Credit to Newco and Steven Gerrard. They controlled much of yesterday’s game at Celtic Park, took their chances, which on this occasion did not all fall to the wasteful Morelos, and deserved their win. For Celtic, the nature of the defeat asks many questions.
The visitors dominated the opening 30 minutes, which were a carbon copy of the League Cup Final between these sides earlier this month. Celtic played the ball forward early throughout this period but it never stuck. The front four: James Forrest, Ryan Christie, Mikey Johnston and Odsonne Edouard were practically spectators.
Kristoffer Ajer disrupted this pattern when he carried the ball through midfield for the first time in the game. This inhibited Newco, and, for a few minutes, Celtic held possession in the final third. In quick succession following this, Celtic won a corner, a subsequent penalty when Christopher Jullien was fouled inside the box and Ryan Christie saw his spot kick saved. Before Newco could count their blessings, they took the lead when Ryan Kent was given space to shoot from 14 yards. The opening goal came during Celtic’s best period of the match thus far, but it was deserved.
Scott Brown, who despite the result was imperious throughout, and Callum McGregor began to impose themselves after going behind. A shot from the latter deflected off Odsonne Edouard, wrong-footed Allan McGregor and drew Celtic level.
The second half did not provide any comfort for the 59,000 Celtic fans. Newco continued to dominate the game before scoring from a free header at a corner kick. Celtic could not hold the ball for 10 seconds.
Neil Lennon reacted on 68 minutes by hooking both Forrest and Johnston for Ntcham and Bitton, and going three at the back. Celtic finally matched Newco in midfield and were able to dominate possession. They created good chances in the closing minutes but it was too little, too late.
Steve Gerrard won the tactical battle, as he did at Hampden, where Celtic took the trophy but not the lessons.
We’ll have a State of the Club piece up tomorrow.
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King Lubo,
The thing is Ryan went to the Dons for a season,toughened up,and bulked up.Its what’s being suggested for Mikey.
Good man Póg, That reads good now, Pog rhymes with Bog which doesn’t sound good.
Póg rhymes with rogue & sounds a lot better.
Póg is the correct spelling for kiss, which is the love message you are sending to all Huns.
TB,
Nail on head. You have your defensive midfielder playing centre half purely because of his height and not because of his aerial ability. We need to acquire a centre half and a striker. Kris Ajer should be played in midfield where he started his career. Another square peg in a round hole. You just need to watch his runs through the middle to see where his best position is and it is not CH. Just because you are tall doesn’t mean you are great in the air.
So who plays left mid when Johnson is loaned out?
Elyanoussi and Sinclair are off in the summer.
Racist abuse ?…….FFS where do you start at Racist FC ?. This is when CFC need to step up.
Ajer’s ‘runs through he middle’ are possible because everyone else ties up an opposition player and the midfield parts like the Red Sea.
CORKCELT,
You suggesting I’m a bit of a rogue? Those who know me might well agree with you. 😉😄
“But Rangers had said in an earlier statement on their website it was “a gesture used commonly throughout South America to indicate quite simply that something – in this case, the match – is finished.”
Well, I lived in South America for twelve years and I can assure you Morelos wasn’t telling the Celtic fans the game was finished…
What it indicates is, “You’re getting it.”
This is a ruse to defend the indefensible…
MACJAY
You are so blinkered you fail to see when the piss is being extracted.
Please,surely our club will have to come out and defend this.
No doubt we will have certain ones come on and defend nothing being said.
We’re top of the league,won ten n a row and when we wake up blah blah bla
You probably don’t realise you’re part of the problem,but you are
I love your moniker Póg. The correct spelling is Póg mo thoín,, but the way you have it is grand, it sounds like someone saying it with a Scottish accent but you did need the line fada over the O. As you say sorted now. I’ll give a wee smile every time I see it from now on.,
But hey! I can understand the boy’s sheer frustration…
However, there was no racism…it has been manufactured by the huns…
just watched the entire painful 1-2 defeat in Youtube again. In the cold light of day then we were nowhere near as bad as is being portrayed, and also Rangers did not dominate that match as such. What did stand out though was how much better they were off the ball in terms of relentless shape discipline, 1st and 2nd balls, crowding us out and it was amazing how often their front 3 spent inside their own half whenever any of our defenders stepped over the half-way line pressing. For once this season two other players other than Morelos were clinical with the chances. At 1-1 I thought we would equalize and we were the better team at 1-1 so I dont think we shoul overreact. Remember most of our players who played badly versus Cluj in the CL recovered and beat them in the EL and then went on to beat Lazio home and away. Our players also went to Ipox with a new back-4 and still won, so this team has shown terrific recovery this season already so lets be more optimistic. Jan window will be big!
