We hoped that Celtic’s anaemic 57 minutes against St Mirren last week would serve as an indication that performance levels needed to improve ahead of yesterday’s game against Newco, but many of the same facets were in evidence.
Anytime I have seen Newco this season they seem to start brightly. By contrast, Celtic tend to feel their way into games in a low-energy manner. This was evident yesterday. The game was moments old when Erik Sviatchenko was pressurised into a mistake, which brought Newco deep into Celtic territory. It was 3 minutes before we crossed the halfway line again.
Erik’s next two touches were also unassured, which interrupted the flow of the ball. It looked like Newco had decided he was the Celtic player to press. His central defensive partner was caught flat when a touch by Miller saw the ball pass through him, allowing Waghorn the first of his great opportunities to score.
Passing was clearly ineffective. Celtic simply didn’t keep possession throughout the game. The pitch seemed fast, how many times did you see a through ball run out of play? I wondered if Brendan decided to pull back groundsmen on watering duties?
Scott Brown opened in an advanced central midfield position, often ahead of Stewart Armstrong, with Nir Bitton the only one of the midfield three consistently playing his regular role. While the objective was clearly to pressurise the Newco defence, it came at a cost of ball retention.
Callum McGregor brought composure to Celtic’s play when he replaced Bitton at halftime. He was prepared to hold the ball, draw opponents in, and pass or move. This served to underline how poorly we were in this respect during the first half.
Stewart Armstrong created and scored a goal out of nothing. When he went off we not only missed his edge around the Newco penalty area, we became porous in midfield. Ball retention then took a further downturn and we lacked tightness.
Newco deserved their goal and, at that point, I thought deserved their point. They neutered the left flank threat of Sinclair and Tierney, which isolated Dembele. With Celtic unable to circulate the ball to any effect, which was the crucial tactical element of the game.
The psychology of refereeing is a weighty subject. Bobby Madden booked four Newco players before cautioning Scott Brown, but the real test isn’t applying a player’s first yellow card. After his booking, Waghorn twice tumbled theatrically inside the box in a blatant attempt to win a penalty. Both should have resulted in a second caution, but having booked so many Newco players, Madden froze.
Pointing to the penalty spot in added time of a tied game is a big decision for a referee. For whatever reason, Madden didn’t want to do this when Hill took Leigh Griffiths down with a waist-high challenge.
I could debate the reasons why he didn’t want to do this with you all week, but we both know why. At least the manager and players know what to expect in the semi-final.
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TONTINE TIM
I finally got to see my first live football back in 62? it was Dunfermiline V Rangers. I was shocked at how brutal the hun team was. It was total intimidation and bullying nothing like the beautiful game Id been watching on the telly.
There was one exception Jim Baxter ,he was brilliant and that led to me getting a rangers scarf and going to a few hun games . The first game I saw with Celtic was the league cup final in 65 and I right away realised my mistake. I saw a lot of hun violence including the pitch invasion to attack the winning Celtic team. The Celtic support were so different in the way they supported . Just complete love for the team . Unlike the aggressive watp mentality.
Coming up from England at the age of 12 I didnt have much interest in football and knew nothing of the secatarian baggage and didnt even know Celtic existed. Where I lived all you heard about was Rangers. So I saw the light just at the right time. Maybe I was the lucky mascot that led to winning the big cup.
BAMBOO
Lucky break!
Did Pogba dye his hair blonde so you could see he was playing?
THEBARCAMOLE on 13TH MARCH 2017 9:40 PM
Tontine Time…
The Joe Craig goal game?
Is Saint Andrew’s day a public holiday in Canada?
*naw nae mention of it but the ayrshire whoremaister is well acknowledged.
Goooood evening CQN
Anyone else think some are their team were trying to control the media today by announcing someone as manager
Backfired, as they have no power over the English press :-)
Haha haha hahahahaha
FAIRHILLBHOY
I’ve shed a few tears of late pal , but , ffs i’m off again Kenny Lee ….aye whit a guy ,had it all , done it all ;) he said the eulogy at my mum and my dads funerals …loved him to bits as mozt yhat new him well did .
Big Mark hav’nt seen him in years !
Whats your initials ?
Gerry , he did , fortified by 4 cans of cider before the game at his pal’s .
