This is the third season in a row Celtic have lost a league game, a situation unimaginable as recently as May 2017. How will we cope? We could always console ourselves with a _vincible treble, or maybe a late run in the Europa League. What I can assure you of is that yesterday’s abject performance will be inconsequential to our season.
Celtic recorded a narrow win on Hamilton’s plastic surface last month, when their natural quick-passing game looked ineffective. I suspect that informed Neil Lennon’s tactical choice ahead of yesterday’s game on the Livingston plastic. In the 26 minutes before Ryan Christie’s red card, the champions threw the ball forward as we did in the pre-Martin O’Neill era.
This was no more effective than our natural passing game at Hamilton. Ball retention was dreadful and we were unable to construct coherent attacks.
The Christie incident was as clear-cut a red card as you can imagine. Ryan has a bit of bite about him and I generally like the way he throws himself into challenges. It is not clear what went through his mind as he launched himself, studs up, but at that moment, we all knew we were in trouble.
The goals were defensively poor. The central two stepped forward while the two full backs stayed back at the opening goal, allowing a team who had lost their previous four games to pass through the defensive line to great effect. A clearance from the league-debutant goalkeeper, Sarkic, was not defended and bounced at the edge of the box, leaving Fraser Forster stranded and beaten by a delicious lob. Sarkic enjoyed as stress-free an afternoon as is possible for a goalkeeper.
Christopher Jullien was dragged into a game of attrition by Dykes, it did not do the Celtic defender’s concentration any good. It will be a long two weeks before the next outing, against Ross County. In the meantime we will have to suck it up and live like the others for a while.
118 Comments- Pages:
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FRITZSONG,
We have to deal with the irrational, the bigotted, the biased and the agricultural every game we play in the SPFL.
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 7TH OCTOBER 2019 8:34 PM
Agreed.Especially the irrational bit when applied to referees decisions . Collum’s were on the subtle end of the scale , but Clancy’s were outcome deciding as he single handedly cost us 2 points. I long for a situation where the outcome of games is decided by the players on the pitch.
think it’s about time that referees from other european leagues officiated within different countries to give them the experience of different leagues prior to handling champions and europa ties.
Lenny couldn’t read the selected players mind prior to Sunday’s match, couldn’t sense mental exhaustion, or physical fatigue. Lenny carries the blame for Sunday’s defeat, he got the team selection wrong. Now let’s see him get it right.
ps Hindsight’s a wonderful thing.
Ave Ave
Henry Joy
You missed out bottle, and were going to need plenty of it.
Marspapa
I missed out bottle because I don’t think we lack it. Read my post again, them are the reasons for Sundsy’s failure.
It’s not easy for a manager to have a feel for which player to select due to mental/physical/emotional fatigue. The players are all liars. I’ve been there albeit at a semi pro level both home and abroad. The best managers are attune to reading players minds and can sense al fatigue. You can smell it a mile off. That’s the only criticism I’d have of Lenny for Sunday. He couldn’t sense the flatness that was there before the kick off. It’s not an easy thing to do but a manager close to his squad of players is more in tune than what Lenny was. Given the fact there’s such a small window between Thursday evening and Sunday kick off is a mitigating factor but you’d have expected his Captain to have identified what Lenny failed to do. Both are culpable, but lenny carries the can.
With about 40 minutes left to vote, if you’ve not done so already the power is in yer hands…. here’s a tie for 1st place.
Results by half 10…
cqnpoty@gmail.com
Is griff still injured 🤕 HH
Franny1967
Aye, thigh strain. There’s a burd with a smile on her face somewhere.
TURKEYBHOY @ 3:23
Agree 100 per cent with your comments on set pieces. It defies belief that McGregor repeatedly failed abysmally to find 3 lighthouses in Ajer, Julien and Bayo. Amateur teams I have been involved with as player and manager were far superior at taking corners. Why on earth should that be so?
Can’t our players watch clips of Tully, Gallagher and Moravcik and practice until perfect? Practice worked for Beckham. Practice at free kicks worked for Naka.
Depending on who is playing, we nominate the player with the least poorest technique to take corners, whether that be Griffiths, McGregor, Christie, et al. Forrest must be really bad, because he is not allowed to! And Griffiths is the best of a very bad lot – when he is not playing, the quality of our corners drops off a cliff. At least against Cluj, we tried a few short ones, which carried more of a threat. Why did we abandon that against Livi?
