The most frustrating thing about last night’s meek exist from the Europa League is just how self-inflicted it was. After previous European defeats I criticised Brendan Rodgers tactics, but no tactics in the world will help a team which cannot defend a corner kick or stop a shot from 24 yards into the middle of the goal.
I saw the Hamilton Accies keeper recently concede a similar goal to the second Dorus de Vries failed to keep out of the net last night. At any level of the game, it was an unforgiveable error. For years Celtic were imperious at defending corner kicks. Now, also for years, it has been a persistent weakness.
Celtic have been far too weak at the back this season – not just in Europe. After the game Brendan suggested we lacked the experience necessary to play in such environments – certainly one of our issues. Hopefully the addition of Marvin Compper will bring sufficient authority to allow our youthful defenders to progress.
By contrast, Zenit were a study in the art of defence, even at home against a team from Scotland. We were unable to land a glove on them until the contest was effectively over. Substitutes Tom Rogic and Scott Sinclair both made things happen, but it is difficult to isolate their effect from Zenit’s own tiredness.
This was a European tie which got away. Sure, Zenit are better resourced than us, but on the showing over both legs, I’m not convinced they are significantly better than Anderlecht – who played us off Celtic Park but had their own troubles when we visited Belgium in September.
Lots of excuses, Celtic, but we really should have done better.
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Cmon the Hoops
Away in Europe headache continues! Defending was pure schoolboy.
Onto the domestic treble!!
HH
CRC
Obviously disappointed with the result/performance but the show goes on.
What’s that old saying about statistics…
Home TeamZenit St Petersburg
Away TeamCeltic
Possession
Home33%Away67%
Shots
Home11Away9
Shots on Target
Home5Away3
Corners
Home4Away1
Fouls
Home13Away13
HH
NAVANBHOY on 23RD FEBRUARY 2018 10:08 AM
Good morning all, still sore over last night but just for a bit of perspective, I spoke to MyMateMick in Australia or as CQN have dubbed him OUR MATE MICK yesterday morning.
just 2 weeks after the welding accident that engulfed him in a ball of flames and left him with 35% burns.
He is making small improvements all the time but is still at the very early stages of a long road to recovery.
He got to see his kids last weekend for the 1st time since the accident and thankfully, his face didn’t take the full force of the burns, so he wasn’t too scary looking for his 6 year old and 4 year old.
He and his wife Caroline are extremely grateful & humbled by the support they are receiving from both ends of the globe and I am asking anyone who can help in any way, to continue to do so as he is self employed, so the family will have no income at all for the forseeable future.
We are trying to help them keep a roof over their heads and everything else that goes with raising a family, while he concentrates on getting back to some form of health and normality.
Anybody around Dublin, Meath, Westmeath, Kidare, Louth areas are invited to an afternoon tea family fun day fundraising extravagance, on Sunday in Navan.
All proceeds going to MyMateMick all details can be found on http://www.mymatemick.com
Massive thanks again to CQN for promoting the appeal and spreading the word.
HAIL HAIL
http://www.thefootballlife.co.uk/post/171193519841/dont-trust-the-b-in-dugout-23-celtic-drift-out
On last night, this Sunday and the whole season
Perhaps the 500k profit we made in player signings in the last six months of 2017 is evidence of the ambitions of the Plc.
The team are running on empty, the tactics are questionable and we have not invested in the team…Simple.
If we are expecting Marvin Compper to turn this around we are ‘away with the fairies.’
They guy has barely played in a year.
Is it downsizing to make the SPFL more competitive or just poor management, at all levels.
The bottom line is the penny pinching and lack of ambition is asking too much of the players and supporters.
A 500k ”Profit in Trading of Intangible Assets (Player Registrations)…
What Intangible Assets will Brendan select against Aberdeen…:)
(Q mark, not working)
Wouldn’t have conceded the first if we had persisted with zonal marking.
