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Celtic play through press to control at Ibrox

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

The signs were ominous for the first 55 seconds of yesterday’s game at Ibrox.  Newco successfully pressed Celtic back and forced a corner, from which Leon Balogun struck the crossbar with a header.  That was the last time the home side were able to press Celtic out of shape.

In the previous three games between these sides, Newco upset Celtic’s possession by pressing defenders out of their comfort zone.  By contrast, this game was characterised by Celtic’s defenders linking with Callum McGregor, Reo Hatate and Arne Engels to play triangles around opponents.

It is worth analysing this variable in more detail than I have thus far, but Celtic’s composure on the ball made the Newco press look unstructured.  My suspicion is that the press was not fundamentally different than before, but Celtic’s ability to play through was more practiced.

I only have the one witness, but when Raskin’s header hit the net midway through the first half, I immediately called it offside.  Replays show the ‘scorer’ was a yard off, five attackers in total were in offside positions.  Despite Celtic’s defensive line holding straight, the assistant referee failed to raise his flag.  The same official would later incorrectly flag Celtic’s goal offside.  Never question the value of VAR in Scottish football.

Newco are a counterattacking team and with seconds of the first half remaining they broke from a Celtic corner.  Cerny’s step-over setup Dessers, who caught Liam Scales on his heels.  Scales attempt to stop the striker by grabbing his jersey and lunging to block were not enough.  Newco were again in front against Celtic.

This was Viljami Sinisalo’s sixth successive start for Celtic and his only real test in that time.  There was nothing he could do about the goal, or the offside effort, however he more than delivered on other occasions.  I counted three excellent saves by the Finn.  His distirbution was also a factor in Celtic’s ability to succssfully play out from the back.

Celtic’s equaliser was all about attitude.  Daizen Maeda did what he always does against Newco.  Harass James Tavernier, then somehow erect a wall so wide, John Souttar was unable to clear past the on-rushing Daizen.

Adam Idah had no right to score.  His back to goal with the ball heading in the wrong direction – this was a chance which called for the agility Kyogo was famous for.  The Irish striker steadied, opened up space, then put his laces through the ball.  It was a lesson on what happens when you get the ball into the box when playing against limited defenders.  Adam should have put Celtic ahead immediately prior to the opening goal.  They all miss ’em, the good players score important goals too.

In the final seconds of the game, Reo Hatate lunged to intercept a pass and divert it towards Daizen on the halfway line.  There was no chance on and any other player would have held play up and waited for reinforcements.  Daizen, however, channelled his inner Usain Bolt.  When he next drew breath, he was inside the Newco box, but travelling so fast, he was unable to execute the killer move.

I suspect everyone left Ibrox happy.  Newco held the champions and are now four games without defeat (penalties aside) against Celtic.  Celtic rediscovered their ability to pass around Newco and are setup for the Cup Final.

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  1. quadrophenian on

    KELLY18

     

     

    Their ‘successes’ against us are meaningless in the bigger picture.

     

    But I think more to do with our lapses than their mythical excellence.

     

     

    Still nips though, least to me.

  3. kelly18 on

    quadrophenian on 5th May 2025 2:35 pm – They have worked out that we don’t look too comfortable when we’re not allowed to or hampered from playing in our comfort zone.

     

     

    More tactical variety vs the huns or maybe producing a footballing style were no team knows how we’ll play from one week till the next.

     

     

    Thank goodness its Brendan who is paid to work it out.

  5. clunks on

    hearing a rankers fan was arrested as he racially abused maeda as he left the stadium

  7. kelly18 on

    Did European teams a while back not get forced to have netting from the roof to bottom of the stands all around the stadium so that nothing could be thrown onto the pitch? Might be dangerous for folk sitting at the front.

