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.
Our raffle for Alzheimer Scotland to win this magnificent canvas (above) ends at 14:00 TODAY, so you’ve less than two hours to enter.
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Boyata had a good game yesterday.
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 13TH MARCH 2017 10:39 PM
DD
Im an Unrepentant Fenian Streetfighter,..those that doubt can find out:)
HH
Caller, we’ve got a hard man in our midst.
I’m feart
What is with this Kouassi nonsense?
He has only been here a few weeks, is settling in, got 15 minutes last week to get on at his home ground.
He did very little; tried to find his bearings on the park and made one intervention; a ball winning challenge that idiots tried to make into an issue.
He is a young 19 year old boy. He is lithe,( not a pick on him), athletic and mobile but not the enforcer that some are trying to suggest.
Hopefully he will come good and be all that we wish him to be, but at the moment, he is an exciting prospect, not a game changing midfield enforcer.
Eurochamps67
GottoweighinwitholeTCtommycallaghanandPCpaulcuddihytonightCSC
Barney67
Dont be very, very silly.
Its a joke….and you aint in on it
thetimreaper on 13th March 2017 10:37 pm
No Groundhun day. Like groundhog day. same idea. Rodents popping out of holes etc.
Mags 10.43pm
Bennetts on a Sunday ???
I have told the blog I married a Hun……(ey)
I am pretty comfortable with either :-)
Each to their own CSC
FFS…bring on the censors eh
GFTB!
No worries mate. I married a hundu
Big Cuo Winners 10.45pm
Dedryck Boyata has been great since getting back in the team, I also thought he had a good game yesterday, Gordon, Brown & Boyata were the 3 I thought got pass marks, and obviously Armstrong, another player who has took advantage of getting in the team
Last time we HUNG OUT THE FLAG OF WAR” yesterday a whimper.
Yesterday They provided hate and desire our response …. a whimper.
DD
What position does young Fiacre play ?
I know young McCart is well thought of, and interestingly young Americans is out on loan playing CH .
I know Christie also out, I think he has a real chance with us given a run
Delaney’s , I don’t know how County lost to Killie going by the sportscene highlights.
I have only seen Fiacre Kelkecher playing once , against Valencia under 18’s last season and he didn’t have the best of games but I hope he makes it with us. He has the height and a bit of pace, two good attributes for a central defender,
Corkcelt.
Apologies. I’ll buy you a beer. I was just trying to show allegorically in a striking way how pathetic it is to me to be whining about hun cheating when its the main MO of our PLC.
How on earth did Ajer become Americans ???
Bloody spellcheck oan this thing
O Thou, that in the heavens does dwell
As it pleases best Thysel
Sends aen to Heaven an ten to Hell
For Thy glory
And no for onie good or ill
They’ve done afore Thee!
And so on
HH
Mags 10.50pm
As long as your happy…..
I like the fact that there has been a few disagreements today, am sure that’s what P67 created the blog for, I managed to get out yesterday for a couple of hours, face to face disagreements are even better but when all said and done 99.9% of us are Celtic fans so it’s all good (in my wee world :-)
Believe it or not yesterday in the pub I hardly said a word, I love listening to the older punters, don’t get me wrong sometimes they talk a lot of pash, but it’s usually a good listen
O’Connell another young CH out on loan
Cowie
Tall, strong centre half who can play football.
BIG-CUP-WINNERS on 13TH MARCH 2017 10:51 PM
With respect, you make me chuckle. You came on and criticised the ‘hot air’ then proceed to add more ‘hot air’ with your next few posts. Just saying like. I’ve no problem with hot air btw :))
Gerry, the wee yin might have to drag you to one of our games then.
Our next home match is on 5th April against Thistle but as its midweek game.
It would be great if you can get to a game after the break.
16 roads,
fair enough,cheers for the reply
The Green Man says SACK THE Board on 13th March 2017 10:55 pm
Holy Willies prayer without a spellchecker…now thats impressive!
TheTimReaper
Just hurting mate. Think I mentioned as much earlier…..
TGM
Keep on keepin on neebs! :)
Margaret McGill
CQN Taliban waiting to pounce on my gags.
Ayatollah Khomeini wouldnt have been more offended:)
Its like the sixties in here:)
The 1860’s
HH
If Hearts win at Pittodrie on Saturday we will play Dundee on their excellent pitch on Sunday and a win will make us Champions.
Or maybe it will be clinched in our next game after the flaming international break at Tynecastle. Their new pitch apparently was great to play on at the weekend and will also suit Celtic.
Hampden, the day after Hibs play Aberdeen will not be so good to play on.
I was genuinely worried ahead of St Mirren last week because it was the Scottish Cup and we turned it round on our really disappointing playing surface.
They caught us on a bad day, they had their former season ticket holder with the whistle, they had two one on one chances but couldn’t beat Craig Gordon.
They are dishing out mince patter, a nobody of a manager stating they have a better squad than the rest despite being so far behind Aberdeen, never mind us.
One clown said on SSB that Hill will leave Ibrox a rich man as yesterday he had .£40m in his back pocket.
A Celtic win yesterday and our biggest risk for the semi would have been complacency.
Could Brendan have shored things up at 1-0 with his substitutions? It’s rare he gets them wrong but maybe he’s kicking himself?
He will use yesterday’s events to make sure they are taken care of at Hampden and there will be Celtic players who can’t wait to get at them.
Maybe they should open Ibrox to show off the point they won?
Yesterday made the Treble more likely in my opinion. That will do me.
Celtic want Rangers (sic) to be strong, says Caixinha.
Aye sure Pedro. What else did Jim tell you to say? “Old firm”?
GFTB
Me too. I love listening to the old punters they’ve seen it all before.
The good thing about having a hundu in the hoose is if you run out of plants to imbibe you can always check the altar under the stairs. :)
DD
Thankfully….I dont give two donalds:)
The PC PLC mob can squeal all they like.
Its like a tonic to me:)
HH
Winning Captains
Good. Now that you’re here. Seriously, you need to consult with Paul67 on SSL certificates. All our passwords are being transmitted in clear text. Im just saying……
Glass 2/3
The Hunnites will drag Pedro to Glasgow Cross and burn him.
He is a brave man, thats for sure.
Give it a month:)
HH
Dallas 10.57pm
Her mother fancies the Lubo v Larsson game but I have said I would prefer just me and the wee yin to go, yesterday morning she was singing like a nutter the Willie Maley song, even better her two big cousins who live next door were getting ready to go and watch the football in a establishment that I would not be welcome :-)
I like the fact she gets on great with her cousins BUT knows right from wrong :-)
WC
When Rogic comes back we can move SA back into the engine room, i will feel happier. Hopefully Kouassi will come good too. I rate our chances of winning the Semi at around 60%, mostly due to hunnery and mibbery,
Must be a sickener to cheat a point, then realise you are 33 points behind:)
Mags
I did last week when you mentioned it and Paul was working on it.
TheTimReaper
Thought that our new signing should have replaced Armstrong.
Griffiths for Forrest before that.
DD
Just looked him up
Was 21 on Friday , and 6″5″ or 1.98m for dbbia
Personal opinion, should be ready to play first team football at that age ?
Glass 2/3
If you have ever seen ‘The Wicker Man’
Thats Pedro’s fate when the huns realise that they are still guff:)
HH
WC- i thought BR was right to put on LG for Armstrong, as we were doing very little up front and he would have wanted to get LG on at some point, maybe him or Sinclair could havw dropped into MF, as we were 4 2 4 a lot of the time, and short in the midfield area.Hindsight says maybe Henderson would have made us more solid HH