Theres the Moonbam trumpet with his very short list, wants to do the CEO job when he cant do the scouting job, about to flounce off from Paradise in a taxi again, and probably come back with his tail between his legs – just like the last time!
PS. he clearly hasn’t learnt that sarcasm is widely regarded as the lowest form of wit. Evidently the lack of reaction to most of his posts goes pretty much unnoticed on his part! Mind you if it ever dawns on him his post count will pretty much see an immediate 90% reduction.
TaxiforMoonbamCSC
Silver City 1888
What makes you so sure about your assertion re zonal marking. Not a dig , just curious to get your reasoning.
HH
I suspect one or two people on here will agree with much of the two new posts on E-Tims today. Though each lays the blame at different doors,both know last night was no one-off.
This has been a relatively poor season for us,certainly compared to last year. Sure,we’ve had bad injuries,but the overall strategy has shuddered for far too long. Too little imagination,too few quality additions,no apparent policy of planning for development of a team.
Let me put it this way,there have not been many players over say,the last ten years who have stayed with us for more than three years. Except for those who are either not coveted elsewhere,or are never off the treatment bench.
I’ll give you an example.
Joe Ledley.
PL refused to give him the same deal as before when he signed his new deal. Didn’t see why the same signing-on fee should apply.
So he took £800k for NL’s prized possession and gave him Stefan Johansen. Who cost £2.5m.
That didn’t even make sense financially,never mind from a football perspective. SJ had one decent season in 30 months with us.
Plus,bang goes the continuity of the team as we try to fit in yet another new face and square peg
Sucked then,sucks now,and it’s high time it came to a halt.
CLOGHERCELT
Saw last night’s post when I got in from work. Can’t say I agree.
Well,not with all of it-most of it,mind!
Btw,what keyboard are you using? Laptop/PC keyboards can usually replace a function/key by pressing the correct combination of buttons.
I’ll try to find a guide for it.
We are a team of distinctly average players in any european context, with no ability at all to defend consistently in any given game against any european team.
We have a mixture of youth, players who dont want to be here, those never good enough and those past their best, we have issues in recruitment with no clear plan (it seems), and limits in flexibility in how we play, we are run by a plc that hoard cash, a defensive coach with no experience ad infinidum
We are what we are, we need to focus and put the rest of scotland to the sword with the strongest team as possible in everygame, in the hope that we can join the european adventure again next year, lets hope we’re not living in a paper tent in a monsoon again next year
Yes I was very dissapointed by last nights match.Who likes seeing their team get well beaten?.I think to an extent it was all self inflicted but we really offered nothing anyway.However I am sick and tired of reading people moan and slag of celtic and Brendan and Lawell ..e.t.c.
Get a grip .We have played European football from mid July till late Feb.!..They are doing incredible jobs.I will take this season in Europe EVERY YEAR.People have quickly forgotten just how far we have come.It does not take a lot to lose some qualifiers in the summer and have to wait a full calendar year to play big european games again…ask Rangers?..as Aberdeen?..infact ask any other Scottish team these past 7 years or more.
I am proud of Celtic and long may Brendan continue to make these fickle fans moan and whinge like spoilt children
good article Timomouse, well worth a read.
We have been pedestrian for far too long this season. The Killie game at home (1-1) started me worrying & nothing much since has given me a lift. We look like we are drifting through games and we lack characters that will take the game by the scruff on the neck and drive the team on. I feel domestically we think we are going to win and don’t get out of 2nd gear & in Europe we have no confidence & freeze with fear. Was not very impressed by Zenit but they know how to defend which they showed over both games.
It we carry on the same way then the league is up in the air, since the break we have played 1 good game domestically were we played with pace and verve. I would also say the home supporter should ask themselves I am going to Parkhead to back or barrack the team? If it is to groan & shout abuse at every mistake don’t go. The team need backing and we are the only people who will everyone else is smelling blood and will tearing into the club
Word of The Day
Pusillanimous. /ˌpjuːsɪˈlænɪməs/
adjective
1. characterized by a lack of courage or determination
2. lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid.
