Celtic v AEK Athens, Live updates
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- Basic technique but elite decisions
- Promotion, relegation, shot in the arm
- REVEALED: CELTIC LEGEND’S REGRET AFTER FINAL FAREWELL
- THE DAY BIG BILLY RETIRED: ‘NOT BEFORE TIME,’ JOKED KENNY DALGLISH
- CELTIC ON £5m COLLISION COURSE
- ALEX’S ANGLE: SHOCK MOVE FOR CELTIC KID – READ ALL ABOUT IT
- FORREST vs FORREST
- CELTIC LOAN FLOP IN LIMBO
- VAR FLASHPOINT: RODGERS IS SPOT ON
- £40m PRIZE GUY: CELTIC MUST BACK BRENDAN, INSISTS GOAL HERO
- HAY HAILS ‘MODEL PRO’ McGRAIN, 74 TODAY
- TITLE FEVER: DEBUTANT DEILA’S MAY DAY CELEBRATIONS
- CHEERS AND TEARS: LIONS’ LAST HURRAH
- RODGERS SNUBBED
- Celtic’s overloaded midfield
- CLANCY IN CHARGE
- REVEALED: MATT O’RILEY TRANSFER TALK BAN
- BIG JOCK AND ME, BIRTHDAY BHOY CRAIG REVEALS ALL
- TITLE FEVER: ‘HEY, LENNOX, IS IT NOT TIME YOU SCORED A GOAL?’
- TITLE FEVER: CELTIC’S SPRINT TO GLORY – 115 YEARS AGO
- ALEX’S ANGLE: CELTIC CANNOT AFFORD TO CARRY PASSENGERS
- Successful teams get the dirty jobs done
- ‘I WANT TO KEEP DOING MORE,’ INSISTS HOOPS HERO
- RODGERS HAILS FORREST ‘THE DIFFERENCE-MAKER’
- 57 YEARS AGO: BIG JOCK’S HAMPDEN MASTERPLAN
- TITLE FEVER: 5-GOAL DERBY ROMP – AND IT’S CELTIC’S 49th FLAG
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Bhoys and Ghirls.
Still disappointed, however we move on. Our players on the park last night cost more and earned more than the AEK players.
Read into this what you may, however disappointing results cannot be solely attributal to finance.
We can still do this if the managerial team and the players optimise all available avenues. Play to our full potential and we will win, anything less will not be enough.
HH COYBIG, show us how much we want this.
Just read back six pages and although some decent input, I’ve never in ten years read so much panic ridden dross, and I exclude the obvious Sevco infiltrator or two. 6/6 and counting is never enough for some.
Firstly, the point was well made by Celtarella (why dont you stick to proper analysis rather than childish wind-ups?) that defending at European level is actually more important than scoring. I get this, and so did the voice of football Brian Glanville. So one mistake was punished, as in the Rosenborg game. However the glaring difference for me last night was OE being subdued and the badly missed Dembele. On chances, this should have been another 3-1 win and a totally different blog narrative regardless of lack of signings and board ambition accusations etc .
Finally, another high 50s attendance (with terrific backing) and I’d say perhaps only another half dozen clubs could command such support for qualifying rounds. Its those fans i’ll feel most for if we fail to go through.
Disappointed but we CAN still do this. We’ve done it before and we’ll do it again. AEK will have to try and attack us in Athens which will leave us space. Nae problem!!
Just wondered, is Broony 100% fit??
KINGLuBO
So it was the refs spray that exploded last nite and not ON’s socks ?
Brill !
MARRAKESH EXPRESS
On the subject of defending in Europe, one thing we could do with learning is that losing possession 20/25 yards from the opposition goal can quickly see you put on the back foot by quick well drilled Euro team like AEK.
These teams move the ball much quicker than our SPL opponents and had AEK been a little sharper last night they could have fashioned several more chances.
That guy who scored their goal waltzed into our box and no one tracked the run from our midfield, that’s before we start on the collective brain freeze in the defence.
Boyata needs to play next week in Athens..
Agree on Dembele we have no focus up front and the ball does not stick when he’s not in the team, a huge loss him being injured for these games..
