Celtic held the ball for around 60 seconds at the 75 minute mark last night, and, thinking a corner had been turned, I thought “That’s been a difficult half hour since halftime but we’ve come through it”. Dinamo Zagreb soon claimed back control in the middle of the park and the game reverted to form.
Despite incessant pressure, in particular during the three minutes added at the end, I was never convinced Dinamo were going to score. The defence, for the most part, stuck to task, tackled well and put bodies in the way. In this respect it was our classic Champions League performance.
Even when the visitors got sight of goal, Craig Gordon was always the most imposing personality on the field. Our captain looked uncharacteristically meek on the receiving end of a rollicking from Craig. We like goalkeepers with authority.
Virgil van Dijk held the line very well, despite a couple of uncomfortable moments when called on to play the ball with his ‘standing’ foot, while Jason Denayer and Efe Ambrose coped with the incessant pressure. Efe played much of the game high up the field, very much in the wing-back role, but was able to track back with speed.
Emilio also stuck to task but he conceded a needless free-kick in exactly the same manner and field-position he lapsed against Salzburg, who equalised from the resultant kick. Denayer also lunged in needlessly a yard outside his box, collecting a yellow card for his trouble. Both occasions called for the defender to stay goal-side and not challenge.
Football teams are made by partnerships, as Anthony Stokes suggested after explaining the understanding he has with Kris Commons which allowed them to craft last night’s goal. Right now we don’t have many partnerships. Wakaso and Emilio were 10 yards apart for much of the game, but to no great effect. Tonev and Ambrose were similarly disconnected on the right.
Not much could have been done to improve this for last night. Neither Tonev nor Ambrose will retain their positions on the right after a pairing from McGregor, Forrest, Matthews and Lustig return. Wakaso and Emilio need to target becoming a more effective pair on the left.
We knew that without the ineligible Guidetti and the (as yet unproven and) injured Scepovic we would struggle up front, but our creative fulcrum was on hand to both create and finish the decisive opening of the game.
Despite the concerns Ronny expressed after full time, this was our second excellent result in the Europa League this season against two decent teams. The progress since the summer is evident.
Many thanks to everyone who participated in our Magners competition for premium tickets to the Hamilton Accies game on Sunday. The competition is now closed and draw will be made shortly and winners will be notified by email, so watch out for it.
I had a great time track-side with my youngest last night before kick-off talking about the great work the Celtic Foundation (which is you and me) do fighting poverty and hardship, and our responsibility in making sure the ethos of the club is maintained and handed on. On Sunday I’m doing the Great Scottish Run to raise funds for the Foundation, so I’m pretending not to have the sore throat, head and cough. Need a magic potion….
Thank you to everyone who has helped with the fundraising, you can get involved here.
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petec
04:15 on
4 October, 2014
No money no problem,
More Money, More Problems
_____________________________________________________________________
Money isn`t everything.
It`s just what you do everything with.
Meet Celtic’s dynamic duo . . . blink and you might miss them
Michael Grant
Chief football writer
Saturday 4 October 2014
THEY say that in the best central defensive partnerships the two defenders are virtually able to read each other’s minds.
Virgil van Dijk, left, and Jason Denayer form part of the ‘spine’ of Ronny Deila’s Celtic, for now.
Virgil van Dijk and Jason Denayer aren’t quite there yet, then. When the pair of them spoke the other day Denayer had no idea what his senior partner was about to say. “I told him he was in the Belgium squad,” said Van Dijk. “He didn’t know!”
When Van Dijk and Denayer came to Celtic they had never been called up for the Netherlands or Belgium respectively, and now both have reached those little milestones. Those selections rewarded the impact they have made for Celtic, Van Dijk over 61 appearances in a season-and-a- quarter and Denayer over just eight games. Celtic know they are not going to evolve into a modern-day Billy McNeill-John Clark axis. Denayer is at Parkhead only on loan. He has a long way to go but if he continues to improve Manchester City will take him back or sell him on for a fee higher than Celtic can afford. Van Dijk, too, is unlikely to be around beyond the end of the current season.
“The two of them are of a very high quality,” said Ronny Deila, the manager. “We should take the goalkeeper [Craig Gordon] into things as well. It’s very hard to get beyond those three. When you look at the goals we have conceded [16 so far in 16 games] and the chances against us it’s stupid individual mistakes and passes, just sloppy, sloppy play. Almost no team has opened us up. That’s the positive.
“The central line [through the spine of the team] is very important. Scott Brown has a huge impact. Stefan Johansen played his best game against Dinamo Zagreb, he was all over the pitch for 90 minutes. When you have those five in the central line you have a good opportunity to win games and we have started to do that. We haven’t lost with Scott on the pitch and I hope we keep going.
