Delighted for Leigh Griffiths (penalty), Callum McGregor (penalty and assist) and Ryan Christie (goal) who, after a difficult few months domestically, got any reassurance necessary from a Scotland performance and result that they can compete and win on the European stage. McGregor’s reverse pass for the goal was a thing of beauty.
The caveat is that our players will compete for four domestic trophies this season, head to the Euros with Scotland, then go straight into Celtic’s European qualifiers without as much as a long weekend down the Clyde. To paraphrase Roy Scheider, you’re gonna need a bigger squad.
Footballers are not machines. They have peaks and troughs of form, fitness and focus. How many mountains can Callum McGregor climb? We have to hope Steve Clarke cuts the Celtic players some slack in the spring internationals, while Neil Lennon should have a good hard look at the remaining three Europa League games before risking his most precious assets.
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Happy Friday all from a happy chap in Louisville.
Well done to the bhoys the helped Scotland last night. Nerves of steel from Griff.
HH!
Beyonce
Ps Love the Roy Scheider line Paul.
We’ve got a big squad at present. The manager just chooses not to utilise it.
Callum (2,300 minutes this season) v. Turnbull (149 minutes this season) v. Soro (37 minutes this season)…..
ST TAMS on 13TH NOVEMBER 2020 1:24 PM
We’ve got a big squad at present. The manager just chooses not to utilise it.
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Troo
You’re Gonna Need A Bigger
Agree Paul
Another take away from last night is how Clarke uses McGregor vs Lennon and how effective he looked in the deeper role compared to recent performances. Might be the lack of unstructured chaos around him last night (crikey that’s a turnaround). It’s a worthwhile debate i feel.
CBN,
I’m led to believe that “the lack of unstructured chaos” is an unspoken cultural issue, way down the bucket list to “it’s only the result that matters”.
Enjoyed your podcast yesterday btw.
HH
Player need to be utilised correctly, especially in the Europa and possibly cup games after the Final. That said, Calmac, Christie, Griff and Taylor will be on a high all the way to June on the back of this and we need to use that feel good factor to spur the squad on.
Declan Gallagher has to be on our thoughts too.
Of course the four months rest might have helped. Glad Calum McGregor stayed on long enough to take the penalty after the Griffter. That said the next two Scotland games should be for players that didn’t get any game time, must be more than a few of them. Okay maybe Leigh could start or at least play a good part.
BIG WAVY on 13TH NOVEMBER 2020 1:43 PM
thank you! very kind
Less positive feedback is also welcome. Ish.
San Luis,
Declan Gallgher is nearly 30 and the very definition of a journeyman. He had a great wee night of defending it seems (didn’t watch it) but our thoughts should be several rungs higher than Declan.
HH
CELTIC BY NUMBERS on 13TH NOVEMBER 2020 1:52 PM
BIG WAVY on 13TH NOVEMBER 2020 1:43 PM
thank you! very kind
Less positive feedback is also welcome. Ish.
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Oh pull up a seat. It’ll come :)
HH
When the clique got a leak big Pete the beak it’s the mora
Celtic are chasing records this year. Quadruple Treble and 10 in a row. I hope the focus remains for these players. Focus and Celtic and then consider Scotland in JUNE.
Was pleased to see Scotland progress last night,a team consisting of 8 Celtic minded players,past ,present,or fans.
Amidst the euphoria,let it be noted that it was the element that Steve Clark is famous for ( Defensive reliability ) which let him down with a minute to go,at that point I gave them little chance.
Main reason for that was probably the worst set of substitutions I have seen for many years,bringing off what was effectively the forward line,and replacing them with much inferior players, Griff with 5 mins to go was clearly for penalties,
I thought then,and still believe, that it was very unfair,putting the weight of a penalty ( and potentially the blame ) on a guy who did not get a game,or a decent amount of sub time. He did very well to step up.
Ultimately very fortunate a bit of luck for a change.
There is a real problem of players like Calmac being asked to play too many games. So he should be left out of League Cup games and this season’s Scottish Cup. And Steve Clarke should be told in no uncertain terms of our concerns. He’s been “resting” Andy Robertson in midweek games, no doubt in response to pressure from Liverpool. And recently Robertson deliberately picked up a yellow card to rule himself out of Scotland’s next game.
We are in a good position to put pressure on Steve Clarke. No other club has made such a big contribution to the national team as Celtic. Last night there was Calmac, Ryan C and Griff, while Marshall and Tierney started their careers and got their football education at Celtic. James Forrest would also have been there had he been fit. And if Covid persists, why allow Celtic players to join the Scotland squad for friendlies? A German club did not allow one of its players to go to Serbia for last night’s match, so it seems a club is within its rights to do that.
I know some Celtic supporters don’t care about the national team. I think they should. This success will make it easier to recruit good players from abroad who might otherwise just see Scottish football as a backwater. And Scottish football might be slightly better than we give it credit for. Who would have thought we could beat Serbia with two Motherwell players in the team?
Like P67, I had originally hoped Lenny would rest key team players for the remaining Europa games.
But, I now think we should go strong in these games.
We’ve 3 games in the Europa against top sides, of a quality far above what we’ll face domestically before Ibrox.
