Last night’s convincing win was exactly what was needed. Hearts were subjugated by three goals and an avalanche of chances, John Guidetti got off the mark and we kept a clean sheet after eight games without one.
We are a lot more potent up front than we were a month ago and the return of Scott Brown in central mid has tightened things up but that defensive record remains a concern. Hearts were utterly outplayed and failed to score, but that wasn’t for the lack of hospitality from their hosts.
It’s not clear what the difference is between last season’s record-breaking run of domestic clean sheets and our current porous look. Jason Denayer is partnering Virgil instead of Efe Ambrose, while Efe has been shunted right to cover for injured Adam Matthews and Mikael Lustig, but this wasn’t the case for some of our European nightmares last month.
Apart from last night’s pass between two statues, Emilio has overcome his early season jitters and Craig Gordon has been impeccable in goal.
It’s more likely that whatever changes have happened to the shape of the team, specifically, what is happening in front of the defence. Emilio’s back-pass last night occurred when he was under pressure and his midfield options were busy looking for a forward pass. Anthony Stokes’ error on Sunday led to Motherwell’s goal, but it happened on the halfway line. Against Motherwell! Who were able to exploit a lack of defensive cover.
Ronny’s Celtic press quickly and high up the field. I like this plan. As he navigates the squad into a position where this is their natural state there will be transitional damage, but the basis of every successful team is keeping the back door shut.
It will be some time before the manager gets a chance to finalise his defence as he awaits the return of Matthews and Lustig, and he decides on whether to partner van Dijk with Ambrose or Denayer (or Lustig), while Emilio could benefit from being pushed on the left by Charlie Mulgrew. In the meantime, Brown and Johansen, together with whoever plays wide, will need to practice their reverse gears.
St Mirren have failed to score in five of their last eight games, so as well as three points, and a clean sheet, we should be looking for whoever plays in goals to have a trouble-free afternoon.
Thanks to everyone who donated to the Great Scottish Run fund in aid of the Celtic Foundation, and to those who signed up for the race to do their bit. I know our gas has been at a peep recently but the flame of why we are Celtic fans burns as brightly as ever.
You can sign up for the race through the Foundation here, or if you’ve misplaced your trainers, you can help me hit my target here.
[calameo code=0003901718cdc4362fa2e? lang=en page=4 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]Many thanks.
723 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- ...
- 20
- »
LILYSGRANDPA
Wow,incredible!
All credit to Georgios and Neil. Fantastic stuff from them.
Tet….
VVD playing as if he’s not really focused ?
He better be careful or he’ll end up somewhere like Norwich or Cardiff in January.
Help Required, any you Bhoys or Ghirls know how to get RTE on Sky, thank you in anticipation
corkcelt
16:01 on 25 September, 2014EVERYONE knows that Celtic is a club like no other, but we all have our own individual reasons for believing that.Whether it be the triumph in Lisbon in 1967, the victory over Barcelona in 2012 or nine-in-a-row, we each have a personal reason for supporting the club and throughout this season the team at Celtic View have made it our mission to ask you, the fans, just what that is.This week we speak to a Celtic supporter who has been embraced by the Celtic family because of his un-paralleled love for the team – a young Bhoy affectionately known as Wee Jay – Jay Beattie from Ireland.Jay jumped into the hearts and minds of the Celtic support when he was plucked from the crowd by his hero Georgios Samaras during the end-of-season celebrations at Celtic Park this year.Here, he tells us just why Celtic means so much to him…When/How and why did you start supporting Celtic?From the moment I was born I was going to be a Celtic supporter as all my family supported them and my Nanny Eileen would sing me Celtic songs. My Daddy’s family are all Celtic supporters and I have loads of aunties and uncles and cousins and they all love Celtic. My Grandda Hayden would tell me stories all about Celtic when he was feeding me – and the town where I live, Lurgan, is Celtic-daft, so I was born one lucky Bhoy.What is your earliest Celtic memory?I am only 10-years-old but I have seen Celtic lift so many cups and play in so many games on TV and it just