LETS ALL DO THE HUDDLE on 30TH DECEMBER 2019 7:04 PM
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So who are you referring to as CQN`s resident racist ?
An answer………………..
……………………or would you prefer to be CQN`s resident coward.
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Come on , old son.
That`s half an hour now.
Macjay. Figures this year facts
Peter lawell has not grown the club as a financial business. Turnover similar to 2003
Peter lawell salary gone from 500k in 2003 to approx 3.5m
See he has his priorities right
As for your comments about the worst labour leader since Michael foot which allowed a Enoch Powell character to become PM, escapes me for its relevance
Getting ready for work
Quick question
Did peter lawell provide Neil Lennon with funds required to qualify to CL (. We had excess of 35m before the KT money )
As yes or no will suffice. A no is a sackable offence
They really are a disgusting bunch of hypocrites…
However, they are the darlings of the establishment.
FATHER JACK on 30TH DECEMBER 2019 7:36 PM
MACJAY
You are so blinkered you fail to see when the piss is being extracted.
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Well , I`d rather be blinkered than engage in your kind of gutter language.
Here’s an idea, celtic should ban all media outlets and that includes sky and the bbc.
And if the sfa and league don’t like it we should tell them to feck off.
I think i was the first to comment on that nutter and his throat slashing gesture yesterday.
There was no racial abuse just rage!.
The board needs to step up here.
Set up our own broadcasts from the stadium on matchday and pay per view.
We don’t need them.
The thug is on something sniffy.
ESPIRITODECELT,
This was the point I was making earlier today. Most Celtic fans will not watch that game again but the nonsense that we were dominated will continue due to overreaction from us due to defeat and the huns because they came to CP and saw a hun side win for the first time in almost a decade and for the first time in sevco’s seven year existence.
This turning on each other is what that lot of ‘orribles do…
We should all be pulling together despite our differing opinions.
SYDNEYTIM on 30TH DECEMBER 2019 7:41 PM
As for your comments about the worst labour leader since Michael foot which allowed a Enoch Powell character to become PM, escapes me for its relevance.
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Seriously don`t know what you`re talking about .
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Did peter lawell provide Neil Lennon with funds required to qualify to CL (. We had excess of 35m before the KT money )
As yes or no will suffice. A no is a sackable offence.
——————————————————————————————————————
I wouldn`t have a clue . Do you ?
If your accusation has grounds , then why would Neil fulsomely compliment PL on their working relationship ?
I’ve been thinking this for a while now, but we should not underestimate the pulling power
Gerrard has in England and perhaps Europe. They are attracting players on higher quality that
they would not otherise get. Sadly, thus also means Liverpool FC in particular. I personally believe
that LFC stage managed the sale of Ryan Kent to help deflate us. In other words the agreement to sell him on the last day of the window was always going to happen and was designed to disappoint us Celtic fans. He is a cracking talent but LFC handed the huns a generous structured finance deal. That simply would not have happened with anyone else apart from Gerrard who essentially was the best England and Liverpool player of his generation. Essentially, LFC are using Rangers as a feeder club but they go much further than say the professional relationship we have with Man City by offering nice finance deals to assist the golden boy and the Huns. Gerrard also has a lot of friends in English football like Souness who would no doubt be facilitating this relationship. Be in no doubt, Gerrard will be looking to plunder a few more top LFC talents or those from his wider EPL network of willing accomplices. As had been said, they will go big in this transfer window (mostly loans) as they smell blood and in any case if they can’t win the league this season then they will lose a few key players and then need more time to rebuild and settle in new players during next season. Therefore, they are done unless they can win the league this season and they know it. We must respond to this professionally during January, and I think we will. HH
And to suggest that the plump predator is doing coke is a nonsense…
Espiritodecelt…I take it that is your opinion rather than factual?
