The most important aspect about team plan for tonight will be the balancing act between aggression and discipline. Celtic need to get in about Legia without losing discipline. Legia roped us in perfectly last week. A buoyant home crowd fed off meaty challenges but when the red mist rose, they adopted choir boy looks. We didn’t.
Celtic need to disorientate Legia in a similar way; get physical, expect the same back, but remain in control of events. Efe Ambrose’ red card was critical to the outcome of the game in Warsaw, let’s work on their less-controlled players to see if we can tempt them into a similar fate.
An early goal would be nice but it it’s not necessary. 90 minutes is a long time to defend a lead and we should remember how last year Shakhter Karagandy kept things tight for 44 minutes before losing 3-0. If we can’t get an early goal it’s just as important to get Legia chasing the ball and making tackles.
Legia’s first half game plan will be to keep it tight frustrate the crowd. If there’s little penetration in the opening period we need to stick with the players, give them encouragement whenever possible – this works.
Beside our normal game plan there are a couple of objectives we should be looking for:
Get into the box. Despite having limited possession, Legia did this perfectly last week. If you’re in the box you force defenders into committing to challenges they would rather not. Make getting into the box a territorial objective and we’ll get a penalty. Or two.
Shoot often. Both our goals away from home in Europe this season have come from deflections, from limited opportunities.
Legia will tire late in the game. Teams always do when they have to traverse the Continent before a game. Teams also tire when the opposition have the bulk of possession and move the ball, and therefore opponents, around quickly. Keep the ball moving, bring on four fresh legs with 20 minutes to go and exploit this natural advantage.
Play it clever, and we’ll have enough in the tank.
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BCW
@18:36
Piazza Tasso also sparsely populated by Celtic fans tonight
Just thought I’d post a pointless post just to let you know
Great to see NB in place again.
Best playmaker we have.
Game being shown live in the vogue bar tonight.
seanoc
18:23 on
6 August, 2014
Deila’s press conference is worth watching if you haven’t seen it.
http://youtu.be/mwAozvq3Nhw
He talks about transfers amongst other topics
One thing he did says is that we’re looking for players and could have had some already, but he wanted to wait so we can make sure we get the best players we can. He also says (not for the first time) that there’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes to get players in.
Worth highlighting this because it shows a different picture to what’s often painted on here.
Regardless of what is painted here, it remains a fact that we are almost two and a hal f months into transfer window and not much to show for it.
That could all change, one way or another by ten o’clock tonight.
Thunder Road
18:56 on 6 August, 2014
Great to see NB in place again.
Best playmaker we have.
_____________________
Agreed.
Nir, Stefan and Liam the three amigos that we should build the team around. imho
HH
thebhoywithmcgraininhisside
It’s 4-3-3
——-
Is that for definite? Don’t really think Commons is a wide player, suspect he’ll play narrow but at least we have 3 in centre midfield. I would have went for Griffiths instead of Stokes but hey ho, fingers crossed.
Bob O’ Baldy
18:46 on
6 August, 2014
I simply cannot believe the transfer of FF is being discussed at boardroom level immediately prior to the biggest game of the season.
Why not?
Turkeybhoy.
Ant thoughts yet on timing of murderous Israeli action in Gaza?
quonno
Definitely Jock Brown was a guy who like Fergus was hounded by the press, mainly by people who were jealous of him and gave him the appropriate dollops of vitriol.
It helped there were a myriad of ex-Celts looking for easy money by gagging to the press at the earliest opportunity even though 10inarow was a possibility.
It didn’t work because of media jealousy and spitefulness above all else.
Auldheid your defence of the celtic board is becoming increasingly shrill and thin.
There is no excuse for the mess they have made and continue to make.
None.
Weefra
You better believe it!!!
Im goosed(sorry for the bird pun)
Knee knackered again……3×2 slabs :(
Did it last year and just as it was nearly ok…..went for it again this year…..fools never learn eh?(rolls eyes)
Still managing to do shuttles to the fridge though…..toooo often so far tonight and already i can see my interpretation of the game being very flawed!
As long as i wake up in the morning to see Celtic 3 Legia 0…..who cares what i think!
Hows things with yourself…..not been Nir here for a week so even more oblivious than normal?
Regarding previous post.
FF is being discussed in Boardroom because occupants of said room know that CL jig is well and truly up for this season.
Would dearly love to eat those words later tonight.
However, bitter experience has taught me otherwise.
Can only hope that tonight teaches PL and DD that at some point you must invest in quality.
Again bitter experience has taught me otherwise.
Thunder Road
If Efe hadn’t been red-carded I believe Ronny would have had him at CB.
If that’s what you meant :o)
HH
Paul67, re yellow card. Hands up, fair cop, nae appeal from me.
Mon the hoops.
Jock Brown was brought to Celtic by Fergus, for Fergus’s fears of ‘not’ making any money from Di Canio and, Cadette sales after getting his erchie felt by the departure of Pierre VH.
If, Fergus was interested in Celtic at all, he’d have removed Jock Brown and kept Wim & Murdo.
