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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TimJim
Sounds like an Adobe problem.
Have you installed Adobe Flash for Mac OS X?
TimJim
p.s. Congrats on buying a superior computer.
It’s Friday…. it’s Five to Five… it’s……..
New Article?
Tonvy he was giving a job to do last night and he did it well Honestly the stick he gets from some on here is a joke the guy like a few more need time to settle in while playing for Celtic now this is were I will get a lot of abuse from some Apart from scoring the goal Kris Commons scoring what else did he do he can’t trap a ball gives the ball away same as Stokes always gets caught offside he to at times gives the ball away and that leads to opposing players going to go for a goal he stokes has done that a few times also johannson just not there Biton Kayal and young Henderson offer more Ambrose I’m afraid he is not up to it not a good defender
Corkcelt,
I’m just messing.
I think there’ll be a few changes. Guidetti will obviously be one.
Deneyer will be another I think. He seemed to do a lot of right thigh rubbing late on.
catch up later bhoys and ghirls have to feed the bear
HH
tomtheleedstim
16:42 on
3 October, 2014
A good run in the Champions League is worth approx £22m to Celtic.
Whoever finishes bottom of the EPL receives approx £63m in tv money.
Yes, I’m sure Ashley is desperate to offload Newcastle in favour of the huns rather than positioning himself with a view to protecting his onerous interests when the bubble goes “pop”
That and the fact the EPL has billions around the globe tuned in,whereas in the CL,I could be wrong,are you not restricted to certain ads?.Anyway,how long would it take the huns to compete in the CL.Ashley wont spend a penny at Newcasle.More moonbeams for the terminally dumb.
Have we eve banned a journalist from CP?
r
good exciting match last night. Thought the players worked hard and are possibly beginning to come together as a team. Felt good this morning we defended well and have another top class keeper in Gordon. Great atmosphere from the fans lets do the same on Sunday.It was a big step forward for Ronnie needs to build on it.
Big game on Sunday would like to win it & win it well.
Good Afternoon Timland.
We won last night….widnae know that on a read back,felt like
the eighties ffs.
Miss jamesgang
HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOPY BIRTHDAY
credit where its due!
i never expected a result (and a clean sheet) so very well done and congratulations to RD
Glad to see fat bhoy commons scoring the goal too!
Bsr,
No. Hugh keevins was banned once but fails to meet your criteria on a technicality.
Take Kris Commons out the team and you get Maribor & 1st half V Motherwell type performances.
Play him every gameCSC
bawsman – You don’t get this bigger picture stuff, do you?
Americans are desperate for The Rangers International Football Club.
Fact: obesity has become quite popular in America.
Fact: The Rainjurs sell replica shirts in XXXXL, aka the “Coisty”.
Fact: Americans are soccer-daft.
Fact: Forget Pele, Beckham, and Landon Donovan. Wait till the Yanks get a load of Lee McCulloch. They’ll be desperate to get their kids into the new Rangers International Soccer Academies so they can learn how to assault people good, and do other stuff good too.
Fact: Americans love everything British.
Fact: Sevco is the most Quintessentially Britishest thing ever, more British than Nick Griffin being caught dogging outside a Travelodge in an Austin Allegro.
(thumbsup)
bournesouprecipe
Hugh Keevins was banned but does he merit being described as a “journalist” ?
hail hail
the Friday’s here
da da a da daaa da
Paul67 et al
Like pretty much every Celtic supporter I said before the match that I would be happy with a 1-0 victory for the Hoops. And so, it came to pass. Very good result indeed giving us the chance, with another home game next to stay at the top of the group.
geordie munro – I’m more of a Christinaficionado. (thumbsup)
GM
Collected them, returned them to the Hamilton lair and now providing nourishment for them!
I can’t believe I just read on a Celtic blog that Tommy Burns was a ‘puppet manager’.
