Neil Lennon accepted responsibility for the tactical decision to start yesterday’s game with three at the back, saying, “We thought the three would suit us, but that didn’t seem to be the case. We looked a little bit flat the first 10-15 minutes and I don’t know why.”
Hibernian scored during this period, which may or may not have been a result of the defensive line-up, but if anything, Celtic were even flatter after they went to four at the back. The game was a throwback to the days when Gordon Strachan’s teams worked hard but seldom inspired.
The midfield didn’t dominate enough of the ball to prevent Hibs creating several good chances and was unable to craft a clear-enough opening. With Charlie Mulgrew on the field we are always dangerous, and Kris Commons has a better sense of where the goal is than anyone at the club, but without them we grasp to Paddy McCourt, who only seems to get the call when we’re in trouble.
So where do we need to strengthen next month……………?
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645 Comments- Pages:
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Cowiebhoy
You being serious ?
Andrew 67
Do you not already have a fast, wide, feckin i-phone?
Ireland no better than Commons IMO.
But for an horrific tackle Kris would’ve been playing yesterday.
U
Glasstwothirdsfull (I think!)
Sorry, missed your reply, was celebrating a Ukranian birthday…
He can want what he likes, I fancy a trip to Wemberlee!
Hail Hail!
I have a feeling Apple must be orange, if that’s not an oxymoron.
Going by posters’ experience it seems to be very difficult to post on CQN from iPhones, iPads, etc.
jake the snake (@celticservant) tweeted at 6:18 PM on Sun, Dec 30, 2012:
Who in the Scottish press will report this? http://t.co/nKqJ3tKF
(https://twitter.com/celticservant/status/285449841289592833)
Get the official Twitter app at https://twitter.com/download
Pfayr.
Noticed that myself.
Its a sad indictment on our brigadoon wee country that allows a halfwit to speel p**h like that on the airways and not be taken to task.
A big yes on buying a creative midfielder even an aged one as lubo.
Cowiebhoy
Why don’t you answer that one? Paul is a busy man and unlikely to have read your post.
Some amazing darts from the van Gerwen, almost two 9 dart finishes in a row
31003
20:09 on 30 December, 2012
Stephen Ireland
Said to be on £80k a week.
Gordon j
I use phone and ipad, you don’t get the ads and it is easy to stay logged in. Fat finger problem is the only issue. Not for me, you understand… ;)
Hail Hail!
I have absolutely no doubt that John park will have a central mid wrapped up for jan window
Anyway, what are the chances if Sandanza being a big hit with Sevconians now?
He has just exercised his release clause!!!!
Has Stephen Ireland kicked a ba’ in the last four years or so?
Great talent,and he is wasting it,IMO.
It`s all right supporters(like me) asking for a creative player to unlock defences but most managers would usually prefer a box to box midfielder. Having players who deliver great crosses and forwards who can score from them is the more usual route to goal.
(So what happened to Dundee Unt today then?) :-)
can i have raspberry on that champions league ice cream
Guess that rules him out then….
Thought I would waken everyone up.
And to answer the question, in numerous games very little, from someone who attends most games by the way
i watched celtic at hampden in front of 20,000 plus celtic supporters and when cetic park was build we managed for any years to fill it even at 60,000. i dont think sitting with 40,000 season tickets we should simply roll over and say our support will never again reach 60,000 again. the c/l night show that 60,000 will turn up for the right price and the right product. reducing stadium capacity only harms us more when we do get the opportunity to participate in the c/l etc…
i think there are a number of issues a play which impact on your attendance: in no particular order
unemployment and the risk of unemployment (not everyone that has lapsed, but certainly some that have)
the level of disposable income reducing in general (no comparisons with sevco, their sb are 50% cheaper than ours)
overpricing of adult season tickets
overpricing of food in stadium and general poor facilities out with the stadium
(seems everythings going up apart from the overall quality when attending a match at celtic park)
Pricing: £27 pounds for an adult ticket vs. dundee, ross county, inverness etc…, with no disrespect to those clubs, is awful.
the percieved lack of competition within SPL has had an impact and needs addressed, this was evident before glasgow rangers died and has become more evident without them. (real change to league structure/ income distribution etc… needs to take place)
the club’s continual moaning about lack of income, poor league, lack of t.v. money etc… all feeds into a general negativity around the club, think back to mccann for much of the time it was all about the positives, giving the club back to the fans, building the stadium, the team, redeveloping the infustructure, the superstore etc…, it was not always rosey but everything around the club was directed towards positive news. that attitude and direction needs to return asap
football is meant to be an escape from life for a few hours a week, a pleasure activity, it is often anything but that in scottish football
the way i see it we have lots to do as a club in order to drive change and to make things work for us and that means work for the rest of the teams as well.
make enough correct decisions and we will play in front of full houses every second week, keep doing what we’re doing and we’ll see what the future holds, but i dont think it will be bright
Isn’t Stephen Ireland a Broonie type player?
A quality number 10/25 is very hard to find and doesn’t come cheaply sadly.
Again, how much more do we have to pay our players to beat the inexpensive duds we routinely face?
cowiebhoy
Why don’t you GO to a Celtic game or WATCH one on the telly?
Then you’d know the answer to your stupid question.
By the way, are you a celtic supporter?
