The most pleasing aspect about last night was the manager’s reaction afterwards: “Yet another soft goal”. “We don’t defend a basic ball into the box”. But, before Cristian Gamboa and Craig Gordon pick up the tab for a bad night in Lithuania, more went wrong. Much more.
Goals change games and you can be sure games will change when Celtic are defending the way they are right now. Gamboa losing his man for the goal was in keeping with what we should expect. Cristian is good going forward but is not the most diligent at the back. We need a backup, backup, right back. Right?
Despite all that’s going wrong in defence, I am just as concerned about how the midfield is operating. Our passing was again poor. Olivier Ntcham opened the scoring after two minutes and opened the Suduva defence late in the game for Moussa Dembele to shoot wide, but for the rest of the game his passing was as inaccurate as it was against AEK and Rosenborg away.
Callum McGregor, so often a key to unlock packed defences, was ineffective. I would like to see him play the deep lying playmaker roll over our next three games. There he can dictate the pace and accuracy of our passing, leaving space for Rogic to play in front of him.
Moussa Dembele is our best striker, but the shape of the team left him isolated and looking just as out of sorts as Odsonne Edouard did at home to AEK. We have potent strikers who see little of the ball.
On the positive side, Suduva were as poor a team as I can remember playing in recent seasons – and I include the Gibraltareños (as they will be known after March) in that. We will reach the Europa League group stage. How effectively we compete there will be determined by the arrivals over the next seven days.
Dinner for four at the Walfrid at Hamilton game on Sunday!
Courtesy of Intelligent Car Leasing, we are raffling a table for four at Sunday’s game against Hamilton Accies in aid of your Foundation. If like me, you watch football in the bitter cold and wind, even in July and August, this will be a fantastic day our for you and three friends!
It’s a free bar. And you get the chance to support the Celtic FC Foundation.
To win, contribute to this MyDonate page. Suggest a minimum of £5 donation, but donate less if you cannot afford that. Your money does straight to the Foundation as they prepare for the difficult winter period ahead.
Then, please forward your confirmation email to celticquicknews@gmail.com with the words “Central defender” in the SUBJECT line. Competition closes at 11.00 Saturday. Winner will be informed on Saturday afternoon – so include a phone number if there’s any chance of missing your email (it’s happened).
Good luck, and remember: Central defender.
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Motherwell no 17 ( not sure of spelling of his name looks useful.
Thomson favours Goldson as he slips again.
That better no be right, That shoite house Boyata should not even be in the squad. Wonder what sort of welcome he will get especially from the Green Brigade.
super ALLY says everything the huns do is brill.
AULDHEID on 26TH AUGUST 2018 1:36 PM
Gael Bigimirama. He was one of the Newcastle loanees that went to Sevco a few years ago, never played for them.
halliday limping hope he is ok for next week.
Auldheid:
Gaël Bigirimana
Was on loan to the deady bears not too long ago. Didn’t play.
Team confirmed. Boyata starts
Gordon
Lustig Ajer Boyata
Forrest Brown McGregor KT
Rogic
Griffiths Dembele
Bain, Christie Johnston, Ntcham, Sinclair, Hayes, Gamboa
They have both passion and desire. Celtic need some of both.
Good call by Brendan Rodgers showing ‘the board’ that Dedryck Boyata is still required to play if fit, and when sold requires adequate replacement.
Brendan holding out for new faces. CSC
BSR
I can’t think of a single reason why the club has been derelict since January.
It’s almost as if we want them to get closer.
Thanks Almore – brill. I’ll check that on out.
McGregor falls on Hartley and punches him on the deck, nothing given.
MacGregor just did that boy Hartley there.
Boyata – with jozo and hendry injured – don’t think there was much option
good luck to the Belgian
toforgiveisdivineCSC
*check that one out
Flanagan knocks ball out with arm, nothing given.
We won’t buy anyone in this window I suspect. Certainly not for the first team. Hopefully we will sell Boyata for a reasonable price though. Overall it’s been an unexpectedly dire few weeks. Club leadership has been blindsided by huns’ spending and the CEO has chosen this moment to engage in a vanity war with the manager – another man with a healthy ego. The club leadership has been asleep at the wheel and will find forgiveness thin on the ground if they blow 10. The team needs new legs, threats and hunger. The Board has delivered nada. Zilch.
Live updates up folks.
Would big Jock have played him. No feckn chance. No pride involved these days. He’ll be off injured in the first half hour the big pussy.
PETERLATCHFORDSBELLY
All that is conjecture ?
Why has the club been so, inactive passive and negligent ?
I’d like them to explain.
EL will be a no-no for me this season in protest.
Yahoo 3 all
watching last 20 minutes of Motherwell v Huns (wouldn’t normally but as I can’t get to game today as flights were booked for yesterday) thought I would see what we are facing next week.
it’s like a game from the 1980’s very “agricultural” blood & snotters back to front without much in between.
passion & commitment 100 miles an hour & it’s 2-3 due to a lack of quality, lots of luck & a the usual refereeing
Tavenier always worth a goal or two we should target him next week…
just as I posted an equaliser ha ha ha ha
and was that a full carton of coca cola thrown at a Motherwell player at the end there??
now come on Celtic play some actual football and win today!! we need it
Boyata starting for me is a kick in the b@!*$x for us fans as well as the rest of the squad who are committed but maybe Brendan had no choice!!
If I was there I would ignore boyata rather than boo him so not to affect the rest of the team. boo him later
Hail Hail
BCW
I don’t know. I didn’t see this coming. Can’t escape the feeling it is rooted in a battle of egos between CEO and manage who both see themselves as head honcho.
As I write this I’m greatly cheered by Motherwell scoring a last second sickener. So much for that vaunted defence. Let’s see where they are after their Russian slog and hopefully a pumping at Parkhead.
A win today sees us up to second, a win of Thursday sees us into the El and a win next weekend see us restore some order to the hype about the orcs.
Three wins and a couple of players in should see us back on track:))
For the moment anyway!