Celtic played their best football in months last night. Why? Well, the shape of the team was different. Scott Brown was no longer in the anchor role, leaving that in the capable hands of Eboue Kouassi (20 last month). Eboue joined this time last year, but has spent most of the intervening period getting to grips with life at Celtic, as well as overcoming illness. He did just fine and went some way to justifying the significant fee Celtic paid.
Olivier Ntcham, no stranger to a robust challenge, played the advanced role of the middle three, while Brown had the freedom to forage wherever need was greatest. It worked.
You will also notice a nascent partnership emerging between Moussa Dembele and Odsonne Edouard. Both thrived. We were even treated to the sight of Moussa collecting a clearance from Dorus de Vries before releaseing Odsonne inside the Celtic half. The big striker stretched his legs to speed away from the Hearts defence before scoring the opening goal. This worked too.
Brendan may have considered the effects of both wing partnerships being broken up. Kieran Tierney was without Scott Sinclair and James Forrest didn’t have Mikael Lustig, but both flourished.
Moments after coming on, Charly Musonda created a chance with a delicious back-heel. Moussa should have converted what would have been a fitting herald for the new loan signing.
My big takeaway from this game? Teams have had 18 months to figure out how to combat Celtic’s play. We have stuttered, in part, because teams knew what to expect and prepared accordingly. Teams need a second system as much as they need a second strip. We now have ours.
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540 Comments- Pages:
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STARRY PLOUGH on 31ST JANUARY 2018 10:51 AM
Young Team Ya Bass
That you started a wee clique Starry?
Better extend the age membership parameters or it may well be the weeist clique on here :)
Oli McBurney, from the same mould that cast Amido Balde, approx 1 goal every 5 games. Yep that’ll do it :-)
TR you’re young until you get to Old Tim’s age and even then I’m not that sure :-)
YT YB
I’m as old as ma tongue an a wee bit older than ma teeth. ;-)
Pog
I believe the arousal levels on FF with Oli are for his staunchness not his actual feckin job as a footballer.
They’re building a team of staunch, loyalist RRM after those pesky latin, catholic-leaning types are chased…..
….”and a sh”t football team” as the song goes…
OLDTIM made it across the country to the boozer through the worst weather seen in Scotland for 500 years !
Shock, horror!
Celtic, Hibs and Dundee involved in a ménage à trois. Will this be known as the 3 Way agreement?
Fan-A-Tic,
Just a wee point but it’s only one person banging on about the player no being good enough in his opinion, which he is perfectly entitled to share and discuss that what the blog is for. And I can understand why you would think more than one person shared that opinion as the same couple of opinions were shared in a considerable number of posts by the same poster, it can be confusing, and look like there is a general consensus when’s it’s a consensus of one
I see China have just lifted their ban on British beef, that would explain the bid for yon big hun coo.
Jaiket
Just love the Daily Recorder
Reporting that Celtic have lost out to Aberdeen in their attempts to sign well known Porn Star, sorry, Goalkeeper, Freddie Woodman from relegation candidates Newcastle United.
Were any efforts made to sign him ? Seems our focus was always closer to home, but why would the “journalists” (stop laughing at the back) at the Record let that get in the way of negative spin. :-)
G67- could keep Hendry if Jozo going out…
CANAMALAR
I agree wi SEANP. He’s not a player I rate enough to sign him,and we already have twice as many players as we need in his positions.
We haven’t looked at our best there this season,I’ll grant you that. I seriously doubt he will change that,and I’d prefer he didn’t get the chance.
2 weeks ago Odsonne was a dud, last week it was Moussa today it’s Jack Hendry – funny ole game is football ;-)
BMCUW,
Fair enough, I also have my doubts about BRs prowess for talent spotting
I thought Hendry was very good against Celtic but playing CH against Celtic is very different to playing CH with Celtic. I think the same is true of goalkeepers.
Regardless, Brendan Rodgers has shown himself to be a top Manager so, whatever he decides has a decent chance of being the correct decision.
