Celtic surrendered another two points to fall further behind in the championship race, drawing 0-0 at home against Hibernian. It was a unorganised looking performance from the home team who gave Graham Stack little to do in the Hibernian goal.
Gary Hooper squandered Celtic’s only gilt-edged chance of the game when, after playing a one-two with Anthony Stokes, he struck the outside of the post with Ki available for the square pass. Anthony Stokes had earlier tested Stack, who failed to hold the ball but did enough to clear.
When the same teams met on Wednesday James Forrest transformed the game when he drifted inside but he spent most of today’s game adrift on the right wing. On two occasions he cut inside with purpose, once testing Stack with a blistering shot from 22 yards and later when a 25 yard pile-drive struck the crossbar, but Hibs were content to limit Celtic to such speculative efforts.
Neil Lennon was justified in his criticism of his front pairing of Stokes and Hooper today but Celtic were equally clueless in midfield. There appeared to be no cohesion and there was certainly not a productive match plan.
Motherwell’s away win in Inverness gives the Lanarkshire side a three point lead, having played a game more, going into next week’s crucial game against Celtic at Fir Park. Manager-less St Johnstone dropped three points at home this afternoon, leaving them four points behind Celtic in the fight for the last Europa League place.
This is where we are people, scrapping between Motherwell and St Johnstone. Get used to it.
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repost gents from earlier article..
Not posted for a long time but today’s inadequacy has forced my virtual pen….
As listless, disjointed and weak a performance as I can remember at Parkhead..rather than seeking to build on an encouraging second half at Easter Road on wednesday and knowing that the hun result necessitated a win it actually seemed to have the contrary effect..
I have never seen a less mobile Celtic team in my 14 years as a supporter..no movement off the ball, a midfield 3 who were simply incapable of driving forward, and a in Gary Hooper one of the most apathetic strikers ever to grace the Paradise Turf..
Aside from looking at the fundamentals of whether NL should leave zeroing in on the more immediate problems..the midfield simply cannot accomoate Ki, Kayal and Ledley..
Ki for me is a luxury, techinicallky gited yes but slow, mentally and physcially weka, not a man to drive a team to a title..
Kayal, resting on the laurels of l;ast year, looking moody and reckless where last year he was combative and dominant and ledley never able to play in his favoured role..
another huge problem with today’s showing was that given the tight-packed central area and th poor displays of ther above mentioned we were often forced wide..now while Forrest almost always had 2 Hibs pkayers to contened with Wilson as RB had more license to deliver corsses but was horrendous in this case..why break up the prodcutive matthews/forrest combinatrion which looks like our most dynamic pairing thus far…
We will not a win a league when our seeming only creative outlet is a 20 year old with far too much pressure heaped on his young shoulders..it’s like a re-run of BTM season..give the ball to aiden and let’s all sit back and watch what he can conjure…
As for Lenny, why did it take him till 70 minutes to see the obvious flaws in the performance…is this naviety, ignorance ??
at the final whistle i couldnt even muster any defiance or ven annoyance..the fight and care has gone out of me..too oftn I’ve screamed cajoled encouraged with little return..
yes keep the faith but sometimes faith has to rewarded on the park
we as a support require and deserve some inspiration and not be expected to turn up out of blind habit and loyalty..I’ll supoort the tic through thick and thin but tonight I am deflated and and like many of the hoops faithful at real odds with our beloved club
Still on holiday but caught the game thanks to the local CSC.
As we said a couple of weeks ago the Killie comeback was simply papering over the cracks.
We simply don’t have the players or coaches/manager to do anything.
However there is no point in replacing Lenny unless you bring in a good experienced manager (e.g. Mark Hughes) or a manager with experience, on the up and the potential to become top class (Lambert/Coyle).
We all know that the funding required to make either option a reality is not going to be sanctioned by the board.
Awe_Naw
I agree that the recruitment policy has a lot of , lets call it flaws, but I think that the big issue we now have is one of tactics and ability to change / adjust!! I think the Celtic Job is far to big to trust to someone who is learning the trade as it were!!
