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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JIMMYNOTPAUL on 31ST JANUARY 2018 6:53 PM
Delighted we signed Bain, as posted earlier I did not want Carson as he was considered by many as a non Celtic Minded person.
Interesting he cleared his Twitter account,perhaps in anticipation of coming here,!!
I thought it was the right decision
Said Andy Walker
Your really wonder about thier sanity
Extracts from FF below
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it really is an exciting time to be a bear.
_______________________________
To turn down 8 million we must be having something
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Said this last night to my brother.
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know nothing, but for us to turn down £8m for Alfredo suggests to me that something bigger is afoot. I had thought that the board – if the current status quo in terms of soft loans and finances was to continue – would have snapped up that offer.
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Well we know, there’s lots going on in the next 6 months.
Potential share issue.
New shirt deal.
New commercial deals/partners.
Stadium improvements.
Murty hinting at King’s plans and how it will be a great place to be working and be involved with.
Talk of a 5 year plan.
______________________________
Thank you Mr King, we have our pride back
Half the lies jabba tells urnae true …..
Turned over to watch totspur hotspur as my son used to call them in the 80s
EXCATHEDRA44 on 31ST JANUARY 2018 7:47 PM
JIMMYNOTPAUL on 31ST JANUARY 2018 6:53 PM
Delighted we signed Bain, as posted earlier I did not want Carson as he was considered by many as a non Celtic Minded person.
Interesting he cleared his Twitter account,perhaps in anticipation of coming here,!!
Ex Cath.
Someone took screengrabs of his account, to be fair,although he is clearly Rangers minded there was nothing malicious in any of his tweets.
Hail Hail
E44- Carson deleted his Twitter as he’s from the dark side, bullet dodged
Andy Wal*ker short of a comment….pen or no pen
Gutless
Fraserburgh denied a penalty…….shockerooni
NEGANON2
2 posts from you in one night and neither having a go at Celtic!!!
Spurs score in 10 secs!
How does Walker get away with it?
Awful co-commentator.
Spurs 1-0 less than a minute
NEGANON2
Meant to add “hope you are well” then Spurs scored from the kick off!
Shocking refereeing again in the Hun game.Penalty to them,stonewaller denied for Fraserburgh.That stinking wee craw Walker,stuttering and stammering about it.”I have seen them given”
Disgraceful.
Turned it over to see Spurs score in 15 seconds.
Bain’s? I remember Roy Bains well, decent keeper, but maybe a bit long in the tooth for my liking.
Huns talk a lot of pish says Chinese spokesman Wan Lang Pee
Notthebus,
Their stupidity never fails me, just goes to show how they believe all that Jabba pish in the papers. Not is actually good :0)
Where did that not come from…not=which
cant believe anybody on here is interested in the huns, they are deid ffs, dont give them any oxygen.
Tonight Teresa May is in talks with top Chinese officials in order to secure multi billion pound trade deal. Everything appears to hinge on Sevco agreeing to release More or less.
Developing story
Sheep 2-0 up , was there a pitch invasion
Make that 3
They (Huns) believe what they want to believe. It will take something like administration for them to realise how fecked they are.
2-0 Spurs!
Moorhino no happy.
Lovely!
Dear God,turned it back to hear what Commons says about the non penalty.The replay is on,you see the Hun ,one arm shoving the guy on the neck area as he barges into him,and that weasel is telling us,its not a shove.
I give up with these Uncle Tims.
Commons is getting used to the pay cheques.
BIG PACKY on 31ST JANUARY 2018 8:11 PM
cant believe anybody on here is interested in the huns, they are deid ffs, dont give them any oxygen.
That right.Aye.
The ref disney like Spurs.
And it’s obvious.
Well it is to me.
SSN………………………Sevco in late bid to sign Daniel Cousin
Fair play to Phil Jones for that O.G. against Spurs.
A lot of players may have panicked in that situation and put it wide.
ffs stop talkin about the deid team, this is a celtic site seems like you are all transfixed about whats happening down govan way,i dont give 2 fecks about them and their scum supporters, please concentrate on celtic, or i will be annoyed and you dont want to see me annoyed.lol.hh.
There are two currencies in China the Yuan……. is described as the ‘We are the Peepils Currency’
mysterysolved CSC
TWEET:
Fraserburgh FC @FraserburghFC 40m
The capacity of the stadium is now full and we believe this is due to a number of counterfeit tickets in the away end. No further persons can be admitted. The club will hold an investigation and further details will be advised.
Scottish Football Needs “a strong Rangers”
Hail Hail
Big Packy………..you the mhan
Correcto……..stop the bumph aboot the deid mob!
BIG PACKY
Do you turn green an rip your shirt off.
HulkCSC
MEA CULPA, are you taking the urine or genuinely on my side.lol.