Martin O’Neill is right to say Celtic are not getting too carried away after the win on Sunday, Newco are bottom of the Europa League table, whereas tonight’s opponents, Midtjylland, are top. That’s a big step up in competency.
We have history with the Danes, having faced them in Ange Postecoglou’s early weeks in charge in 2021. A 1-1 draw in the first leg at Celtic Park was not enough to prevent elimination from Champions League qualification after a 2-1 defeat in Denmark. Ange has more recent history with them, one of the results which contributed to his dismissal at Nottingham Forest was a 2-3 home defeat against Midtjylland last month. When Danish sides win away in England we should take note.
While Celtic had an exhausting 120 minutes on Sunday, Midtjylland hosted Danish league leaders AGF on Monday. The extra day’s rest will be welcomed. Monday’s game ended 1-1, leaving Midtjylland trailing by 2 points. That stopped an impressive run of wins: 5-1 against Vejle, 0-3 against Macabi Tel-Aviv, 0-4 at Fredericia and 4-0 over Silkeborg.
Hibs started this season’s competitive action away at Midtjylland, where they achieved a very credible 1-1 draw. The second leg also finished 1-1 before Midtjylland scored a 119th minute winner to prevent penalty kicks. The charge against Hibs that night was that they lacked game management ability. We will need plenty of that tonight.
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drambowiecelt@10.03
Your memories reminded of a story from back in the day…
Guy walks on to a building site in Glasgow and asks the foreman if there is any work
‘Sure there is, ever worked wi brickies?’ ‘Oh aye sure’
”Fine we’ll start you on £100 a day and see how it works out, when can ye start?”
“Well for a ton a day I’ll start straight away” – “Get yersel ready and come and see me”
“Will do…ah’ll just get changed in that hut ower there….”
“Eh? That’s not the hut…..that’s the hud!”
Hopefully we don’t do the Hun thing and turn the atmosphere toxic, if things don’t go our way early on Sunday (v Killie).
I feckin hate assimilated tims, nearly as much as I do huns.
Well done the Dons tonight, proudly flew the flag for Scotland high! – which makes a change from the neo Nazi shite hanging from their lampposts these days.
Ave Ave
A good few depending on the January window !!!!!!!.Well,you never know with our Board.
And we call the Huns thick and gullible?
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
This Club needs so much more than a new manager
Did we really start away from home in Europe against the team top of the EL with 4-3-3 ???????
You’ve got to be feckin jokin ?
Tbhoy
What’s all the fuss. We all know the problems at Celtic were solved when BR left.
Vale Bhoy
agreed, hard to believe its 15 games (well not really) !!!
yes, I know what you are on about.
Vale Bhoy @ 1131.
Disgusting post. You should be ashamed of yourself!
I’m sure ‘ hands on’ Dermot was at the game tonight….
If you think my very bad taste Frankie Boyle-esque comment is worse than personal attacks against players, staff and posters or even comments backing individuals and companies effectively siding with genocidal entities, then fair enough.
Vale Bhoy
Sorry wrong reference for my post. Apologies for saying it was you.
My post was directed to the poster, he knows who he is.
HH
spikeysauldman
You know what I mean.
I wasn’t bringing politics or anything else into it.
Timforlife
Thank you.
Fair enough Vale Bhoy.
My angst/frustration with Celtic’s pathetic away record gets the better of me.
I should but will never know better.
spikeysauldman
Cheers, mate.
I’m hopeless too.
That one just got me.
Take care.
HH.
Engels also feeling his hamstring after the game
Four hamstring injuries to key players in a couple of weeks suggests we’ve been neglecting the basics and not looking after our footballers
We have a real problem on our hands.
Lawwell and Bankier told us at AGMs that CL football, and being competitive in Europe was beyond us,they were right,With the lack of investment, lack of ambition, no incentive for players and management comes from that endemic negatively. Hearts guys must have been delighted watching that embarrassing nonsense tonight. As I said, it’s much more than a new manager we need.