I think that we should have learned this lesson with Brady / Barnes but alas no!!
I agree that the basic fundaments that the board are plying are indeed flawed but we have what we have and the point I want to stress is that the team appear to be suffering the same way the coach is!! TM was a disaster.. the body language alone saw confidence erode…with Lenny its a different case.. in his case I think its more of what do I do now!!!
As far as the missus is concerned, Ive seen off 2 of them so any advice from me would do you no good whatsoever!!!
Summer of 65
The way things are panning out the hun could win this title by 14 to 20 points (pre administration – of course).
The sad thing is that we’ve been here so many times in the last 25 years. There is nothing worse than hearing about corners being turned, long way to go, we’re still in it nonsense…but to hear it before halloween makes me think i’m back in the 90s.
Half the team chucked it today after 60 mins. Those in posession got rid of the ball or floated some aimless ball in the direction of the Hibs goal. When paddy came on for a few mins no one wanted it. It reminded me of the Paulo Dicanio vs Falkirk fiasco at ibrox. Players expecting someone eles to do it.
We all know where those teams end up as was the case when Dicanio took on Falkirk all by himself; it ends in failure.
Forrest and Wilson were the only 2 who genuinly looked like trying to win the game. Many of the rest through the motions they did go.
Can anyone explain why we apparently doubled the wages of Kayal recently – on the back of a terrible start to the season he gets rewarded with better terms then straight away Ki is in the papers looking for an improved contract and I am sure Ledley, Izzaguere and Forrest will be too. What message does it give to the squad to reward a player who more than once has appeared to chuck it during a match?
Awe Naw
The board have done nothing in any attempt to get a level playing field, the enforced changes made so far were a result of a threatened boycott, our board are playing the OF game as you well know.
What will their policy be when the hun goes bust ? I’ll tell you, even more downsizing, in a way it might be no a bad thing, cos the dross that are playing just now are over paid primadonnas, get hardened Barry Robson types in, they at least will fight for us.
Just in from the match, on a horrible drizzly day in Glasgow.
Disillusioned, and downhearted, but It’s not often you remain unconvinced by a 4-1 win, but unconvinced I was, and today showed exactly why.
Neil Lennon tried for some consistency with Charlie replacing Dan as the only obvious change from Wednesday, but therein lay the problem where Calderwood and his side simply dug in, learned, quickly and guessed Celtic would come at them in the same old way as Wednesday. They were never going to let a repeat happen, so brought in another defensive midfielder, and Celtic’s better players let Neil Lennon down, in a big way.
The balance of the side from back to front is wrong when you play a right footed full back at left back, and in the entire match Matthews overlapped once, to cross with his left foot that failed to find a Celtic player. This mistake in playing your best right back in the wrong place is two fold, because not only can Matthews not operate on the left it means an inferior full back is playing on the right, where Mark Wilson irritated the home support for 93 minutes.
Kayal, Ledley and out of position Ki who for some reason was also bizarrely employed for long periods on the left all had absolute nightmares, up front with no chances created, Stokes and Hooper couldn’t buy a kick, let alone a goal. Wanyama just like Wednesday impressed when he came on but McCourt given slightly more than his usual allotted ten minutes couldn’t lift his game, andI don’t blame him, when he is expected to do the miracle
winger routine, everytime Celtic need a miracle.
Neil Lennon and his staff are clearly struggling bereft of freshness of thought, but calls for his NL’s head should be ignored, because if he has failed, those who appointed him are not to be trusted in finding his successor.
Hail Hail
Play the youth team. They can’t do worse.
RIP Jimmy Saville. Remember him doing a half-time charity promotion at CP in the eighties. Running round the track holding up a Celtic scarf to a background of “One Jimmy Saville”
Time for some liquid anaesthetic.
antrimkev says:
29 October, 2011 at 18:42
I’m as concerned as the next man mate. Especially the rumours about the Commons problems.
I just think that chopping and changing managers isn’t going to get us anywhere.
Sad as it is to say, a lot hinges on what happens to “them”.
