Midway through the second half, I chastised myself for being so downbeat about our prospects last night. For 81 minutes, the game was there to be won. Neither team was at full strength, but if Celtic had a little of Maeda’s industry, or Hatate’s control, the outcome could have been different.
As it was, the game turned when Lazio benefited from a late deflection. It officially brought to an end hopes of Europa League games after Christmas, but those surely did not exist after Lazio scored a last-minute winner at Celtic Park earlier in the campaign.
Being competitive, as we were twice against Lazio, once against Atletico and while we had 11 men away to Feyenoord, is our Champions League stake in the ground so far this season. The results, however, tell a story of defensive fragility, and an inability to create a sufficient volume of chances to make sure we are the team who benefits from a late deflection.
Paulo Bernardo was a surprise starter and should feel pleased with his contribution. I suspect there is a player in him, but he will need a run of games in the team if we are to properly develop his talent.
He can look to Liam Scales, who is the left-sided central defender practically every team is looking for. Against St Johnstone earlier this season, Liam looked miles short of a player who could deliver a shift away from home in the Champions League. Game time and the correct coaching changed that. This is our place in the world: find talent and realise its potential. There is no other sustainable model for Celtic.
A lot more rides on the Feyenoord game than the table suggests. For so many reasons, nothing less than a win against the Dutch champions will do.
173 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- »
CELTIC40ME on 29TH NOVEMBER 2023 3:24 PM
Mate, you said that there were other areas we had to improve before LB and Keeper – “ We needed improving in other areas before keeper and LB at the start of the season”
Now that you’re asked what areas we were improved in after signing ten odd players and spending near twenty million, you seemingly can’t say.
CELTIC40ME
Agree, regarding Left Back and Goalkeeper signings being longer term, and not a priority in the timescale Brendan had.
We’ve made enough poor choices at left back to last us. Greg Taylor is a good player (as good players go) no rush for another Bolingoli or Bernabei. We just need to choose better, as ever.
Joe Hart was a tremendous signing still ‘head and shoulders’ above anything in his league, but when you’re in your last season, in a CL sieve, supporters will want a fresh face. Again take your time Celtic and beware the Barkas.
I don’t think it makes any difference who we sign if we are happy to sell them when we get a decent offer. We seem doomed in a revolving door with Lennoxtown serving as an expensive transit camp. Bringing young players in is an admirable idea but the SPL isn’t the place for it, it’s a cloggers league. Nothing to learn here except how to dodge leg breakers or play against the ubiquitous low block. My only suggestion would be that we must have a spine of experienced players in the team. Use cup competitions or loan deals to blood young players. Also only buy at need. Buying endless wingers is crazy. A core of 22 players should be enough and you should have to be 90 minutes first team capable.
CELTIC40ME
I’m not saying FCK have a MUCH better record than ours over ten years but it’s still better, on a smaller budget too.
We pinch below our weight.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 29TH NOVEMBER 2023 3:46 PM
From what Brendan has said we’re definitely looking at keepers. Even more difficult to please the critics these days – my younger son’s goalkeeping coach was talking to the boys recently about how to deal with criticism – there’s more and more “expert analysis” from the pundits who have never pulled on a pair of gloves in their lives. Not only make run of the mill saves but don’t make mistakes when you’re playing the ball out, even if your manager tells you it’s the only way to play
You need a special mentality to deal with that sort of scrutiny, especially if you’re at Celtic
GEEBEE1978 on 29TH NOVEMBER 2023 4:06 PM
I can’t argue with that.
It’s difficult to know what their ambitions are for Europe. They don’t often qualify for the CL and they’ve only won 3 leagues out of the last 6. CL qualification is via 2 or 3 playoff rounds for the champions so there’s plenty if jeapordy if they do win it
The Danish league is much more competitive than the SPL, there are two points between the top 3 and 8 between the top 6 so it could be they see domestic success as more of an end in itself than it has become for a lot of our fans.
CELTIC40ME
It’s the one position where mistakes are not easily forgotten.