There must be a tremendous difference in the total heights of the MON team in the early 2000s, e.g. the Seville team and the present team. It would also be interesting to see the total difference in weights of the same teams. It must be massive (pun intended) in both counts. BoboCSC
There’s something wrong with our training when we get so many hamstring injuries.
the Bada Bing on 7th November 2025 12:12 am
……
We need to reverse from the lie packed Thatcherite “Taylor Report” or Scottish football will be dead in 5 years.
No think tanks full of backdoors should be listened to.
All seating had zero to do with safety.
No amount of stupid Lego stadiums will make it any safer.
4-4-2 dizny mean 2 wingers and 2 attacking midfielders.
McGregor is utter piss without tippy tappy.
Celtic fans vote Tory and they don’t even know it.
That is how far Timdom has fallen.
Then they will fall over each other to tell you how stupid the Huns fans are.
The Celtic Collective are just a “we deserve better” spoiled brat clique.
The Huns fans are against digital ID, Wokery, etc.
Tims are virtue signalling for the world.
You are who you vote for. lol
Unless its for guerrilla war reasons like tactically voting for whoever will defeat the satanic Snp/Greens.
Snp/Greens need to be desytroyed and then the Uni-Party.
Con/Lab/Lib/Ref/FF/FG/SF build a bonfire.
There will be no more Lisbon Lions at Celtic, or Seville Lions almost.
But we can be the team that no one could defeat until the Lisbon Lions did.
Inter Milan “Cattenachio” or however you say it.
Yes we should try to be the team that nobody wants to play against like MON’s teams at Fortress Parkhead.
We dont have MON 2000/2005 level players.
BUT.
We can build a team to effectively park the bus and be unbeatable, and we could do it from savvy recruitment methods.
Wee Shaun trying to turn us into Belgium with Lawwell & Rodgers flavoured transfer window players is not going to happen.
We need our players to be Hulks or mini-Hulks not like Nygren, Engles, or other limited bulk types of players.
I’d start with Scottish players, no matter what school they went to, so that the manager only has to say ONE team talk, not 10.
The Mission: 4-4-2 OR 4-4-1-1 would be my approach playing nothing but long balls and a midfield so solid that our GK’s name is only mentioned when he is taking bye kicks.
If Neil Lennon can put out a team with Miku as the lone striker, Efe Ambrose/Kelvin Wilson our centrebacks, and Barcelona 2012 score with their only shot at goals in 80+ minutes, in a 2-1 victory for us then THAT has to be the PERMANENT approach, tactics, etc.
You see.
In our next game after that magnificent result vs Barcelona, Killie visited us and played the exact same way that we did vs Barcelona 3 days earlier, and Killie won 0-1, because, we went back to SPL plodders mode with our guards down and were made to look like a bunch of erses!
So, Barca 2012, Inter Milan, Mourinho, call it whatever, but it must be permanent, not switched on and off, or we’ll be tripped up like Killie did to us.
So simple:
4-4-2/4-4-1-1 – long balls – parked bus – Fortress Parkhead.
Easy!
MON & Shaun YNWA.
HH
oot.
Too pissed off to go into detail.
Will leave for another time.
Arrghh.
Anyway, theres worse things happening in the world. KTF
@FinnyOD
“SF are traitors” 😡
Nov 6, 2025
https://x.com/FinnyOD/status/1986549314139668922#m
……
Krankie exposed how trashy SF have become when they posed like haddies at Krankies crooked Edinburgh mansion.
Yuk!
MON & Shaun YNWA.
HH
oot.
Philip Billings is 29 …he cost 6 million euro …no way on God’s earth are we doing that !!!!!
There lies half the problem
A wee bit of cheer for those of us who have enjoyed listening to Katelin Tierney.
She has now been discharged from hospital.
HH.
Good Morning Fholks….