I expect us to add the likes of Diawara in Jan and the big French CB that Lennys been watching. We could also really do with a wee playmaker to link midfield to attack, unless wee James moves position.
FFS let’s lay off Paul67
How many times have we been 12pts behind since Cqn started.
Quadruple is still on ;-)
HH
antrimkev says:
29 October, 2011 at 18:44
read my last post, i didnt get any names when i got the info, and i aint debating it with you, Lawell was given a list with 6 names on it and delivered none, you can either believe it or not i dont care…………
We are where we are due to nobody else’s fault other than ourselves, the strategy this board has led us on has now come full circle to fruition, fighting not to fall 6pts behind Murderwell in 3rd.
Disgrace….
The team I’ve been watching the past few months is a pale shadow of the one which took the league to the final day last season. For whatever reason the team isn’t playing for Neil Lennon, he can’t get a consistent performance out of any player, the team look lazy and lack passion. I can’t help feeling that there’s no one in the dressing room who makes them terrified to walk in there at half time if they’ve put in a poor shift.
As you always do when it’s someone you really want to be successful, I’ve delayed my opinion on this for longer than was sensible, out of sentimentality. We need a change of manager, and coaches, before it’s too late to salvage anything from this season.
There will be more Huns on here shortly than in the Segton Bar (or Segtarian as it is sometimes locally known) in Coatbridge.
Let’s keep it constructive ladies and gents. Nothing to fill the keyboards of the dark side.
If some of those players today werent playing with a disinterest tantamount to total disregard for their managers job security they were doing a pretty good impression of exactly that.
The first half display today as woeful. The second half performance somehow contrived to be even worse. I don`t know if Hibs have ever kept a clean sheet all season long prior to today, I doubt it, and that tells its own story.
For whatever reason, it took an age for us to win possession back from Hibs. More often that not, when we eventually got possession back it seemed to be due to the crapness of Hibs( them misplacing passes out of play) rather than down to good pressing and tackling on our part. I can barely remember us winning any fine tackles in midfield.
We spend about 20 minutes of our games these days making pointless passes across our defence with the ball more often than not eventually ending up back with Fraser Forster, due to a combination of a lack of ball playing quality in our defence, other players not showing for the ball ,and a lack of imagination. The upshot is teams have a chance to get organised and back in position and attacking momentum is lost.
I really don`t know how our problems can be fixed. I doubt whether Neil Lennon can succeed as a manager at our club at the current time. I definitely think he should be looking to get an experienced coach in on the coaching staff which is largely comprised of novices. I would be shouting for a new manager under normal circumstances but knowing that we`ll only end up with a McGhee or Collins type appointment means I really can`t see the point any more. Sad times.
NegAnon2
I wouldn’t be so rude to use such a word against a fellow Celtic fan,but if that’s the best you’ve got c’est la vie
I have the answer
Alcohol , numb the pain for a couple of hours
Overpaid and under achieving useless bunch of wasters and that’s just what turned up today as a football team.
Hey Big Man of the Board, get it sorted now! That’s what you are paid big bonuses for.
Lenny, you need to grow a pair as a manager and get rid of the deadwood around you, like the so called coaching staff. Also start to bleed the young ones into the team, they deserve it.
Rant over. Always a tim and proud to say it. Thank God for Spanish football and a large malt.
Hail Hail
BurnbankBhoy
In hindsight, beating a team twice in a week did look beyond this team’s current character. I’m a bit of a yoyo poster, up one day, down the next but I hope it’s not reactionary to think that the board’s reaction to the 12 point deficit is the most important period in deciding the fate of the club in the modern era. Find a strategy that gets a lot of good players or recruit from league 1, win the occasional title/league, suffer low attendances etc.
missus has just come in raging and in tears……..been verbally attacked by huns on bus along with other women and kids. They were rampagin thro the bus threatining everyone and trying to find out who was a tim. Missus was trying to defend a young 10yr old girl whose was gettin’ it and they turned on her when she stood up to them. phoned cops. ……………..
now i’m ragin’
heard nada further from cops………………..mmmmmmmmmmmm!
paul 67 – Surely DD will not let us get used to this. But it will be norm unless we change coaching staff and review why we have around 100k on treatment table each week. We can’t afford the above average level of injuries. Claims today of tired players was unbelievable – Hibs were not tired.