3. proceeding from or indicating a cowardly spirit.
Derived Forms
pusillanimity (ˌpjuːsɪləˈnɪmɪtɪ) noun
pusillanimously, adverb
Word Origin and History for pusillanimous
adj.
early 15c., from Late Latin pusillanimis “having little courage” (used inChurch Latin to translate Greek oligopsychos “small-souled”), from Latinpusillis “very weak, little” (diminutive of pullus “young animal;” see foal(n.)) + animus “spirit, courage” (see animus ). Related: Pusillanimously ; pusillanimousness.
KTF
I think we’re in trouble and we need to come up with a different style and tactics. Brendan has made mistakes for sure. However, this from Etims today is an absolute disgrace….
“Brendan Rodgers was out of work before we got him. for quite a while, as I recall.
We should have left him where he was.”
DAVID17
I didn’t like that much either. But the author has been hugely critical of BR for some time.
The second article,something about trying to buy a Group 1 horse for a tenner,has disappeared for some reason.
If Brendan is being supported in the transfer market by the board, as he has suggested he has been, then it may well be that it’s that area of his management ability that proves his Achilles heel.
I suspect that the core players we will be depending on to deliver our 7 in a row will be the likes of Leigh, Jamesie, Armstrong, Calum, KT, Broony Paddyand Craig Gordon.
Brendan additions that will play a big part? Ntcham for sure. Moussa? Probably. Charley? Early days for him . Compper? Who knows.
I’m sure many will disagree and would add Eboue, or Hendry or Eddie but the jury is still out for me on those bhoys.
There’s no doubt of course that the likes of Jamesie, Armstrong and indeed most the players I feel will carry us across the line have improved immensely under Brendan. For me it suggests Brendan’s ability to improve players and his motivational ability I’d his strongest assets.
If though, he is indeed the guy suggesting the incoming players, then as I suggested, his weakness may well be his eye for a player.
Of course if he’s having to operate with the biscuit tin in play, then the problem lies elsewhere.
I love having BR as our manager and hope he’s around for a long time. Signs are though that he/the board need to improve in their efforts to bring in players who will help bring home the silverware and not just the bacon when they’re flogged on.
DAVID17
I had a scoot around the Timternet last night after the game, disgraceful some of the stuff posted, the bile directed toward the manager and the team who delivered an invincible season last season now being castigated ruthlessly when they need our support most.
I went to bed disappointed and woke up even more disappointed but some of the online Tims need to really have a look at themselves:(
That from Etims sums up their shitey wee blog in my opinion…
Being a Celtic Supporter doesn’t give you a free pass to be a dick in any way shape or form..
HH
DAVID17
I suppose we are all allowed our opinion, although I do think the one on ETims is OTT.
I want to do well and progress, so naturally disappointed at last night’s performance, but sometimes we act liked spoilt brats.
HH
CRC
David17
Totally agree. Memory of a gold fish springs to mind.
HH
Oh so fickle Celtic fans.
We were fed a diet of caviar and champagne last season in a great spoon cafe! We lapped it up and enjoyed it – quite rightly so!
This season we are down to steak and chips with a nice bottle of red. Doesn’t mean it’s a shit meal.
The bottom line is that we are an SPL team who have punched above our weight in Europe this season by qualifying for the Europa play-offs. Last week we comfortably beat a well put together, expensive team. Unfortunately we didn’t score as many goals as we should have.
Last night Zenit knew they had to come out of the blocks quickly and they did. Mancini altered his approach looking for an early goal and Jozo obliged by losing the vastly experience Ivanovic. De Vries then contrived to gift a second with poor positioning on his goal line. Big Mik showed last night that he is (sadly) a spent force. 3-0 after 3 individual errors. That’s what happens at the elite level.
Most of the rest huffed and puffed without creating too much.
However, we were never under the cosh at any stage in the game and were never really carved open. We showed lack of courage (as BR stated) and the inability to change the game by doing something different when we needed to open them up.