ITALIABHOY 718
Not sure if Boyata will still be with us,but we definitely need a different CH pairing from last night.
Ajer is suspended.
IMO we need to accomodate Rogic when playing against a packed and well organised defence, instead of subbing him after an hour v 10 men…
Not going to dwell on last night. It is what it is and we know what needs to be done. All we can do is look forward.
Whilst most will be looking to the Hearts game as the next significant event, for me it’s BR’s next presser that will set the tone for the coming weeks.
The SMSM are now like a dog with a bone: tactics, formations and general punditry are of no interest. They smell blood and Roger’s will now be bombarded with loaded questions about his relationship with the board.
It will be the beginning of the end if BR continues with his public veiled critisism and insinuation that he is ‘not being backed’. Should he do so, the board will be drawing up a list of replacements over the weekend (assuming they have not done so already).
The Hearts pre-game presser will be very telling.
Dear oh dear ….back to work. Had enough bollocks for one morning.
Later
HH
Marrakesh Express
Good post. Paul67 (i think) used to often remark prior to European games that European ties were usually won by the team that made the fewest mistakes. He may not have said that…but I think he did. Anyway, it’s true, and you and Celtarella are spot on in identifying defending as the most important skill set in these matches. I’d go further and say it’s how we defend as a team, our positioning and spacing (one of Fan-a-tic’s bug bears that I totally agree with) when we lose the ball. I think the team and the coaching needs to improve in this regard. We lose silly goals because these things
And btw, it happens even when Would Cup bronze medalist, Dedryk Boyata, is in the team and would it would even happen if John McGinn was in the team. We often play against inferior teams who are better organised than us and we are incapable of replicating the type of performance AEK put in against us last night against superior teams. Hard work is needed on the training pitch to rectify this.
Again, good post…
Good luck to the PLC if they are drawing up a list of replacements for BR and i mean good luck, who do you think they’ll get GM, now that the world knows that you can manage with one hand behind your back despite having money to spend.
Bottomline CSC
And remember folks, according to the conventional wisdom [sic] of last seasons…when AEK went down to 10 men, they actually had the advantage…
:)
*season not seasons. Obvs…
No [sic]
Spacing ? Ball watching is our biggest problem defending, that and a lack of quality (due to parsimony or lack of experience or a combination of both)
@ THE BLOGGER FORMERLY KNOWN AS GM on 9TH AUGUST 2018 10:01 AM
“It will be the beginning of the end if BR continues with his public veiled critisism and insinuation that he is ‘not being backed’. Should he do so, the board will be drawing up a list of replacements over the weekend (assuming they have not done so already).”
Do you think he has been backed relative to the success he has brought to the club? Also, if Brendan leaves we are only heading in one direction.
IN the cool of the morning I’d recommend a second look at our performance last night. Compare and contrast with the headless chicken stuff in CL qualifiers a few short years ago. A poor defensive lapse aside, some poor decision making and passing in and around their box, we played well.
They are terrified of KT. If Jamesie gets a bit more space next week they will be equally terrified of him.
Starry Plough
‘The SMSM are now like a dog with a bone’
You can say that again. I have never known Bonny Scodland to be in such anti Celtic overdrive.I heard Shortie last night pre and post match. Deary me, I wont begin to mention the commentator’s joy and Richard Gordon’s puppeteering of Bonner and Skippy, who both told BR what he did wrong and how to correct it.
It really should be galvanizing BR, club and support, its that blatant.
Quick one on kinda the same note. Caught Talksport headlines at 10. Man City they tell us have finalised the Arzani move from Australia and ‘hes going out on long term development loan’….no mention of the club.
Key in European knockout ties is the result, and the result needs to be nil to the away team.
I’m as pissed off this morning with that goal conceded as I was last night watching it being scored. Basic, basic stuff, drilled into every budding full back – the ball doesn’t come in!
An encouraging performance against a capable team undone by a basic error. A 50:50 tie that was balanced slightly in our favour given the relative preparation of each team has now swung against us. AEK are now favourites.
According to the stats, take 4 score draws in Europe in the first leg, and the tie will be won be the (then) home team 3 times. Stats say we’ve got a 25% chance.