Otherwise engaged yesterday evening so didn’t catch the game.
Just catching up…
The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on 5th November 2025 11:37 pm
Great presser.
What Kasper didn’t say was more revealing than what he did.
MoN the Honda Civics.
Burnley78 on 5th November 2025 11:43 pm
Chairbhoy
For what he did this past 10 months to our club the guy should never be allowed near the place.
A disgraceful performance seeking to divide and ruin our dominant position domestically and completely failing against inferior opposition in CL.
Yet you still try to defend the guy.
You can put any interpretation you like on what Kasper didn’t say, what we know he did say…
…“Last season we had an incredibly good season… back in March… when you think about when we almost beat Bayern Munich away, it doesn’t just happen overnight…
And that is the cruix of the matter – the amount of blood, sweat and tears that goes into making those performances is huge.
E.g. Not only was our right side of AJ, Engels and Kuhn giving us goals and assists at the highest level, it was also an out ball when under pressure, they could also cause havoc in the final third.
That level of technical ability, inter-play, understanding and commitment definitely doesn’t happen overnight.
And that was the same for our passing, our possession (don’t mention the war), pressing game.
The level the players were performaning at, doesn’t happen overnight.
E.g. Meada, good player under Ange, transformed into a vital UCL player., lots more examples.
We needed more depth, we needed to refresh, in January we needed to build from a position of strength.
Almost two and a half years ago the Celtic Executive went to our ex-managers holiday home and “tempted” him “back”.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12228123/Michael-Nicholson-admits-trip-Majorca-hire-Brendan-Rodgers-worst-kept-secret.html
He went to see our principal shareholder in London to ensure what the Executive were promising him was the truth.
Ambition in Europe, a World class club… yada, yada, yada…
Lots of Celtic staff and Players put a lot of hard work in to where we were 10 months ago – it was being taken apart by our Board who didn’t seem to have the first idea how that worked.
More interested in taking the profit and keeping their huge stash in the bank, the throwing of bad seeds and discontent into Lennoxtown, that was just a wee bonus for them, a wee GIRUY, they’d already got what they wanted from the season.
He had no option to speak out, he’d been in this movie before, but not to “divide and ruin a dominant position…” it was an attempt to maintain it, build on it, having seen all the hard work that went into getting there.
Again in the summer, renagining on their promises, taking profit, keeping the cash, throwing in discontent and malice, to the person they loathed, to sort out a personal vendetta – must have felt pretty good to the toxic old men on our Board that couldn’t see further than the end of their noses.
From those charlatans,
You bet I still try to defend the ghuy, every day of the week…
Aff oot
Hail Hail
The result against MIDYJLLAND was half expected.
The performance by Celtic was half expected.
The injury to young CALLUM OSMAND was The SICKENER….For the Bhoy, The Club and The Support.
I hope Callum fully recovers ASAP.
Well run clubs from Scandinavia have been showing us up for years on and off the park this is not a new thing.
Thomas Thomasberg Tactics At FC Midtjylland 2023/2024 – Tactical Analysis
Jack Manship by Jack Manship July 18, 2023 in 4-3-1-2 Formation, 4-4-2 Formation, Analysis, Andé Römer, Danish Superliga, F.C. Midtjylland, Franculino Djú, Geo-Sung Cho, Iver Fossum, Kristoffer Olsson, Oscar Hedvall, Recruitment Analysis, Sverrir Ingi Ingason, Tactical Analysis, Team Analysis, Thomas Thomasberg
FC Midtjylland 2023/24: Analysing their summer transfer window – scout report tactical analysis tactics
Looking at how they like to push teams back and that influences Midtjylland’s approach.
FC Midtjylland, one of Denmarks most successful football clubs in recent years, has been somewhat forced into a mega rebuild this summer following a severely disappointing 2022/23 campaign, where they finished eighth in the regular season – a placing that saw them participate in the leagues relegation phase.