IniquitousIV
*** CQN PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2019-20 ***
RESULTS FROM GAME #9 – LIVINGSTON 2 CELTIC 0
Obviously all games count but not surprisingly most folk had great difficulty in identifying their 3 star performers from Sunday’s game; but a big thanks to the 41 that either voted or explained why they couldn’t 😉.
No inspiration to write much more this time (you’ll be glad to hear) so on to the points. The votes for the 14 players who took part are as follows (my own choices are asterisked) –
Forster: 0
Bauer: 25*
Jullien: 10
Ajer: 8*
Bolingoli-Mbombo: 11*
Brown: 2
McGregor: 15
Forrest: 1
Christie: 1
Elyounoussi: 25
Edouard: 6
Bayo: 1*
Hayes: 2
Ntcham: 0
Unused subs – Gordon, Elhamed, Bitton, Sinclair.
So, it’s a tie for first place and the players receiving points for the Livingston game are –
Bauer – 5 points
Elyounoussi – 5 points
McGregor – 3 points
Bolingoli-Mbombo – 2 points
Jullien – 1 points
This means that the aggregate total points are as follows –
Christie – 17 points
Edouard – 16 points
Brown – 15 points
Forrest – 15 points
Bolingoli-Mbombo – 13 points
Jullien – 12 points
Bauer – 11 points
McGregor – 9 points
Elhamed – 8 points
Elyounoussi – 6 points
Ntcham – 5 points
Frimpong – 4 points
Bitton – 3 points
Bayo – 3 points
Hayes – 2 points
Ajer – 1 point
Forster – 1 point
Rogic – 1 point
International Break means a wee rest from this particular wee bit of fun. Back with renewed vigour and optimism for the Ross County game on October 19h.
Hail Hail!
FRANNYB67 on 7TH OCTOBER 2019 10:09 PM
Is griff still injured 🤕 HH
===================================
I hope that is the case.
Paul67. Two points.
This result has been coming. We have struggled in our last 3 league games only one of which was on a plastic pitch.
There is no such thing as a clear cut-penalty or red card in Scottish football. A sevco player should have received a red card for a last man challenge on a livingston player. The referee chose to completely ignore the foul.
On a different matter. I do feel sorry for peter lawwell and I am sure I speak for all celtic supporters.
If celtic don’t win the league then just maybe peter won’t receive his big bonus and share dividend. He won’t upset the liars and cheats at the SFA thereby blowing his chances of getting a job at EUFA.
He is under real pressure. Hopefully things turn out well for him.
If celtic don’t win the league Neil will be fired. He will pay the price of failure.
£50M in the bank.
Oops, I didn’t actually pick 4 players. Boli was a carry over from the Cluj game.
Sleep tight!
WESTCRAIGS we actually had 39M in bank in accounts , which did not include the 25m for KT
while some people will happily clap away at a massive success for the business and in any other business thbis would be a massive success, but we are not just a business, we are first and foremost a football club.
that money is the bank due the failure of our scouting and investment in top quality players.
we area short way into the season and we have one fit striker. a shocking indictment of our footballs clubs ambitions and planning. many of our away games when we play with one striker means that we play the ineffective James Forrest in that 2nd role , yes he scores the odd goal, but he is in most part invisible.
Ibrox invisible taken off
hamilton away scored in 1st minute then spent the next 85 mins being invisible
Hibs away , invisible one more, taken off
Livingston invisible again taken off again
align that with Elyounoussi who looks like he he carrying weight also invisible, we had Eduard all on on his own again against the the entire Livingstone defence
so in summary bench Forrest and get Griffiths fit to play two up from asap
and spend this money in January to ensure ten in row and CL qualification
oh and bin lawell as we wont invest with him there
HENRY JOY
I’m not sure I agree that NFL picked the wrong team.
He wasn’t to blame for Julien and Ajers poor defending at both goals.
We at no time looked up for a battle and that’s where bottle comes into it.