“It’s about getting the best out of the players and with Jason we have done that. With Virgil as well, he’s better now and improves all the time. He looks fit and sharp and for me I hope when he leaves Celtic he goes to a top, top international club and we’re talking about one that could win the Champions League. That’s the goal but of course I want to keep him here as he’s a vital player for us.
“In my opinion, if he gets consistency in his play and is even more disciplined in his structure I can’t see his weaknesses. He’s quick, he’s strong, he’s good on the ball, he’s calm, he reads the play well, he’s good in the air. You name it, he has everything. He is the perfect defender. But he is his own enemy, he has to step up every day and go to training to get even better.”
Celtic have just won games in three different competitions over nine days and are unbeaten in seven. Some of the performances have been patchy – Dundee away, Motherwell at home, St Mirren away, Dinamo Zagreb at home – but the results are slowly building foundations. When Van Dijk was asked about Deila, specifically about his famously firm views on players having to make sacrifices on diet and fitness, he was fully supportive. “It’s good for us all, it’s not something that makes you worse or anything else,” said the 23-year-old.
“He wants to make us better players and wants to get everything out of us. I think that’s a good sign. But he is also busy trying to win games and that’s the most important thing in football. If you want to play at the highest level and get everything out of yourself then, of course, you need to do what it takes. Diet and fitness are important. They belong there. He’s the gaffer and he wants us to do it. That’s his right and I think it will only make us better human beings and better players.”
Celtic face Hamilton at Parkhead tomorrow before a 13-day wait until their next SPFL Premiership fixture against Ross County. By then Mikael Lustig, Adam Matthews, Charlie Mulgrew and James Forrest, four international players, may all be back. The last time Hamilton won a league game at Parkhead was in 1939, yet they are second in the league and three points ahead of Celtic.
“They get the best out of their players,” said Deila. “They play nice football, they play with a lot of energy, and they are fearless. It is going to be a very good game. I am looking forward to it.
“You can see the players are having fun and they go out here without fear. And they have a pattern which they stick to. They play and play and play, and at the end you will succeed. That is what we saw yesterday with Zagreb.
“The pattern has been set for many years. It is what I want to create here as well, so when you put in a player they know exactly what to do and they just go in and play. That’s how you can manage to kill the best teams in Europe: you have a pattern and you develop players in a certain style.”
tnt
Celtic know they are not going to evolve into a modern-day Billy McNeill-John Clark axis. Denayer is at Parkhead only on loan. He has a long way to go but if he continues to improve Manchester City will take him back or sell him on for a fee higher than Celtic can afford. Van Dijk, too, is unlikely to be around beyond the end of the current season.
_____________________________________________________________________
What a load.
Grant is basically saying ” My presumption equals fact.”
A very accomplished, but apparently ‘backfoot’ home performance from Celtic in the Europa League the other night…..from what I’ve heard and read.Unfortunately I didn’t manage to see any of the match.I would imagine that Zagreb would have been very technically gifted,like most Croatian sides in Europe,and will still fancy themselves to top the group.
Some people even saying Warsaw is a possibility for a Hooped Shirt invasion in May.
I don’t think so and don’t think many Celtic fans do either.There are some very strong teams in this competition,even before the Champions League Group bronze medalists enter the fray after New Year.
Getting out the group will be viewed as a success for Delia’s first season….and so it should be.
I don’t think Warsaw will be as welcoming as Seville was for the Hoops, if we do go all the way to the Final.
Baby steps and good European experience for Ronny and Johnny……and let’s get back to the Champions League next year.
Macjay
Morning.
Hmmmm…never sure what to make of MG.
( on the phone. ..power cut here)
BMCUW
Got your email re next weeks Hootenanny, reply sent.
Is there many going?
…do we have a list ;-)
rye…
Agree with every word… away for a lie down lol
macj…
Don’t see anything wrong in that piece tbh!
News
Celtic keen to extend Denayer loan deal
Michael Grant
Chief football writer
Saturday 4 October 2014
CELTIC want to extend Jason Denayer’s loan deal for at least another year by persuading Manchester City he will be improved by regular Champions Leaguue football next season.
Jason Denayer was called into the Belgiam squad earlier this week. Picture: SNS
Jason Denayer was called into the Belgiam squad earlier this week. Picture: SNS
The 19-year-old Belgian is on loan from City for the rest of the current campaign and has already shown so much improvement at Celtic that he was called into the Belgium squad earlier this week. Ronny Deila, the Celtic manager, yesterday revealed that his intention is to win the SPFL Premiership and then tell City that Denayer would be best served by sampling Europe’s premier club tournament with Celtic.