makes me proud and happy. I love singing but my speech wasn’t so good so my Daddy bought me a Celtic songs CD. I listened to it every day and I now know every word of every song and my speech is now really good and everyone is amazed, though my Mummy doesn’t look too happy after having to listen to The Celtic Song in the car 20 times a day.What was your first match and what do you remember about it?My first Celtic match was against Rangers but I was only a little baby and can’t remember much about it except that we won, which was brilliant. The game that I remember the most is the Scottish Cup final against Hibs when we scored three goals. As a present for making my First Holy Communion my Auntie and Uncle got my Daddy and I tickets to go for lunch to Celtic Park and then over to Hampden, and we were in the front row for the game. It was so exciting and when the goals went in the crowd went crazy. I was just so happy that we won and to see the team coming with the big cup around the pitch was amazing. Some day that will be me lifting that cup.Who is your Celtic hero and why?My Celtic hero will always be Samaras. I just love him. I love Santa and his beard and when I first saw Sammi with his beard I knew he was going to be a great player. I loved watching Sammi play and score and when he scored he did his wee heart sign and as I got my heart fixed when I was a baby I thought it was so nice. I got to meet Sammi and train with him and he was always so kind to me and then at the last game of the season he saw me in the crowd and picked me out and brought me on a lap of honour and told Sky Sports in an interview that I was his pal. That was the best day of my life and I will never forget him for making me feel so special that day.Are there any players from the past you wish you had seen play live and why?I have every Celtic DVD that there is and I watch them all day, every day and there are so many great players but the player I love watching the most from the olden days is Henrik Larsson. He was amazing and scored so many goals for us and some crackers like the chip over the Rangers goalie’s head at Celtic Park. I would love to have seen him play as he just kept scoring all the time and that is when I am at my happiest when the ball hits the back of the net.What is your favourite Celtic moment?Every morning I wake up is my favourite Celtic moment as I get to watch all my DVDs and read my books on Celtic. I just love them but moments that really made me happy were:1 – When Sammi scored the first goal against Rangers at Ibrox and jumped into the crowd. I watch that every day and just know that if I had scored I would have run out of the ground and all the way home to Ireland to my Mummy I would have been that excited. I just love the crowd going crazy and hugging Sammi. That made me really happy.2 – When Tony Watt scored against Barcelona it was so exciting even my teachers told my Mummy that I could have a lie-in the next day as I couldn’t sleep that night I was so excited. What a goal.3 – The last game of the season when Neil Lennon gave me his medal and Sammi picked me out of the crowd. I dream about it every night and can’t believe what happened to me that day. Not too many people have their dreams come true like that.Why is Celtic a club like no other for you?I have Down’s Syndrome and not so long ago people with that were not treated so nicely and my Mummy and Daddy made a promise when I was born that they would try and make a difference and ensure that I was treated the same as everyone else. Thanks to Celtic and all the fans around the world you have changed my life, you are all the best people in the world and have treated me so kindly and helped me live my dream and I love you all. Sometimes my Mummy has a wee cry when she reads all the messages sent to me on Facebook or Twitter and when I ask her why she says, ‘A special club for a special Bhoy.’ My world is Celtic. From the moment I get up until I fall asleep it is all I think about and talk about. It just makes me happy. What more does a Bhoy need? Thank you Celtic and all the fans and if you are reading this please be very proud as you are part of a club like no other.
Had me in tears….
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS,
Without a shadow of a doubt.
lilys
Rye
Doubt if he is bothered, muney talks…….the EPL is full of them, as you should well know >}
HH
19 minutes and 13 seconds of bliss…..
Every Celtic goal v Deadhuns from the 80s……….
Witnessed every last one of them live…..
Personal favourite is Charlie Nick….New Year Ibrox 1983…..
Loved taking the piss outta that mob for most of the 80s…..