Teams in the Amatuer and junior leagues knew when they played the better teams / players that had no heart for a battle they had a chance…. Let good teams play, strut their stuff and the inevitable happens…. get in about them and they wilt, exactly what we did…. Imo
Sorry for the late reply.
I’m sure we’ll bounce back. 👍 😀
I’m sure we will bounce back as long as Lenny and Broony read things better than Sunday, especially on the back of a tough Thursday nigh fixture.
Whether they do or don’t will be down to their management.
Ave Ave
Henry Joy
Yip.
it has been said on this and other blogs that the players that don’t get picked on match day could make up a team that could win the league being we have such strength in depth, if that is the case a few of the regulars should be worried.
Anyhoo, good night and thanks for the reply.
Faithful to the last.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHPH-5zMjNo
Ave Ave
As Brexit takes a fascist UK twist, Irish-Brits maybe called into action once again. The Long War. If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.
https://www.rte.ie/radio1/the-history-show/podcasts/
Ave Ave
Is it safe yet ?
Good morning CQN from a dark, wet and blustery Garngad
I find it hard to believe that some of our supporters would spew hatred or bile toward young Ryan Christie.
If true then it’s shocking.
Hail Hail
D. :)
SYDNEYTIM on 7TH OCTOBER 2019 11:00 PM
…………………….
YAWN !
You said.. ” We only have ONE Fit Striker”….Fake News.
Eddy, Bayo, …and Forrest, Sinclair, Mohammed….ALL Strikers…and Fit.
BIG PACKY 1 on 7TH OCTOBER 2019 7:12 PM
RON67, more power to your elbow. think your from the brig same as myself .hope you are well.hh.
…………………….
More UTTER DRIVEL from the “A” List Drama Queen.
Dont think many on here give a TOSS where your from ?
If “The Brig” was so great…why leave ?
If RON67, was UNWELL….What would do you plan to do to help him ?
While thousands of REAL Celtic Supporters spend HUNDREDS and THOUSANDs of ££££’s every season watching Celtic…YOU Posted on here last season…COMPLAINING about spending £10 ( A Feckin TENNER ! )…on a Taxi from your “Work”, to get home in time to watch Celtic on HESGOAL….A Feckin Stream that costs you ZILCH, ZERO..NOTHING to watch !
You have NEVER expressed ANY desire, or ANY INTENTIONS of spending a Penny to watch Celtic since you have been on here or SC…You wouldnt know what Colours Celtic play in !
When was the last time that You ever spent a Penny to actually go and watch Celtic…when was the last time you actually attended a Celtic match…………BEFORE GOAL NETs were introduced ?
Celtic supporter ?………My Arse !
To those Celtic supporters who cant attend games because of health and/or money reasons…the above obviously does NOT apply to you.
This whole Brexit fiasco – James Forrest has a lot to answer for.
Just looked out the window – raining – that damned James Forrest again !
Good Morning, Wet Yet Mild In The Verdant Chilterns Today…
“Inconsequential” – I for one hope not.
Sunday’s game for me was very odd, the formation, tactics… couldn’t quite put my finger on what we were trying to acheive.
Maybe Livingstone didn’t let us settle, then the sending off changed things, I don’t know, it was hard to tell.
My thoughts, we were playing a tight, physical team at their own game and looking for the tried and tested… an Edouard, Forrest, Christie type sublime intervention to get us the goal or two we needed.
When we do this, the goal(s) often comes late.
However, one down 60 mins played we began to play a bit and get back in the match, it was odd, we were the SPL team that most often win from a goal down, the were the SPL team that most often lose from being a goal up. Yet we couldn’t build on what was some pretty good stuff from Ely and Boli down the left hand side at that point. It seemed our only plan, Livingstone got wise to it and didn’t only thwart us, they got back on top.
Now as stated on the blog before before, my feeling is Rangers “winning” strategy is, theg are hoping to get something out of the head to heads by their Ibrox “form”, then be more consistent than us over the season.
There hope comes from a two fold position I believe. The first Lenny’s teams have often been inconsistent and that – although they might not have the best eleven in Scotland – they have two very similar standard, very formidable teams SPL wise.
In fact, you take Celtic’s first team out of the equation and Rangers have the best two teams in Scotland. They have improved, their opposition has got worse.
Now it’s argued that we have two teams but have we?