It doesn’t make the players (who we raved about last week) poor players. Nor is the manager a crap manager. We dared to dream after last week, but ultimately over the 2 legs got what we expected – put out by a team playing in a much higher standard league than us.
Back to domestic fare on Sunday and we can lift the whole club by getting 3 points – hopefully with a wee bit of flair.
In the meantime ….
KTF
Ever since the draw was made Zenit were considered strong favourites to win.
Their form suggested they win comfortably at home, scoring an average of three goals per game.
Our form suggested we lose away from home, conceding early goals and generally losing, an average three goals per game.
There has been the odd anomaly, Anderlecht away, but bookmakers make a lot of money, dispassionately dealing in facts.
As supporters we tend not to view things with the analytical mind of the professional money maker. Our optimistic stance is adopted due to emotional attachment to the club we support.
Last night was awful. The performance abject but realistically no better or worse than we normally experience. I loathe seeing Celtic getting pumped rotten. I love seeing Celtic triumph magnificently. Roll on Sunday where my emotional self can rejoice in us pumping the sheep, backed by a reasonable expectation that those pesky odds makers share my confidence in the outcome.
Eurochamps67
STARRY PLOUGH on 23RD FEBRUARY 2018 11:10 AM
good shout ma man.
I usually read etims and find it funny but agree the last line this morning is out of order.
We have been stuttering for a lot of this season but we all need to step back for a minute and consider how we have improved since Ronny deila time.
Things are not looking as good as we would all like at the minute but they could be a LOT worse and for a fair chunk of my 46 years on the planet, they have been a LOT worse
My team for Sunday,
Bain
Hendry Simunovic Ajer
Forrest Brown Ntcham Tierney
Rogic
Dembele Edouard
All the moaners , please spare a thought for our goalkeeper, Dorus, please. He was so upset, he went to St Petersburg underground and tried to throw himself under a train. The train went underneath him!!
KINGLuBO
VFR800 IS NOW A MONSTER 821 on 23RD FEBRUARY 2018 11:02 AM
Word of The Day
Pusillanimous. /ˌpjuːsɪˈlænɪməs/
adjective
1. characterized by a lack of courage or determination
2. lacking courage or resolution; cowardly; faint-hearted; timid.
3. proceeding from or indicating a cowardly spirit.
that’s my confirmation name.
We were unable to lay a glove on them.
Yes Paul, and the same applied to ST. Johnstone last week.
Favourite Uncle – yer having a laugh surely?
KTF
BMCUWP’s,
Thanks for the tip about the keys. I’ll look into that.
This is an old battered Samsung we bought in the US years ago.
Florence Nightingale couldn’t get rid of the viruses on it:)
As for last night, this has been coming for months. The players look jaded and demotivated.
A couple of days ago Posters were looking into how much we’d make for eliminating Zenit. There seems to be zero awareness of where we are at in some circles.
I have no faith in the integrity of the Senior Executives at the club. They, in my view have put money before football in the Sevco matter.
This will come back to haunt us.
500k profit in Trading Intangible Assets and telling us about European aspirations (Q Mark)…The players aren’t daft and they have been trying to tell us for months.
Thanks again for the offer re the keyboard, very kind of you.
I don’t know how you are getting on with the Hotels in Derry. We often spend time in Inishowen, Co Donegal, very close to Derry. Buncrana is a great spot.
Years ago I remember sitting in the Bar in McNamara’s Hotel in Moville with my Dad. Jinky walked in laughing. It’s about half an hour from Derry.
Bye the way Clogher Jnr was offered a part time job at Celtic Park in a bar or hospitality. They training was at Ibrox…Turned down flat.
HH
VFR800 IS NOW A MONSTER 821 on 23RD FEBRUARY 2018 11:26 AM
shirley i am,it’s MICHAEL after AN ANGEL.
Zenit are unbeaten at home in Uefa competition I believe..
Also in Mancini they have a coach who is vastly more experienced than Brendan is at Euro level.