He wasn’t too happy when he got home more to do with him not being able to slag his sev pals as much
BR instills professionalism in his squads as he himself is the consummate professional. I saw a documentary about him at Liverpool a few years ago.
Players soon realize that fitness is paramount as can be seen with him dropping LG for a while.
These are professional players who want to avoid injury. I suspect the hacking hun hype narrative leading up to yesterdays OF encounter affected some of the players who thus appeared “not to show up”. The league is won why risk injury or a career for that agriculturally coached scum even with scouts watching. Besides it wasn’t long before Madden confirmed their worse suspicions. So I take offense at anyone criticizing the players.
Mourinho….
“I don’t speak, I just want to say”
Aye ok Jose
Gary67
I heard we were also watching some young guy at that team that won tonight ?
Can’t remember the name
Hail Hail
Been watching the hoops for over 55 years cheating been going on since then Big Jock always said the only way to beat it was put the ball in the net as often as possible they can’t chalk all the goals off when playing the Huns we should be going for 5,6 or 7 keep scoring that’s the only way to sicken them
Mags
Yip, spot on.
It was a very good docu btw, called “Being Liverpool” I think, well worth the watch.
HH
Dallas 9.51pm
Good stuff, glad he made the game, you don’t want the kids thinking we win all the time…… A wee defeat is good for them :-)
We had to witness plenty
COWIEBHOY on 13TH MARCH 2017 9:54 PM
Gary67
I heard we were also watching some young guy at that team that won tonight ?
Can’t remember the name
Hail Hail
——–
McGregorinho…
Guisepe67
Are you related to Green Man by any chance.
Same crap feeble attempt to wind up a few gullibles on here.
When were you last at celtic park then. Daftie.
Away and celebrate your point on your open top bus.
COWIEBHOY
Dominic Solanke. Winger/striker.
Dallas ….
Even I now think we got beat :-)
I will rephrase, it’s good the youngsters realise we don’t win every game against the new club fae Govan
BAMBOO on 13TH MARCH 2017 9:41 PM
TONTINE TIM
I finally got to see my first live football back in 62? it was Dunfermiline V Rangers. I was shocked at how brutal the hun team was. It was total intimidation and bullying nothing like the beautiful game Id been watching on the telly.
*I was at the LC Final you mentioned, I went tae Clydebank Tech on the Monday and there were huns there celebrating being on the park at full time.
The Wee Mhan released a book in the late ‘60s called Fire in my Boots; he was fined by the SFA over comments on the hun players’ total disdain toward the officials, saying the cajoled them all the time and used foul language, with no punishment, at them. So nothing really changes.
TET,
yep,we couldnt play any worse and they cant play any better,
yet we are the ones disappointed with the result,
Excellent backs-to-the-wall defending from United to keep them in the tie. When is the second leg?
Gftb 9.52
Spot on !
Gerry , it is great times for us but as you said, not winning occasionally is no bad thing although yesterday was annoying with our and Madden’s performance.
MARSPAPA-kenny said a reading at my wedding,up there wi the best ever, bed time catch up tomorrow
Burnley78
As TD67 would say…GIRFUY
And thats me being polite
Mags
Some of the players didn’t seem too fussed. At the penalty incident, only Griff claimed for a pen, the rest just got on with the game, the Huns would have been screaming at Madhun. Same goes for SA when tacked by Miller. I think the professionalism you speak of goes beyond fitness. Bren as a manager tends to rise above the nonsense and i think he coaches the players mentally to do the same. Big mentality kind of idea, at least in the public domain anyway.
I see the usual plan is being rolled out in force after a serious of baffling decisions go against Celtic.
The reports from so called journalists giving in depth reasons why Madden never gave the penalty yesterday.
Tomorrow no doubt we’ll have an ex-referee saying how bad Madden will feel about getting the call wrong.
Oh and also how difficult the job is blah de blah le blah.
How about this for a novel suggestion; a sliding scale for the referee’s where a panel sits and decides whether the game changing calls are correct. If they are not then the ref gets docked £100 from his pay paket. The next one it’s £200 and it keeps going. Remember these guys are paid approximately £850 a game.
Add the linesmen into this equation as well and get these lumps of wood to take responsibility instead of looking at the ref every single time a ball goes out of play to see what decision they should make.
Start hitting these clowns in the pocket then they might feel how the fans they are cheating every week feel.