Denayer joined City in 2013 but has not played a competitive game for them and is below Vincent Kompany, Martin Demichelis and Eliaquim Mangala among others, in the pecking order at the Etihad. But before his eighth Celtic appearance in midweek he was called up to the Belgium squad for their Euro 2016 ties against Andorra and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Deila said: “I hope that we can build him up but also keep him for the Champions League, if we win the league and get into the Champions League next year, so that he can be an important player in that role as well. If we build someone up and then lose him it’s hard to get that relationship back again.
“We have a very good co-operation with City, there are good bonds there. We talk well together. [Denayer] is very young still to be playing at this level and if we win the league and go into the Champions League it would be a perfect scenario for him because it is a very high level and he maybe needs a couple of years there. They are happy with what is happening here with him. I had a co-operation with City at Stromsgodset as well.”
Deila’s view is that the connection with City can be mutually beneficial for both clubs. Celtic also have John Guidetti on loan from the Etihad. “City is now at a level [in the transfer market] where we are not picking up players from, and they have a lot of players who need to develop. Their under-20 group has unbelievably good players. I think we can help each other and that is positive.”
Guidetti is out of contract with City at the end of this season
and Celtic would be free to speak to him in January about the possibility of a permanent move.
Deila has changed his position on loan deals, having said in July that they were not ideal because “you don’t want to develop other clubs’ talent and not get any money for it”. Now Denayer, Guidetti, Wakaso Mubarak, Aleksandar Tonev and Jo Inge Berget are all at the club on a temporary basis.
“In Stromsgodset we didn’t have money so we had to have something else,” said Deila, referring to his former club. “We said ‘come here and you’ll get to play, you’ll get a real education and will develop as a player’. That’s what we’ve started here.”
Call-ups for Denayer and Van Dijk prove national dreams can come true at Celtic
THERE are more countries represented at Parkhead these days than in Judith Chalmers’ passport.
Scott Mullen
Group Sports Writer
Celtic boss Deila says his young defenders are still improving
Celtic boss Deila says his young defenders are still improving
From Norway to Wales and Ghana to Bulgaria, the Celtic dressing room represents the knitting together of a rich tapestry of cultures.
And nowhere is that more evident than in the make-up of the entire back line that kept out Dinamo Zagreb in Thursday’s Europa League tie.
Next week all five Hoops heroes will jet off around the world as part of their respective national team squads.
Keeper Craig Gordon will be with Gordon Strachan’s Scotland set-up for the matches against Poland and Georgia.
Full-backs Efe Ambrose and Emilio Izaguirre will line-up for Nigeria and Honduras after playing for them this summer at the World Cup in Brazil.
Yet it’s the national service of central defenders Virgil van Dijk and Jason Denayer which is of the most interest to Celtic boss Ronny Deila right now.
After Louis van Gaal left him out of his 23-man group which made it all the way to the World Cup semi-finals, Van Dijk finally got the call-up to Holland’ squad last month.
It was a huge boost for the big stopper, even if he stayed on the bench for the matches against Italy and the Czechs.
And this week Denayer was named in Belgium’s all-star squad to take on Andorra and Bosnia in the Euro qualifiers, replacing injured Barcelona star Thomas Vermaelen.
It’s recognition which Deila hopes won’t go unnoticed in the football world.
Celtic have struggled for years to attract established players to Scotland, given the financial rewards to be reaped in England and elsewhere in Europe. There is also the fear that playing in our league can hinder a player’s international aspirations, part of the reason why Fraser Forster swapped the Hoops for Southampton.
While Van Dijk and Denayer may have a bit to go to become regulars in their national sides, Deila believes the pair’s recognition can entice others to follow their path to Celtic.
He also insists the defensive duo have improved as a result of the training and coaching they have received under him and his back-up team.
“Both of them are of a very high quality,” the Norwegian said. “And when you add our goalkeeper into things as well, it is very hard for other teams to get beyond those three.
“When I was at Stromsgodset we didn’t have money, so we had to have something else.
“We told good players that if they came to us they would get the chance to play, and they would also get a real education and develop as a player.
“That is what we’ve started here in Glasgow too.
“The call-up for Jason is very important. It shows that when you have a good environment and work in the right way, then this is what you can get out of players.
“It’s something you learn when you get to a big club.
“It’s very easy for a coach at a small team to say, ‘If I had the money they have we could not lose’. But if the environment makes people bad then there is not a big difference between a £1million or £10m player. It can get quite even.
“It’s about getting the best out of the players and we have done that with Jason.”
DEILA is also confident that Van Dijk has improved this season and could star in future with one of Europe’s leading teams.
He said: “Virgil looks fit and sharp. He is better now and is improving all the time.
“I hope that when he leaves Celtic he goes to a top, top international club. We’re talking about one that could win the Champions League.
“That’s the goal but, of course, I want to keep him here as he’s a vital player for us.”
Van Dijk’s class was evident on Thursday night as Zagreb bombarded the Celtic penalty box relentlessly in search of an equaliser.
