At halftime during our game at Kilmarnock yesterday, I said, “This is the best we have played in weeks”. The only concern was that we were only the single goal ahead. What transpired throughout the second half is inexplicable.
Kilmarnock pressed Celtic high up the field for the entire game, a refreshing change to the deep defending we commonly face. With Celtic a goal to the good, forcing Kilmarnock to continue to chase the game, it should have been straightforward to pass through them and create a bucketload of chances. However, the ability to progress possession out of defence was lost.
I will avoid the urge to scapegoat, which often follows a defeat, because this result was not the fault of any individual player, the entire team were poor. Kilmarnock will not have an easier 45 minutes all season. Their equaliser was fortuitous but deserved, from then on, their winner was always on the cards.
For me, the biggest worry is that nothing changed during the half. I advocated for Callum McGregor to be pushed into a more advanced role, but with play failing so clearly, Callum should quickly have been brought back into a deeper role, where he would have been able to link defence to midfield. This change eventually happened in response to Kilmarnock drawing level, and saw Kyogo press high alongside Oh, which stretched an already dysfunctional midfield to breaking point. Control the middle of the park, or be controlled.
Cameron Carter-Vickers was rested (which I also advocated for), replaced by loanee Nat Phillips. On an unfamiliar surface, Nat looked to get the ball forward as soon as possible. This contrasted with Liam Scales, who frequently tried to control the ball under pressure. Neither player looked comfortable because neither had good enough options.
I don’t remember a domestic game where an opposing manager has changed the game as much in their favour as Derek McInnes did yesterday. The Celtic players and manager could learn from their vastly less-resourceful opponents. I wish I could be more confident this was a blip.
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Big Jimmy
Yeah I agree. I would go further and say no risks with any of our more reliable players on Wednesday.
It’s a euro dead rubber at CP, another one…let the board watch Bain, Ralston, Welsh, Nawrocki, Bernabie, Kwon, Bernado, Holm, Palma, Yang and Oh.
We’ve a promising young squad full of talent according to P67, let’s show the board that talent on Wednesday night.
we need the spine of the team replaced
Goalkeeper ,Centre Half and a Centre Forward required pronto.
note a lot of negative posts today from those that seem to know better.
have the GB been allowed back in yet.
4 months into the season and I still can’t figure out BR’s system.
Injuries are a problem yes and most likely contributed to some dropped points.
But Rodgers needs to up his own game as his own performance has contributed too dropped points.
Think of Kyogo playing deeper this season nullifying his effectivness. Calmac being isolated a lot with in midfield without the fullback’s inverting as much and centre backs that are ineffective at playing out from the back.
I just knew we would lose yesterday as soon as Tomoki was hooked and Calmac dropped into the 6 role. Granted Tomoki was overwhelmed in 2nd half like the others but I think we would not have lost the game yesterday if that midfield change wasn’t made.
Yep, BR needs to up his game tactically.
Lots of talk about who’s not good enough, transfer windows etc and all valid comments but is BR getting a tune out of what he has? Every one of our players walks into the Killie team – bar none.
Superbru Round17 Update
At the end of Saturday’s 5 matches, there were a handful of Superbru punters handily placed to overtake Big Jimmy’s week 2 target for best weekly points total of 14.5 pts. However, a total collapse of Celtic in the 2nd half at Killie meant that every one of them remained on the brink, unsatisfied and deflating.
Our top predictors were:-
1= OneMalloy & Nawlite- 13 pts
3. snapper 1969- 11.5 pts.
We had 11 posters cruising the depths on a quite healthy total of 3 points:-
Raplochbus, Greenpinata, Hopeful Hoops, roy croppie, Friesdorfer, Gutenberg, Aipple, Cosy Corner Bhoy, Scaniel and McCaff but the vindictive computer has awarded the wooden spoon to The Token Tim out of this 3 point bunch.
This leaves the overall score as :-
1. BC Milan- 101.5 ( first to break 100 pts)
2. Leggy- 98.5
3. Billy Bhoy- 96.5
One Malloy’s good week has propelled him up 11 places to 6th overall, so there’s hope for you all.
Except, perhaps, for the Dwellers of the Deep:-
1. Friesdorfer- 52.5 pts
2. Cosy Corner Bhoy- 53.5 pts
3. TheLurkinTim- 56.5 pts
I doubt Big Jimmy’s weekly total will survive all the way through to May so there’s a prize everyone can aim for every week but you’ll need more consistency than Celtic are currently showing.
Our next deadline is Sat. 16th December when we have four 3 pm kick offs, including Celtic vs The C.O.W.
I hope to announce our December prizes shortly. Thanks for your continued support and good luck.
TimForLife @ 2:54pm – cheers.
We’ve all got the collective hump.
I’ve carried out a detailed forensic analysis of the factors contributing to this collective hump …. and am ready to publish my findings.
Celtic goat beat
My TARDIS is in the repair shop.
If yours is working please go undo this defeat.
On a separate topic, Bosun Lawal has made 21 appearances for Fleetwood as their regular CB this season.
Also, Adam Montgomery has started the past 2 games for Fleetwood at LB since his return from 2 months out with injury.
They may well never make it at Celtic but good to see the loan system seems to be working well for these 2 players in EFL 1.
Celtic were out-fought, but more worryingly, out thought yesterday. Especially in the second half. This team needs late career professionals with some good football left in the legs. Hard players, competitive players, wise players.
Top players will be difficult to persuade to spend their peak years playing in our league (on surfaces like yesterday, for wages we can afford) so late career pros are the best option to balance out the trading up projects which are essential to financial strategy.
