Taylor and Maeda; Johnston and Yang were less involved.
23 minutes in, however, Johnston found Yang (unconventionally) to create the opening goal. United manager Jim Goodwin was correctly annoyed at his defence, who had chances to clear, but were not as sharp as Daizen Maeda.
Luis Palma made a late cameo appearance, flavoured with a delightful outside of the foot pass to create the opening for the second goal. The pass was followed by a perfect example of ‘less is more’. Another cameo – Paulo Bernardo – dummied the ball before it rolled into the path of Reo Hatate to score.
That defeat at the start of the month seems a long time ago now.
299 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- »
First and last?
Or should I say last and first.
Morning DENIABHOY!
Brendan is a top-drawer manager. I for one enjoyed the wee to and fro with him and the fans. We share some banter, fans come out top with the last laugh and Brendan gets it.
Other klubs would literally kill for that.
Happy Friday eve!
Agree Aipple. Humour hopefully diffused the situation and it can now be forgotten about. Kudos to the GB Bhoys and Ghirls.
As someone noted earlier, it would be good if the GB sang these songs about our past players on a more regular basis rather than the non-football stuff that often dominates their reportoire.
Bin fire Thursday confined to history and the four home league game sequence in Parkhead ends 4-0, 4-0, 3-0, 2-0. What will the ‘ I can’t believe it’s not better Brigade’ find to moan about on the internet? This online ‘malaise’ can’t go on, next up a Tony Ralston type last minute winner in Dingwall, for a supporter reality check.
Jim Goodwin and his parked camel, stayed in the game (1-0) then tried some attacking football for a spell that might have paid off, till Reo killed the game. Arne Engels ‘was back’, and Captain CalMac ferried the ball backwards and forwards as usual in a straightforward win. Kasper Schmeichel and his shut outs, have settled to the preferred back five with Aaron Trusty by name and nature. Greg Taylor turned in another tidy night, with the imperious CCV prominent during Utd’s short go for it period. Luke McCowan was decent and might keep out Paulo Bernardo till Young Boys, and Euro football. We’ll probably need to wait till the end of the month for BR reinforcements to freshen the squad, another wide man closer to Nicola Kuhn’s level, a striker maybe a Robbie Keane loanee, to liven up the Parkhead sweetie paper rustlers.
PPV verse active physical tickets, a balancing act that Celtic have clearly still to figure out, or have they?
MOM Arne Engels
P67
“Luis Palma made a late cameo appearance, flavoured with a delightful outside of the foot pass to create the OPENING goal.”
I know the first goal wasn’t a classic, but was it that forgettable?
QB
Paul they could have caused us trouble had they gone for it earlier, however the way we were playing we could have been out of sight if they immediately went on the attack.
HH
Would like to see a midfield of McGregor, Engels and Bernardo getting a run of games
Good afternoon all from the Brazen Head. Icebergs floating down Cumberland Street. 🥶
I dont know what we are watching, but its not football in the traditional sense.
Attack V defence with circar 80% possession is a hard watch, Not sure what the answer is, but i have concerns this is unsustainable.
Stephen Welsh Joins KV Mechelen On Loan…
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/january/09/stephen-welsh-joins-kv-mechelen-on-loan/
Should be a goid move for him… goid luck Stephen
Hail Hail
It is questionable how Adam Idah fits in with this system. It might help if there was a bit more variety in Celtic’s approach. The occasional high cross might catch a defence, set up to del with cutbacks and intricate triangles, out on occasion. The only opportunity that there seems to be to make use of Idah’s aerial prowess is from corners and free-kicks.
NOTTHEBUS @ 1:12 PM,
For me squad isn’t big enough – we seem to have 17 first team players BR&CO trust
We have half a dozen newbies in there and a few aul’ hands not playing to there best standard.
It seems we have lost our mojo…
Yet over a year ago, folk were complaining about our players picking up injuries due to BR&CO’s training methods.
It seems that Ange’s methods were a lot harder on the players, and having our first team available for the important matches is crucial.