The Dutchman was a rock against a tide of attacks from the Croatians and helped to steady a Hoops back line that was under intense pressure for most of the second half.
Denayer told SportTimes yesterday he feels his game is improving as a result of Van Dijk’s calming influence.
Today his manager claimed the former Groningen starlet is the “perfect defender”.
Deila said: “If Virgil gets consistency in his play and is even more disciplined, I can’t see any weaknesses.
“He is quick, strong, good on the ball and calm. He reads the game well and is good in the air. You name it, Virgil’s got it. He has everything.
“He is the perfect defender and is improving all the time.But every day he has to step up in training to get even better.”
WHILE Celtic will expect to make a pretty penny whenever Van Dijk flies the nest, the Hoops are hopeful his defensive partner Denayer could be tempted to hang around for a bit longer.
The 19-year-old defender is on loan from Manchester City until the end of the season.
Deila, however, is hoping the potential lure of Champions League football next term -combined with his rapid progress at Parkhead – could entice the player and club to extend the deal.
Asked if Denayer could force his way into City’s first team next season, the Celtic manager said: “We will see but it is important that we also think of Celtic.
“I hope we can build him up but also keep him for the Champions League if we win the Premiership then qualify for it next year.
“He can be an important player for us in that situation.
“If we build someone up and then lose him, it’s hard to get that relationship back again.
“We have a very good bond with Manchester City, there is good co-operation there. We talk well together.
“Jason is still very young to be playing at this level. If we win the league and go into the Champions League it would be a perfect scenario for him.
“He maybe needs a couple of years more at this high level.”
Celtic ace Virgil van Dijk backs Ronny Deila’s rigorous fitness regime as boss hails Dutchman as perfect defender
Oct 04, 2014 03:00 By Craig Swan
THE defender reckons Deila’s rigorous fitness regime, which puts emphasis on better diet and improved fitness, can only improve the team as a whole.
VIRGIL van Dijk last night backed Ronny Deila’s rigorous fitness regime – as the Celtic manager labelled his centre-back the perfect defender.
The Dutchman insists he has bought into the vision of Deila which puts massive emphasis on better diet and improved fitness.
The manager’s demands have been the subject of much debate over the past week but van Dijk is adamant they can only improve Celtic and he’s all for the moves. The stopper said: “It’s good for us all – after all it’s not something that makes you worse or anything else.
“He wants to make us better players, wants to get everything out of us and that’s a good sign.
“He is also busy trying to win games and that is the most important thing in football but if you play at the highest level then you should look into it.
“If you want to play at the highest level and get everything out of yourself then of course you need to do what it takes.
“Diet and fitness are important. They belong there.
“It’s his opinion and everyone can have their opinion. He’s the gaffer and he wants us to do it. That’s his right and it will only make us better human beings and better players. We will see how things go.”
Deila will be delighted to have the public backing of his squad’s most valuable asset and says the Dutch international is destined for the top.
The Norwegian rates van Dijk as a potential superstar with the ability to capture the biggest honours in the club game.
Deila said: “I cannot see his weaknesses. He’s quick, he’s strong, he’s good on the ball, he’s calm, he reads the play well, he’s good in the air.
“You name it, he has everything. Yes. He is the perfect defender. He has to step up every day and go to training to get even better but he is improving all the time.
“Virgil looks fit and sharp and, for me, I hope that when he does leave Celtic he goes to a top, top international club.
“I don’t have so much experience of those things but, in my opinion, if he gets consistency in his play and is even more disciplined in his structure, we’re talking about a player who could win the Champions League.
“That’s the goal but, of course, I want to keep him here as he’s a vital player for us.”
Van Dijk, however, has his focus on Hamilton ahead of tomorrow’s clash at Parkhead.
Celtic are now looking for a fourth straight win after their successes over Hearts, St Mirren and Dinamo Zagreb in the Europa League in midweek.
And the Dutch star insists it is imperative there are no slip-ups with the champions starting to build some proper momentum for the first time under boss Deila.
Van Dijk said: “We should be looking to win every game 100 per cent in the league. It’s what you saw last year also. It’s a little bit bumpy right now, it’s going up and down, but we need to get the right level of consistency.
“It’s very important for us. We especially want to win our games at home.
“We’re unbeaten at Celtic Park for quite a while and we want to keep it going.”
From the Republican Falls Road in Belfast to the Boardrooms of Celtic Park and Ibrox.. meet Ireland’s No.1 football agent
Oct 04, 2014 00:01 By David McCarthy
GERRY Carlile, has taken a torch and shone it under the hood of a profession that is now a fundamental part of football. And his book, Agent Gerry, has more than a twist of tartan intertwined in the fabric of a fascinating story.
EVER wondered what goes on under the bonnet of a football agent’s business? Wonder no more.