  9. scullybhoy on

    Bottle thrown at Celtic players celebrating win at Ibrokex (2019)

     

     

    https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thescottishsun.co.uk%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F2%2F2019%2F09%2FNINTCHDBPICT000517981977-e1567445615565.jpg%3Fw%3D2480&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=61f5146e24b87fb7b2d10daa289b023119bbadea67b6e761c5b31d43ac3681ff

     

     

    Broken glass thrown at Joe Hart. (April 2022)

     

     

    https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fi2-prod.dailyrecord.co.uk%2Farticle26623506.ece%2FALTERNATES%2Fs1200%2F3_Rangers-FC-v-Celtic-FC-Cinch-Scottish-Premiership.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=4258125e2d4855103b5bbabccf67fc3b4a7642e10b9821bcd1eff496d35cd56c

     

     

    Member of Celtic staff hit by a bottle. (April 2022)

     

     

    https://icdn.celticshorts.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/image-16.jpeg.webp

  11. scullybhoy on

    Objects thrown at Jota. (May 2023)

     

     

    https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcdn.celtsarehere.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2023%2F05%2F2023-05-13T124910Z_1891193815_UP1EJ5D0ZLWCM_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-SCOTLAND-RFC-CEL-REPORT-1536×1137.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=a2dd32c0af00c530c928de8ad1baccea626d5988f9444014eb1d1e964d9dd221

     

     

    https://cdn.celtsarehere.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023-05-13T125925Z_1098024539_UP1EJ5D1030D9_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-SCOTLAND-RFC-CEL-REPORT.jpg

  15. Tontine Tim on

    GLENDALYSTONSILS on 5TH MAY 2025 12:43 PM

     

     

    Adam Idah is a bit of a puzzle . The two first half chances he missed by taking extra touches were not the hallmark of a natural striker but the goal from a much more difficult position certainly was. I hope he takes a lot of confidence from it , as that seems to be lacking at times .

     

     

    *Correct, my late brother, like our da, was a great reader of the game, and would often say when he heard players, especially strikers, getting criticised that fitba was all about confidence so sitting in the stands wisnae going tae improve that as they had tae be on the pitch and that first early goal was so important, this time next year we will ALL be raving about the Big Mhan like we did with big Yogi and BBJ, 2 of our other enigmas.

  16. jackiemac on

    If you any decent currant buns ask them to challenge their community about the tifo yesterday – asking for the opposition fans to be shot is a low I couldn’t have imagined.

     

     

    buyer beware SF49ers!

  19. Tontine Tim on

    ACKIEMAC on 5TH MAY 2025 3:10 PM

     

     

    If you any decent currant buns ask them to challenge their community about the tifo yesterday – asking for the opposition fans to be shot is a low I couldn’t have imagined.

     

     

    *especially by the beast you know him of the ben affleck wife and weans, he was within a baw hair of signing for us until dave mackay found out while up on holiday and convinced Bill Nicholson tae sign him, never really worked out but he did become the player when would be under the guidance of Bobby Murdoch and future Ireland manager Jack Charlton, tell all the huns you know that.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    buyer beware SF49ers!

  20. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    quadrophenian on 5th May 2025 1:58 pm

     

     

    … again find myself wondering why we couldn’t get properly up for it and deliver a spanking?

     

     

    ——

     

     

    No “for effect” supremacism in my response Quad …

     

     

    … but yesterday was just not an important game for our playing/coaching group.

  21. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    jackiemac on 5th May 2025 3:10 pm

     

     

    asking for the opposition fans to be shot is a low I couldn’t have imagined.

     

     

    —-

     

     

    Noted JM.

     

     

    I could have imagined it. Quite easily in fact.

     

     

    Driven by sheer, unadulterated hatred compounded by powerless bewilderment at their plight of being permanently second best ….

     

     

    … there is no level of low they could not crawl under.

     

     

    Watch what happens when we get 56.

     

     

    A third of them will shrug and accept it, a third will get angrier still, and the remaining third will walk away.

  23. tangbhoy on

    Interesting summary Paul, if you only look at the positives. If you only.do that you won’t improve.

     

     

    Idah was woeful in the first half. As has been said his work rate, decision making, anticipation and general play isn’t good enough to be Celtic’s main striker.

     

     

    His goal.rate is ok but we need better.

     

     

    As has also been said we can’t defend set pieces. Raskin won two headers and Balogun in the first twenty minutes or so. We’ve seen it time and time.again. Maybe Scales is better than Trusty but that’s doesn’t make him good enough.

     

     

    Reo Hatate rarely get criticised on here but he was anonymous in the first half and Engels wasn’t much better. The latter is in his first season and offers from set pieces at least. Reo plays well 1 game in 5. If that.

     

     

    And finally our poty has done well but he also showed his weakness in the last minute. He’s got to do better.

     

     

    Another game against them passes bye, more anti Catholic songs, no comment from anybody with power and yet they apologise for a trivial banner.

