I was widely predicting 3-0 last night so the result didn’t come as a disappointment. Bayern could have punished us (or pretty much any team in Europe) by more, while we could have scored a deserved consolation in the second half.
It is seldom a manager will make three changes which improve the team, but Brendan Rodgers did just that last night. Tom Rogic grabbed the stage like no other Celtic player when he replaced Stuart Armstrong. Celtic’s game plan left Leigh Griffiths isolated against towering defenders. This was never a fair fight, but plays to Moussa Dembele’s strengths. The French youth international looked back to his pre-injury best.
Patrick Roberts is our most accomplished player at unlocking packed defences, but that was never on the agenda in Munich. Instead, he most often took possession acres from goal, forcing him to dart into space before being blocked by the weight of red jerseys.
The game was more suited to James Forrest, who needs space in front of him to be at his best. The winger regularly stressed the Bayern defence and created chances.
Bayern clearly identified Cristian Gamboa as Celtic’s potential weak spot. Cristian was isolated repeatedly but used his pace and agility to put in a performance few of us expected.
When was the last time we lost three cross/header combination goals? Bayern are a tall team. Celtic played with two small(er) full backs, where they would otherwise play the ubiquitous Mikel Lustig at right. A lack of height perhaps contributed to Bayern’s third, an inexcusable free header at a set piece, but we switched off at the loss of the first two goals.
We didn’t execute our normal (simple) passing game during the first half. Lots of things can contribute to players not passing the ball, rushing their passes, or, more crucially, not making themselves available for a pass.
The most obvious contributory factor was the ability of the opposition, but the problem was not as superficial as this. We didn’t pass well during the opening period, even without Bayern pressing particularly high.
Football is a game of 1000 small decisions, where to move on the field being the most common decision. Repeatedly last night I couldn’t see good options for an easy pass for the Celtic player in possession. For Celtic to play their natural game there needs to be a close proximity between players when we are in possession.
Last night we stretched the game. Sinclair, Armstrong and Brown were too far forward, often by as little as 10 yards.
Special mention to Craig Gordon, who having picked the ball out of his net three times, kept the score from reaching the epic proportions that Arsenal recently endured at the Allianz Arena.
Bayern will be confident ahead of the game at Celtic Park in two weeks, but Celtic know they can play better. I’m sure when Brendan Rodgers looks at the Champions League table, he will concede nothing yet.
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Celtic Fans in Allianz Arena pic.twitter.com/EGbQbkWt6G
— Celtic Videos (@CelticVideo) October 19, 2017
OUR SECOND CQN PODCAST this week, featuring interviews with ex-Celts Alan Stubbs and Chris Sutton, previewing the big games this week against Bayern Munich and Hibs at Hampden on Saturday.
Stubbs gives an insight into Liam Henderson as a player and talks about where his career should go from here.
Speaking on behalf of BT Sport, Alan Stubbs also spoke about his regret at leaving Hibs, and looks ahead to the League Cup semi-final between two of his former clubs.
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Corkcelt
Heidi Klum CSC
Heidi Klum says goodnight mein lieben
Sorry
Heidi Klum says guten nacht mein lieben
I had a Facebook message from an old friend and colleague today.
Someone I haven’t seen in 7 or 8 years. A real football fanatic.
He me posted a picture from the lineups.
After a brief exchange he posted
“The Celtic fans were AMAZING.”
This from a guy with no affiliation to us.
Early update from NLCS playoff at Wrigley Field.
Kojo’s Dodgers lead the Cubs 9-0 in the middle of the 4th inning.
I don’t think Paddy Power will be taking bets on LA winning and therefore clinching the NLCS 4-1.
Yankees and Astros have a travel day before resuming their ALCS battle in Houston Friday with the Yankees holding a series 3-2 lead.
This lets me take an early night in preparation for a serious weekend of being a couch potato.
Hold the presses.
Cubs score a run bottom of the 4th.
Nah I don’t think so.
9-1 after 4.
I’m still headed to bed confident that the Dodgers are in the World Series.