Achhh!
If the board do decide to draw up a list of replacement managers ( though I very much doubt it) they had better consider where to find some more supporters to fill the considerable number of seats they will find vacant.
I thought our Scottish players were superb last night. The big problem was the final pass in the final third didn’t always find its mark. Some poor balls into the box, and some very good ones which deserved more.
The customary balls up at the back is frustrating if not unexpected. I thought AEK were decent. Moved the ball around well at times but also lack a cutting edge.
Defend well in Athens and we’d still have a decent chance of qualifying as we can certainly score with a bit more accuracy in the final third.
0-1 or 2-2? Not impossible but we will need to be on top of our game for the 90 plus minutes.
Btw- Broony is superb. Rarely wastes a ball.
Lawwell has to go
I’ve met Peter on a few occasions, nice guy if a little arrogant at times but a true Celtic man.
Petrie has just humiliated him and Brendan has just called him out as incompetent – Publicly.
He is an FD not a CEO which he has now reaffirmed for the umpteenth time.
Thank for your service Peter I just wish you were as pig headed about calling out cheats as you were pinching pennies.
Fairly confident we will score over there. Big Moussa being back will be a factor too.
I think we’ve had some cracking away performances and this tie ain’t over yet. They will be confident which I like.
Arzani at Celtic Park apparently.
It’s one thing pissing off a coach that needs a job but doing it to a guy that doesn’t need to woark is quite another.
Brendan’s dig went beyond the recruitment of players for those that noticed.
He specifically mentioned Villas facilities being better than ours.
Right back to Tommy Burns asking for a full sized indoor pitch at Lennox Town and getting a 3/4 size this has been a major issue.
If you look at most professional football clubs they treat the word football as the key.
We haven’t just phaphed about with McGinn. Who was the right back we had agreed a fee for but signed for Valencia?
Why did it take so long to get Edouard deal done?
Rodgers has had £5m net spend since coming to Celtic and that’s if you believe the transfer fee for Edouard was as high. Rodgers himself cast some doubt on this.
Celtic still have the chance to maintain a turnover that equals those of our supposed competitors in England. If it isn’t through Champions League income it should be through proper player trading.
How do the board rate our chances this morning of scoring 1 or 2 in Athens? I bet they will be asking these questions – Is Dembele fit to take part or fit for transfer? Do we really need Boyata for 1 game if Ajer is out? How fit will Boyata be having not played for 5 weeks.
How long has McGregor got to go on his contract and how much is James Forrest looking for to sign up again.
Who gave the ball away in the AEK half that allowed them to pass the ball to the guy that skinned Lustig for pace?
:))))))))))))))))
Our biggest problem in Europe, IMO, remains our midfield. Previously I went on about our inability to retain possession and the continued pressure that heaps on the defence. We have improved greatly on that. Ntcham, McGregor and Brown are now playing in these games and we are dominating possession. We even dominated possession when we lost 0-3 in St Petersburg last season. We are also good at pressing teams high up the pitch, McGregor in particular is excellent at this, although this is only done in short bursts.
The problem our midfield still has is that out of possession we are dreadful. We don’t track runners and we don’t defend space well., When a player runs from deep he is not tracked, last night’s goal and Rosenborg’s goal, two chances against in two home ties, two goals lost.
I still think we will go through, we will score over there, we just need to defend better, everyone in the team. If we don’t go through then a EL campaign may be what I sent required for our young team to get more experience in a less unforgiving competition. CL is about money and vanity for the club, the reality on the pitch is we will get humped regularly with an occasional win or good performance against one of the big guys.
This place reeks.
The ‘We’re doomed csc’ has taken over.
Logs off.
Enjoy torturing yourselves.
Big Mogga masterminded a win away in a CL qualifier after a disastrous 1-0 loss to Dinamo Moscow in the home leg. Now, Brendan is a better manager, Brendan has better players, therefore there is hope.
Denayer KBs return, Paddy off to Huddersfield.
Our scouting network, ie telephone line to Man City Academy, malfunctioning!!!
Do I think BR has received sufficient backing relative to what he has delvered?
