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Celtic change front, middle and wings

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

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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  1. Seánp1916 on

    BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 31ST JANUARY 2018 3:03 PM

     

     

    This conversation has well and truly flopped

  3. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    SEAPNP..,

     

    Indeed it was you but my point was in response to Fan-A-Tics impression that you view was the consensus view when it was only yourself expressing it

  4. Turkeybhoy on

    Anyone looking at the facts of the Morelos thing would be saying”EH”.

     

    He has scored 11 league goals,and a couple more in the Cups.In the SPFL !!!!!!!!!!.Its not exactly record breaking stuff.What could possibly be the attraction?.

     

    Anyway,if it does not go through,Ahem,then we will know for sure its bollox.At the moment I am keeping my council,because there are a load of lunatic club owners seemingly in China,with Zillions of Yuan.

  5. Gary67 on

    Turkeybhoy on 31st January 2018 3:13 pm

     

     

    50% of all transfer fees for foreigners in China goes to the Chinese FA. If its an £8m fee then that’s £4m to the selling club and £4m to the CFA. If Moreleos was £8m to Sevco then the club involved would be paying £16m for him. Makes it even more ridiculous.

  7. traditionalist88 on

    Not following the Morelos story particularly closely but after it was pointed out on twitter yesterday that supposed ‘bidding club’ was already at their quota of 4 Non-national players, the DR have today upped the bid and changed the name of the club that apparently want to buy him?!

     

     

    HH

  8. Maradominic on

    so if we get a back up keeper and Hendry it means we have not actually strengthened the squad. Apart from an 18 month loan player. Experienced CH in (injured) out goes Experienced CH on loan.. Henderson gone St Mirren player(not arriving till next season). No full back either right to replace lustig or left as bak up (GiveKT a rest beforesomeone breaks his leg..they try every game)

  9. excathedra44 on

    Reports mention rejection of latest Celtic bid for M’Well goalie Carson.

     

     

    Delighted to read this, as previous accounts attributed to this person would not indicate a ” Celtic Minded ” addition to the squad.

     

    One experience of people like Gordon Marshall is plenty.

     

     

    Hendry I am lukewarm about, can’t say I recall him being a standout.

     

     

    I thought backline last night was good,which was due to the protection they received from mid-field.

  10. Turkeybhoy on

    GARY67 on 31ST JANUARY 2018 3:16 PM

     

    Turkeybhoy on 31st January 2018 3:13 pm,

     

     

    Yep,seems to ludicrous for words.

     

    Regards Hendry from Dundee,I am in the camp that says the boy has never impressed me.Now that says nothing about his talent.When watching games,I very rarely notice the opposition players,unless they are absolutely brilliant.Watching him against the Huns,he looked a bit ungainly in the tackle “Ooh Matron”for me.Then again,his team gubbed the Huns 2 1,even with their 8 million pound striker up against him.

     

    Get him signed.

  11. ron67 on

    how low can daily sevco go , now reporting sevco to sign JH from dundee, looks like to me they are trying to up the price.

  12. PeterLatchfordsBelly on

    Had been worried about last night given the performance on Saturday, but that was brilliant. Just like last season. Moussa on it again. Just imagine what we would get if we sold him to China…

  13. bournesouprecipe on

    Jobo Baldie ( ages ago )

     

     

    It’s no longer a Chinese whisper it’s a fully orchestrated propaganda stunt to drive up the price of the player.

     

     

    What they’ve done is created a monster on a scale of floating pitch’ and casino’ levels.

     

     

    They can’t frighten off the English Championship from a relevant, equatable Morelos bid, because Warburton got sacked from Nottingham, in jig time, and nobody on the other side of Hadrian’s never mind The Great Wall of China, even knows who Morelos is.

     

     

    The next thing will be for the striker to make an announcement that he signing up ‘for life’ at Cheatsville.

     

     

    That’s the only way they’ll bury ‘The Morelos fantasy ‘ – they can never sell him now he’s

     

    been cursed with Sevcoitis.

     

     

     

    Even their lies are lies CSC

  14. GerryBhoy on

    There is absolutely NO WAY that Sevco would turn down 8M ever. They would sell the crumble dome for that.

     

     

    HahahahahaCSC

  19. Hunderbirds are Gone on

    Santiago V’iagra is a very good Centre Half…

     

    … he would stiffen up or defence

     

     

    Coat

     

    :)

  20. traditionalist88 on

    ‘Hibernian have confirmed the departure of Anthony Stokes and Liam Fontaine, with the pair leaving the club by mutual consent. ‘

  22. traditionalist88 on

    STARRY PLOUGH on 31ST JANUARY 2018 4:31 PM

     

     

    He’s throwing away his career, not sure where he goes from here,

     

     

    HH

  24. traditionalist88 on

    If you’re a club like Dundee Utd struggling to score enough goals for a promotion push it must be tempting to have a chat with a guy like Stokes and see if he can get his head right but thats his best bet you’d think, hes not going to get a bigger club than the one that just released him, you wouldnt have thought.

     

     

    HH

  25. Barney67 on

    TRADITIONALIST88

     

    I still think plenty of clubs will have him. He has the ability, he just has to screw the nut. Seems to get worse as he gets older.

  26. Hunderbirds are Gone on

    SEVCO: Swoop, clinch, jet-in, capture, deal, win, sign, seals.

     

     

    CELTIC: Snubbed, fail, beaten, too late, flop, exit, lose-out.

  27. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    Moreles to China, Stokes to Ibrox.

     

     

    Which part of that sentence is the silliest?

  31. Paddy Gallagher on

    Would you have time to get to China for a medical?

     

    Would you have the air fare or indeed the taxi fare to get to the airport?

  33. thomthethim for Oscar OK on

    HEBCELT on 31ST JANUARY 2018 4:49 PM

     

    Thomthetim the whole sentence!!!!

     

     

    ******

     

    Correct,but only one part is true according to the REcord, Sky, Sun, etc.

  35. Barney67 on

    67 EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS on 31ST JANUARY 2018 5:01 PM

     

     

    He’s reported to be on 70k a week at Arsenal (dunno what portion Getafe are payin) so cant see us matching that. Bain is more probable.

  36. KEVJUNGLE on

    Jeez,…nea winnur the place is empty.

     

    Any bids in for McGregor ?

     

    Naaaah, guid, keep him oot the team!

     

    Any bids in for Lustig ?

     

    Naaaah, guid, keep him oot the team!

     

    ….and the Europa League trophy will be oors ;

     

    ……..oot.

  37. starry plough on

    Bungle spent the whole afternoon looking for his crayons, and then the rest of the day thinking of what to draw, his friend Hugh came by and said Bungle should draw a goat, an escape goat..

     

     

    Well done Bungle:)))

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