     

     

    Vile.

  24. jackiemac on

    we missed the players which are significantly better than the rest yesterday tangbhoy – kyogo, kuhn, jota – likelihood is KF would have walloped the first half chance in, would have been there for DM to square to in the last second and Jta would have made a chance or two

     

     

    When you take those players away, imho, we’re good but not great in spfl terms.

  25. jackiemac on

    unbelievable BD

     

     

    this wasn’t a lone loon DB- this was a central part of their fan base and an entire stand.

     

     

    What a brand that is -hope the power mongers in SF49ers were watching.

  26. bigrailroadblues on

    Good afternoon all from the Victoria Bar. I have put together a consortium called the Govanhill 67ers. We have purchased the hun newclub and after consultation with the Tall Cranes and Magua we can annunciate the following.

     

    Stadium to be demolished, site to be transformed into a pilgrimage centre comparable to Lourdes.

     

    A floating pitch and casino are options.

  29. KINGLUBO on

    I reckon huns were pissed off with us ‘cos we didn’t offer up a Line of honour for them being SECOND again

     

     

    KINGLuBO

  30. Saint Stivs on

    i watched the game again

     

     

    idah was descent. one short pass. three shots. a goal.

     

     

    18 for the season.

     

     

    3 goals in 2 games

     

     

    gie the guy a break

  31. Saint Stivs on

    daizen ran half the pitch in 4 seconds.

     

     

    everyone saying just lay the ball off to kenny . there is a hun in between them it wasnt a simple square ball

     

     

    he was up in the air for 30 hours this week .

     

     

    convinced he felt duty bound to fulfil the fixture and the award

     

     

    pretty harsh to be critical of ine decision in a season worth of high level contributions.

  32. Saint Stivs on

    what was it jock said about its just the same points as any other game

     

     

    evidently not to lots of old firm supporters .

     

     

    reconstruction not asked for a two team league setvup yet

  33. mncelt on

    I thought Scales had a decent game yesterday, along with all the other defenders. Yes, he could have been stronger in preventing Dessers getting his goal, but other than that he was fine. The header in the first minute was a result of him being blocked by Raskin(?). It was a clever set piece and something we need to get better at next season. Callum was too easily marked out of most of the game. It was telling that his main marker had to be subbed during the second half – he was done trying to track Callum all over the park. Hatate was again good in spurts – he’s some player and if he could find some consistency he and Arne could be our bedrock in midfield for years to come.

     

     

    Some brilliant footage of the Bhoys in Ibrox really enjoying themselves. Leading the singing of ‘Simply the Best’ was hilarious. Apparently the Bhoys also cheered every Rangers player when the teams were read out before the game. Watched the Unique Angle of the game and it was great to see big Adam celebrate his goal. I hope he doesn’t read the comments on here.

  34. glendalystonsils on

    Tontine Tim on 5th May 2025 3:07 pm

     

     

    That thought crossed my mind too TT. I see a lot of similarities between Adam and some of our previous strikers you mention. It’s almost like they don’t know their own capabilities until they start banging the goals in regularly . Some players are Gallus and some are the opposite .

  38. Hot Smoked on

    How will the Huns now feel in future games when singing their `anthem`? :-))

  40. Saint Stivs on

    for our usa corrospondents a couple of questions for you .

     

     

    1 – is the 49ers consortium reported by any sports or finance channels as having talks with the rangers ?

     

     

    2 – do thier fanbase care in anyway ? are they a fanbase with a culture ? known for anything political ?

     

     

    3 – how would the anti-catholic / anti irish culture of the bearz be perceived with the buyers ? i am seriously left headscratching still as to what is in it for them, right down to, how do you really make money from something operating witha toxic, and not particularly wealthy fanbase.

     

     

    4 – i know trump is divisive no matter what he does, but those images faked of him being a pope how is that received by americans ? even hos core base, do they care at all ?

     

     

    genuine interested.

  41. Saint Stivs on

    30 years they have been singing simply the best.

     

     

    i was suprised we havnt mocked it before like we did with the ha ha hah ha billy boys.

     

     

    their blogs want them to chuck playing it.

  42. Maestro on

    We’ve always mocked it I recall as a younger rebel giving it Laldi in the days of Henke & co.

     

     

    Nowadays I wind them up about the actual real name and true meaning of the song.

     

     

    🤣🎤

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