I simply do not know, i do not know if what he’s asked for is realistic and I do not know why it hasn’t been delivered.
What i do know is that you cannot have public disharmony at senior management level in any organisation. Ultimately it will affect the staff and customers.
Is it/has it impacted the team? Don’t know, but we can all see from posts on here that it has already impacted the support.
BR is being politically astute. He knows the vast majority of supporters are on his side and by going public he hopes the hue and cry will tip the balance of power in his favour. Only time will tell if this strategy delivers his deired result
It will come at a cost however: by fomenting division between ‘the football side’ and ‘the business side’ of the club he will have created an unsteady equilibrium that will not be sustainable.
The tie is far from dead yet. One lapse in defence gave a goal away, and the red card determined their tactics to defend for the remainder of the game. We find it hard enough to break down 10 men in the box in the SPFL never mind against a very well organised European defence. Just need a little more invention, maybe MB can provide that because Eduoard went missing in the 2nd half. Oh, and someone please tell Sinclair to stop cutting inside and just tapping the ball to Ntcham, who by then is swamped – Must have done that about 6 times, with the same result.
For Sunday against Hearts and for AEK next week, would switching to 3-5-2 give us a better chance of positive results?
Both Hearts and AEK will be playing with 1 man up front and trying to stay compact, therefore can we afford to sacrifice a defensive role for another striker?
I would be tempted to go with
Gordon
Lustig
Boyata
Simunovic
Forrest
Ntcham
Brown
McGregor
Tierney
Edouard
Griffiths
The above assumes that Dembele is not fit, although even if he was, Griff’s record in CL qualifiers speaks for itself. I know most people will want to see Rogic play in both matches, but I think positional discipline will be very important, and Tom occasionally lets us down in this regard.
Sunday’s match will be very interesting – it’s a psychologically important match.
Of course, Sunday’s match will be even more interesting when it takes place on Saturday…
:)
Davidopoulos on 9th August 2018 11:27 am
Moussa will play in Athens. He’ll be risked, no point leaving him out to protect his hamstrings, what would we be protecting them for, SPFL games? We could leave him out for another month and his hamstring could pop again so may as well go for it next week. Failure to qualify and he’ll most likely be off by the end of the month.
I think it’ll be Boyata for Ajer and that’ll be the only change in defence. Manager obviously doesn’t trust Simunovic, cant blame him on recent displays.
Saturday Davido
Couple of points
Paul67 got the McGinn story out yesterday just before the Live update on AEK Game (good time to hide a bad news story) deflect the real issue
The real issue is this IMHO – Celtic wanted McGinn (Brendan wanted McGinn) But Peter wanted McGinn on the cheap, his ego and probably previous personal issues with Petrie clouded his judgement, Peter just lost a personal duel with Petrie, but more importantly Celtic lost the chance to acquiring a reasonable player
The bridge Peter refused to cross was £700k (Villa paid £2.7m Celtic offered £2m)
Peter’s credibility this morning is on the low side (This for someone who has defended supported praised him for years) Peter Lawwell not getting a player from Hibs is a bigger issue than the AEK equaliser last night
My second point
If you are BR you will be aware of the McGinn Lawwell Petrie £700k poker game and Brendan will be furious with Lawwell that he has not supported him by either
a) Not paying the extra £700k
or
b) Because PL does not want to be seen giving in to Petrie
So while Peter is having his little poker game Brendan gets screwed – it is for this reason Brendan will be furious
One more thing IMHO it would not surprise me if BR gave PL an ultimatum sell Boyata and I am off
Hence Brendan being adamant Boyata is not going
Conclusion the magnificent positive successful working environment at Celtic has been cracked for a pathetic £700k
Oh Peter you have some work to do to rebuild trust
£700k FFS
PS I understand and respect Paul67 defending PL – this magnificant site ows a million thank you’s to Paul67 and his connection with PL and the club is vital
67ECW
Gary67
It would be nice if he was fit to be honest. It’s nice having your star players play in your biggest games.
blantyretim
Beat ya ;)
67EUROPEAN CUP WINNERS
So no one actually knows the facts.