Instead….Fergus had his eye on his departing fortune and as a result, threw Celtic’s 1st ever chance of getting a run in the CL intae the clyde.
Anyway…lifes too short, bye.
Very happy with the team. Expect Forrest to make an appearance with 15 to go.
Should have played with that team last week!!!
Hope that’s 4-3-1-2, Commons and Stokes up front. If it is, we have a chance.
KevJungle is a Celtic fan…not a supporter.
19:10 on
6 August, 2014
Jock Brown was brought to Celtic by Fergus, for Fergus’s fears of ‘not’ making any money from Di Canio and, Cadette sales after getting his erchie felt by the departure of Pierre VH.
I am an avowed Fergus fan.
However, my belief is that Fergus brought in Jock because he believed that the old Board had been short on good legal advice.
I also believe that Fergus made a mistake by not engaging Billy McNeill as good cop to Jock’s bad cop.
New article guys
quonno
19:14 on 6 August, 2014
____________________
Fergus was a devious wee tyrant. imho
Just ask the family of the late TB.
Going away now – to keep the peace, bye.
KevJ
Its a wee bit unsettling that you agree with something i think!
The midfield you suggest looks worth a try to me as well……only 3 men though?
Would you prefer 4-3-3 or 4-3-1-2 or 4-3-2-1?
Obviously the forward formation would depend on the players in those positions……so……who…..out of our current squad and not Johnny Russell!……do you think should get the gig?
Best of luck to the bhoys tonight .
pity about the polish fans doing an Ajax impression hope everyone is ok
I know we haven’t played it much, but I would have liked to see a 3-5-2 for tonight (hell, cant do much worse than last week’s formation, and might be an improvement):
a back three of Lustig, Virgil and Mulgrew
a mid three of Biton, Henderson and Johansen gives some stability in the middle, with Matthews and Izzy playing as wingbacks
Commons just behind stokes
I think Izzy can be suspect defensively, and this may expose Mulgrew down the left but (i) I trust Izzy to put in a real shift tonight, and (ii) needs must.
It seems a bit unfair on McGregor to drop him to the bench, but needs must….
oops, should have said, Commons just behind LG …
jonnyrambo67
19:01 on 6 August, 2014
Just a guess. He likes 4-3-3, commons will naturally drift inside and izzy will provide the width on the left.
RWE
Yeah…..i think so……and i would have loved to have seen him there as well.
Bit of a ropy patch for Efe right now and he has had a few but he is also such a composed player and gives us a base to build from instead of just blootering it down the park once it comes near him.
I think he gets caught out a bit at times because…..while he is trying to keep possession…….other players do not want the ball, hide…..and he is left in trouble.
Was a huge player for us 2 seasons ago….until THAT Juve game and was so consistent last season.
It can all be quickly forgotten about though.
Legia look very comfortable so far and much the more likely to score.
DISGRACEFUL. DISGUSTING. Probably end up another 4-1
Very poor performance from Hoops tonight.
Who do you blame ?
Board for appointing a rookie
Manager and his tactics
Players on pitch
IMHO it is all three, but the biggest share is with manager and whoever appointed him.
Easy to be wise after event, but, I reckon if NL was in charge we would have (just) got through
So now that we can dispense with all the nonsense about glorious comebacks, it occurs to me that there is a big question to be answered. Stick or twist with Ronnie?
My instinct is that the club will back him for at least a season. I hope they do, because it’s clear to me that the downsizing will continue unabated and Ronnie has a terrific track record of developing young talent. Fraser & Virgil will certainly go and there may be others. I had been scratching my head about the Commons contract situation given that he has been head & shoulders above the rest of our offensive unit, it’s now becoming clearer, Celtic will cheerfully cash him in too given his age and the sort of money being banded about.
The strategy of sourcing and developing young talent to be sold at a later date for profit, has initially been successful in eradicating the clubs debts, but now that has been achieved, the club seems intent on just carrying on raping the first teams resources and gambling on the scouting teams talent spotting. It is a fatal mistake.
The clubs main revenue streams are from supporters (through season book sales) and from UEFA (through Champions League participation). Basically, if the first team is poor, then the former revenue stream is affected, and the latter disappears. So…look after the team!
Instead, what we have now is a situation where the first team is too weak to compete in The Champions League and so the revenue is reduced and the rest of the club shrinks to fit. It is a negative cycle. A downward spiral. A downsizing. As supporters we can only look on, we have precious little power. We have to trust that The Kaiser and his sharpshooter can see what we can see and that they have a plan to rescue the fortunes of the team. Unfortunately, it is not a Martin O’Nielesque 5 year plan of investment, success and recoupment. No, the plan appears to be Ronnie and his talent for developing young players. He will need time. Without Rangers or Champions League football there is nothing to attract proven talent anyway. We must continue to source it cheaply or develop it. This is the road we are on. It will be a long one, but we have nobody else to blame.
In a way I’m relieved that the bourgeois elite of Europe, and particularly of England, will not get the opportunity to pump us this autumn. That’s not the boards thinking of course, that’s fan thinking.
If UEFA find in Celtic’s favour please avoid doing This tomorrow