Walking out of the ground last night, my oldest son recalled Liam Scales nervy performance against St Johnstone in August. Two months later he was imperious against a World Cup winning striker. This season’s Champions League campaign is like to end in December, but a few Celtic players will surely look back on it with pride.
Luis Palma made his fourth start for the club and gave us a further insight into his talent. Denied a goal by a marginal offside against Lazio, he got his reward when the Atletico net bulged for the second time. Unlike our other wingers, his game is not about pace, he will continue to find space in dangerous areas for him and others to exploit. Reminiscent of John Robertson in his pomp.
There were two world class footballers on the field. Antoine Griezmann’s movement, touch and game-management was sublime; a joy to watch. While sharing the pitch with a player of this standard, we can judge Kyogo. To say he was outstanding is insufficient.
His goal was so simple, passing the ball into the net from 7 yards, who cannot do that? Well, no one who has played for Celtic in the last 50 years, apart from Henrik Larsson and Kenny Dalglish. Daizen Maeda, unplayable for the first half, created the chance. Matt O’Riley twice brought the attention of Atletico off Kyogo, but the goal was all about our Japanese striker.
Late in the second half I complained about yet another no-look pass from him that went astray. The truth is, he was playing on a level no one else in hoops has yet understood. How often did the arms go up in frustration as his run was not matched with an early forward ball?
Shortly before he was subbed, he controlled and moved the ball while under pressure with such skill I am doubting my memory. Just as Henrik and Kenny before him, he is improving the longer he stays at Celtic; current form is his best yet. With such a talent, his teammates should always be looking for him. The rest of us can marvel as his story unfolds.
Having been schooled in the first period, Atletico changed things at halftime and when their second equaliser came it was deserved. Celtic were pinned back and ragged. In response, Brendan Rodgers made the huge decision to change to an unused, three-at-the-back formation.
It looked a gamble at the time, but Brendan knew what he was doing. The extra bodies in midfield rebalanced the match. What a decision! This is why he is Celtic manager, instead of you or me.
We knew energy levels would be an issue, Celtic do not play enough games at this level to be fully prepared. The early injury to Reo Hatate meant that we were out of substitution instances as the game neared its conclusion. As we worried for Celtic, Atletico’s true colours flipped the flow of the game towards the home team.
Rodrigo de Paul is another World Cup winner but got himself booked for persistently harassing the referee while looking for a second penalty kick. Have some self-respect, you may think, but that is not something Argentinians in the red of Atletico are known for around these parts.
I left the game full of praise for Griezmann, but disgusted at de Paul, who picked up a second yellow for an out of control challenge on a tiring Paulo Bernardo. On the way home, my youngest asked, ‘What would you be like if you had that Simeone in your face every day of the week?”
With Griezmann on the ground after a head knock, Simeone stopped the club doctor from giving attention. Medical oversight only arrived because the referee insisted Griezmann leave the field. “That Simeone” is a malign influence and a true son of his father.
188 Comments- Pages:
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BURNLEY78 on 26TH OCTOBER 2023 2:40 PM
Not about blame. Taylor’s just a rotten defender at this level. Clearly targeted by the opposition aerially and on the ground, and implicated time and again in goals conceded down the left – last night, Rotterdam and Lazio.
In a game of small margins, cutting out the GT factor defensively might just be the difference between winning and losing.
Great ball to Maeda for the Palma goal though. Some folk I know would have him in midfield.
HH
If you ask where could we spend the kind of money we can afford and improve the team it seems obvious to me . In the goal and left back. I’m not picking on Hart or Taylor but I think Hart was brought in after Forster legged it and the Greek tragedy as a bit of a stop gap and he has done well in the SPL so it has been overlooked. Taylor is a decent SPL player but the Champions League is nothing like the SPL. Taylor should be out left back Ralston. I think the rest of the team looks fine. It’s funny but if the CB crisis hadn’t happened Scales would have been lucky to make the bench last night and probably would have been out on loan or sold. Our fringe players get no chances generally so how do they have a chance to show how they can play? I would have given Mikey the last 10 last night instead of Forrest.
RIMTIMTIM
I would love to have seen the expressions last night on the faces of the old Racing Club boys listening to the game on the transistor and hearing the commentator say
” ……Y ahora JOHNSTON avanza por la banda derecha…….
……………………….