For context, in Denmark, after a double round robin, the table of 12 clubs is split in half: the top six play another double round robin against each other, and the bottom six do the same.
Essentially, they end their season by pitting the best against the best and the lesser against the lesser.
Following a season plagued by poor form, Midtjylland, who finished second in the 21/22 season, managed to finish seventh overall – first in the relegation phase group, losing just once in those ten relegation phase games.
Their turnaround in form was primarily due to the impact of Thomas Thomasberg tactics, the former Midtjylland player and Randers manager for the last five years, who was hired as the clubs manager following the sacking of Albert Capellas, who failed to guide the club in a satisfactory direction in his 25 games in charge.
Following a positive start to Thomas Thomasbergs tenure (which is actually his second stint as Midtjylland boss), an opening that saw him guide the team to eight wins from 11, he has been heavily backed in the transfer window this summer, easily outspending the rest of the clubs in the Danish Superliga.
At the time of writing, they have spent just shy of £8.5m on players they believe will suit Thomasbergs tactics, a total amount which, as mentioned, is leaps and bounds above anybody else in the league – a real sign of intent from the club.
This scout report will provide a tactical analysis of the seven new faces they have recruited, with the analysis aimed at highlighting why they were brought to the club.
Thomas Thomasberg Tactics
Perhaps the most apparent tactical change made by Thomasberg was a fundamental one – ditching the 4-3-3 favoured by Capellas and instead deploying a classic 4-4-2 shape, with the occasional use of a 4-3-1-2 formation, which shares many similarities with the 4-4-2.
His system allows for some versatility and the ability to attack via different avenues, as this segment of analysis will cover.
FC Midtjylland 2023/24: Analysing their summer transfer window – scout report tactical analysis tactics
A look at Midtjyllands mid-block.
We begin with a brief discussion of their off-the-ball approach.
Thomasbergs side appears to be well-drilled, with the players showing great respect for their managers philosophy & tactics.
As a starter for 10 we could adopt the Midtjylland model both in recruitment and in modern progressive team playing, simply put the sum of the parts is greater than individuals, what do we have to lose ? certainly not our European record
I would be looking to keep Martin O’Neil we need that level of football seniority knowledge experience call it DOF if you need to give it a title, wonder if the Midtjylland manager/coach is available ?
Well I said we’d win if we could replicate Sunday’s first half performance.
Unfortunately we came nowhere near it. Really, really poor.
The defending for those first two goals. Jesus wept.
I would be looking to keep Martin O’Neil we need that level of football seniority knowledge experience call it DOF if you need to give it a title, wonder if the Midtjylland manager/coach is available ?
Just to add Martin to sit in at Board Level his input and guidance would be invaluable
Linking Martin with Clough this story illustrates the above
Clough hated attending Board meetings at Notting ham Forest giving the managers report to the board
On one occasion a new board manager decided to challenge Clough on recent results and performances
“What is it you do ” asked Clough, “Knitwear manufacturer” came the reply
Clough ” I won’t go to your factory to advise you on knitwear manufacturing”
Point made I think
aff oot
A Guardian article from 2020:
https://www.theguardian.com/football/2020/oct/25/what-we-do-isnt-rocket-science-how-fc-midtjylland-started-footballs-data-revolution
Ankersen says data is key because it helps Midtjylland get closer to the truth. “In football the stories we tell ourselves are often wrong,” he says. “Look what happens when a team goes through a bad set of results. The fans and the media search for a narrative to explain it. It’s the same when a team does well.
“Last season, for instance, we won the league by 14 points. People were saying we were doing fantastically well. But when you looked at the underlying data, we didn’t actually improve. Our closest competitors got worse. And once you’ve seen regression to the mean, again and again, you build up a big belief that this is the right way of doing things.”
Some very basic analysis on win rates over the last 6 years
Ange 73%
Lenny 70%
Brendan 67%
The general concensus is that Celtic and Sevco need a huge January window. Another narrative we need to challenge. One huge window after another doesnt work for us.
