Creating and taking chances

1634

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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1,634 Comments

  1. the long wait is over

     

     

     

    What is it with us and strikers?

     

     

    Genuine question.

     

     

    When was the last time we signed a striker who turned out to be , or was improved to become, a better striker than we thought ? Henrik?

     

     

    ———–

     

     

    Hooper.

     

     

    And I think that too often we expect strikers we sign to be the next Henrik. Whereas even Henrik was signed as an average player.

  2. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    VOGUEPUNTER

     

     

    Johnny Hubbard was a genuinely good guy when I knew him-slightly-back in the 80s.

     

     

    It was him who told me Kitchenbrand was Catholic! But he’d be the first to admit that the reason he was so good at penalties was the amount of practice he got.

  3. twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine on

    RobertTressell

     

     

    Agree, we’re needing a bit of a challenge and its great that its definitely not going to be coming from govan way in the forseeable future, if at all. Hope you keep posting mate

     

     

    HH

  4. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    MOONBEAMSWETDREAMS

     

     

    Good advice,mate-as is expected from your good self!

     

     

    Have a good ‘un.

  5. Today, and tomorrow morning, I will be mostly drinking lager, red wine (Italian), prosecco and gins n topic.

     

     

    …but not necessarily in that order!

     

     

    Cin cin!!

     

     

    HH!!

  6. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    TALLYBHOY

     

     

    Topic? Ya nutty bassa!

     

     

    Have a guid yin,bud. And a guid gin.

  7. Morning all. Best wishes to all CQNrs and Tims worldwide for a healthy, happy and prosperous 2015!!

     

     

    HH

     

     

    Gerry

  8. the long wait is over

     

     

    Possible reasons for Daryl Murphy’s scoring exploits….

     

     

    Service.

     

    More open play.

     

    Lower standard.

     

    Better pitches.

     

    Less clugging.

     

    A manager that deploys tactics to suit his game.

     

    Less pressure.

  9. Kevjungle@05.35

     

     

    Good point.

     

     

    Not unique either, it’s happened before, though rarely. Either an offensive post is ignored, or generous benefits of the doubt are granted, depending on the poster, apparently.

     

     

    Or maybe they just agree when Nigel Farage says it’s ok.

  10. hamiltontim

     

     

    09:27 on 31 December, 2014

     

     

     

    ——

     

     

    Thanks for the info mate. Disappointed, but you have saved me a needless trip.

     

     

    Such is life I guess.

  11. weet weet weet(GBWO) on

    Morning all

     

     

    I don’t agree wi any of this ;))))

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

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  12. the long wait is over on

    Robertressell – More than some of them I suspect.

     

     

    Supersutton -Yep – agree on Hooper – can’t think of anyone else but would like to be proved wrong.

     

     

    Thunder Road – fair points but also against better standard defenders- even allowing for your points it’s mystifying and worrying as it seems to be our biggest weakness since Hooper left. Do other teams have specialist forward coaches?

     

     

    Chris Sutton was being touted for that for a while but he’s burned his boats on that one now.

  13. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    BEATBHOY

     

    KEVJ

     

     

    Pejorative language? Didnae notice,please enlighten me.

  14. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    WEETWEETWEET

     

     

    Is there one about doing the hoovering during the fitba’?

     

     

    Cos if there is,that’s my Mum’s birthday sorted.

     

     

    My Dad’s as well,since he’ll be the prime beneficiary.

  15. pedrocaravanachio67 on

    Kev j and beat boy

     

     

    Can u point me in direction of contentious language……

     

     

    Couldn’t see any myself?

  16. RobertTressell

     

    09:37 on

     

    31 December, 2014

     

    Happy New Year Timdom.

     

     

    Looks like we are back in to must win league games for the first time in ages.

     

     

    Good.

     

     

    Hope Aberdeen can keep it going. It will be good for Celtic to have to fight for the league.

     

     

    If they give us a challenge watch the attendances creeping up. As football fans we want excitement. We should be glad when we get it.

     

     

    —————————————————————-

     

     

    I’m old enough to remember the last time Aberdeen not only put in a sustained challenge but went onto to win the league twice. It hurt when they did it but it was a great time to watch scottish football.

     

     

    If they did it this season, would it really be as bad as it is being painted by some here and on other forums?

  17. m6bhoy

     

     

    If they did it this season, would it really be as bad as it is being painted by some here and on other forums?

     

     

    ———

     

     

    In my opinion yes.

     

     

    With the resources we have available we should win the league.

     

     

    That’s not a sense of entitlement I’m just gutted anytime Celtic don’t win the title.

  18. ma Dad won,t be here this New Year …but born a few hours ago ,in Hamilton Hawkes Bay NZ ….was another great grand daughter ,,,Poppy Susannah Millar 7.7 pounds ….mother Angela and baby Poppy Susannah both braw braw braw …

     

     

    am off to ma scratcher ….. what a day ….

     

     

    see youse all for the bells ….

     

     

    another wee gorgeous ghirl …..braw

  19. twentyfirstofmaynineteenseventynine on

    Stringer Bell

     

     

    Depending on where your’e coming from it might be worth getting one on the day. I was always lucky in the Star & Garter on Garscube Rd (for tickets that is, the talents nae good) and if you dont get one you could always experience the delights of one of the many local hostelries and watch it on the telly.

     

     

    HH

  20. Deila is becoming increasingly irritating with each passing day. Wish he would stop talking garbage and get a decent effective team on the park. Most managers with the players at his disposal would be streets ahead in the league just now.

  21. archdeaconsbench

     

    08:54 on

     

    31 December, 2014

     

    For me, the Cifti link is all about expectation management…. Guidetti’s wages will be out of our range. Hence the bid for Cifti.

     

    __________________________________________________________________________

     

     

    Yet another conspiracy theorist.

     

     

    What would you do?

     

     

    Pay anybody anything they want?

     

     

    Pay EPL wages where even the bottom club gets £50 million TV money compared to our £2 million?

     

     

    Try a variation on EBTs?

     

     

    Living and surviving within your means, involves spending less than others with greater means – simples.

     

     

    Example of doing otherwise can be found in Edminson Drive, Glasgow G52.

     

     

    Celtic Football Club has to generate 97.5% of its income.

     

     

    Leicester City/Burnley etc get 60% of their income handed to them by SKY

     

     

    In the REAL world, one makes REAL decisions – In a Sevco world one makes an AR*E of it!

     

     

    Celtic chooses to live in the REAL world.

  22. Celtic, Celtic, That’s the team for me

     

    Celtic, Celtic, onto Vict-or- ee

     

     

    Now if we didnt win the league this season, We would all know who to blame, and it wouldn’t be because Aberdeen or DU have improved, we do have the squad to win it

     

     

    Hail Hail

  23. Rummybhoy

     

    10:32 on

     

    31 December, 2014

     

    Deila is becoming increasingly irritating with each passing day. Wish he would stop talking garbage and get a decent effective team on the park. Most managers with the players at his disposal would be streets ahead in the league just now.

     

    —————————————————————————————————————–

     

     

    Wonder if you said the same about Neil six months into the job, during which time we lost to Ross County in the SC semi?