I’m really proud of all the Celtic fans who traveled over to Munich and left such a positive impression on the locals.Although we got beaten by a much better team they sung their hearts out. Well done Bhoys and Ghirls. I hope the sun is shining for you at Hampden on saturday.By the way Melbourne Mick was last to leave our wee club last Sunday.His princess wasn’t there so he proceeded to drink the place dry.The management have requested for me to take him in with me more often.HAIL HAIL from DOWNUNDER.
Hail Hail El Presidente.
All paid for with my own money of course, your pockets
are getting deeper and deeper, you’ll soon be pulling your
money out of your socks. :-))
Whats happened to MACJAY1 ? nightshift needs the Antipodean
input if only for the comedy factor.
H.H Mick
Heidi Klum gorged on plums
It always gave her the joys
She decided to have another one
it reminded her of watching the bhoys.
Wordsworth CSC.
H.H Mick
None of you guys up yet? Jobo hows the weather over there?
Had a drink with Skippy’s dad John a great Celtic man sitting
there with his bumble bee top on which Scott gave him, and
Scottie’s brothers with their new hoops tops, inevitably the
talk comes round to helicopter sunday and how he coped
with his son denying us the title that day, just a look of
despair and he was only doing his job, what can you say, well
for a start i said ” it could be worse John you might have been
Le Petite Merde’s dad ” i think that helped.
H.H Mick
Good morning CQN from a clear and breezy, after a very stormy night , East Devon .
Melbourne Mick,
I’m afraid that I have no idea on this morning’s weather as there’s a thick fog obscuring my view!
One more sleep ;-)
Hurrah, good morning IANBHOY929.
Thought the world had been blown up in a nuclear haulocost
and i was the only survivor.
H.H Mick
JOBO BALDIE
Nothing to do with alcohol i presume :-))
H.H Mick
Melbourne Mick – alas, no as I’m battling through Sober October! 2 more weekends to go. Could then be followed by Cannie Remember November!
Work calling…
Good morning CQN,
From a Damp dull day in St.Andrews
Can’t wait for tomorrow come on you Bhoys in green Glasgows green and white
Hope everyone made it home safely
Hail Hail
Time to go ghuys, got to make the most of my wee princess
being over in Bunny Scudland, and it,s hunt a hun night here
on the rebel peninsula, you know they are there but honestly
you’ve more chance of findng an alligator that supports the
Polmadie Lamplighters.
H.H Mick
Heidi Klum says guten morgen meine lieben
First poppy of the year on BBC breakfast news now, Graeme Souness.
MELBOURNEMICK
IMO,McDonald could easily have “fluffed” both shots,snatched at them.
I think most of us,given a chance to play against Celtic,would have pulled out all the stops,tried 200%,you name it.
A bit like Johnny Doyle did.
But…
NOT WHEN IT’S COSTING US A BLIDDY TITLE!!!!!
(PS-make sure the housework’s done for The Princess getting back…)
ZIGGYDOC
Each to their own,mate. It’s only a tad more than three weeks away after all.
Here’s one for VFR
https://mobile.twitter.com/robgmacfarlane/status/890814121129549824?lang=en
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 20TH OCTOBER 2017 9:00 AM
ZIGGYDOC
Each to their own,mate. It’s only a tad more than three weeks away after all.
———————-
He was on promoting his book. The presenters commented on his ‘firm’ handshake. Souness replied saying he had four sons and liked to look a man in the eye when he shook hands.
What a man! Pity they never asked him about his EBT while manager of Newcastle.
Interesting article in today’s Mai by Trevor Sinclair regarding the racism and sexism in England . This is a guy who still works for the FA telling it how it is. Any time I’ve heard him speak he comes across really well and speaks his mind. If only we had a few like him up here instead of the spineless chancers we endure.
ZIGGYDOC
He’s truly a mensch,eh?
I’m sure he has an equally strong grip when he’s alone.
Word of The Day
swink /swɪŋk/
verb
1. labour; toil.