I’m sure BR will sign a goalkeeper, Joe Hart is a big influence at the club and will be missed. FWIW I think we need two new keepers not just one, by next summer, the revolving door will be busy.
Burnley78
Your post about next year made me think of Annie.(:-)
The sun’ll come out tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar, that tomorrow there’ll be sun
Just thinking about tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs, and the sorrow ’til there’s none
When I’m stuck with a day that’s gray and lonely
I just stick out my chin, and grin, and say, oh
The sun’ll come out tomorrow
Oh, you gotta hang on ’til tomorrow, come what may
Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you, tomorrow
You’re always a day away
The sun’ll come out tomorrow
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there’ll be sun
Just thinking about tomorrow
Clears away the cobwebs and the sorrow ’til there’s none
When I’m stuck with a day that’s gray and lonely
I just stick out my chin, and grin, and say
The sun’ll come out tomorrow
Oh, you gotta hang on ’til tomorrow, come what may
Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you, tomorrow
You’re always a day away
Tomorrow, tomorrow, I love you, tomorrow
You’re always a day away.
TT
CARPE DIEM 63 on 29TH NOVEMBER 2023 1:20 AM
In the morning I will be an unrepentant follower of our beloved team …as I will on every morn till the day I die 🍀
*as we all are pal except the hunterlopers on here and they are so easy tae spot, goin tae give you 2 of my own examples which I have posted before.
First one, as a wee high school student with a paper run I jooked up tae the bigot dome on New Years day 1963, fibbin tae my parents that I was goin tae a pals in Dumbarton for new year dinner, I had my best clothes on including dress scarf but tied round my waist was me Celtic I scarf which I put on as I crossed the cows park in front of my home.
Anyway, as we all know on here this was Pat Crerand’s last game for us as we were well and truly gubbed with big betty davis opening the scoring for them, on the way back home I popped intae my aunties where my da and uncle were discussin the shambles we were in the kitchen, on seein me with scarf back around my waist but under my sweater, he blurted out “you were at that game weren’t you” to which I nodded expecting a wallop on the back of the heid for defying him on going not only tae a hun game but the venue itself and on my own.
Just then my uncle, my mums oldest brother who they both admired, said ‘are you goin up the morra” meaning the Bully Wee game at Parkheid, I replied naw as I have nae money, he pulled out some change and said “here you go son we need supporters like you”, well as most of us of our generation know I woke up the following day loupin out of bed as I was going tae see the leather belts, as my da called them, tae a blanket of snow and that was it apart fae the sheep game up at the pen 5 days later and a cup tie at Brockville at the end of the month as the games were all cancelled due tae as the song says . “In winter 1963 it felt like the world would freeze with John F. Kennedy and The Beatles”, I always thought that it was just a pity it didnae start the day before.
Now, I’m no the worlds greatest Tim but tae paraphrase Ray Davies “I know what I am I’m a Tim I’m a Tim as are most of us on here”.
Galatasaray fans on full throttle
Where does Galatasaray get the money for all of their top players…..not a project in sight.
Wee Garnacho gets better every game
And at that Fernandez makes it two
The Horseshoe of Despair made a lengthy appearance in Rome last night.
Good evening, friends.
Very low importance compared to everything else that’s going on but just to say that for this one game only I am deciding to close the voting half an hour early at 9.30pm with the results being issued before 10.00pm. No real story other than me having to set an alarm tomorrow morning for 4.55am so hitting ma scratcher early tonight.