Sport science is doing nothing for us.
I just cannot fathom why we have a left back on bench? Strange goings on.
I long for the day we are on here praising our team. I still think this can be pulled back but rapid massive change of coaching staff needed.
The more it changes….. The more it stays the same
If we are not in financial trouble ….. Then why do we under perform???
The more I hear of trouble at the crucible of death …. The more we slip to the mute
If all is well at CP …. Someone needs some glasses
We are unacceptable . Full stop
No more…..
Our path out of financial slippers and pipe must be chartered now…. Before its too late
Speculate ….. And see what bloody happens for gods sake
Take a wee risk…. You never know until you have a go
They are on their knees … And still winning
We are fluid …… And absolutely dung
Time for some strong , big changes
I have never … In my short life … Witnessed a Celtic team start games so slowly ever
Is the jersey not fitting properly ??
The priveledge has been replaced by egos that don’t fit with the real plan
Celtic… Get a grip and rise up up now …. Or be confined to be behind murderwell
Action now or be judged
I love my club… I dream of my club… I live my club…
But this is becoming a sad story as this league progresses
If the Hun get a 10 reduction …. And still win the league…. Unthinkable!!
Paranoid android ….. No … Realistic Celtic supporter
Hail hail
Ramie
I’m Neil Lennon (tamrabam) says:
29 October, 2011 at 18:28
loking at celtic on the pitch (which is a change for me i admit)
the midfield let us down almost as regularly as our defence does nowadays
Ki hider
ledley invisible
broon useless
no muscle, no fight, very lttle skill
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Eh?
Brown wasn’t playing today.
Hasn’t been for a few weeks.
Came off injured against Rangers and hasn’t played since.
His absence is part of the problem.
Just back from the game and heard Lenny blame the front two- echoed by Paul- I’m not sure I agree as you cant score if you dont get the service and we couldnt break down an ordinary but organised Hibs team today. On the left we had a right back who had to keep cutting back to his best foot, and a central midfielder playing wide and offering no width at all. In the centre of midfield we had Kayal- who again managed to come out of most tackles without the ball, and Ki- who seemed frightened of the tall Hibs midfielder. We showed very little ability in breaking them down and strangely it took until the 75th minute before Lenny recognised this failing and changed personnel- without changing the system to any great extent. I thought we lost the tactical battle- and this was compounded by a lack of will to win- en example being a free kick we got with 10 minutes to go- none of our players walked, never mind ran to take it. At the end we had arouind 15 of Strathclydes finest showing what they think of the fans against criminalisation protest- harassing the GB while waiting to huckle any stragglers to keep the SNP’s vow to “even up the numbers”
TET,
I. Agree. Juninhio, EBT’s and MON disillusionment.
but Lenny stiarted the Dougie Dougie ball rolling and never took it on the chin or will end up in a jingle Jackson article praising Shug Dallas.
HH
I can’t believe I’m saying it, but we need Broony back, and fast.
Cheer up people! Are we or are we not in the league cup semi final??? ;)
gebhoy is the taxmans tick tocking clock, tick…tock says:
so Lennon gave Lawell a list of 6 names?
this is true, but you dont know the names on it?
give my head piece mate
He got the GK he wanted
He got the CB he wanted
end of.
Paul67
Get used to it?
Get used to scrapping with relative minnows for third place?
I’m just hoping that you’re playing devils advocate and hoping to foster the growing calls for revolution.
The day we find ourselves rubbing shoulders with the Motherwells and the St. Johnstones is the day we turn our ploughshares into swords.
Vinibhoy – Named Neil Lennon on his birth certificate says:
29 October, 2011 at 18:49
antrimkev says:
29 October, 2011 at 18:42
I’m as concerned as the next man mate. Especially the rumours about the Commons problems.
I just think that chopping and changing managers isn’t going to get us anywhere.