It’s not only our team who are on the learning curve.
I struggle every season when we play in Europe being a naturally optimistic type but I have no real basis to be optimistic about Celtic in Europe but it’s there anyway.
For Zenit read Braga, Utrech, Sion, Malmo, Maribor etc etc etc..
I was nowhere near as angry last night as I was at those games mentioned, resignment or auld age:)))
Sunday is huge, we need a result and a performance if possible but I’ll take any kind of win, ugly, videos or unspeakable!
Bring on The Sheep
Inconsistency (of selection and team performance) + lack of belief/courage + opposition manager who called it right (and got the lucky) …
The players and management must share the blame for such a poor performance as we had last night.
Ultimately, however, it’s the Manager who must carry the bigger responsibility: he chooses the team, the shape and tactics … and psyches the team up before they step on to the pitch.
To be fair to Zenit, they played poorly in Glasgow (poorer, that is, than they played last night) and upped their game. They had seen how we could play with that starting 11 and learned enough to know that they had to change their tactics: consequently, they pressed us much higher up the park this time out … and by the time we adapted to this dynamic we were 2-0 down.
Mancini must have been cock-a-hoop when he saw that Brendan was going with the same starting eleven.
With Zenit pressing us so high, we needed the creativity to get the ball forward and for it to be held up for the few second it takes for supporting options to arrive.
In the first half, we singularly failed to do this. Balls to Moussa were competently dealt by their centre backs and (in any case) he lacked support. Balls to James could have borne more fruit, but didn’t (until much later in the game).
Our team selection, therefore, was shown to be wrong.
That said, we did have chances to get forward down both flanks, but failed to do so. Why? Was it down to lack of confidence, courage, vision, or instruction?
KT showed a couple of times that he was much quicker than Ivanovic, yet he didn’t exploit the fact: too often turning infield to look for a square ball or pass back to our centre backs.
Maybe he felt the risk of being caught out of position (if a move broke down) wasn’t worth taking.
On the other wing, James’ opponent was booked early on, but – despite having shown that he had the speed and skill to better a left back who was on a yellow card – he, too, didn’t press this advantage until well into the second half. Way too late.
Once again, Brendan’s substitutions were good: he had seen and understood what was happening and called it right … but only once we were 2 down and chasing a team practiced in counter-attack.
With Zenit falling deeper and deeper into their own half, we rightly brought on Scotty and Charly and (with Rogic in attacking midfield) and began to have some attempts at goal.
We were also let down by some poor refereeing (several bookable offences by Zenit went in-punished) and by (goal-keeping and) defensive errors that we are becoming all too accustomed to seeing.
Here’s hoping the players get some decent recovery time before Sunday and aren’t tormented by sleepless nights pondering what might have been …
VIP
This time last year I would have had no worries about travelling up to Aberdeen on a cold February Sunday morning and getting a result, this weekend I have no confidence in travelling up there and getting a result. Like it or not we cannot get out of reverse gear at the moment and we are stuck with the same squad of players until August.
As for last night two wingers with one man in the box just doesn’t work. I lost count of the number of square balls that Ntcham and Forrest played to’ midfielders on the edge of their box only to see the move break down because the same midfielders didn’t have the ability or confidence to have a pop at goal and who ended up making unnecessary passes abdicating responsibility’ to someone else.
Lazy dynamite@11:00am
“Ask Rangers”
*****
Ok. You got the number of a good medium handy?
CLOGHERCELT
My Lapps suffered a serious problem when I cracked the screen picking it up a few years ago. I just plug it into an old monitor now when I want to use it. And I’ve got a spare keypad for when it goes nipples north too.
Never lose yer drive or your memory,a metaphor for life as well!
Hope young E is having a ball over there,mate. He’ll be fighting them off wi a a shitty stick,I expect!! Canny believe we train our operatives at Ibrox,oh yes I can…
Btw,I’m with a certain BLANTYRETIM on a post of his from late last night. Totally agree.
Paul67
Marvin Compper who he?