Some people on here like mncelt, what is the stars and the long wait is over really need to put their anti Norwegian lenses away behind them. Last night Deila picked the right team given fact he would prefer to play either Lustig/Mathews at RB, forest Right wing, Scepovic/Guidetti up front but cant mainly due to injury or ineligibility. Based on what we have available he made all the right starters and then changed it once steel, not creativity was required to regain control of the midfield. Those first 30 minutes last night where better than anything Neil ever managed and give me great hope, the last 60 looked like a team committed to the cause of overcoming their technical deficiencies with sheer determination.
Lots and lots of positives. Oh and the criticism of brining on Berget, most rediculous thing I have ever read, given we have NO Guidetti or Scepovic to bring on he is the next best lone striker we have after Stokes and he offers more intensity but less guile than Stokes brining him on given the depleted nature of the squad and the situation was exactly the right thing to do, if we had a better version of a tall athletic guy to play that role we would use him but without the aforementioned players we just played the best our club had available. I feel we are on the verge of becoming a very good team. Onwards and upwards.
Angela Haggerty getting a tad upset at the policy of barring( journalists,) from Celtic park, have to say 100% disagree with her .
The SMSM are a disgrace and deserve to be taken to task.
Rational Thought
‘Those first 30 minutes last night where better than anything Neil ever managed’
——-
I know this is a blog and I appreciate that it’s all about opinions.
However, surely you’re havin’ a wee laugh there?!
Leftclicktic
I replied to her tweet last night before heading to Parkhead.
Like Paul 67 I also “cling” to the positives Celtic did well to get 3 points defended well and the effort was excellent
I’m not negative on RD but I’m also not convinced
I think we are really upping the tempo and I get the get fit message – but we do seem exposed and every team that plays us has a lot of chances
More importantly I don’t think we create enough chances
But last I enjoyed the game thought if was great to watch
Happy but worried !!!!
67ECW
GM/S0T
Waiting on another first?
Rational Thought
17:20 on
3 October, 2014
Great post mate,if I wasnae such a lazy bassa I wid take
the time and post that.
shortandsweetCSC.
Droopy moustaches, huge sideburns, striped jerseys and men with perms. Will it ever come back again….?
The future started last night.
Credit to mgt and players … contrast to the omnishambles under PLG
Rational thought..
“and the long wait is over really need to put their anti Norwegian lenses…”
Eh..?
Please point me to any post of mine justifying that.
Genuinely.
I know Mr keevins has wronged us a few times but I have to give him a little credit. When I was a member of Pollok Csc. We invited a few journalists to our player of year night in The Royal Oak bar, believe it or not Shug turned up. Needless to say he was the only journalist who did. He did a wee speech and then opened the floor for questions. First question was, have you ever dreamed the impossible dream? I think he couldn’t wait to leave but was scared to go too soon.
bournesouprecipe
17:30 on 3 October, 2014
Droopy moustaches, huge sideburns, striped jerseys and men with perms. Will it ever come back again….?
——
SOAL’s 5 a side team?
HT,
Oh you meant your own kids? I was hoping when I went to get them my mum would tell me some kind gentleman turned up to collect them ;)
I also can’t believe you read a post from the poster in question.
Almost as unbelievable as finding out yesterday that Bada uses a spellchecker;p
rational thought – put their anti Norwegian lenses away
I too have struggled with Norwegiophobia.
I think it stems from their shameful past of sending death metal bands to Eurovision.
Also their country is a thoroughly unsatisfying shape – too long and thin, like an accusing finger.
And what kind of name is “Norway” anyhow? It sounds like a downmarket supermarket chain.
Proper countries end in “land”. (thumbsup)
Given some of the posts on here about how we’ve turned a corner, I’m reminded about the story of the Emperor’s New Clothes.
Rational thought
My only post over tha last week or so , I believe.
“the long wait is over
23:13 on
2 October, 2014
Good result against a pretty decent European outfit.
Thought Izzy, again, looked back to near his old self.
Looks much trimmer than in the last few seasons.
Pretty sure there’s a connection there.
Mibbees that Ronny knows something after all…”
What’s anti RD or anti Norwegian about that..?
You might need to rethink yer moniker.
:-)