Macjay. Are you bipolar. You write comments about Corbynn then deny them
I asked you a straight question about investment and you could not answer it
Please don’t insult my intelligence about Neil and his relationship with peter
Peter employed Neil. If Neil Like any employee criticised his boss. He would not be his boss for much longer
Even billy McNeil did not criticise his old bosses in the 1980’s. Get real
Btw…I don’t disagree that Gerrard is seen as a Golden Boy and a future Liverpool/England manager…
Macjay. Did peter lawwel provide funds to qualify for CL
A resounding no Lost our in about 40m in income while 65m pound sat in the bank
Run as a balance sheet before a football team
Sevco love a lie or 10, if a celtic player done that to rangers fans he would be told whats what’s, but I don’t expect sevco to do that. sevco as always pull out all the stops to protect their scumbags. Their board reflect their support clueless, classless bigots. Cant think of any other club or group of fans that celebrates a win by acting like complete cunts.
Players were not the problem yesterday, it was tactics and effort. If we continue to play those same tactics we will continue to struggle against them, not because they are good but because we gift them an advantage by playing into their hands.
Lennon and co got it wrong and needs to get it right. If he fails to win the league he will be sacked and he should be given the team he has at his disposal. I would prefer he stayed in the job but have no problem seeing him go if he does not do his job. For all those that think I am being harsh, footballs a competitive environment.
HH
Shame McInnes didn’t join them… :o)
Double take:
Kim Jong -un and ‘it’ from Colombia.
PÓGMATHONYAHUN AKA LAIRD OF THE SMILES
You are wise. This game is worth a rewatch. It was close, but I still think most of us still view the Huns through the prism of the manky mob team of Baton, windass, Black, Dean Shields, Holt etc. I do think the penny has dropped with Lennon and the coaching team so that is some good to have come out of this narrow defeat. My main concern though is the fact that of the 14 games up to the split, we have 9 away games and the Huns have 5. Also, I think February has something like 3 of 4 SPFL games away from home so never mind Sevco, but I think February is the make or break month for us in terms of beating the other SPFL teams and the Refs. Sevco will be banking on us drawing at least 2 or maybe 1 defeat during Feb, so in my view that is the crucial month. Get through Feb unscathed and they will be in a world of pain. It is for this reason that I think Lennon will only bring in 2 or 3 new players max because there will be nor time for them to settle.
SYDNEYTIM on 30TH DECEMBER 2019 8:01 PM
Macjay. Are you bipolar.
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Oh , dear , Syd.
Just rude. How sad.
Now away you go and find someone else who is prepared to tolerate your rudeness.
I am not a PL fan, far from it, but turning this defeat into a PL issue is absurd. As far as I am aware PL was not in yesterday’s squad and certainly did not enter the field of play during the 97.5 minutes that were played.
Was PL to blame for the defeat against Livingston or the draw against Hibs?
Ach Im sure he must have been.
The huns position in the league is not due our lack of spending but once again a hun team/club spending money it does not have. They have outspent every other team in the SPFL and accrued points because of this. To date we have played 3 times this season. We have won twice, including a cup and scoring 4 goals to their 2. Yes they have improved by a country mile but only by spending out-with their means, a fact completely ignored by the footballing authorities.
As a Res 12 supporter and subscriber I blame PL and the Celtic board for not bringing the footballing Authorities to book for their part in the corruption that allowed RFCIL to play in CL qualifiers as well as the years of cheating before that.
I forgot Broony was booked in the first half.
Under the circumstances his performance was quite exceptional.
Stephbhoy…”Players were not the problem yesterday, it was tactics and effort.”
Well, effort comes from the players…
PL was responsible for promoting the fitness coach to being assistant manger at Celtic football club No tactically support for Neil Lennon
Peter lawell was responsible for not providing funds for a 2nd striker. We were crying out of a 2nd striker to support Eduard v hibs away and Livingston away
So track
Sydneytim…”bipolar”?
Now, that is just naughty. Apology would be in order…