We really need a bit more quality and a freshen up to get the mojo back in this squad.
In the meantime, as BSR pointed out, winning and cleansheets are the sign of a champion team.
Hail Hail
Paul67
They could have gone for it earlier …..
Yeah and left themselves open to a hammering .
They played us the best they could and still got beat .
Leaving it late in the game to open up is the way to go for most of our opponents …….
Well done bhoys a complete performance.
Well done the fans who brave the cold conditions.
Well done the GB ….used humour to get their message across ……
And we’ll done Brendan in accepting the humour .
More of this interaction please , loved it .
It’s great to be in January and not have any anxiety about the Sevco game. I probably won’t bother even looking at their score tonight.
The GB have done and still do a lot of good. I thought they spent most of the first half last night indulging in attention seeking pish.
One or two songs would have made whatever point they thought they were making. To spent most of the first half at it was childish crap.
BRRB at 1.08 pm
Watch out for the polar bears John 🤪
AN DUN
I would rather listen to their , as you say” childish pish ” than sit in a morgue like stadium.
Good or bad without the GB there is zilch atmosphere……
Fair enjoyed the game last night. I guess for some teams it is a question of if we attack Celtic right from the off we could get a fair doing on the counter. We missed Nicholas last night. Itis always hard to be a winger at Celtic, but especially if you are 1v1 and don’t have the confidence to take them on the outside. Loved the auld songs last night. On a lighter note, right before kick off yesterday, one of my students came into my room and said they had a belated Christmas present for me and proceeded to give me a really cool black Celtic hoodie. I was fair chuffed. Spreading the gospel as much as I can my friends.
Hail Hail from 22 degree Alabama and my new robotic hip has frozen. The surgeon gave me an official card now that I have to carry and show TSA as this new hip will set off the metal detectors. That’s all these Americans need is to be next to a guy with an accent setting off the alarms that are supposed to keep them safe;))))
Sean
Agree with most on here that love it or hate it, Goodwin got the game management right and made a game of it until late.
Boondock – good luck with the de-frost……also, we have an accent???
In TX I’m loving the cold weather for too short a time, but not sure my neighbors agree!
May have drifted off second half for a wee while, my second son turned 21 on Tuesday and I may have over-poured in the interests of social compliance.
Croftcelt- Idah should be used against teams who press us high up the park,miss out the tippy tappy stuff,get it forward earlier
Texastim
Terrible thing, the drink.
BBRB
Who asked you?
bsr
PPV verse active physical tickets, a balancing act that Celtic have clearly still to figure out, or have they?
————
i woder if the thousands who dont turn up on their cards then paid for ctv to actually watch the game ?
or is it already free to view to season card holders ?
if not should it be ?
and coupledwith a ticket exchange scheme everyone is a winner.
Chairbhoy on 9th January 2025 1:15 pm
Stephen Welsh Joins KV Mechelen On Loan…
https://www.celticfc.com/news/2025/january/09/stephen-welsh-joins-kv-mechelen-on-loan/
Should be a goid move for him… goid luck Stephen
Hail Hail
—————-
makes us a body light for the euro squad, hhhmmm, too early a move for me.
!!BADA BING!! @ 2:00 PM, Croftcelt
Idah’s off the ball work isn’t always appreciated, if you look at his movement at our first goal, creating the space for Meada to have a rebound shot.
So many of our shots are blocked by packed defenses…
Hail Hail
Charlie Nicolas Kuhn what a player he was
Unique Angle
https://youtu.be/X6AHM7diTKA?si=lsAs8JFgJN3JBPO2
SAINT STIVS @ 2:19 PM,
Well yes, there is that
But I think he’s only played to games this season and with Dane Murray back in the fold, big Dane deserves his chance.
Greg on the other hand we do need for the UCL games, or at least until the YB game if we manage to qualify at that stage.
Hail Hail
Hail Hail
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bADfWwVneNw
celts on 45, one for the 80s there.
Celtic squad registered for the 2024/25 Champions League in full:
Goalkeepers: Kasper Schmeichel, Viljami Sinisalo, Scott Bain.
