Reo Hatate endured a torrid start to the month but what a return to form he enjoyed last night. In earlier seasons, Reo’s energy levels dipped late in games, but against Young Boys he covered every blade of grass. After Daizen Maeda’s dismissal, it was Reo who marshalled the left wing, throwing himself at the ball to squeeze the life out of the Swiss attack.
Space and time on the ball is a premium at this level, but players with elite ability can manufacture both. Reo’s first touch, combined with intelligent use of his body, allowed him to repeatedly settle Celtic into possession.
He did this deliciously with five minutes remaining, before carving open the Young Boys defence with a pass into the path of Adam Idah for the goal. The goal itself was a lucky break, but you often make your luck. Reo made ours last night, without his skill, the Young Boys defence would have not have been stressed.
You will wait 20 years before seeing another hattrick of disallowed goals (I have a vague memory of Tommy Johnson being incorrectly penalised like this against Kilmarnock). Kyogo’s three goals were all correctly disallowed, but seemed an indication that the opener would soon come.
Greg Taylor’s cardio capacity almost came to the rescue, when he hit the byline inside the box and crossed, while being dragged to the ground by the neck. Arne Engels’ attempt from the penalty spot was poor. If you stagger your run as Arne did, you are in trouble if the keeper is not already on his way down. The resultant shot had no momentum from the run-up, allowing the keeper time to read it.
Keller in the Young Boys goal had an outstanding game, although there was a ‘saveable’ element to each of his seven shots stopped. His final act of heroism, getting a foot out to stop Adam Idah, became a short pass to the onrushing defender Benito, who could do nothing but bundle the ball into his own net. The cheers at Celtic Park were loud, matched only by the sound of television channels being changed in unison across large parts of the country.
Unlike the first, the second half lacked chances (we will come onto this in a moment). Maeda came close early in the period, while Kasper Schmeichel made a tremendous double save to stop Young Boys taking the lead.
The late goal should have seen Celtic close the game out comfortably. Instead, Maeda’s temperament led him to retaliate. The red card which followed will cost us one of our truly Champions League-class players in Birmingham next week.
Young Boys halted Celtic’s relentless first half procession at the start of the second period when they figured out they needed to deny Callum McGregor space. Callum was imperious in the first half. The key to Celtic’s play is finding angles to make simple forward passed into. Callum was able to make and (more importantly) receive these passes, which repeatedly triggered an attack.
Modern football increasingly resembles a chess board. Everyone who can receive a pass is covered, to progress the ball, you need motion and an understanding of how to create an angle where the recipient can move into to receive a pass.
Celtic did this terribly at Ibrox this month and were vastly better last night. Remember also how often Taylor and Johnston passed the ball along the line into empty space, knowing it would be met by a Celtic jersey. Our success as a football team is all about how we move the ball forward. I don’t think we are the finished article, but you can see what the coaches have been working on since 3 January.
Young Boys remain rooted to the bottom of the table and are ninth in the Swiss league but still managed to give us a proper game last night. This demonstrates the gap between most of our domestic opponents and even the Swiss league. It is difficult to live week-to-week in one environment and then step up to a vastly higher level.
We will have at least 10 Champions League games this season and five against Newco; each match a genuine test. Other games are of little developmental value.
An interesting aside: five clubs are currently on 12 points, each of them a past winner: Borussia Dortmund, Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, Celtic.
Congratulations to Celtic on progressing to the next stage.
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Belated good morning CQN.
Re transfer activity… I suspect (with no firm evidence whatsoever) Brendan is prioritising having capability in the door now .. to be ready for qualifiers in August.
We’re confidently on track to meet this season’s objectives
– League cup won
– CL Play offs reached
– Great position to win league
– Home tie against a smaller team to reach quarter final of Scottish Cup
In terms of managing the season calendar in 2024/25 …
On the significant upside we had the absolute luxury of direct entry into CL groups which allowed the manager to bring the squad up to full readiness slowly.
On the sizeable downside we’ve suffered from a lack of midwinter break. Players look jaded.
The above luxury not available next season and the lack of break will also need managing.
Season will be long and hard. A strong squad needs to be fully utilised.
For starters I’d play prospects plus senior players coming back from injury in the League Cup.
With no European place and now this world’s most successful silliness is coming to an end?
It’s a bauble.
Across August to December – save the first 16 for the league and Europe.
Bhoyjoebelfast on 24th January 2025 11:00 am
Good man. We are closed today.
The new club have the same supporters as the old one. So sad, as was the constant reference to the wonderful atmosphere in the stadium. Furthermore, the frequent images of Alex Ferguson looking proudly at his two former teams. Not once referencing how Alex Ferguson was forced to leave the now defunct club. The MSM will never call it out.
Darwin among the trolls? I enjoy Darwin`s posts .
Off to test the windy weather here in Arbroath.
Cheerio for now.
https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/dozens-arrested-over-manchester-united-30853766
Again
Oh well, the washing will not come in by itself……..could be wrong.
https://x.com/FabrizioRomano/status/1882584029599543519
What a great name.
I hope this kid becomes a footballing superstar.
Fan’s rhyming chant writes itself !