Sad as it is to say, a lot hinges on what happens to “them”.
I expect us to add the likes of Diawara in Jan and the big French CB that Lennys been watching. We could also really do with a wee playmaker to link midfield to attack, unless wee James moves position.
fair enough
i think we need somebody to lift the whole of Paradise, even if its until the end of the season only
Lennon is so far out of his depth its untrue
no wait it is true…12 points behind 29/10/11
Like most posters on here I am thoroughally sick of this entire torid affair. Who to blame and what do we do about it. Not too easy really with so many opinions but mine is this.
The board, rightly , want to run a profitable club. Understandable. we don’t have to look too far to see the results of massive overspending across the Clyde, do we, and see where that kinda “quick fix” attitude gets them. So, we don ‘t want to go down that route, after all , we want a club to support and be proud of.
We have a major shareholder who appears to be in it for reasons other than having a good side to support.
We have a rookie management team in place who it did not cost much to put in place. OK, they love the club and poor Lenny has had some serious shit with which to contend, and no man should have to suffer that. That said, he and his team are not up to the job yet!!He should never have been placed in that position, should he? Of course not, but as the old agage suggests, you get what you pay for.
Now then, whatever contraints are placed on the prospective manager, the manager must be made clear as to them, so that he can make a sound judgement as to whether to take the job or no. Now , Lenny loves CELTIC, like us, and he would have said yeah, I’ll take the challenge. Directors thought, good for us, we can pay him peanuts rather than big bucks to get a manager of experience, great.
Ok, so he’s in the job and wants the same for the Club as we do, but he’s not up to it.
Back to square one then! Well maybe but Walford and Robertson are not currently employed so maybe the answer is that then. Could be .
I think we have to say to DD in whatever language is needed that for him it is time to shit, or get off the pot so to speak. If he won’t then we must find a way to remove him, and it can be done I’m sure.
I’d love to have a chat with MON and GS to ask them what parameters were on them when they had the job and WHY did they leave, truthfully! My theory, and it is only a theory, is that they had taken this great club of our as far as they could with the money available to them and I’m sure they told the board, gimme the money or I’m off.
Rant over
I love CELTIC
KINGLuBO
Sorry guys, hate to be negative but been watching our team for the thick end of 50years and that performance today,in context,must rank with the with Falkirk Scottish Cup-ties at Brockville and Ibrox and Raith Rovers.
So fed up,heads under blankets- beaks under wings
It was a massive risk to appoint a man with no managerial experience to be the manager of Celtic. It was then compounded by a gigantic risk to allow him to bring in 3 assistants with no significant senior experience. We took a punt on Neil, and it hasn’t paid off (yet ?).
We nearly did it last year, but the true nature of the team shone through at ICT – didnt need to win the game, just make sure we didnt lose it – and we couldn’t against a team full of honest triers and big diddies (some of whom had just been told they were sacked) – your identikit SPL side in other words.
Since this season started has anyone actually felt we were moving forwards ? I am totally gutted by this but I just cannot see Neil sticking with it given the performances by some of the players on the field.
One thing to ponder – if we are all gutted imagine how Neil feels tonight.
Too angry to hang about reading the blog tonight but I just want to say this….
Lawell and co I hope your proud of yourselves and the level you’ve dragged our club down to.
Well done, a big pat on the back guys.
Hail hail
MME
I have been asking myself if I expected anything other than today’s result?
The answer is no
This is the team we have become and I am getting used to it
Awe Naw
And what support have the board given him ?
A few token statements, and week in week out, we get kicked off the park, no wonder we have half a team out injured.
What chance has Lenny got
Paul67,
‘get used to it’
that’s not like you, chin up.
Do you think deep down our board will let us ‘get used to it’ or will they get the finger out?
poor performance bvy team and management. Lenny blaming players again. It is becoming a bit like BTM’s take it on the chin statement after every poor game. Lenny waited 70 minutes to try and sort out a mess. Too little too late – why bring Sammi on with only 7 minutes left? Why put on PaddyMcC only to see him drift into deep midfield?
We are a mess that requires sorting out.