For all of our dominance yesterday, you have to think there is room for considerable improvement. Passing in the first half was frequently poor, shooting throughout the game was invariably off target, and when we managed to keep it down and between the sticks, the keeper was able to read the shot. Gilks played well, but the truth is we flattered him.
Moussa Dembele grabbed all the headlines with his back-heel-flick-nutmeg-winning-goal, but I spent much of the game debating whether it was time he was rested. Against Newco last month, he held the ball up and linked play, while finding and exploiting space. Yesterday his linking was poor and he seldom found space.
The incisiveness we enjoyed watching as recently as the outing against Manchester City, was missing against Gladback on Wednesday and at Hampden yesterday.
There were also enormous positives. Jozo Simunovic and Erik Sviatchenko were absolutely critical on Celtic’s grip on the game. Their positioning – when we were in possession – kept the ball flowing. They both gave us playmaker performances, and they didn’t miss a beat defensively either.
Again, just as on Wednesday, it didn’t work for Nir Bitton. When we play out from central defence like this the deep-lying playmaker role is crucial. He need to create space for us to move the ball forward, while he becomes an auxiliary defender as our full backs are so high up the field.
Stuart Armstrong came on and played higher up-field than Bitton and managed to put the squeeze on Newco.
The game reminded me of the League Cup semi-final two years ago, when Celtic subjugated an impotent Newco without scoring the volume of goals their superiority deserved. There was a chasm between the teams, which makes my belief that Celtic can play a lot better all the more interesting. Conversely I suspect that was a high water mark for Mark Warburton’s team.
The portents are good that he believes that game was a sign of progress.
As for Craig Thomson, that was self-evidently not good enough.
460 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 13
- »
Beyonce
Hail Hail!
Thompson – cheat
Skelped.
Quatre
I lead a chasmed life…
If somebody could sort out this website I’d have had a podium.
Up there.
First non-podium related post podium.
Thanks to BMCUWP and NatKnow for confirming McKay’s cheatiness….
gorge, abyss, canyon, ravine, gully, gulf, pass, defile, couloir, crevasse, cleft, rift, rent;
Never try to leap a chasm in two jumps.
I agree that Moussa wasn’t at his best, but it was a classic strikers moment. He had the final say with a bit of quality. Hill handled him reasonably well in fairness.
‘As for Craig Thomson, that was self-evidently not good enough.’
=======================================
Thompson will consider that a job well done.
CHEATING HUN.
Not sure what to make of yesterday’s game.
Passing was a bit off. Decision making poor at times. Shouldn’t have been in the position of being a mistake or poor refereeing decision away from going out.
Midfield needs big work. Thought McGregor might get a chance after doing well in midweek when he came on. Seems to be the only one who is always showing for the ball. Moves the ball on quickly when he gets it which helps get a better tempo going. Armstrong showed a bit of urgency when he came on.
Simunovic looking better all the time, which will of course disappoint the “get rid of him – he’s a sicknote” mob.
But we won!
Craig Thompson not good enough ?
He knew what he was doing, it’s called cheating.
See Gladback got gubbed by Bayern Müncken in Munick at the weechend.
Dubaibhoy
Never chase a podium or make excuses
I had to blinking reload 3 times :-)
‘As for Craig Thomson, that was self-evidently not good enough.’
Sar-chasm?
Turkeybhoy on 24th October 2016 11:48 am
JOE FILIPPIS HAIRCUT on 24TH OCTOBER 2016 11:41 AM
I walked down Curtis Avenue shortly before this and there were loads of Celtic fans standing outside the Montford drinking from bottles. When Rangers fans and buses went by and they were very rowdy. We have to acknowledge that there are cretins on our side as well. It is most likely that a bottle being thrown in the direction of Rangers fans came from those outside the pub. Sad, but most likely true!
KTF
To be fair to them, it’s been quite some time on here since anyone referred to Jozo as a sick note. Since his return to action comments about him have been very positive. Yesterday, he was exceptional.
beatbhoy on 24th October 2016 12:12 pm
See Gladback got gubbed by Bayern Müncken in Munick at the weechend.
____________________________________
Brilliant!
KTF
Gerryfaethebrig.
Switch java off, it stops the reload problem. Winning Captains posted that the other day. It has worked a treat for me.
VFR.
Excellent report, well done.
Hail Hail.
Pleased with the eventual score yesterday although probably would have been more comfortable if the ‘good’ goal stood…still honest mistakes eh!
Two big games this week then back to Europe…roll on
HH
” back-heel-flick-nutmeg-winning-goal” – that is a very poor description of the goal.
It was a DOUBLE nutmeg…..
