The manager got the big calls right. Moussa Dembele’s form has shaded recently, while Leigh Griffiths has been scoring freely, so the latter was the form horse. Not only did Moussa score the equaliser, Newco found it impossible to deal with him throughout.
His circumference of control with the ball at his feet is considerable. I’m not going to burden him with the ‘new Dalglish’ tag, but that ability to shield the ball in tight areas takes me back to my early days watching Celtic. Kenny did this to great effect, creating space for others as he used his strength and close-control to create havoc.
Kenny Millar’s opening goal had been in the post from the first minute as Newco pressurised Celtic off their game. They were the team forcing mistakes of nervous looking defenders (I’m looking at you, Erik). Celtic just didn’t get going early on as the home team controlled midfield with Barrie McKay in particular causing problems.
The turning point came around the time Scott Brown picked up his yellow card (deservedly). It was a typically-calculated Brown intervention.
Moussa’s goal was quite unbelievable. The corner came from a breakaway chance when Scott Sinclair seemed to lose the opportunity by standing on the ball, but recovered to run at the Newco defence before firing a shot which was deflected onto the inside of the post before being knocked behind by a defender for a corner.
Dembele was standing 8 yards out when a high corner fell to his feet. Unchallenged. The ball bounced head-height but Moussa still had time to wait on it falling before finishing into the top corner.
Danny Wilson was marking him when the corner was taken but for reasons all too evident to those who have followed the player’s recent form, he left Celtic’s striker to challenge players already marked. It was an unfathomable mistake.
From that moment on, there was only going to be one result. Celtic should have gone ahead three times in the opening nine minutes of the second half. Their passing was now crisp and fast. Sinclair and Armstrong’s movement made defenders look statuesque.
One stat I’d like to see is the number of touches we had inside the opposition box. We spent a lot of time in there, pinging tight passes, which opened up the home defence. Dembele, Forrest, Sinclair and Armstrong should all have added to the score but Foderingham made himself big throughout and stopped the result from being as embarrassing as the performance.
Forrest made way for Patrick Roberts, who, at his first involvement, released Armstrong with a reverse pass into the box. Celtic had been in this position many times in the minutes beforehand. Their format was to cut the ball back, which is what we were all expecting Armstrong to do, but he released the ball a fraction of a second early across the face of goal for Sinclair to side-foot into the net at the far post.
Craig Gordon had a few comfortable saves, which he dealt with assuredly. Sviatchenko made up for two early poor touches by making the tackle of the game to deny Forrester. Emilio Izaguirre put in his best 45 minutes of the season in the second half; he looked like the player who arrived six years ago.
Mikael Lustig sprinted 40 yards across field to cut-out a breakaway inside the box. Big Jozo Simunovic must be wondering when kick-off is, he didn’t break sweat.
Off-piste mention to Leigh Griffiths, who was warming up behind the goal when the guy who kept him out the team picked himself up off the turf after a fruitless effort. Leigh stepped forward and patted his team-competitor on the back three times while shouting encouragement.
Great team-mates make great teams.
Have a Happy New Year, everyone.
842 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- ...
- 23
- »
Good morning and a happy New year to all in The Celtic Community.
Paul 67.
Happy New year to you and all your loved ones.
Good morning and a happy New Year to all on CQN
Magic result yesterday
Happy new year to all CQN and Paul67 Mods WC etc etc.
Off oot with my dogs.
Happy new year to all the bhoys and ghirls around the world.
Happy new year Paul to you and your family.
Hope everyone has a safe and green and,white start to 2017.
Sean
Happy new year from a cold darkest Lanarkshire. Hope the day goes well for everyone.
I may allow myself a wee drink today if I can dodge driving duties later on, who knows.
BMCUW. Thanks for the advice, I will ignore it , of course, and will be off to the gym in a few minutes. Enjoy your steak pie, I did not attempt pastry and I am sure your sister would be miles better than my efforts at pastry making. Shop bought for me from my local
Butcher , he’s called a craft butcher now? The produce he sells is first class and always has been, even before he got a fancy title.
Thankfully I still have parental duties to attend to this morning then Mass and cook dinner for the hungover offspring.
Enjoy the day.
HH
A guid new year to each and every Celtic supporter wherever you may be.
A happy New Year to all and may God Bless you and yours.H.H.
Happy New Year to CQNrs and the Celtic Family around the world. 2017 looks like being a cracker for Brendan’s Bhoys!
HH
Gerry
Looking for Domestic Violence stats from the hours of 3pm-3am in Glasgow, Larkhall, Airdrie, Carrickfergus, Lisburn. Anyone?
Just hung Almores calendar on me wall and opened it up to display the 1st page.
A quite magnificent start to the year!!!!
Thanks for bringing them over.
HH
Have we signed anyone yet? This transfer window sucks!
Oh, and a Happy New Year.
A happy and healthy new year to all.
Happy New Year to all Tims fae the Turra mob!
Happy New Year to all on CQN.
Silver City 1888
3 weeks without The Hoops so im hoping its a lively window!
1 £5million signing per week should help me through it :)))
Morning fholks…How are the hangovers today? Shameless repost of my first Aussie blog of 2017. HH and HNY to all.
https://stayinguplateblog.wordpress.com/2017/01/01/the-chasm-widens-as-celtic-feel-glad-all-over/
Good morning to everyone on CQN.