If Neil wants to put a team together for Ibrox then I think it’s a good idea to put the plan into motion against these top sides.
Christie wants and will be away in the summer.
I’m hoping he views the Euros as stage and we’ll hopefully get more money for him if he performs.
His new club can deal with the fatigue.
Did Norway qualify? If so, the same applies for Ajer.
The same may also apply for McGregor, not so sure.
Griffiths is 3rd choice at Celtic. He’ll be fresh for the Euros and a run of games for Scotland will do him good ahead of Celtic’s pre-season. Ditto Barkas if Greece have qualified.
Forrest will need a break.
Here’s hoping the likes of Turnbull and Mikey Johnson don’t start getting call ups.
Paul 67,
Surely the point of having a big squad is to compete in all competitions.
We need the exposure of the Europa. Exposure that domestic football cannot give us.
As stated in the last article , I though Callum McGregor was fabulous. Imo that was his best , most comfortable and efficient game of the season. He played like the player we know he can and should be.
Ryan Christie had another fabulous game.
Perhaps with envy, I look at Steve Clarke utilising ” ordinary ” unfashionable players like Lyndon Dykes and Declan Gallagher and getting them to play to a very fruitful plan. These players we could have bought for ” buttons” in football terms. But would we play them ?
Finally, I don’t think we should contemplate preventing players from playing for their country. Look at the sheer joy Ryan Christie displayed.
However unpalatable it feels, I think we would be shooting ourselves in the foot to do so.
THE BLOGGER………………………
Turnbull and Johnson will need to get games before they are called up.
I’m not holding my breath.
Last night IMHO was filled with irony
Great for Scotland
But it could be that PL had intentions on Steve Clarke.
I assume he is now not an option for this season
So did Ryan Calum and Leigh buy NL a lot more time – this season ???
And if we do not get 10. Did Ryan (unintentionally) cause the situation
All speculative nonsense on my part
But most would accept that Steve Clarke has Scotland playing to the best of their collective ability – a talented manager
I hope and pray that NL can effect the change needed in our team to win the league
Paul67 your concern about burn out for qualifiers is a Red Herring. Cross that bridge and all that especially if it’s EL and not Champions League qualifiers
The only item on the agenda is to win 10
All other debates are IMHO obsolete
The big issue regarding last night is if Celtic are looking to – Or at some point need to – change the manager. One of the potential candidates just became harder to recruit this season
67ECW
Anyone got a link for Christie’s goal last night? Still haven’t seen and can’t find it anywhere.
Steve Clarke,whilst being a good Manager,has the advantage of utilising players with a common goal,as opposed to Club Managers ( Like NL ) dealing with Prima Donna’s with an eye on the exit.
EXCATHEDRA44
Agree with you up to a point, but surely there is no bigger shop window than playing for your country?
Steve Clarke said he wouldn’t manage us or the huns.
!!BADA BING!!
If Scotland fire him I feel sure he might reconsider!
In happier times I saw unstructured chaos at the local student uni
They were supported by the Steve Clarke 5 at the back. Reviews called them a decent back up act, functional and good enough for small venues but lacking in entertainment and not quite good enough for the biggest stages.
I’d like Clarke to cut Cal and Ryan some slack now never mind in spring.
EXCATHEDRA44 on 13TH NOVEMBER 2020 2:52 PM
Edouard seems to be more committed to his country’s u21s this season.
Christie goal here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8OL4ASHxCw
Christie greetin here
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROgegLriF4A
god love the bhoy.
I have felt for sometime the highlanders really do love playing for scotland more than the city dwellers.
A bigger squad????
FFS ‘we’re going to need a bigger bench’
Play them, for some time, from time to time,for crying out loud
HH jg
PHILBHOY on 13TH NOVEMBER 2020 2:54 PM
EXCATHEDRA44
Agree with you up to a point, but surely there is no bigger shop window than playing for your country?
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Yes agree,that’s why they put in the effort,the way it used to work was players would work hard to impress at Club level in order to be noticed by National selectors,to achieve the accolade of Internationalist, which subsequently made them valuable to their Club.
It now appears to dis-advantage Clubs in terms of team building,if they have a saleable asset, apart of course for the money.
Thanks Saint Stivs
You really are the go to man for videos and photos.
I must have a think about what else I need you to find for me!
Hail, hail!
It’s seems to me that a number of our players are looking for Transfers away from our club, This will all be about money and the riches Sky enable wages at EPL clubs.
Ryan Christie and Kris Ajer have both been suggested. Odsonne Edouard and Olivier N’tcham are definately in the want away group. Calum McGregor maybe another.
Celtic wanted them all to stay for the 10. This looks to be an error, Unhappy players don’t perform. Keeping Eddy has seen a likely reduction in his potential Transfer value of up to £10m.
Ryan Christies emotions last night would never have happened in a Celtic shirt. In fact he was recently accused of not celebrating a key Celtic goal. These players are not emotionally attached to Celtic. We hope that they at least are professional enough to perform for the people who pay their wages.
I hope the 2 Nations League games are the last internationals before June
ST STIVs,
You’re the man for the vids usually so here’s one for you, especially after your question about the Botanic Gardens the other night!
tps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zwv7hqppfEs
Ave Ave