JNP
I tried that on iPhone & ipad, it actually doesn’t annoy me and sometimes stops me posting even more rubbish than normal
JimmynotPaul
I know how to switch Java off. What consumes me at the moment is how do I switch Jabba off?
I was actually surprised that Sevco weren’t given more freekicks in shooting range for Tavernier…then again they would have to have had the ball in possession that far up the pitch with regularity.
Bottle throwing ?
Worst I’ve ever seen was at Anfield in 66 . . Yes – the offside decision was dreadful , -yes that meant that Celtic were robbed of a European Cup Winners Final in Glasgow — but that was no excuse for lots of boozed up idiots to behave like they did .
Went to the Final at Hampden -. Liverpool ( who were much the better team ) lost 2-1 to Borussia Dortmund . I went home thinking a wee bit justice had been done.
Frankie Boyle, you have a comedic rival:
– ‘Barrie McKay believes the League Cup semi-final against Celtic was an even encounter and Rangers were more than a match for their Glasgow rivals.
His side went down 1-0 at the national stadium as Celtic set up a date with Aberdeen in next month’s final but the winger says they were unfortunate not to capitalise on their own performance.
Moussa Dembele’s late nutmeg on Matt Gilks ended Rangers’ hard fought efforts to keep Celtic at bay and they were unable to respond in the closing three minutes.
McKay spoke to STV at full time and said it was his side’s own mistakes that stopped them progressing to the League Cup final for the first time since 2011.
“There was a vast improvement from the last game,” he said, comparing it to September’s 5-1 defeat at Celtic Park. “We had chances to go on and win it, it was quite an even game.
“We got the ball down, played our game and I think at times they struggled when we got the ball down and passed it. It was maybe because of our own problems, we were sloppy in the first half, that gave them a bit of confidence.’
“I don’t think the gap is as big as what people might think, we were more than a match for them today.
“If we’d maybe taken some of the big chances that we did have it was obviously going to be a totally different game.
“We would have taken confidence from that and pushed for more but unfortunately it wasn’t our day.” -‘
Tickets are soon to be available for the Barrie MacKay One-Man Stand-Up show ‘Deluded In Blue’ at next year’s Edinburgh Fringe.
THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY
Feed him. Works every time.
Terje Vigen on 24th October 2016 12:20 pm
” back-heel-flick-nutmeg-winning-goal” – that is a very poor description of the goal.
It was a DOUBLE nutmeg…..
_________________________________
It was a “hat-trick” of nutmegs; Griffiths nutmegs Hill then Dembele does Kiernan and Gilks!
KTF
SANDMAN
Only problem wi that is that he will send an empty jersey onto the stage.
VFR800A8 on 24TH OCTOBER 2016 12:14 PM
I had enough of this the last time when we were being told it had to be Celtic fans who “Bottled”the kid on the bus.All over the papers.Many Celtic fans up in arms about it for days.Scotlands finest have no idea who did what,so in the meantime,without any proof,I would let it lie.
In the Mirror,a group of Huns attacking older Celtic fans and their wives with a road sign.Would that not be assault with a deadly weapon?.This incident,we do have proof off,but so far I have not seen a comment on here about it.
To be fair, Thompson will simply have been carrying out instructions
Just out of curiosity…whenever Howard Webb has had input into coverage of a Scottish match…has he ever had the luxury of stating that the ref got it right?
Can you imagine if Celtic had performed the way Sevco did yesterday and one of our players came out with what McKay has said. He would be chased down London Road. CQN would be in meltdown.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 24TH OCTOBER 2016 12:28 PM
THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY
Feed him. Works every time.
……………………….
I would like to feed him his own weight in humble pie. Makes my skin crawl. What amazes me is that the Gullibillies will suck up the comments of Barrie McKay, Gilks and others and accept it as factual. I had a look at The Herald on line this morning and they are more or less spinning the same nonsense that Sevco did well yesterday.
THETIMREAPER
That’s a very good point.
He’s not just a useless lying toerag,he’s selling his own fans short by saying yesterday’s performance was good enough
Long may it continue,of course…
THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY on 24TH OCTOBER 2016 12:18 PM
To be fair to them, it’s been quite some time on here since anyone referred to Jozo as a sick note. Since his return to action comments about him have been very positive. Yesterday, he was exceptional.
At the time the boy was out injured,a few on here were advocating to get rid of him,as he was obviously a “Sick note”.I argued against this many times with the posters,but they persisted.The boy played a few games for us with broken bones in his knee,FFS.When this was explained,they again were coming on with the “Sick note”crap.How a broken bone could ever be classed as a “Sick note”seemed to be beyond their understanding.I sometimes shake my head in disbelief.