Ireland top agent, Gerry Carlile, has taken a torch and shone it under the hood of a profession that doesn’t have many admirers but is now a fundamental part of football.
And his book, Agent Gerry, has more than a twist of tartan intertwined in the fabric of a fascinating story that starts with his childhood on the Republican Falls Road in Belfast and leads him all the way to the Boardrooms of Celtic Park – and Ibrox.
Carlile, at 36, is one of a new breed of agents who act as mentors as well as deal-makers for their clients and over the years he has had plenty of players plying their trade in Scottish football.
Aberdeen’s Niall McGinn is one of his longest-serving stars, with Carlile brokering the deal that took the Northern Irishman to Celtic along with Paddy McCourt. McGinn’s team-mate Peter Pawlett is another of his clients, as is Celtic striker Anthony Stokes.
But it was an incident involving McGinn during his time at Celtic, which brought home to Carlile the fact that while he may now have written a book, there is no manual on how to deal with footballers.
“I was watching TV one Friday night when the phone went,” Carlile recalled. “It was Niall calling from the team hotel – I think they were playing Ross County the next day – and he said: ‘The gaffer (Neil Lennon) is just away from my door – he and I have just been sent death threats.’
“I was astounded. He said: ‘Apparently bullets have been intercepted.’
“You’ve no idea how bizarre this still seems to me. Niall McGinn is one of the most inoffensive people that I’ve ever met. He is completely apolitical and does not have strongly held views on anything of that description. He’s just a footballer.
“You don’t expect footballers to be targeted in that way.
“All I could do was try to keep him calm and tell him that the authorities would be dealing with it. I also told him to let his mum know because the story would come out and it would be much worse if she first saw it in the papers or heard it on the radio.
Alan Pattullo
Although he caught the eye again with a string of instinctive saves for Celtic against Dinamo Zagreb on Thursday night, Craig Gordon gains more delight from what many people consider to be the more mundane tasks of being a goalkeeper.
Gordon was in inspirational form again as he helped ensure Celtic took all three points from a tricky tie with the Croatia champions. This was the 31-year-old’s tenth game of the season since making a career comeback following such a long lay off with injury and he is feeling more comfortable with each passing game.
Defender Efe Ambrose yesterday paid tribute to Gordon by comparing him to former Celtic No 1 Fraser Forster, who recently moved to Southampton in a £10 million deal.
Gordon, of course, once moved between Hearts and Sunderland for £9 million to become the most expensive British goalkeeper but saw his career threatened by a knee injury.
Perhaps illustrating how far Gordon had slipped from public consciousness is Ambrose’s admission yesterday that he was unaware of just how good a goalkeeper he was.
“I didn’t know Craig before, but he’s like Fraser Forster in that when you need a big save, he does it,” he said. “It gives us all confidence.”
But although there is a growing feeling that Gordon should be handed the No 1 jersey for Scotland as well as Celtic, with Gordon Stachan’s side set to entertain Georgia a week today in a Euro 2016 qualifier, the goalkeeper himself is taking things one step at a time.
“I just keep trying to improve,” he said yesterday. “I’ll do that regardless of whether I’m playing well or poorly. I always want to improve my game. There have been a few difficult games especially in Europe where I’ve had to produce a few saves but that’s what I’m there for.
“I’m feeling more comfortable every week,” he added. “It’s small things like decision-making – when to come out and when to stay in – that can be more difficult sometimes than making instinctive saves.
“It’s those small things in the game that people maybe don’t realise. They are the last things to come back when you’ve been out for so long.
“Judging the flight of cross balls, balls over the top of the defence, when to come out and when to stay, just getting your angles right for shots from different places on the park, and just really knowing where the goal is behind you.
“These are just little things that come with playing the position and getting games under my belt.”
Gordon signed a two year-deal with Celtic in the summer with the option of another year and such caution seemed to suit both parties as he sought to prove he could be as good as he once was.
Some might have wondered about Gordon’s state of mind after more than two years out of the game. Indeed, there were serious doubts over whether he would play again, never mind add to his 40 Scotland caps.
Excelling in the Scottish domestic scene is one thing, but proving so outstanding in high-octane European encounters, as has happened against Red bull Saltzburg and Dinamo Zagreb, is something else. Gordon contends that the standard on Thursday was as high as in the Champions League play-offs against Legia Warsaw and then Maribor.
“I don’t think the teams we’ve played so far would be at all out of place in the Champions League,” he said of Saltzburg and Dinamo. “In fact, the boys were saying in there that the past two games we’ve played in this competition were maybe of a higher standard than the games we played to try and qualify for the Champions League.
“So it’s good teams we are playing against. There are no poor teams at this stage. They’re of a standard where it’s still extremely hard to get points on the board.”