2. (intransitive) to toil or drudge
noun
3. toil or drudgery
Derived Forms
swinker, noun
Word Origin
Old English swinc, from swincan
KTF
Castlebhoy, , Trevor Sinclair is also very fond of our team.
The Westminster government have got involved with the FA and their practices but Holyrood, for whatever reason, do not get involved with SFA and their practices.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 20TH OCTOBER 2017 9:05 AM
That’s a good ‘un! Need to see how I can get that into a conversation!
KTF
Complained to BT Sport.
10 day turnaround.
ROCK TREE BHOY on 19TH OCTOBER 2017 5:16 PM
With the resources we have (versus what they have) don’t mind losing to clubs like Bayern Munich, it was never going to be a shock result and with big Simunovic out (again) just ahead of kick off that more or less cemented the defeat.
However what really really annoys me is the Celtic fans (allegedly) who go on social media and trash all our players as soon as the final whistle blows, what the f*** are they thinking about? Don’t they know there’s a Q a mile long ahead of them of non Celtic supporters who can’t wait get on line and to do the exact same?
Blithering Idiots – thats what they are – what did they expect – a miracle! Really annoying. Faithful thru and thru my a***.
……………………………………………………………………
NAIL ON HEAD!
Some peepul canny help themselves!
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Good to see Brendan Rodgers coming out and clearly defending his footballing philosophy.
He wants his team to learn how to play the game properly and develop into better players. You don’t do that by changing to a defensive configuration and punting it long. Learn how to take the ball under pressure, retain it and successfully pass it to a team-mate. That’s how to do it properly. By playing that way against the better teams our players will b come b better. they will also grow un belief as they do so.
I didn’t expect a result in Munchen so wasn’t terribly disappointed. Do I think the players lacked belief? No. Do I think they didn’t try? No. Do I think they didn’t perform well? In context, yes. But that context is that they were up against significantly better players than them and playing at a level they only do half a dozen times a season. They got knocked down, but they are back up again and will be better players for the experience.
KT in particular will probably have learned more in that game against Arjen Robben and Joshua Kimmich than he has over the course of last season. Kimmich and Alaba are the standard that Tierney should aspire to. Solid defenders that are fantastic getting forward – both very skilful and comfortable on the ball.
There were positives from the display. Dedryck Boyata, IMHO, showed he can compete at that level and looked very polished. Scott Brown didn’t play as many passes as he usually does (57), but only misplaced 1 pass all night. Scott Sinclair was unlucky not to score, being given offside in a very tight decision.
It’s still a learning curve in Europe for us but we have come a long way since the turgid performances of the Europa League a couple of season ago. European football after Christmas was always the realistic aim and we should still achieve that.
meanwhile, it’s back to the swink of Scottish football at Hamdump this weekend; hopefully we use this to get back in the saddle properly and get to another cup final. With Scott Brown back, I am sure John McGinn will realise that Celtic are a different prospect and he won’t be as influential as he was a Celtic Park a few weeks ago!
3-1 to the ghood ghuys!
KTF
Yesterday i posted about my disgust at the commentary from rob mclean .i mentioned ian archer .arthur montford , peter thompson , commentators from bygone days ..i was not putting them in the same mould as mclean .i mearly was making a comparison from decent commentators then to now . I obviously made a pigs ear of it . Btw .peter thompson was a right blue nose .but fair .
I hope the, at times, over the top criticism of players and manager this week helps motivate them for a very tough spell, Hibs, Aberdeen and Bayern again. At least we showed we can score against Bayern. Sinclair’s goal was onside and we hit the post twice.
VFR
Good post!
Agree with all of that.
I can think of loads of teams north and south of the border who would be drooling at the prospect of playing in the Champions League against Europe’s best.
Loving the experience and looking forward to progressing further under Brendan’s turelage! (Is that a word?)
tutelage, obviously!
turelage isny a word right enough.
Any word in our UEFA charge it was supposed to be yesterday
Anybody need a ticket for tomorrow? South Stand £30.
E-mail me lennybhoycfc@gmail.com
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!