Defenders: Alistair Johnston, Greg Taylor, Liam Scales, Auston Trusty, Alex Valle, Maik Nawrocki, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Anthony Ralston, Stephen Welsh.
Midfielders: Reo Hatate, Luis Palma, Nicolas Kuhn, Yang Hyun-jun, Luke McCowan, Arne Engels, Paulo Bernardo, Callum McGregor, James Forrest, Adam Montgomery.
Forwards: Kyogo Furuhashi, Adam Idah, Daizen Maeda.
———–
we can buy more players but cant register for the two cl league games to go.
they can be swapped out with leavers such as stephen for the play off round, but home assosiation rules apply. so he would need replaced by a scot.
Looks like Palma to Rayo Vallecano on loan
Getting through two banks of 5 must be as stultifying to play against as it is to watch, although there is a place for it as we showed against Atalanta .
Jim Goodwin’s game plan was always to ultra-low block the first 45 for a 0-0 then come out, and the only flaw in his plan was Daizen’s goal . If they had started the game like they started the second half , there would have been less of the two banks of 5 and we would probably have gone in more than 1 up .
all of europe is talking about this, are the refs now actually forced to get things right.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Ggnt7GsW4AAYElC?format=jpg&name=900×900
P31 W24 D5 L2 F84 A23 GD +61
Perhaps the transfer window and discussions between Brendan, DD and the Celtic Board have become a little more difficult these past few days?
Back in November and December, when CL games were taking place, the improved results had us thinking that we could do ok in the new format. Brendan stuck to his mantra of saying we needed a bit more quality and headed off to Dublin to meet DD before Christmas.
Since then the Aberdeen and r2ngers challenge has collapsed further. If we accept the league is in the bag and the squad does not need strengthening to retain it, what do you think the board will be saying? Do you splash the cash in January or tell Brendan that there really is no need to spend big at present?
Anyone coming in now cannot play in the current phase of the CL so cannot help us get to the next stage. And if we get to the next stage, the probability is we would be out after two games regardless.
As fans, of course we want better players in now. But the board do not have a great history of building from a position of strength. Instead they tend to react when they feel our domestic dominance has been threatened which is not going to be the case this season.
Brendan will argue that some quality signings in now will get the chance to bed in before the qualfiers come around next August. And we need to progress into the League phase for the business model to work. Will DD back him up?
Personally, I am inclined to think that having the league all but wrapped up by the 9th of January will mean the board are less likely to sanction any big moves this month. Even if we lose a star player.
It will be an interesting watch. And I am not slighting the Board, their job is to evaluate the potential risks, uncertainties, and potential rewards of each decision.
An Dún on 9th January 2025 1:31 pm
It’s great to be in January and not have any anxiety about the Sevco game. I probably won’t bother even looking at their score tonight.
The GB have done and still do a lot of good. I thought they spent most of the first half last night indulging in attention seeking pish.
One or two songs would have made whatever point they thought they were making. To spent most of the first half at it was childish crap.
=================
Behave yourself A.D
Did you miss the 2nd half?
More past players and managers had a song sung in their honour
It was a fierce cold night and it was a humerous way,acknowledged by BR of diffusing tension.
The ‘childish crap’ and ‘just wee bhoys’ shoite is not needed.leave that to the anti irish multimonikers that soil this dear green place.
HH
Deniabhoy
I really hope the board are looking at how well we have done in this new format and do everything they can to try and get the best chance of qualifying next year,, I really think this years European matches have given “a buzz about the place” (copyright Paul McStay
Deniabhoy,
Dont often disagree with your posts,but I have to this time.I really think we have,at last turned a corner.All eyes now,will be on the knockout stages,and the qualifier for the CL.
BR will be desperate to get at least two in.You know one of mine would be Jota,but for some reason,not looking likely.
This League is won.We can bring Engels,Bernardo,Trusty,and whoever we bring in up to optimum performance levels.Its all about the CL now.Once the tally up is complete,figures for us will be eye watering.
Hail Hail.