I can picture the scene. They’d be performing imaginary knee high tackles and trips and folding their hands behind their backs with their heads bowed before the Ref. 🤣
BURNLEY78
Stop it you tease, with your Dessers and Lammers, you know fine, it’s about “ pure kwality “ we’re not serious about the CL like what Sevco are.
Steven Fletcher would have made a difference last night.
🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱🥱
Greg Taylor is 1.72M
Back to Basics
Could we afford him?
Jamesie came on because he normally takes car of the ball more often than not. Brendan likes that in any player. Neither Oh nor Mikey do that.
MARKIEBHOY on 26TH OCTOBER 2023 3:09 PM
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Maybe once a few of our other centre backs are fit again, Scales plays at LB ahead of Greg. 😳🤷🏼♂️😃👍
Their second goal is more Bernardo’s fault than Taylor’s. Bernardo was impressive in the game and there is definitely a player there but its fine margins, as soon as he went to ground the challenge had to be successful. He only got a nick on it and it left Taylor 2 against 1.
Melvin Udall
I would keep Taylor in and go 3 at the back like they did last night. I think he is effective going forward. Then you also have Bernebei as a ready made replacement. They can try it out at domestic level. It was a great move by Brendan last night.
Spikeysauldman
Can’t argue with that. I would like to see Mikey get another chance domestically, I think there is a player there.
KJAM
Blame game trap?
Agree in part , there were supporters before last night congratulating Brendan for returning Greg Taylor to the Ange wing back role where he excelled last season.
We lose a European goal broadly from the left back position and Taylor was bound to get it. But more a system tactical fault than anything, you can’t defend when you’re not there.
Last night I was hoping for a good performance by the team regardless but getting a result was a terrific added bonus against a team just 3 points off the top of La Liga with a game in hand. Sport is about entertainment and we’ve had it in spadefulls in our games against the Italians and the Spanish. The pundits on TNT agreed and commended Celtic on playing the most attractive football in the competition, jeez can you believe it.
The team had given it’s all and was running on empty nearing the finish but still found the strength to go for that elusive winner. I noticed the brilliant Kyogo could barely walk as he left the dugout at the final whistle. Scales, Maeda and O’Riley and the green panther Kyogo all get 10’s from me for performance, testament to their work under Brendan Rodgers.
Liam Scales is an intelligent player who was brilliant in the aerial duels and never misplaced a pass in his natural left sided central defensive
position and at 25 years of age will be some player if he keeps improving at his current rate.
BR is an upgrade on Ange. No way Ange makes that call last night
just a pity we didn’t make the same sub decision against the Italians .
BSR
For all his excellent work with improving the rest of the team Brendan doesn’t seem to be getting the consistent best out of GT. You’d hope he isnt listening to the expert opinion on him just not being good enough, forgetting his last two season. He won’t be of course
Maybe he won’t be able to and we will have to look at signing someone but I’d hope he gets more of a chance. It would save us a lot of money and avoid an even more bloated squad – we can’t support three well paid left backs without it having an effect in other more important areas
While I agree that we saw a great Celtic performance last night (quite a bit to my surprise, tbh), I thought the team were mentally exhausted after about an hour.
Brendan Rodgers has certainly improved a good Scottish team. Imagine how good we might become if we play a team of the calibre of Atletico regularly. Maybe the new CL set up next year might provide that opportunity.
RC on 26TH OCTOBER 2023 4:38 PM
It’s certainly debatable whether Brendan would have that group of Spurs players on top of the Prem after ten games
Who knows how a second season in the CL would have panned out – we’re no better off points wise but the players do look more confortable at that level.
Maybe it’s the experience of playing 8 CL games, maybe it’s Brendan’s approach or his affect on the existing squad.
MARKIEBHOY on 26TH OCTOBER 2023 4:01 PM
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Good points.
Although, I’m not sure we’ll get o see much of Bernabei. He seems to have fallen right out of favour with his unprofessional behaviour at the club since he signed.
Time will tell though. 😃👍
Celtic40Me
Too right.
Smashing wee player, as smashing wee players go, not Joos Valgaren by any stretch, and shouldn’t be judged as a left back, as such IMO.
I had a look at transfer.com and see he’s up to 6.5M Euros, not bad at all holding down a gig at Brendan’s Celtic he must be doing something right.