While Gordon is not sure whether he had mental scars to heal, he does agree that by playing so well in a consistent run of games since making his return at the start of the season helps prove to himself that he is inching his way back to his best. “I honestly never thought it [a psychological problem] was there,” he said.
“But perhaps subconsciously, without really thinking about it, I had to cross a bridge psychologically.
“I was nervous when I first played again as I was concerned with how things would go. I still get nervous before every match but that’s getting less with every game I play now. I’m just going out there and training as much as I can to try and improve.”
The games are coming thick and fast and he now turns his attention to facing Hamilton Accies, who are sitting second in the league, three points adrift of Celtic. “They are up there on merit by playing some great football,” he said.
“It’s will be a difficult game for us but it’s one we are desperate to win so we go into the international break in a better position.”
That break could turn out to prove more demanding for Gordon than simply sitting on the bench for Scotland.
‘Lucky’ Celtic will qualify for Europa League knockout stages, says Dinamo Zagreb’s Josip Simunic
Veteran captain says his side were naive to concede a ‘cheap’ goal at Parkhead but still thinks the Scottish champions are good value to get through to the next stage
Veteran defender Josip Simunic believes that Celtic will be one of the two clubs to survive Europa League Group D.
By Ewing Grahame7:27PM BST 03 Oct 2014CommentsComment
Dinamo Zagreb captain Josip Simunic claimed that Celtic were lucky to beat his side 1-0 at Parkhead on Thursday but tipped the Scottish champions to qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League.
Manager Ronny Deila has stated that 10 points should secure progress and, following a 2-2 away draw with Salzburg Red Bull, two victories in the forthcoming double-header against pointless Astra Giurgiu would take them to that total.
Veteran defender Simunic believes that Celtic will be one of the two clubs to survive Group D but was at a loss as to how they managed to prevail against his own team.
“We were a bit naive at the start,” he said. “Celtic’s goal was nice for them but it was a very cheap one to concede.
“After the first 15 minutes we played some good football and deserved at least a draw. Against Astra, we scored with every chance we had.
Against Celtic, we created more and didn’t score. That’s football. The difference is that Celtic took their chance. I think Celtic were lucky that they won because we played very well.
“The only thing that’s missing from our performance was some goals and some points. Their goalkeeper had a great game. Respect to him for playing so well.
“These next two games are the most important for everyone in the group: if you can get two results, you will have a chance to get through.
“I think Celtic will take care of Astra, although they are a pretty good team. I must be honest. Astra are better than our 5-1 win suggests. It will be difficult for Celtic but this is a tight group.”
Celtic v Hamilton preview
Celtic manager Ronny Deila is pondering recalling strikers Jonathan Guidetti and Stefan Scepovic for Saturday’s Scottish Premiership clash with Hamilton at Celtic Park.
Guidetti was ineligible for the Europa League win over Dinamo Zagreb, which Scepovic missed the game because of a slight ankle knock.
Charlie Mulgrew (knee), Mikael Lustig (groin) and Adam Matthews (calf) are close to fitness but are unlikely to be risked, while James Forrest (hamstring) remains sidelined.
Hamilton centre-back will have a fitness test on the knee injury that has kept him out of the last three games.
Midfielder Darian MacKinnon completes a four-match ban.
Celtic ace Efe says Europa minnows are tougher than Champions League big guns
EFE AMBROSE reckons Celtic face a tougher task making progress in the Europa League than in the Champions League.
Scott Mullen
Group Sports Writer
Saturday 04/10/2014
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Celtic defender Efe Ambrose starred against Dinamo Zagreb
The Hoops have got their Group D campaign off to an encouraging start, with Thursday’s 1-0 win over Dinamo Zagreb following a 2-2 draw in Salzburg last month.
It leaves Ronny Deila’s men sitting joint top and well placed for their home tie with Romanian outfit Astra Giurgiu on October 23.
But despite their early joy in Europe’s second competition, Ambrose says the fact that many of their opponents are unknown quantities makes it difficult to prepare to play against them.
He insists it is easier facing household names such as Barcelona and AC Milan because the fame can be an advantage.
The Nigerian defender said: “The Europa League is more difficult because you don’t know the teams you are playing against or their style of play.
“When you play in the Champions League, it is more intense but you know all the players, the clubs and their styles.
“Dinamo Zagreb were a good technical team.
“They played against us on the counter attack.
“The manager had us ready for that and that is what helped us overcome them.
“We know if we start winning again, the fans will keep coming and they will know we are back in business if he win the next one, too.”
Even though Ambrose has his concerns over coming up against some of continent’s lesser-known clubs, the 25-year-old is pleased with how Celtic are developing under Deila.
The Hoops have now gone six games without defeat ahead of tomorrow’s SPFL Premiership game with Hamilton Academical, and he is looking forward to putting a smile back on fans’ faces after missing out on Champions League football this season.
