Celtic have played lower league opposition three times this season but last night was surely the most ineffective performance we’ve seen from a football team in some years. Dunfermline limited Celtic to two goals and – to be fair – Jim McIntyre spotted a defensive weakness at corner kicks, which his team were able to exploit twice, almost leading to a goal on one occasion, but there was none of the coordination and skill we faced against Falkirk, Ross County and arguably, Peterhead.
How they had the audacity to walk onto a football field dressed as Brazil we’ll never know.
After the first Dunfermline corner ‘scare’ (I’m being generous) I watched the setup for their second half corner attempt. Celtic had 10 defenders inside the box, including Fraser Forster, against five Dunfermline attackers. Defensively, we looked well setup, but the delivery was particularly good, an in-swinger, dipping beyond the far post into a secondary zone.
Defending zonally (which I am in favour of with a small concession to man-mark one or two key threats) involves protecting the key areas in front of goal, where opponents are most likely to score from. This compromises peripheral areas, in particular the acute angles before the front post and beyond the back post. When you get a good delivery from a corner kick, as Dunfermline provided last night, forwards can attack the area in front of the near post looking for a glancing header, or rush to the back of the six yard box, from where they can deliver a reverse ball into the primary danger area.
For all their frailties, they figured out how to get the better of Celtic at corner kicks.
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115 Comments- Pages:
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1st
from last thread
Paul67
“Mulgrew who shot from 33 yards”….very precise. I thought it was more 34 myself.
Generally an excellent display breaking down a packed defence. Thought Hoopers movement and control was fantastic throughout(with the exception of the blast over the bar), Ki’s passsing and vision superb, Cha’s engine (just unbelievable), Commons occassionally brilliant (but some times the flicks don’t come off), Ledley his usual efficient self, Charlie was explosive, Broonie excellent controlled aggressive tackling performance (four years on I am warming to our captain)….I could go on.
I thought it was between Hooper and Ki for MOTM.
Only down side was our defending from corners..still a bit suspect.
2nd
Another multi article day ahead Paul?
Sounds like we need more defensive drills as well as some crossing practice
Top ten…
top ten?
Maybe this is a situation for Dan to sort out. :-)
Greetings fellow Celtic fans from Phuket.
Mrs RobinBhoy is a big Baggies fan so they are my English team too. Worked in West Brom for a few years so have Baggies supporting friends still down there.
Word is that Walter (cardigan) Smith will be unveiled as the new Wolves manager today, so now I officially hate Wolves (always liked big Mick) and hope they get relegated every year then liquidated.
Hail Hail!
RobinBhoy
share
Do administrators have set timeframes for implementing redundancies?
justaskinglikeCSC
All hail Craig Whyte!!
Generations will remember him,and he shall be called blessed.
Paul67
You read my mind.
I thought they were real scares as in the first instance Keddie should have done a lot better with his header.
The two headers were from almost exactly the same position, I am sure they will be working on this this week.
Paul
Did you notice that after at least one of their corners we had an excellent break up the field that with a slightly more precise pass from Commons to Hooper, we’d have scored.
I thought I saw another good break after one of their corners but it could have been one of their regular “attacks”.
Zonal and man to man both have advantages and disadvantages but we have conceded less goals from corners than we have scored from and maybe the set up is such to win 2nd ball and start an attack when the opposition aren’t concentrating on defence as much.
Mort
I think we’re more suited to playing away from home. I’m actually glad we’re away in the SC QF.
Ooooh hit the post…
My 2nd 1st and 1st 3rd but it says 2nd….
I even read Paul’s post.
Bang on a game which should have been easily 7 or 8, ended up having to clear off the line and then panic stations all from to corners.
But Hey Ho…20pts and rising.
Have they sacked that kitman yet!!
LET THE PEOPLE DEFEND CORNERS!!
“the latteral movment when rangers die”, and “doning the broonie when rangers die” was excellent last night
but my pick of the bunch was:
see the Celtic are arising
I see the titles on the way
I see the Tims are having a Party
When we’re crowned champions in May
Glasgows Green and White
The H**S are Fuckin Shite
I see the titles on the way
top drawer from the GB
Sometimes, just sometimes, the most skilled locksmith fails to pick a lock.