► 19:13► 19:13
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nl9LKZ86fgo
13 Jun 2013 – Uploaded by WILLIE COLLOW
Celtic goals v rangers in the 80s … The Rangers Football Club – Action from 70’s and early 80 …
TBJ
Not arguing. Just fishing. :-)
MWD said AYE
BT
Wee Jay…..what a bhoy..would put us to shame how positive he is…God bless you wee mhan.
Corkcelt/Bmcuw.
Great post re wee jay and what Celtic means to him.Truly inspiring and made me smile and laugh.
A wee shrewdy with his observation about Henrik.It certainly made me think on how we all ‘get’ Celtic and what they mean to us.
Jays point shows history is important to us and to our sense of belonging but the great thing I take is we are never static,our history is live and moving forward.
Most Celts had their heroes to tell future generations about regardless of the times.i hope Jays generation have the same..i know we all want that.:-)
HH to wee jay for your pure Celticness.:-)
HH
Mwd…i will ask you…you seem knowlegable ..
.and can talk for Scotland…(laughing)
If the Islamic state gets most of its funds from oil(fields it has captured)….who is buying the oil?…i would like to know…
—
bgx
20:10 on 25 September, 2014
Regarding the islamic state…i just heard on
channel four that their main source of funds
is from oil(fields that they have captured)…
simple question…whos buying the oil?….
——-
Our Wondeful NATO ‘Allies’…
The Islamist Republic Of Turkey….
At $10-50 /Per Barrel..
Earning $2 Million/Day For SFTB’s Bosom Pals..
The ISIL Beheaders…
NOW Ye Know..!
~~~~
If SupaGriff Leaves….
Delia LEAVES..!
Simple As MDubyaD..
Right..?
—
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/qatar/11110931/How-Qatar-is-funding-the-rise-of-Islamist-extremists.html
http://www.express.co.uk/comment/columnists/leo-mckinstry/506834/Why-back-regimes-Qatar-Saudi-Arabia
—-
It was early last September
As near as I can remember
While strolling down a lane in tipsy pride
Not a word did I utter
As I lay down in the gutter
And this pig came up and lay there by my side
Not a soul was I disturbing
As I lay there by the curbing
When this high toned lady come
And I heard her say
“You can tell a man who boozes
By the company he chooses”
And the pig got up and slowly walked away
BGX
20.27
The self same people who sell arms to thems that they would have you believe are out to kill us all.
HH
All this talk if wee izzie, brafeild(sp) our work cup final playing former left back is playing for lazio who go in at half time 1 down..,
TSD
Thanks for that….just wondered…but why doesnt Nato stop them?…
HRVATSKI JIM
Sounds like you were at last year’s Hootenanny!
Ryecatcher
I remember you saying you had no interest in the Seville book, published earlier this year by CQN. I think your reasoning was that you had no interest as we lost.
Re your last post re Celtic in the Eighties – you may be more interested in our new book which will be out next month, titled Caesar & The Assassin.
This is the story of Celtic under managers Billy McNeill and Davie Hay and both are heavily involved in the book which is written by Alex Gordon.
Davie Hay will be on CQN soon and we are also trying to arrange for big a Billy to come on too. Doc is standing ready to assist.
So inside the Celtic manager’s office from 1978-1991. Mo Johnston – you dirty rat. Worse than even we think. It’s explosive!
TeT…ok…thanks….
BM
Maybe. Great party piece
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xHkqVwTKrM
Have a listen.
America’s military might is surely adequate enough to go to war without the UK’s help? Imagine what that money could do for the poor?!
Wee Jay
You are the mhan!
Hail Hail
WINNING CAPTAINS
Caesar and The Assassin sounds like an Asterix book.
I used to insist that my nephew borrow them from the library so that I could read them (to him)
THESPIRITOFARTHURLEE
I reckon Obama is adamant that we should be involved as we helped create the problem.
Yer man, Edson Braafheid, ex of our parish is playing for Nazio v Udinese tonight.
The commentator mentioned he signed for Bayern when Van Gaal was manager there.