Paul67, Winning Captains, Les Requisitioners,Lastmanstandingers, stauners, cliquers,lurkers, mineshafters, happy-clappers, croydon cut -n-paster agitators, multiple-posters,trolls and hovering huns…
HAPPY NEW YEAR
HAPPY NEW YEAR
HELLO, HELLO
Good Morning Bhoys and Happy New Year CQN and Paul67.
Hope everyone has a good day.
KLV
Just back in from Mass and only now realised it will be three weeks before the Hoops play again. Sheeite!
Moussa’s on fire Hun defence were terrified
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19 points clear at the top.
☘
WWWWWDWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
The slump continues.
Good morning CQN
A happy new year to all
Mickthemick my favourite place in Florida
Will be there in the summer
Have a great holiday
DD give your wee mammy a big hug from up the hill
Thoughts and prayers
Hope you all have a fantastic 2017
God bless and keep you all
Hail Hail
Mt
https://twitter.com/coral/status/815173793954009092
Thems boycotting Coral due to a jokey tweet, they’ll be betting with Luigi behind the chippy soon.
CQN Saturday Naps Competition
Lads, for those in the CQN Naps competition, latest results are updated here :
http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/recuperation-ahead-of-december-game-9-walfrids-wish/comment-page-9/#comments
Cheers, fleagle1888
–NZ Auckland CSC–
McLean was a disgrace yesterday
Cunningly trying to manipulate the game…breaking up play …double standards decision making
Ably assisted by some dreadful linesmen who were either crap or on message
Try as they might righteousness won thro
https://www.youtube.com/embed/GEL73qgQ6tI
Shocking racist abuse of Moussa.
Good morning all from a bright and brand spanking new and shiny 2017 in an even more bright and brand spanking new and shiny Gorbals.
HOWEVER….the subterfuge and deceitful influences within the broadcasting community have NOT gone away.
It is clear that even within the nappy soiling broadcasters, they are starting even earlier to influence the young and malleable minds of their viewers.
Tonight on the Pop and Tiny pop channels, (125 and 126) have a look at what they are showing…..(I believe it may also be ‘must see’ television in Edmiston Drive and surrounds where they think it is Sportscene!)
http://alturl.com/cexc2
While the Pop Channel is showing Power Rangers Super Megaf… (the details indicates that this is Megaforce, but I think it is Megafuds)…below that listing Tiny pop is brodcasting “Timothy goes to school’.
It is also worthwhile noting that the Power Rangers episode concerns the first time the Silver Ranger meets up with the Megaf…; This info will probably be repeated on Follow Follow as a scoop of their January window Coup de Grace —although I gather they aren’t happy with the term ‘Grace’!
Hail Hail
Matt
A peaceful new year to all on Cqn
HH
Happy New Year everyone 2017 looks very promising for our team we started of in 3rd gear yesterday but then moved up another & it was game over.If this was the best the new old same huns could throw at us they will be waiting an eternity to achieve parity if they live that long that is. Exciting times to be a Celt Brendan & the players deserve all the credit for there achievements in 2016 with a fixture list of games played that far exceeding anyone elses & yet we are sprinting away with the league & with the league cup already in the bag & a heavy qualifying & european schedule the bhoys sure deserve a rest in Dubai they have sure earned it
….PFAYR ..SACK THE BOARD on 1ST JANUARY 2017 10:27 AM
McLean was a disgrace yesterday
At the start of every season The Professional Game Match Officials Ltd (PGMOL) asks all of its referees where they live and who they support. They then select their matches accordingly e.g.
MARTIN ATKINSON, from Bradford, supports LEEDS UNITED
MARK CLATTENBURG, from Consett, County Durham, supports NEWCASTLE UNITED
A petition was started by Paul Larkin to address this in Scotland – maybe worth a revisit ?
https://www.change.org/p/make-referees-declare-their-loyalties
EMBRAMIKE SUPPORTING RES 12 on 1ST JANUARY 2017 10:51
Transparency at the Association isn’t something they do. And even if they made referees declare their allegiance, can you imagine how hard it would be to get a ref for a St Mirren match.
THETIMREAPER
That’s what I was thinking but they all went to school and work places so they might just get rumbled ,,,
Then there’s the vexed subject of declaring memberships such as Masonic Lodges …
Great result yesterday
Happy new year to you and yours
Best wishes
HH
TTR
If appointments are difficult as the refs support a particular club, then get refs from another association for that match. This of course would threaten their closed shop that they operate in.
I kept an eye on McLean and thought he was ok – both sides same number of fouls, roughly.
The offsides were down to the linesman and the free kick when the ball was trapped in the goalmouth was to avoid a broken leg.
A very happy new year to every Celtic supporter and Hail Hail.
Through a slightly fuzzy head I remember a game with a slow start turning into what could (and perhaps should) have been a green and white rout. At the start of the game we were caught in the “derby” nonsense. I’m assuming Brendan asked players subtly at half time “so what happened to passing the ball like we’ve done all season”.
What a difference, we blew them away in the second half.
Sinclair, Armstrong, Izzy and Moussa were top notch in the second half.
The gap is wide, we must keep the foot at their throat. And if we ever need reminding….
https://mobile.twitter.com/joebloggscity/status/815318503309930497
Karma, the 2017 kind!
New year roulette….
Square sausage
Porridge
Square sausage
Porridge
Time to spin the wheel :-)