I fear he’ll never be tall enough for the ‘pure kwality’ upgrade brigade. 👍
Absolutely delighted for Liam Scales
..what did Celtic pay Shamrock Rovers for him ? Less than half a million euros I think ?
The lad has had to fight for his chance and finally in his 3rd season he seems to have the world at his feet..I go to Shamrock Rovers games over here and always liked him…but Celtic is a step up..During close season I was told that Liam really wanted to stay and Celtic and fight for a place in the squad/team…I thought he was being optimistic and that Aberdeen might be a better option for him…But Fortune Favours The Brave…Long may it continue for him..
Oh and bring back Jonny Hayes 😁😁😁
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 26TH OCTOBER 2023 4:48 PM
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Think the new format gives us games against:
2 teams from Pot 1
2 teams from Pot 2
2 teams from Pot 3
2 teams from Pot 4
With 4 home and 4 away, which I think are chosen randomly. It is a much better set-up than the current format and makes it far more interesting.
The top 8 qualify for the Round of 16.
The 9-24 placed teams got into the Play-off round and play over 2 legs to make the Round of 16.
I know I’m not the only one who thought, and hoped, that no team would dominate our CL group, and half way through that certainly looks the case. We have not quite got back to the days of Fortress Parkhead, (though did quite well in the EL under Neil Lennon, and Ange in his first season) but not for a while in the Champions League. But we have got a wee bit closer against both Lazio and Athletico, (a club who one poster claimed were Madrid’s Celtic) but not close enough to keep us in the mix in a group where third place was not unattainable after the group got going. Though you will not win many games in the Netherlands with nine men. That said a fine effort last night against a team packed full of talented players, and a Pantomime villain for a manager who seems to have unsettled Paul67’s psyche. With Halloween coming up soon hiding behind the couch might prove the best option.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 26TH OCTOBER 2023 4:59 PM
I also think if we had Maeda (fastest player in the CL this season according to Uefa stats) on his side it would be a different story. Palma has been an excellent attacking replacement for Jota but he hasn’t got the defensive side of his game sorted yet.
AJ didn’t have his best night last night, even with Maeda covering and constantly pushing their left back back.
MELVIN UDALL @ 5.04
Thanks for that 👍
MELVIN UDALL
If I’ve got that right half our games against pot 4 and 3 teams would be a huge help.
CELTIC40ME
Good shout , Maeda doesn’t care where he plays left right or centre. AJ was solid defensively one block tackle, springs to mind.
Luis Palma has great Celtic hair 👍
When Anges Spurs beat Fulham on Monday he said they won the game with how they played with the ball in the first half and how they played without it in the second when they were well below their best. He could have said the usual cliched stuff about playing poorly and wining but he didn’t
He’s working with better players than ours and was against a worse team than we were last night but in the CL you’ve got to do both well if you want to turn draws into wins and stop conceding 2 goals in every game
Whatever happened to Bernabei?? i know another who can’t defend.
Alternative left back Alexandro Bernabei cost Celtic £4M ( wasn’t in the CL squad last night )
Topical because they kick off in 5 minutes.
“Graeme Souness has confirmed he is close to agreeing a deal to return to Rangers, with the club looking to appoint the club legend in a consultative role.”
“Although Souness’ new position will not have an official title, it is understood he will have a say in decisions being made in the football department of the club.”
Souness also opened up on his role in appointing new manager Philippe Clement.
He explained: “There were two outstanding candidates; Frank Lampard and Philippe. The final say wasn’t with me.
“For me, Frank had the edge”
Holy feck
What Is The Starz………….I think Scales was on a sports scholarship at UCD when Shamrock signed him, obviously an intelligent guy and it’s evident in his football, lovely passer of the ball what I’ve seen of him to date and really shone last night against the Spanish.
Good for us that Louis Palma has this knack of scoring spectacular goals and long may it continue.
is that 10 years now since we have won a champions league home game, wow.
CELTIC40ME on 26TH OCTOBER 2023 5:21 PM
MELVIN UDALL
If I’ve got that right half our games against pot 4 and 3 teams would be a huge help.
————
Yup! Let’s hope so. Although, there are still some cracking sides even in those pots. Mainly Pot 3 though. Think we could handle most Pot 4 teams.
RC
We are in our 4th season of CL Group football on hte last 10 years and we have one further chance ti end this hoodoo
Bernebei isn’t in the CL Squad, try and cut our losses there….
Taxi for Bernabei