Bada bing
In The Herald today in was commented on ….but only a short rendition …that must make it ok then
If one gets a full rendition together with the other songs then their behaviour is lauded by the Chief Constable and First Minister as creating a wonderful football atmosphere
Philbhoy,
Watch it, question a constant critic’s credentials and you are classed as one of the semi-literate…
Hail Hail!
The huddle
seen it, amazin arras
mvgCSC
stevebhoy
Sorry, i should have realised.
I never passed O level Engleeshh.
:0)
Cowiebhoy
Very little …….absolute bollox
If he played at the top of his game every week we’d have no chance of him playing for us
All the talk of a playmaker does not address main issue with this team. Off the ball movement is really poor and has been for years. Until this is addressed there’s no point in looking for another midfielder. I think young McGeough has deserved more game time. What has happened to Philip Twardzik?
HALE HALE THI SELTS R HEAR!!!!
….PFayr
20:26 on
30 December, 2012
Just read that Herald article which is only surpassed by the comments page full of stupid huns……….
And now van Gerwen is starting to bottle it, back and forth these matches, great viewing
Philbhoy,
I musta been lucky. My first two degrees were a shot in the dark, too!
Hail Hail!
The morphic resonance on this blog amazes me.
Lostinbonnybrdge- if that is an accurate transcript of Dodds then he must be brought to task, what on earth can he mean by “there was so many of them in the dressing room”?
Won’t hold my breath though.
The clip from yesterday too, my it takes me back to the 1970s.
This is inexcusable, Lawwell must be applying pressure on Regan.
Paul 67
How many of our goals result from crafting a “clear enough opening”?
I think most of our goals and those of other teams come from set plays, defensive errors or bobbling balls where our players are quicker to react.
We cannot get a clearer opening, crafted or not, than Efe Ambrose 12 inches from the goal line with the ball at stomach level but we contrived to miss it. We crafted a first half chance where Sammi struck a post. Lustig threw a great cross into the corridor of uncertainty but Lassad was behind play. And near the end, Paddy ghosted by two defenders and stood a cross up that their keeper could not reach but their defender beat our attackers to it.
I agree that there were not many chances but there was a lot of attacking. I thought Hibs organised their defence well and individual players, like McPake, were very brave and determined. We need to stop beating ourselves up over irrelevant dropped points. Does any Celtic supporter have a minimum winning margin in mind for the league title? Will we not celebrate if it is anything less than a 20 points gap?
I can understand that we want to avoid a loss of form and a run of bad results as we may not get back to CL level but can I remind those with short memories that we went through our roughest patch of league form this season at precisely the same time as our hugely successful CL qualification campaign.
Neil Lennon and this squad have earned some slack by those achievements and we should allow them to vary formations and player positions in order to test this squad’s limits without us greeting about some imagined failures. The one comparison I will make with WGS’s time is that we should actually wait until they lose something of importance before our criticism is so harsh. WGS merited some criticism for his final league campaign; unfortunately he was already drained by the relentless criticism of his successful years.
Samaras was rank rotten yesterday.
He was supported by Wanyama, Brown, Lassad,Rogne , Hooper and Neil Lennon.
Who were also rank rotten.
….PFayr
20:29 on
30 December, 2012
Cowiebhoy
Very little …….absolute bollox
If he played at the top of his game every week we’d have no chance of him playing for us
Can accept that – point trying to make, with Mulgrew and commons out, and Sammi playing in their role, he should be delivering what is missing – if you get my drift ?
mickbhoy1888 another CQN’er who was there yesterday gave CM MOM.
This was coming,we have not played well vs Arbroath,Dundee,Ross County,or even St Mirren.
I agree regarding the Mid.Field so why drop Kayal,and play Brown wide right?
I suggest it is because NL is now allowing our want away “irreplaceable”Centre Forward who does not like being a front man,to drop deeper confusing the hell out of everyone concerned.
Since being savaged by Buegherra at Ibrox Gary Hooper is ( in my opinion )wary of playing back to goal and the punishment it entails,playing deeper he runs onto balls or receives side on thus avoiding the normal brutalities meted out without sanction.
He is a converter of chances not a creator,so we need him up front as far as possible,however if this is not now his forte, and additionally he wont sign, then sorry but off you go as the entire structure of the team is now compromised and it is showing.
Additionally can someone tutor Ambrose to jump,Dundee,Benfica awayD.Utd etc balls over his head costing goals or near misses,how many Coaches do we need if none of them analyse the players.
PS Last word on Dundee,there were aspects I was not impressed with due to timing and availability of booze,however I was in Row I seat 7 at RH side of our Stand and for the entire duration of the Match there were between 20 to 25 Police who never moved from their position,so like me the reported riot seems to have passed them by.
Not that I am condoning boorish behaviour,but that is not a riot.
As well as creativity from midfield we also lack width in the team. We need a fit and in form Forrest back as soon as possible and hopefully the manager gets the wide left sided player he wants in January (hopefully Mackay Steven). Whilst our right sided full backs, whether it be Matthews or Lustig can create on occasions and deliver some good balls into the middle, Izzaguirre on the left is a shadow of the player he was pre injury. He doesn’t seem to take on players anymore and either cuts inside of hits speculative diagonals at no one in particular. Some competition at left back should also be a consideration for January window.