Great interview with Jay Beatty, what a boy.
Clashcitybhoy, sorry I never replied to your post re Neilsen last night. I never saw his interview. He may have seething inside after we beat them as I have been told he’s a horrible sticky bun.
Kevj,your post about beating Hearts on April Fool’s day 1981 was bang on. It was great to see them getting a doing and teh April Fools chant was hilarious. I’m sure John Robertson & Gary McKay were playing for the maroon balloons that night.
Winning Captains…
Now yer talking mate……I really look forward to this book.
My reason for chosen indifference and amnesia on Seville is not that we lost.
It was the horrible raw feeling of being cheated by a classless bassa of a manager and his team , who were a wonderful footballing side if they wanted to be.
A kind of post traumatic reaction I guess…..probably inherited from my dad who still refuses to talk about Milan 1970 v Feynoord lol
Can’t wait for Davie’s take on a certain meeting that took place in Calderpark Zoo carpark…
I hope he forgives….it was a long time ago and he is a very magnanimous man.
Blantyre, drat, you beat me to it about Braafheid.
I’ve turned over the St Etienne game and its marvellous to see loads of fans in Green & White having a great time, singing away.
Allez les Verts.
an tearmann- the support are crying out for a hero/talisman,i think Guidetti could be the man.He needs a couple more games to get match fit,but he looks a player to me.He’s been bounced about on loan for a few years,he might feel at home here.Maybe if he does well,we could push the boat out a wee bit if he wants to stay.HH
Can’t watch Sky Sports News tonight without U2 popping up in the adverts with their Apple-ized, corporate-approved, banal, pseuo-rock candy floss assaulting my ears.
Long, long days since I bought the 12-inch of ‘In The Name Of Love’ in HMV in Union Street after the League Cup semi at Parkhead against Aberdeen in March (?) ’83, won with a penalty (Andy lynch?) and managed to hold onto it in my HMV bag in Central Station whilst a squad of Aberdeen casuals kicked the bejeesus out of me.
Ah, happy days. Now Bono and the board of U2 directors are about as Rock ‘n’ Roll as Tesco.
Joe McLaughlin who was a tremendous centre half btw….would have crawled over broken glass to come to Celtic in January 1987…….Davie promised the board if he was given 500k to sign him then we would have stopped the Souness team’s rise in its tracks and we would have retained the title.
A really good man and manager let down by his board…..
Déjà vu is just not what it used to be,ey!
Wee Jay, what a bhoy. Loved this ” the player I love watching the most from the olden days is Henrik Larsson”, lol olden days. I look on Henk as being my recent past, funny hearing someone saying it was so long ago.
Isn’t it great that someone who has so many difficulties to face in life gets what being a Celtic fan is all about. I bet Wee Jay never boos at half time or critisizes players who are having an off day.
Wish more of our support were so positive.
Jim hrvatski 20:32 & clip at 20:40
Great verse and clip mhate :-)
HH
sandman
20:51 on 25 September, 2014
March 1984
Mark Reid pen
Don’t forget that was an Aberdeen which was ECWC holders and Davie Hay’s team beat them 1-0 over 180 minutes
We of course managed to throw away the final to the dead team.
Surprised by the posts referring to Neilson as a Hun. I saw him interviewed earlier and he was speaking well of Ronny and saying how much he was looking forward to meeting and chatting with him .
Cheerio,
JJ
Sandman.
U2 turned from rock band to pop band long ago.
Had it in them to do a ‘who’s next’ or similar but chose jingles instead.
Shame.
Sandman…
Andy Lynch left 3 years before that game mate.
Was it Mark Reid with the penalty?
Dunno….cannae remember…..off to look it up
Gene’s a Bhoy’s name @ 19:43
Yeah, the commentators are not very positive about what we are doing right now…. same ‘ol, same ‘ol on that one.
The balance will take a while… a friend was commenting last week that there are some players who are knackered with the new fitness routine… again, that will take time to adjust to but should get results over time.
HH