BR said expects Kyogo and Jota moves to happen in next 24 hours, Kyogo said he wanted to leave a couple of months ago
https://talksport.com/football/2834814/man-united-rangers-fans-clash-inside-old-trafford-footage/
I keep reading about how BR maybe should play weakened,or weaker teams in Cup competitions.Anyone still harbouring these notions,has obviously not been paying attention to how Brendan views things,or his comments.Regards the League Cup,if you listened to him,he places great store in the winning of this,because of the lift it gives to the whole club,in the first half of the season.Something tangible for their early efforts.Puts the Treble on the agenda.
I also like to think that Brendan is of the same opinion as me.Let those Hun Bassas ,win nothing.
Quadbhoy 10.49
Darwin/cloud9/Andrena/jhb/Andrena are one and same poster.
Tommys fame came as Galloways phonein plant.
Greeting each other in arabic welcome,nowt wrong with that then slates Green Brigade or Green babies for their palestinian stance,a head swivelling beetlejuice would be proud of.rose to fame as the prank caller of franco Sandaza,vanished when came to light
Darwin,Peter Lawell sychophant extrodinaire,there have been a lot better,more genuine and authentic over cqn history,
Cloud9 attemped to advance case our bank balance was to cover cbc case.chased of blog to return as Darwin
Jhb was politics until it got embarassed of as a refugee boat chaser,in football terms was worried of Ange making a top6 finish- laughed of blog returned as cloud9
Andrena,a troll test case,just confused
All anonymous.all hidden,not met any cqn’r
Quadbhoy feel free to engage,its always up to you
i am just pointing out its a multimonikered troll.
What is that about? Why the range?
Sleekit sychophancy and slithering ingratiation are that trolls way to go on here
HH
Glad I kept my Jota t-shirt, was tempted to bin it and wouldn’t even wear it below a jumper………….still got my Ange (boss) one…?
Hot Smoked on 24th January 2025 11:08 am
Darwin among the trolls? I enjoy Darwin`s posts .
Of course you do HS,you also enjoyed jhb’s modrin studies easays on the Barnet Formula at a time when the blog was wrecked by politics.
But i can meet you at a match j,discuss things and go forward.that wont happen with Darwin/jhb/cloud9.Anonymity and staying hidden is very much at play
Ask him yourself if he is any of the above monikers?
Enjoy your cycle
Still got my” We never stop” T shirt.Loved that phrase.
DARWIN @ 9:18 AM,
Yes, wriggle room is one thing, closing the quality/experience gap quite another.
We are trying to sign Cummings up to a long term contract – I’ve seen quite a bit of the lad this year, no doubts a top project.
No doubts, not near the first team.
If you look at our last real wunderkind, we see Ben Doaks plying his trade in the Championship with Middlesbrough, the boy is doing well, a Scottish International to boot.
Yet at 19 y.o. he should really be pushing on…
Would he make the Celtic first team?
The Cup idea is interesting, yet for me you’d have to be careful – as you allude to, you are as likely to set back a youngsters career as you are to boost it.
The thing I would say is that Celtic need more squad players, BR&CO if they weren’t aware of it before RB Leipzig are certainly aware of it now.
They seem to be opting for Johnny and Dane who went out and got the experience on loan.
Remember that Rocco Vata was not prepared to do that.
At present we have several players out on loan who would be looking to impress and get on the Kenny, Murray pathway…
Tobi Oluwayemi
Matthew Anderson
Gustaf Lagerbielke
Lenny Agbaire
Ben Summers
Of course, Luke McCowan has been a big success so far, is their a few diamonds in the rough in the SPL that would be happy to get into a Celtic squad and fight for their position?
Hail Hail
That awkward moment when your trampoline bounces over the hedge.
An Tearmann on 24th January 2025 11:41 am
I’ve seen enough in most of the other monikers posts to have already decided to scroll by without reading – especially OJ; life is too short for that but whilst I can accept that Darwin might be viewed as a “Peter Lawell sychophant extrodinaire” to some, being pro PL is not any more of an issue for me than being pro BR or any other individual at the club, they all come and go and opinions are like bahookeys after all.
Whether Darwin has other monikers or not (who actually has time for that?!) some of their posts add value to discussions on here which makes a change from a lot of the petty, abusive trolling and goading posts you see here,
Anyway, as you say, it is up to each of us. Thanks for the replies; despite posting here for longer than I care to recall I go through phases in life where I barely get time to read the main articles so I do miss some of the history / context.
QB
new article posted.
Are all the paper shops closed ?
Quadbhoy
OJ is kevJ,latest trolletes Gerry Ferns and OJ who got barred and blocked as poster 418 for soiling this Celtic site with ‘quite easily the most racist post ever’ p67
Who has time? Ask him yourself? Ask him if he is any of those monikers,as you imply whats that about?
Darwin does,look at page2 in next article
Wee Andrena turns up after a break
I do not think you or i button up the back.
Will catch you at a match sometime Quadbhoy
Everything it posts needs a bogey man.something shadow box again.
Anyway am away to read Pauls article,i dont usuallyseems to be causing consternation
HH