Creating and taking chances

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I watched Hull batter Leicester City on TV last night without putting the ball in the net.  The sheer volume and quality of chances entitled Hull fans to some consolation in the valid football adage, ‘these days happen’.  Those absent from Celtic Park on Saturday are likely to assume we similarly battered Ross County, but they would be wrong.  County defended throughout but were never under anything close to intense pressure.

This is one of the right times of the season to have a performance like that, they are of little use in the first week in February, when the transfer window is closed.  Clues abound as to where we need to strengthen, most pointing to the forward line.  John Guidetti’s drop in form over the last month has dropped like a stone, but he’s still comfortably holding onto the striker position.  Neither Stokes, Griffiths nor Scepovic are putting pressure on a young off-form player.

There is also the playmaker position, which appears to be on the bench.  Kris Commons has been dropped before in his Celtic career, often for important games in Europe, where more industrious, but less talented, players were chosen.  I spent most of Saturday’s game waiting on Kris coming on, but if his general level of fitness counts against him for a starting position, his lack of 90 minute outings since his injury earlier in the season means that his late-game cameos look even less industrious.

As I’ve been saying since July, we only have one playmaker and if he’s not playing or off form, we’ll struggle.  With a match-fit Commons on from the start yesterday, we would have won comfortably.  I’m happy to accept we need a playmaker who’ll cover 15k in 90 minutes, so sign one, but if we’re going to let Commons go, or wither on the bench, sign two, before we end up dependent on one man again.

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  1. Right taking Hugo the Bhoy oot

     

     

    Talk Fitba when I get back

     

     

    But just afore I go

     

     

    Give Liam Henderson the games that Scott Allen gets, and we will see who is the better player, know here my money would be on

     

    Point we already have a player worth a chance ?

  2. Cowiebhoy

     

     

    Jonnyrambo

     

     

    Just for clarity in point 3 of yours – we do already live within our means

     

     

    Could I add a suggestion for our board – hopefully a positive, and not about the standard of our team

     

    Get across to Dortmund, and see how they are managing to keep 80000 fans on board and apparently happy, with a great stadium atmosphere

     

    Then see what you can do in Scotland with Celtic

     

     

    Hail Hail

     

    ————–

     

    Dortmund are often held up as a good example, but they almost went bust a few years ago despite recently winning the European Cup. They are now fighting relegation.

     

     

    Great fans/atmosphere but not everything is rosy in German football. Bayern are far to powerful.

  3. Ok, ma heids aboot tae explode. Going to watch the rest of the ‘Pool game.

     

     

    Night Night Timland. Nae animosity between yez noo. :-)) KTF.

     

     

    Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.

  4. Doc, touché !

     

    Although I do recall JB being hailed as a tactical genius in the one game that it worked :)

  5. From twitter, couple of Norweigian journos

     

     

    Mikkel «Mix» Diskerud leaving Rosenborg. Celtic next stop?

     

     

    Mix Diskerud – summer target for Celtic – unlikely to agree new contract with Rosenborg & can leave on free 1st Jan. tv2.no/a/6394712

  6. theres one thing ive learned in life ………..there is no right and no wrong !! only opinions ……..

  7. Hello again all you young rebels.

     

     

    Just a wee reminder to our Oz lurkers and i know from walking

     

    through the Chadstone and Fountaingate shopping malls that

     

    there are plenty of you, about our Bobby Geddes fundraiser on

     

    Jan. 11, Irish band Tara are playing and apparently they are brill.

     

    Signed Celtic strips, raffles, and guaranteed singsong from us on

     

    the day.

     

    So if you can make it down to Mornington the Bay hotel Celtic Social

     

    you will have a great day and help a family in trouble.

     

     

    Sometimes life throws us a few wee curve balls and you get a nice

     

    surprise, well one happened at our club on Sunday, we were sitting

     

    in the club discussing the up coming event when in walked a couple

     

    of the darksides fans, one made a substantial cash donation and the

     

    other a bottle of Black Label whisky to be auctioned on the day

     

     

    Now i know we give thems a lot of stick on here and sometimes

     

    deservedly so but that gesture gave me food for thought and a little

     

    hope for the future.

     

    So respect Ian and Rob not just for the donations to a family you don’t

     

    even know but for the amount of good natured banter you endured

     

    about your team when you where in the club.