MARSPAPA- kenny lee, was my go to guy,best painter ever:-))
Corkcelt, thanks for the updates from our u/20’s game tonight. Its a pity we couldn’t get the three points.
Burnley78 9.59pm
Is that about Jose or me :-)
Dallas 10.00pm
It was a strange day yesterday, no arguements in the pub but a few of the older punters were slowly but surely getting annoyed about the penalty incident, as Glasgow derbies go I have never been in a situation that Celtic have been so far ahead points wise of all the rest, obviously would prefer to win but again we canny win them all…… Madden can only effect 90mins his team is a busted flush….. Even though I totally undertpstand others views we live in great Celtic times
I am already looking forward to the CL draw, and young MissGFTB asked yesterday morning when are we going to an old firm game ? My reply, there is no old firm, but we can go to Celtic park if you want……. your prediction early this season could be coming true
TTR
:-))) that name wouldn’t help :-)
As for those wanting Kouassi playing yesterday, how many tackles would he have got away with ??
Think he will be the new Target for Ref’s once in the team playing regularly
Incidentally I also want to see him playing as I believe we need some additional support for Broonie to take on the bullies
Setting aside that game yesterday, and prior to St Mirren game, the previous 3 games all had an opposition player that should have seen red
Hail Hail
Lot of air and wind getting spewed tonight.
Incredulous excuses being made too.
Celtic, lot at least large parts of the club, from players to whinging, full of expectancy supporters failed to trap.
Many of you played the game eh ? Opponents firing into challenges, what was our response ? Anyone remember a Celtic player respond to their aggression in kind ?
Yeah of course Madhun took every opportunity, but their players must’ve been delighted at the lack of fight presented.
Win the battle; win the game.
I find it amazing that we still get Celtic supporters telling us that we just need to be better than the Huns and then the cheating won’t matter. I know what Jock said, but in the fullness of time the cheating caught up with him.
It will always catch up,with us.
It’s a pantomime.
And you are all willing participants. Perhaps Arbraham Lincoln should have changes things and Maetin Luther King should have said its okay to sit at the back of the bus as long as we are better than our oppressors?
We have had our once in a lifetime chance to confront and defeat the racism. Those who lead us chose the money. Most of you chose the money and the return of cosy racism.
Now you want to complain about cheating? Cheating is the least you can expect.
What are you complaining about? You are a turkey and you voted for Christ,as. Now you are complaining that it’s Christmas.
Dallas
We have almost a full team of under 20 contenders out on loan this season. The younger guys remaining have done well against older opposition most games.
BIG-CUP-WINNERS on 13th March 2017 10:13 pm
What about rules?
GRIFF MUST START IN THE SEMI!!!
THEBARCMOLE
Hows things bud .
My views have had me called a h– more times i care to remember .
A spade is a spade and all that . I’ve never been one to go with the crowd so to speak …
On the game itself , i dont think we got out of second gear partly down to our slow lethargic/ approach , which allowed them to harry and get in about us .
Dare i say it , it was Ronnyesqe.
2 things that came out of the game .
I . We need to start with more urgency and carry it through the next game with them . They matched us for stamina and looked fitter /hungrier at the end of the match
2. They wil have taken a hellova lot of confidence from their performance/result .
Anyway pal, hope you stay on the blog for longer spells , it needs your wealth of knowledge in Celtic matters and stories .
Off to bed now .
Take care and God bless .
GORDYBHOY64 on 13TH MARCH 2017 8:44 PM
16 Roads,
from earlier regarding our defenders,
“They arent good enough and they arent tough enough”,
but you dont want to criticise them because they have all been outstanding this season,until yesterday.
aye no bother
—————————-
Boyata and Sviatchenko to be specific.
Indeed.
Blind panic each time the ball went anywhere near them, their positional sense was atrocious and they were bullied and intimidated by Miller and Garner.
They both have been playing alright recently, and they’ll be probably be adequate enough on the domestic scene, for the most part.
European football is a different kettle of fish altogether though, as well all know too well.
You are only asking for trouble starting said combination in a CL game.
Think about the future.
That’s all.
HH.
Neg2 10.14
When did we have a chance to vote for Christ ?
We live in very good Celtic times ….. Brendan could be our best manager ever
(In my lifetime is my get out clause :-)