We don’t seem to have anyone strong enough to challenge the narrative that has been spun.
Hopefully the last couple of months, and last night in particular is a lesson to us all
Good morning CQN.
Probably one of the tougher days to be a Celt today … but totally worth it.
Had a quick look at the Europa League table.
The team that beat us last night sit top with 12 points.
Our last four opponents have 15 points
… between them.
Still stand behind my comment last night …. more or less.
I think Europa League is one front too many to deploy energy to.
But, temptingly …
10 points probably gets us into the Play Offs
There’s no one across 9 to 24 tearing it up
We just might be fixed, patched up, a bit more than we currently are in late February?
Tricky one.
Last night should be a year zero event for us. We were utterly taken a part by Midtjylland. We were fortunate they put their slippers on for the second half.
There are several people in key positions at Celtic that should be emptying their desks this morning. The idea we go into January with Tisdale identifying players and Nicholson getting the deals done is very scary stuff.
back to basics
“Our last four opponents have 15 points…
between them”
What does that mean?
Midtjylland are one of our last four opponents! (12 points)
As are Sturm Graz – 4 points, Braga – 9 points and Crvena Zvezda – 4 points
Total for our last 4 opponents – 29 points
Last 3 Opponents – 17 points
back to basics – Nul Points
Celtic Mac – cheers.
Perhaps “remaining” might have served the point better than “last”
Feyenoord, Roma, Bologna, Utrecht have amassed 15 points after 50% of games played.
As you helpfully point out .. our previous four opponents … have amassed 29.
Celtic in Europe, – cornflakery
Days like this make going to see Celtic on a Sunday afternoon at four o’clock against Kilmarnock a thought instead of a Parkhead pleasure, even for the faithful through and through. Dermot Desmond’s cultured old Caretaker, can’t do anything about the major flaw in his ‘successful structure’, he’ll no doubt still defend, even now we’re in 27th place in the Europa League, and have pre qualified for the Champions league twice in 20 years.
MON ‘n Shaun tweaked the side again, but the first half performance put supporters ‘behind the nearest couch’ from the off, only Seb Tounekti and James Forrest showed much intent but both suffer from the same final ball-itis. Jamesie still starting away in Europe is proof positive we’re not even standing still, like he is after any 20 minutes.
The home side did ‘shootie in’ till HT which seemed to come after an eternity, with players all over the park, better and noticeably physically stronger. Benny Nygren missed his obligatory sitter, then disappeared as if into witness protection. The ‘two sitting’ CalMac and Engels that had steadied the domestic boat, got steamrolled, or just bypassed, and 0-3 at HT flattered Celtic on our 138th Birthday.
Celtic didn’t have a good defensive performer on the pitch, but Tony Ralston and Arne Engels went from passable to zero in a few days. The home side eased off with the game won and lost. MON’s subs couldn’t be expected to do much. Calum Osmand won a penalty converted by Reo Hatate, then in the cruellest of blows our crossborder compensation fee hero, pulled yet another Celtic? hammy. MON it seems can’t yet get a tune out of Michel-Ange Balikwisha either, a winger chased from window to window, for reasons so far undisclosed. .
Pick a manager Dermot your prized possession needs you, take your time, he needs to be told we’re now going into transition, and he’ll have lots of ahem help recruiting. We need all encompassing change, no matter how many times we win in Scotland, we need a new structure or we’re just a Rainjurz in disguise. Modern forward thinking direction, our European record over 20 years is now officially at the back of the school third row, for a club of our size. We need a Celtic that can compete, befitting of 60,000 – we’ve a squad ( you were well warned? ) that looks like it’s heading to the Europa Conference. We’re six times the size of the ‘well run’ but far from world class Midtjylland, who are lesser known than Partick Thistle Nil.
Bring on the Killie pies.
MOM Seb Tounekti