That’s when you send for Charlie “the Battering Ram” Mulgrew.
share
LisbonesqueCSC.
Rangers say their club will never die
NOW we know why!!!
http://i.imgur.com/nWH3i.gif
;¬)
Paddy
Thanks pal, She’s a very lucky lady ;-) haha. HH
I have to agree with Lennie we were wastefull last night Stokes and Hooper being the main culprits our outfield play was first class and we should have won at least 5-0 also we havnt seen a lot of the Polish Bhoy but he may well come good.Dunfermline are a poor lot and imo opinion were just happy to try to keep the score respectable.Still we are 20 points ahead is great and we are going to win the league.H.H.
Paul67
Have you been taking your coaching badges in your spare time ;)
Your spot on though, we have been fragile at corners and set pieces for the whole of this season. Not as noticeable since November though due to our on going run but it’s still there and still a concern.
HH
If wolves appoint the myth they will struggle to stay up.
As we all know the myths tactics are to play for 0-0 and hope to get lucky.A team hoping to avoid relegation need to attack and get lucky.
paul67
they were dreadful last nite i hope the get relegated tho the huns might instead lol
Possession
28%
72%
92mins
Celtic 72%
Dunfermline 28%
Shots
27 3
On target
16 3
Corners
16 3
Fouls
5 7
never seen stats like that except when the huns were in europe
I AM WORRIED THIS KING CHARACTER IS SNIFFING AROUND IBROX {ADMINISTRATION] HE HAS A FEW BOB IS THAT CORRECT
What was the song the GB were chanting in the 2nd half, ending with “Here we go again”
Mate thought it was ‘let’s call the whole thing off’
GB doing Hollywood musicals now :)
Never catch On
from the excellent poster Amac on CM.
*Get your “The Big House Must Stay Open” Ringtone here*
I created this after being given the idea by a poster on another thread.
Feel free to pass it around
These have been tried on an HTC Desire, iPhone and work fine.
download from Sendspace.
iPhone
http://www.sendspace.com/file/p3gd56
Download and put in your iphones ringtone library. Then sync with your iphone and when it’s done, you can head into the settings and select your new ringtone.
android
http://www.sendspace.com/file/cjvse4
Download to a folder on your phone. Play the file and set as ringtone.
Here’s a sample
http://soundcloud.com/jinkylarsson/the-big-house
After one of D’line’s corners, the camera cut to big Johan who sat with his head in his hands in disgust.
I imagine defending corners will be a priority at the next training session.
Paul67
I really do hope Dunfermline get relegated as they have brought nothing to the SPL.
rangers need £4.5 Million NOW or it is bye bye.
I Just Can’t Get Enough!
Paul 67
Re zonal marking.
It works well when you have the right players.
In recent weeks our team has normally contained 4 or even 5 guys at 6ft plus.
This allows one at the front of the 6 yard box facing the ball, two on the 6 yard line and one at the furthest away corner – all bases covered.
When we have Mulgrew, WAnyama, Samaras, and Rogne it works.
Last night we only had one guy in the team with the necessary height and ability to do the job – Mulgrew. Both Wilson and Ki have the height, but neither can , or are prepared to jump.
Net effect is that we were caught out twice with in swingers to the back post.
This is a real problem for us , as our best 11 , contains lots of great players but, lacks in height, with only Mulgrew, Rogne and Wanyama having the stature for the job.
Dave King won’t have a few bob if he clears the Huns debts.
If the money for the wages had been guaranted by someone and they are due today I’d guess redundancies could hit tomorrow as the Administrators will not want to be running up a bigger fresh wage bill than is neccesary!
I read on the last article BlantyreKev having a bit of fun with the Save R@ngers campaign, now I’m with MWD, these guys are going through some mental trauma and are hapless in the face of the confused tangled business deals, internecine warfare – see the auld Chairman is at it again – and a crap Football team.