Our first team more or less picks itself, we have a genuine competition for places at right back… Elhamed or Bauer, apart from that, not really.
Of course we are good in certain positions – keeper wise for instance but we are thin in other areas.
Also squad building has something we’ve failed to do over and over… of course the last couple of seasons have seen us thin out the “dead wood”, yet we are still in an odd position of having a large number of; underperforming, not performing, not ready players in our squad.
They consist of; the long term injured/unfit players, we have players that didn’t make the grade, we have players who are young – they don’t have the experience and don’t look like getting game time soon, we have players not performing well enough and players not getting game time for political, commercial considerations, etc etc… make what permutations you can…
Rogic, Simonuvic, Griff
Henry, Kouassi,
Hazard, Connell,
N’tcham, Sinclair, Arzani,
For instance where is Shved in all of this?
So do we really have two teams, is maybe the reason Lenny us finding it hard to rotate… how many players does he see as reliable?
There is also the untested… just how good is Julien’s temperament for instance. I’m not going to judge that on one game. I’ve even saw VvD lose it (in an imfamous semi) due to Scottish football’s “uniqueness”.
Still the question has to be asked, is it the best team or the best squad who win the league over a season?
How much does relience come into it?
How much does consistency count for?
On the latter, I’d say a great deal, if Sunday’s game is inconsequential, it is because as long as the old firm get first and second place it doesn’t really matter to us.
We know this Board is about picking the low hanging fruit and then squirreling it away.
The Europa is our aim and if we get second place we still can qualify for that, in terms of commercials winning the league makes little odds*.
As I said at the start of the season the old firm is back and I’m going to enjoy the “show” – win, lose or draw.
*I would say though, personally, I’m gravely concerned about our “flat” operating expenses.
Hail Hail
My concerns are that a strategic business decision has been made beyond an emotional decision that “kompetition” needs to be maintained or the League , and by extension , our good selves are goosed.
Hence none or very little public engagement with supporter sentiment.
Now, having said that – our experience tells us that should the Club go on the front foot media- wise, us and ours would be slaughtered to appease the mouth-breathin’ rekord readers o’ scoddland.
As I get older but less mature by the week I’m coming round to the idea us going out with a blaze of glory.
I’m sure I’ll feel better soon, but thems in triumphal mode has put me off my cornflakes.
HH
Chairbhoy – great read and some great perspectives there….
HH
Spikeysauldman…………
:))))
It’s raining here in Corcaigh……………I’m blamin’ that damned Liewell!!!!!!!
HH
Thanks BANKIEBHOY1 @ 8:12 AM,
You are totally correct, we need our hierachy to be much more connected, they can by pass the SMSM and let us know where they stand governance issues and what is our true strategy is all about – a genuine, open and transparent engagement.
Relience = Resilience
Have a great one – Aff Oot
Hail Hail
Next great scientific breakthrough on here.
Something can be both invisible but can be measured to be overweight.
Amazing.
CHAIRBHOY @ 07:37
You were doing ok until your paragraph 2nd from last.
I can assure you that you have 22 more sleeps until the 7th Anniversary of the Mob from Ibrox being placed in Liquidation so therefore there in NO o*” firm
Hail Hail
Big jimmy
So Eddy, Bayo, …and Forrest, Sinclair, Mohammed….
These are all strikers Lol
That’s a 1st I have ever heard wingers being called strikers
Remember that great striker in 67. Yes jimmy Johnstone the striker. Lol
Bayo is a project goal scorer. No record st top level
Once again 65m in bank and one recognised striker
PPS. James Forrest has got to be dropped Invisible in most games
Big jimmy
6.53am.
Yer a bad man.lol.
BANKIEBHOY1 on 8TH OCTOBER 2019 8:05 AM
Kornflakes…. Shoorly 😃
🍀⚽️
FESS19 @ 9:30 AM,
Don’t want to cause offense, you may call the competition between the “Glasgow Giants” and the “Glasgow Derby” matches as you wish.
My view…
…What’s in a name? Would a dung heap stink any less by any other name?
Personally before Rangers went bust I never liked the tag old firm, never used it in relation to Celtic, in fact it was anathema to me.
Howevah, my King Kanute days are over:((
Aff Oot Oot
Hail Hail