     

    H.H Mick

  8. Hamiltontim

     

     

    At long last, you have been outed as a troll. Minx must be confused.

     

    Hope you both had a lovely Christmas and that Santa was good to all your family.

     

    Hope to see you at Paradise soon.

     

    HH and KTF

  9. coatdykebhoy

     

     

    21:08 on 29 December, 2014

     

     

    If that’s true how is my opinion always right then ???? :-) HH

  10. coatdykebhoy

     

     

    21:08 on 29 December, 2014

     

     

    Exactly mate but I do agree with you to a point, some of the Players are not good enough.

     

     

    Keep the Faith!

     

     

    Hail Hail!

  11. weefrathetim

     

     

    20:51 on 29 December, 2014

     

    Gonnie you ghuys stop this. I’m sitting here wi ma calculator trying to work oot awe these numbers yer throwing at us. 442-4321-42212….. ffs remember us auld ghuys who are used tae just turning up and watching the game. Never knew before we entered the grun who tf was playing and where. Gies a brek please. Hahahahaha

     

     

    Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.

     

     

    ——–

     

     

    Weefra

     

     

    A 3-5-4 formation is the way furrit I tell ye! The Unseen Fenian Abacus at play…

     

     

    ;-)

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  12. Dudu Dahan is confident that his client Olarenwaju Kayode will be able to join Glasgow Celtic in the January transfer window, stressing that the striker is eligible for a work permit on the grounds that he is a special talent.

     

     

    The top Israeli agent has suggested that the Maccabi Netanya striker is not obsessed with joining Efe Ambrose at the Scottish Premier League champions.

     

     

    And he has strongly hinted that the Nigeria youth international could be heading to Belgium instead.

     

     

    ”We are discussing with some clubs. We are hoping that the transfer fee being demanded by Maccabi Netanya will go down because the price they are asking is not realistic,” Dudu Dahan said to SL10.ng.

     

     

    ”Glasgow Celtic and some clubs in Belgium are interested in him. He can get a work permit in Scotland because he is a special talent.

     

     

    ”I believe in Kayode and I think he has a bright future.

     

     

    ”Due to the holidays, everyone is on break, starting from tomorrow things will start moving.”

     

     

    While Dudu Dahan is keeping sealed lips on the identities of the suitors from Belgium, SL10.ng understands that Club Brugge, Gent and Standard Liege are in contact with him.

     

     

    Olarenwaju Kayode is under contract with Maccabi Netanya until the summer of 2016, but the First Division champions will give him the green light to leave the club in the new year.

  13. jamesgang

     

     

    Merr friggin numbers,Aghhhhhhhhhh. :-) How ye doin’ kiddo? :-))

     

     

    Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.

  14. jamesgang

     

     

    Was telling mrsweefra about yer heelin’ relatives, she reckons her kin will know your kin as she has kin from the same place. Will discuss at the next home game. :-)

     

     

    Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.

  15. pedrocaravanachio67 on

    Cowiebhoy

     

     

    Thought it was more like this

     

     

    # # # #

     

    #

     

     

     

     

     

    # # ##

     

    #

     

     

    Then in the last 10

     

     

    # #

     

     

    #

     

     

    # # # # # # #

     

     

    Really should have used question marks!!!!!

  16. Colour Blind Bhoy on

    Quick request for tech help please if anyone logged in who can assist?

     

     

    I recently bought a new laptop which has Windows 8 and am trying to save a bunch of old camcorder discs to it via Windows Media Player.

     

     

    Problem appears to be that Windows 8 doesn’t have Windows Media Player installed? I’ve had a look online and see VLC Media Player (from a French company) being recommended.

     

     

    Has anyone used this or have a better idea how to do the uploads?

     

     

    Thanks in advance for any help.

  17. The numbers game is confusing, just giveus clever enough players snd they will know where to play.

     

    All the latest rumours will be just that, rumours. So far, any Viking that wanders near his front door is Celtic bound….unlikely.

  18. pedro

     

     

    A gie up. Ooft. Nice to meet you again on Saturday buddy. :-)

     

     

    Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.

  19. Colour Blind Bhoy

     

     

    21:25 on 29 December, 2014

     

     

    Quick request for tech help please if anyone logged in who can assist?

     

     

    I recently bought a new laptop which has Windows 8 and am trying to save a bunch of old camcorder discs to it via Windows Media Player.