JJ
!!Bada Bing!! on 31st January 2018 2:35 pm
G67- could keep Hendry if Jozo going out…
That’s what I thought would happen but with Jozo back in the team and playing well on Saturday and last night maybe they’ve decided to keep him until the summer.
CANAMALAR IT LOOKS LIKE OCD OBSESSION on 31ST JANUARY 2018 2:30 PM
That would be me you are referring to the yeah. Just so anyone on here isn’t clear about that.
I think you are being a tad harsh with the “the same couple of opinions were shared in a considerable number of posts by the same poster” comment
I raised my views on the player, then had a good and robust debate with barney (as is normal on a blog) about my view where evidence was shown by both to support our counter arguments. I then replied to Fan-A-Tic to clarify that the views on the signing were about his ability and nothing to do with
“that he’s Scottish or relatively cheap so reinforces the biscuit tin mentality?
THUNDER ROAD
Young Team Ya Bass ( all welcome)
CelticQuickClique Update:)))
STARRYPLOUGH
The way things are going,the next clique meeting will be attended by bus pass.
Still,we can all get a pensioners fish supper on the way home!
SEÁNP1916 on 31ST JANUARY 2018 2:43 PM
I think it was Gary67 you were debating the merits of Hendry earlier. Just for clarity, ;-)
It was my apologises to both! its that 67 thing causes me confusion :-)
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
English guy started doing fish and chips in Basel in the big Markthalle, rotten:((( Cheapest white fish and not great chips, does no a bad filled pie tae England but served wi’ crap mash. The Swiss are there handing over there hard end, every time I go in he just keeps his head down:)))
Man I could eat two fish suppers back to back:))
Things ye miss CSC
SOUTH OF TUNIS on 31ST JANUARY 2018 10:44 AM
A choon for choobs everywhere –
https://youtu.be/jqfEE9wMzp0.
Bought in the month which featured a 4-! humping of Manchester United ( Best / Charlton , Crerand ,Law and the aptly named Nobby . A 4–0 humping of The Deady Bears followed soon after.. Sweet Sixteen .!
*great time, little did we know what was about to unfold. BTW your older than I thought you were as Mrs TT was 16 then lol.
SEANP1916
That’s nothing-I was just thinking how lucid your arguments were for a centenarian.
BMCUWP
Wouldn’t it be so much easier if we were all just put in a big home together?
THUNDER ROAD
The Celtic Quick News Retirement Village:))
Has quite a ring to it, could be a goer:))
HH
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 31ST JANUARY 2018 2:54 PM
Avoid the BLUE PILL, thats my secret :-)
CelticQuickNursingHomeCSC ;-)
Starry
fgs dinnae build it until Almore gets his cafe.
STARRYPLOUGH
There’s a cracking chippie about 400 yards from me. And I get spoiled off the owners for helping them out a while back wi some “difficult” patrons. Which is awkward,as it stops me from going in as often as I otherwise would.
Doesn’t stop me being grateful,mind!!!
I’ll add Fish suppers to the list of things starting wi F I miss from back home.
BMCUW
Applied for my bus pass yesterday, although I could have done so 4 years ago! Never quite got round to it for one reason or another.
One of my pals was using his faither’s bus pass up until very recently until he turned 60. He now uses his own!
So…I will possibly be getting the bus when the next hootenanny takes place!
HH!!
THUNDERROAD
Maybe OLDTIM67 can win the lottery and buy the BV.
Couple of camp beds,sorted!
Starry are you allowed in the YT if you’ve got a zimmer? Can also be used for dishing oot The Malky.
Talking of blue pills Viagra have brought out new Viagra eye drops…they just make you look hard.
…Coat.
TALLYBHOY
Not a goer,that. No toilets on those buses. You’ll never last till Troon.
I take it you used a photo from that portrait in the attic?
BMCUWP
He could probably have bought the place outright with what he has spent over that bar :)
SEANP1916
Beats going out the hard way.
Bobby
Did you get my text re your Dublin bound pal.
I will make a few enquiries myself