Ambrose said: “We know we are starting to get the winning mentality and it’s not been easy playing at home in Europe this season.
“But it was nice to start with a win at home in the Europa League and we want to keep it going through all the competitions.
“I feel we are growing with the new manager and the style of play. We are improving, but we are still not at the level the manager wants so we will keep working.
“In the Europa League, we have a great chance with four points after two matches.
“I believe we will do well and it is a chance to bring a smile back to the Celtic fans after we missed out on the Champions League.”
Strikers John Guidetti and Stefan Scepovic could return for Celtic tomorrow.
The big Swede was ineligible while the Serbian frontman was rested following a knock.
Callum McGregor could also take part after missing Thursday night due to a bug.
Charlie Mulgrew, Mikael Lustig and Adam Matthews are expected to return from injury after the international break.
Celtic boss Ronny Deila insists the spine of his side has started to deliver
Oct 04, 2014 07:33 By Craig Swan
HOOPS boss Deila reckons the five man backbone in the shape of Craig Gordon, Virgil Van Dijk, Jason Denayer, Scott Brown and Stefan Johansen is crucial.
SNS GroupCeltic manager Ronny Deila
RONNY DEILA reckons his Famous Five can help him pen a perfect ending to the first year of his Celtic story.
The Norwegian manager is starting to see his Parkhead revolution take shape after a hectic start to life in Glasgow.
Three victories in three different competitions over the past 10 days is evidence Deila is beginning to find the way.
And he believes much of the recent encouragement has come from the new spine he has installed into the set-up.
After much chopping and changing while seeking the perfect formula, Deila appears to have found an inspirational backbone.
In goal the superb Craig Gordon. In central defence Virgil van Dijk and Jason Denayer. And in the middle of the park skipper Scott Brown and Stefan Johansen.
Deila has seen impressive performances from others such as Kris Commons but reckons the spine is key to keeping the whole body of the team upright and in perfect alignment.
He said: “The central line is very important. Virgil and Jason are of a very high quality and we should take the keeper into things as well. It’s very hard to get beyond those three. When you look at the goals we have conceded and the chances against us, it’s stupid individual mistakes and passes, just sloppy, sloppy play.
“Almost no team has opened us up and that’s the positive.
“Scott has a huge impact and Stefan played his best game against Zagreb . He was all over the pitch for 90 minutes. When you have those five in the central line you have a good opportunity to win games and we have started to do that.
SNS GroupCeltic captain Scott Brown celebrates with Craig Gordon after defeating Dinamo Zagreb
“We haven’t lost with Scott on the pitch and I hope we can keep that going.
“In the offensive pattern, there’s more to go but our central defenders are good with the ball and we have to use them more in attacking play.
“You saw Virgil going forward and shooting from 20 metres against Zagreb which was dangerous. We need to improve the play from behind but I can see improvement already.
“I could see against Zagreb we got wider and the full-backs were more up at the start of the game.
“From there we scored a fantastic goal as well and we want to see more of those things as that’s what we work on every day.”
Deila was in relaxed mood at Lennoxtown yesterday and deserved to smile. It’s been a baptism of fire as he’s coped with questions over his recruitment, his tactics and his methods, such as eating habits .
But Deila knows results are the only real currency worthy of trade at Celtic and the recent signs point to a positive future.
The manager is aware his team are nowhere near the finished article but said: “Yeah, we are improving. We’ve had a spell of six games without a loss which is positive and we want that to continue all season.
“It will be hard but when you reflect on the game against Zagreb you see the level in Europe is high and games are getting quicker.
“We did well in the first half, especially the first 25 minutes. They didn’t have a shot, we pressed well, got chances and scored a fantastic goal.
“Then we stopped keeping the ball and got tired. You have to defend very deep but did that in a good way.
“I want to have less of that in the next game but things change and we have to be very satisfied with the result and team spirit.”
SNS GroupJason Denayer, right, and Virgil Van DijkJason Denayer, right, and Virgil Van Dijk
Deila, who is integrating new faces as he progresses, added: “In Stromsgodset, we didn’t have money so we had to do something else. We told players to join up and they would get games. They would get a real education and develop as players. That’s what we’ve started here and a lot of loan players have come in and made an impact on the team.
“We have John Guidetti and also Aleksandar Tonev who was much better against Zagreb. Wakaso Mubarak tired in the end but had shown his skills.
“There is competition in the team. We have been vulnerable but, touch wood, nobody has been injured in defence. If something had happened to a full-back, for example, then we could have been struggling but they have kept playing which is good.”
To add to Deila’s pleasure he has the prospect of international stars such as Mikael Lustig, Charlie Mulgrew, Adam Matthews and James Forrest returning after the upcoming international break.