     

     

    Problem appears to be that Windows 8 doesn’t have Windows Media Player installed? I’ve had a look online and see VLC Media Player (from a French company) being recommended.

     

     

    Has anyone used this or have a better idea how to do the uploads?

     

     

    Thanks in advance for any help.

     

    —————

     

    VLC is a media player, excellent one at that. There’s also Media Player Classic (the old old Windows player). Both will play any file you throw at it.

  20. pedrocaravanachio67 on

    Weefra

     

     

    Good tae see yer good self, although there was something wrong wae the formation……..

     

    Minx an lefty where holding in the middle

     

    CRC and Dena where lurking at the back

     

    Cowiebhoy was stoatin aboot no really sure whit he wis dain

     

    An Hamiltontim was hiding oot oan the wings.

     

    The rest of us where feedin aff the scraps :-)

  21. Colour Blind Bhoy on

    the_huddle

     

    Many thanks mhate, much appreciated, will download it now and will be a busy bhoy for the the next few hours.

     

    HH

  22. jonnyrambo67,

     

     

    Just back on mate, thanks for making it easier for a simpleton to understand.

     

     

    The problem some of has is… We have taken our foot of the gas whilst some other entity died and is going through a re-birth.

     

     

    We still have other teams to play and the fans still need entertained with a Celtic that plays the Celtic way….hope that helps.

  23. Weefra

     

     

    I’m grand buddy. Chillin with the mrs and a wee big peroni!

     

     

    Bliss!

     

     

    Look forward to catching up ref the highlanders.

     

     

    HH jamesgang .

  24. I only remember the last couple of Jock Stein seasons. did teams regularly “park the bus” against us in the 60’s?

  25. Shelvey has had a stinker, slagged off by his own manager before the match for basically being lazy and an idiot for getting booked all the time, then throws an elbow in this game (will get a ban), then has a joke and a giggle with the Liverpool player while marking him at the corner and ends up heading into his own net :O) That’s some weeks work.

  26. doc

     

     

    21:35 on 29 December, 2014

     

    CowieBhoy has never been sure of what he is doing.m

     

    —–

     

     

    The big N Mhan only ever seems to go when you’re there to explain to him what’s going on!

     

    PS I know fine well that ‘ex pro’ he claimed to be chatting with on the bus home was you!!’

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  27. mullet and co 2 on

    The whole team needs to be more creative. Van Dijk and Denayer have it. Ambrose has it but his inability to have a fault free game does him in. Izzy, is a low centre of gravity skilfully dependable left back who can create. Lustig can certainly create and makes up for his lack of Latin or African lineage with Scandanavian technique. The defence is good although a fit right back would do us some good and Izzys sporadic loss of confidence we could do without.

     

    The midfield is a paradox which we cannot or will not resolve. We depend on Brown and Johansen. Neither of these could compete with McStay, Lambert, McLeod, Petrov, Collins, Lennon, Wanyama, …

     

    The two mainstays in midfield are not midfielders we would recognise as traditional Celtic midfielders that I have mentioned. Both Johansen and Brown are good players but Brown cannot maintain a box to box presence, he cannot turn on a six pence and play a 50 yard defence splitting pass he rarely scores long range shots. He’s good in short runs beyond another midfielder or in a recovery situation but he cannot hold a la Lennon or Lambert. Johansen lacks the composure to run as much as he does then settle on a pass or a shot as a result of his industry. He’s good but not on his own and certainly not a main. Man. He may be good as a left midfielder in much the same way as Brown should be pushed out right.

     

    This is where the problem lies.

     

    Kris Commons is not the answer to our long term problems when he can’t run, regularly loses possession and cannot take advantage of yards of space to sprint into.

     

    I detect frustration from a number of CQners who have made something of a star in Kris.

     

    Maybe it’s because he gets Celtic. I get that… But you need to think about Celtic.

  28. Colour Blind Bhoy

     

     

    Many thanks mhate, much appreciated, will download it now and will be a busy bhoy for the the next few hours.

     

    HH

     

    ———

     

    No probs, are you only wanting to watch the discs or rip (copy) them to your laptop?

  29. pedrocaravanachio67 on

    Jamesgang

     

     

    I think the “ex pro ” you refer to was a former lady of the night ;-)

  30. JamesGang, he is always trying to get me to sit next to him to keep him right.

     

    Unfortunately I was never paid for my skills on the park, only ever played for the fun.

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