SENCELPOTY@GMAIL.COM
Yes it was a disappointing result ,something we’ve come to expect on European nights . For my tuppence worth , we are not tough enough especially in mdfield , I feel we are getting the message in defence big Liam is doing very well beside mr reliable carter with AJ who I must admit has been a find , although he is a bit to find to get back to where he was before his injury . GT is a young man who gets us and I hate to say bad of him but I’m sorry to say I fear he is our weakest link in defence ,that gives me no pleasure to say that as I said he gets us . Midfield is a bug bear for me , we have some right good players in there but players who are posted missing when opposed by the hammer throwers , and unfortunately our main rivals have them aplenty along admittedly with a good few more . Up front were not to bad ,but improvement would be welcome . Europe is gone let’s hope that the powers that be see what’s required and act to bring in the much needed quality . HH
txuli;oyidyk
JIMTIM
I thought Barnardo was brave with the ball and in the tackle 1st half
I’d give him a run of games
Of the performance, I thought most of our players lacked bravado. All of them looked for an easy pass…..which 90% of the time was backwards.
We need someone who’s not AFRAID to carry the ball and take a player on. One who isn’t afraid to make a mistake when trying something positive
Man Utd paid £42M for their keeper Onana, – he’s just gifted Galataseray two goals.
G FEARON on 29TH NOVEMBER 2023 6:14 PM
The Horseshoe of Despair made a lengthy appearance in Rome last night.
Was it rode by you or one of the wide range of fake monikers you use.
we need height , physicality and quality in most positions
An Tearmann on 29th November 2023 7:11 pm
Give us a 5000 word post, telling us all what well known figure in the financial world you were sitting beside on the train discussing financial matters on a 7 hour journey and how they learned the error of their ways once you put them straight. You utter walloper. People are laughing at you and you don’t even know it.
You add a bit of levity to the blog on days after a defeat with the randomness of your posts, do you actually believe some of the stuff you post or are you doing it for a laugh?
Any luck on banning IP addresses on here? Hilarious stuff. Just as well i’m not a moderator on here. You’d long gone buddy.
Stay strong and keep the posts coming, they’re hilarious.
The sight of Brendan after the game, engaged in the play down, seven years ago same thing, same guff, got off without any proper scrutiny because our main rivals were/are full of 3rd division quality players yet their defeat generated street parties!!
Brendan – parking half the bus and asking the other half of the bus to run about aimlessly, led in the charge by a teachers pet looking captain, and having a striker with unplayable pace, KYOGO, and not a single ball over the top for him to run onto is rank bad management, did you not watch Ange doing the same with KYOGO and look at the outcome!
I dont know what Lazio fans were singing last night but it sounded similar to the disgusting songs that are sung at us, EVERY WEEK, sung at us because the PLC let the abuse issue cause a seemingly permanent stink, that lingers, and lingers, and lingers, fans painted as scumbags who support a PLC who can use loose change from down the back of the couch and form a pack of legal eagles to ruthlessly end this horrible stench from our midst.
Set Celtic`s stall out as follows…
“Visit the club with irrefutable video evidence of any abuse issues taking place…OR, Celtic FC will set the dogs on you!”
Enough of the claptrap slowdance that causes an unbearable stench..fix it or leave!
But we have a chairman who ran away from an CH4News interview with Alex Thompson and scummy shouty SNP James Dornan, licking their lips waiting to smear the club further, and our chairman bottled out of the interview, making Celtic look dirty, guilty, and shifty.
The so called switched on supporter base would have been expected to storm the car park to sack the board the next morning…but they too looked shifty if not outright sleekit by doing what they do best…DUCK THE ISSUE!
Not a single word was said…maybe its just Neil Lennon that these fans hate?
Yeah maybe thats it, the same all seated 60,000 who booed Neil Lennon as he tried to keep possession of the ball in our first European Semi Final in 33 years vs Boavista in 2003, booed by happy clappy frauds!
If the Mod is so concerned about the way women are reveered by folk on the blog, why does he not bann sin die from the blog any idiot who voted for the vilest women hater in Scotland – Nicola Krankie?
The SNP subjected the country to 15 years of Tory austerity…then told you all it was the Tories who did it…and you all believed them…voting for this scum even after they tried to jail you all!
Voting for kilted Tory scumbags THAT should be a instant red card!
If fans are too stupid to see how easily they have been fooled then why not make them better fans by educating them in street wisdom terms?
If the Mod voted for the vile SNP TRANNY creatures then why would anybody be surprised at that?