So as BlantyreKev knows only too well to save a Company you have to do the maths – then assign the responsibilities and liabilities. Let’s help the R@ngers fans and do the maths and whose in the firing line for it and launch a campaign to get them to pony up.
So Craig Whyte is in line for 27.5Min guarantees and cash although he has paid 2.5M in the little tax case, now presumably the penalties are part of the 9M still outstanding to HMRC that lies with the RFC administrators, but if Craig is sorts out Ticketus presumably the 4M in VAT disappears from their liabilities to the Crown.
Now the auld Board who think they’ve ducked away – no way Jose, they should pick up their tab that is 18M of Bank debt they left that presumably goes towards whoever actually paid it – then the 49M for the EBT debacle.
So I suggest we start a campaign to get these guys in a Room point out their liabilities and responsibilities and get the Boats in line to save the Gers, that’s Craigy, D&P and the auld Board. Their commitments I want to see in Millions are;
25,5,67
SO Pay up and save the Gesr,
Lets launch the Save Rangers 25.5.67 Appeal.
Crisis! What Crisis? 20 points clear and counting.
Ulster-celt and eyes wide open .. just reading back on last nights posts and looks like i got it wrong about Frank Carson so i apoligise for my misuderstanding .. HH
Problems wae corners: Rogne missing
The lads imperious in the air
Like wilsons pace as it comes in useful at home with teams counter attacking but not convinced by him as “dominating centre half” style defender
Wilson needs a commanding defender next to him & mulgrew is not the answer
Love chaz but against real quality opposition he will be shown up as a player out of position
God i’m starting to sound like a right negative jonah… We were never at any threat of losing last night. Complete control from beginning to end.
78% possession!
phils view
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/order-order/
Spot on, Paul.
MON’s sides were especially good at doing what Dunfermline tried to do last night, blessed as they were with players whose talents were suited to the art.
I have personally never liked the business of pulling so many players back to defend corners that the opposition is basically invited in to our final third.
I have 2 principal reasons for thinking like this: the first is that it can (and does) lead to diffusion of responsibility when the box gets so congested with defenders.
The other is that it invites the opposition to come forward in greater numbers: cf. the Atletico Madrid game at Celtic Park: for the first couple of corners they won, we left 1 or 2 up front, meaning they kept 2 or 3 defenders around the half-way line.
On instruction from the dugout, however, we changed so that our whole team was defending within 25 yards of the goalmouth. Atletico subsequently scored as a direct consequence of having their whole team pushed up to attack our goal (their goalie was the only player not within 40 yards of our goal).
Dunfermline only pushed 5 or 6 players in to the danger zone, but more confident and talented sides will do what Atletico did …
FF
Steviebhoy66
It’s Toytown, some manner of hardcore track from the early 90s apparently:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uITp0HKiF4Y
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WALO5tQQ1D0
Think I’ll stick to the GB version thanks very much (as with Discoland!)
Always remember an article from the NTView the year WTT took over.
It was talking about how compared to seasons beforehand the board hadn’t given him that much money (Goes without saying his signings were impeccable, they didnt have to.)
But there was one key bit in the article. Said that at the end of every training session he split the team into defense and attack and practiced corners.
Until the attack scored 3 times in a row. Defensive errors didnt count.
That last line for me sums the whole idea up.
Last night was a good performance against a 10man defense. But as Paul puts it, set-pieces are crucial in any team. Nearly 1/3 goals in world football come from them,
Dear Mr Lennon, keep up the good work, more of the same please.
PS. just dont stay blind to the little things that might lower the party atmosphere
HH
Paul
Good observation. Just one thing I would like to add for your consideration. The starting point of Dunfermline players was at the edge of area. this is the key against any team that adopts zonal marking because the momentum gathered by the rushing player is where the advantage can be had over the static defender.
Breaking or blocking the run is critical if this tactic is to be deployed. Those in zonal positions must relay on others to block the runs otherwise puts real pressure on the six yard zonal defenders
All of which is why i prefer man marked!!
cheers