He said: “A lot of players who have been injured are almost there so I think we will have an even stronger group after the break.
“Lustig is there, Adam is there, Charlie is there after the break. James is much closer. Those are important players coming back.”
Before the break, of course, Celtic have to contend with a Hamilton Accies side which currently sits above them in the Premiership table.
Deila is desperate to maintain the winning run and feelgood factor but warns of a tough test ahead from the Lanarkshire shock troops.
He said: “You can see the Hamilton players are having fun. They go out without fear and have a pattern which they stick to.
“They play and play and play and, in the end, you will succeed.
“That is what we saw with Zagreb. The pattern has been set for many years and it is what I want to create here as well so when you put in a player they know exactly what to do.
“They just go in and play. That’s how you can manage to kill the best teams in Europe. You have a pattern and you develop players in a certain style.
“Hamilton get the best out of their players. They are fearless and play with energy.
“It is going to be a very good game on Sunday. I am really looking forward to it.”
That’s yer lot for today!
twists n turns
06:58 on
4 October, 2014
Macjay
Morning.
Hmmmm…never sure what to make of MG.
( on the phone. ..power cut here)
_____________________________________________________________________
G`day,my fellow Tim.
I grew up listening to tales of media bias,nay bigotry.
Probably explains the bee I cherish in my bonnet………….
in spite of now being located in fresh fields and pastures new.
Philvis has got it cracked.
They spew their stuff to the major constituency which will stop consuming if it doesn’t like what it reads.
The print media are………………Well,it ends with ED and starts with congruence of the carnally artistic variations.
? Ugandan?
Pseuds corner C.S.C.
CHE
No idea of numbers,mate. Apple update lost my old mails!
A few of the regulars can’t be there as the date is unsuitable but a few new faces to make up for that.
No lists unless Brahms is there too-which is pretty much guaranteed next week!
Good Morning Timland,
tnt…..thanks for the reads,where is your money going
in the Arc?
tnt
Hadn`t read back.
That`s a serious bunch of contributions.
Feedin` your fellow Tims.
Stoatin`
:-)
Mrs ACGR, very Happy Birthday
&
Big J, thanks for the tune :-)
Good start to the weekend with Dundee Utd dropping 3 points…..looking forward to the Hamilton game, but don’t understand why it’s not a 3pm kick-off….
……..unless it’s to suite TV…..grrrrr…!!!!
suite ? ….well it is a bit early, or predictive text …. hahahaha
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-29429010
Guildford Four: An innocent man’s letters from jail
By Martin McNamara
Presenter, From Inside: The Guildford Four
Links to radio programmes within BBC link
Good to see Estadio national home and enjoying his roll n square washed down with a bottle of irn brew…
Good Morning BT, going down to Blackpool today, will light a candle tonight at 1900 Mass in St Cuthberts tonight for your ongoing recovery, and your crabbit Dad
Good Morning BT, going down to Blackpool today, will light a candle tonight at 1900 Mass in St Cuthberts tonight for your ongoing recovery, and your crabbit Dad
Don’t you just love double posting dooooo
Ruler of the World for the Each Way Thieves tomorrow?
I actually think Frankie will be standing in the winner’s enclosure with this majestic animal tomorrow.
The Arc de Triomphe is a fantastic spectacle of a race.
Still get hairs on the back of my neck thinking back to when Dancing Brave proved himself to be the greatest 3 year old of his generation in this race.
Pat Eddery won on it that day and I think even I could have too.
Grenville Starkey got it beat in the Derby 4 months before this and his career never really recovered after it.
Diabolical ride that day and I wanted to feckin shoot him after it….like thousands of other punters.
Dancing Brave was a special hoss!!
Cheers malorbhoy
He mentioned he chastised you and your bro on Thursday evening. As I said to Oldtim if he shouts at you he likes you.8-))
BT
Estadio in Blantyre :)
You in the queens jubilee :(
Tbj
I go where I’m sent… 8-)
See the owner of Hull as good as his word…no Hull Tigers, no more money and club for sale.
Strange case, owner liked, seems honourable, good employer but fixated on an idea the fans don’t accept.
Now here’s the thing..DD or someone else, promises £20m every year over the next 5 years on condition of a name change to, say, Celtic Lions or Thunder or Saltires or, or, etc….what do we say???
Just curiously wondering!!!
HH
This is the Day, This is the Day
That the Lord has made, that the Lord has Made,
We will rejoice and be glad in it, and be glad in it :-)
A Very Very Special Day today for our Family
I get the great Honour of Walking my Beautiful Daughter ” Jenna ”
down the aisle, and she becomes Mrs Wright
Have an absolutely fantastic day Jenna
Justafan
GTF.
In reply to Dermot not you…
Cowiebhoy
I’m sure you will have a wonderful day.
Great day for the family….
KTF