Nothing gets solved until you get to the point!
HH
Kobbie Boateng Mainoo is 1.75m
More 418 i say.
Rico Lewis 1.69m
Hahaha
Is it user user fake
Or is it angry angry fake
I seem to have got yours user/angry
I love digital shoitbags like you,oh quivk change of moniker
Seems common in darkest north lanarkshire
Tho most tims i suggest to meet would turn up at pools office on matchdays,you on the other hand appear just limited to putting on the thimbles and typing like Bobby Crush.
So angry,so used,so fake.
Hurry quick change of moniker
Galatasary 3 Man Utd 3
That was some game
HH
Seville playing with a team full of oven ready players knocked out with just 2 points in a group we would have qualified from.
Man U with a team costing around £450m fail to see out several winning positions to potentially miss out on post Xmas Europe completely.
Galatasary with massive inward investment really do punch their weight with a mix of seasoned pros taking a last big pay check and oven ready options.
There is no certainties in football. That’s the one thing I am sure about. Pay big money and no guarantees.
Next seasons CL will be a really interesting one. With plenty meaningful games and a great mix of teams to play.
Our focus must be on making sure we are there and make the most of it.
Gigigufdknggvbj
Burnley78,
Let’s hope the mibs let us, especially those who run the VAR. They are my biggest worry, seeing as what has happened already this season.
Ok fast forwarding 6 years and I’m now married with a family and hame fae a spell in the colonies and its time tae rebuild our life so got a job and every penny was now a prisoner, Parkheid was out for a bit, I did manage an LC Semi replay against the honest men at hunden, the game that potentially finished the faither’s career with a young KD at right half and although a goal; down early doors we actually won more comfortably than the score line suggests.
Anyway, movin on and although I did make it tae the LC Final still nae Parkheid until that is November 8 and a home game with the calvinists, now we were mingin that day losing 0-2 who had an early goal chalked off and that night my da asked if I was disappointed, oh aye with the score da but at least I got back tae Parkheid and stood amongst my ain folk.
BURNLEY78 on 29TH NOVEMBER 2023 8:01 PM
Seville playing with a team full of oven ready players knocked out with just 2 points in a group we would have qualified from.
>>>>>>
Arsenal 4 – 0 vs Lens after 27 minutes and they don’t play in the SPFL.
Adding to more perspective that our 70MM wouldn’t make a dent in the UCL.
We need to be smart and patient while hoping for management continuity; lose that and patience won’t work either.
BURNLEY78 on 29TH NOVEMBER 2023 8:01 PM
Next seasons CL will be a really interesting one. With plenty meaningful games and a great mix of teams to play.
Our focus must be on making sure we are there and make the most of it.
#######################################################
I think it will suit us better ,although that applies equally to our opponents . Now that our CL hopes have ended we can focus fully on domestic football to ensure that we get there next season .
In terms of making the most of it , recruitment will be key , as will the time factor in preparing the team for a challenge which at present has proved beyond us .
Obviously disappointed with our CL showing again this year, but not surprised. We cannot expect any more than an occasional win as the environment we play in just doesn’t allow for it. We do need to figure out how we graft out a Europa league run which in my way of thinking, can be done with a different style of play. Seems like Brendan is trying to have us play the beautiful game like Man City and Bayern play, when what we should be doing is playing the way Motherwell (and others) play when they visit us. Defend for all we’re worth and hit on the break. Let’s face it, 6 or 7 of our players that started last night wouldn’t get in the Man City reserve team, so we need to stop trying to play as if we’re on the same level. It’s not about the performance, it’s about the result. Onwards and upwards – need maximum points between now and the end of the year.
Polls close early at 9.30pm SENCELPOTY@GMAIL.COM
mncelt
The only way we could graft out a Europa League run next season is by er……
starting in it
Some ‘Elite’ problem in the pipe
https://twitter.com/Ronny__Deila/status/1729850107040866657?s=19
HH
Can’t we drop into it from the CL, or has that been changed with the new format?