Work to be done on both on strategy and in the window to make it a reality!
T – Team
A – Are
R – Really
D – Drab
I – In
S – Scotland
Poor effort from me there. Someone can do better surely?
Don’t call me Shirley.
It seems that we are going to be short of forward players in January ,due to the Asian Cup,especially wide players.
One suggestion sign Martin Boyle HH
2 goals and 3 assists this season.
We look like losing goals in almost every game.
Kilmarnock’s two or three first half chances would have been taken in a European tie.
When I watched BR keep two up top with ten men against Athletico Madrid, I switched off fearing double figures. The system he plays for the most part throws caution to the wind in the domestic league, where it mostly comes off, mostly.
Silky open passing football is fine but I fear Brendan is making us a one trick pony, and ponies don’t compete with European race horses. Plans B and C required and Rodgers surely knows that.
Wednesday is a bigger game than is being made out. A comeback statement of sorts if we beat the Dutch champions but to end the campaign with one out of 18 points puts the spotlight on board and manager, again.
Play Mark Lawwells “projects” from the last 2 windows on wednesday—-and let his DOF daddy manage the “team”.
Paradise will be empty after 10 mins.
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 11TH DECEMBER 2023 3:35 PM
………..
Can you please REMIND me what my high weekly total was ?
SFTB…Get yerserl back on here mate, you are missed.
HH
FFS,some roasters on here.One defeat and Palma is a diddy.12, yes 12,games for us,5 goals,6 assists.Totally new country,new teammates,tactics,I would say the boy has done exceedingly well.
But then,that’s me.
In the words of BR,” My job is to work with young players,improve them”When you consider,he has publicly aired doubts about Mikey,ignored,Iwata,dropped our two CHs,feked up Kyogo,and Hatate,played a dud before his own players,overegged,the Scales improvement,should have been rotating the CHs,,then these words ring hollow to me.BR knows what real quality costs,and we cannot afford it,still he keeps on about it.There is our level of it,whether that is enough for him,who knows?.
The worst thing is building the fans up for something that is unattainable,easy to cover your own arse that way.
Just an example,the Danish striker,who’s scoring record,makes him look more of a “Project” than the ones we have already,is quoted at £ 8.5 million.
Paradise will be empty after 10 mins.
the north curve lower will be empty anyway .
PeterLatchfordsBelly on 11th December 2023 12:28 pm
If we lose the league and Peter Lawell and the rest of those parasites on the board aren’t chased then that will be our doing.
We have all the power. Yet we are afraid to use it.
Those charlatans living high on the hog on our money could be out the door before the weekend if the fans took it upon themselves to do it.
We done it before, there is nothing but apathy stopping us doing it again.
My team for Wednesday would be,
Hart,( no option)
AJ. CCV. Navrocki. Scales
Iwata
O Riley. Turnbull. Calmac
Kyogo. Palma.
Stick on. .
RC,
You sure your on the right blog ?
Apart from a couple of games we have looked poor this season.
Rodgers has a job to do to improve us. Is he up for it?
Most, if not all, teams have a blip in form in the course of a season. Worryingly, I don’t think we are in ours right now. What we are seeing is the after effects of heavy European defeats and the struggle to pick yourself up for a trip to places like Kilmarnock to play on the worst surface in Britain. I really thought we would do ok in our CL group and still feel down about our hammering at Atletico. The players have to feel something similar.
BR needs to find a way to instill confidence back into the group. Unfortunately, we’re walking a tightrope with the selection for this week as we need a strong team to win the game (to instill confidence) but we don’t want another humiliation. I hope we can get to the end of the year with our league lead intact, add 3 new players, and kick-on in the second half of the season.
We are top of the league, we have the best players in the league, and we have the best manager in the league. The cream will rise.
Turkeybhoy – Good team selection, but no way Turnbull plays.
TurkeyBhoy
would like to see that – especially 4 in midfield, with 1 sitting
G FEARON @ 4:25 PM
If we lose the league and Peter Lawell and the rest of those parasites on the board aren’t chased then that will be our doing.
——
So, using your logic …. if the board are to blame if a league is lost, in your opinion, are they entitled to any credit when the league is won?
If so, how much?
MNCelt
100% – it cant do the players any good confidence-wise gettin pumped in europe
Rodgers threw threw several players under a bus by publicly criticising them Turnball. Yang. Nawrocki, Lagerbielke. It wouldn’t have played well with the other players.
The players are not playing for the manager. They don’t trust him
Test
TURKEYBHOY on 11TH DECEMBER 2023 4:27 PM
RC,
You sure your on the right blog ?
you looking forward to Christmas?
once again
A Dun …2.56……brilliant idea 👍
TURKEYBHOY
thank goodness your no the manager with that selection.
Ps ….the players are NOT playing for a manager …they are playing for their FAT salaries and the honour of representing OUR club …so get yer erses In gear and remember chaps naebody wants a loser …just ask Kent and Morelos 🤔
I seem to remember a couple or three of the players, MOR others saying BR was a nice change for them.
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 11th December 2023 4:43 pm
Very little. As winning the league in Scotland against bog awful opposition is hardly anything to crow about. We have been humiliated in Europe for well over a decade. When Ange was in charge, players were signed before the window even opens. Ange leaves and Lawell waltzes back in the door and everything goes to the shit again and the penny pinching begins on projects.
Is lawell putting some of his own money into buying these projects in the hope of a return on his investment, certainly looks like that from where i am sitting.
If the league is lost this year, and entry into the CL going with it, the board will be lucky to make it as far as the car park and their top of the range mercs will by burning in the evening sun.