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Days where titles are won

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

A couple of hours after Celtic lost in Germany on Wednesday, St Johnstone fell to the same fate at Kilmarnock, who started the game bottom of the table without a win.

That was Saints first defeat since August, so any notion that tomorrow’s Premiership game in Perth will be anything other than taxing for Celtic is likely to be wide of the mark.

It is an away game after an away game in Europe, the scenario when points are most often dropped.  Add to this recent form, which is well below our early season standards, and injuries to key players, and your have a cocktail of concern.

These are the days where titles are won, the days we acquired such a deep squad to cope with.  A win please, Celtic.

More on Callum McGregor after tomorrow, eye on the prize.

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  1. Spidey101 on

    Not massively disappointed with the defeat but always disappointing to see us concede the same sloppy goals over and over. We generally concede goals in Europe in three ways:

     

    1. an individual error/brain fart of some sort;

     

    2. A loss of possession and the opponents waltz through the midfield unchallenged and our centre backs are over-run/beaten one on one; and

     

    3. Any kind of goal in the 5-10 minutes after we’ve just conceded.

     

     

    Nothing’s changed. We’re also pretty poor at dealing with transitions – see point 2 above and we rarely score or make decent chances from our own counter-attacks.

     

     

    We struggle away from home. We’ve only ever won two CL away games – Spartak Moscow and Anderlecht – and drawn 4 – Barcelona 2004/5; Man City and Moenchen Gladbach in 2016/17 and Shaktar this year.

     

    Being generous, you could add Milan in 2006/7 to the list of draws, though we lost in extra time, so I don’t. Which basically means we’ve lost 29 away games (including Milan 06/7) out of 35 played – around 83%. Half of our away “successes” came during Rodger’s two seasons in the competition.

     

     

    We don’t seem to be doing anything to learn how to handle away games. Sometimes there’s nowt you can do – some teams will just be better – but we’ve lost some very winnable games in that run – Rosenberg, Copenhagen, Aalborg being the three obvious ones. It’s possibly a consequence of being a big fish in a small pond, but we don’t seem to be able to adapt to going to someone else’s stadium and have them play for a win – we’re too used to playing park the bus teams. The old maxim “play for a draw away from home” might not be a bad idea. At the very least cut the gap between the defence and midfield – which has been a problem since McManaman scored against us at Parkhead in Wim’s season (I am still annoyed with Weighorst for not taking one for the team on the half way line).

     

     

    We’re not clinical enough – we miss loads of chances every week. Kyogo seems a shadow of himself this year – last year he was a whirl of motion and scoring all sorts of goals, whereas this year almost all of his goals seem to be tap ins (albeit some were difficult finishes) from a couple of yards. Jota started the season on fire, but has been a shadow of himself since the game against “them”. GG and Abada are in and out so haven’t built up a head of steam, Haksa is new and hasn’t had many minutes, and Maeda and Forrest don’t offer nearly enough craft or goal threat. We need our front players to be 100% on it and taking the one or two chances that might come their way to succeed at this level. We also need our wingers to close down and track their full backs better.

     

     

    Physically we’re way behind other sides. CalMac, Hatate and O’Riley are either small, weak, lack stamina, lack pace or suffer a combination of those shortfalls. None of them seem to have a defensive bone in their bodies either.

     

     

    Given the market we shop in, there’s a compromise to be made as we aren’t going to find someone who is all of those things AND has killer technique and vision – you’re looking at mad money for that. The compromise seems to mean that we end up with either an O’Riley (technique, vision, lack pace and stamina) or a Lundstram (strong, has stamina, but not much else). That being the case, we need to develop the right blend – like WGS who blended a combo of Naka and McGeady/Maloney with Barry Robson and Hartley/Brown. The Danish boy might be the answer, but he’s not played enough to know. Stamina is a worry though – we’re blowing out our backsides after an hour(ish) – we need to build some “active rest” into our way of playing, either by playing some keep ball, or just sitting deep for 5-10 minutes to catch a bit of a breather.

     

     

    Ange won’t want to play a proper DM, and our current system sees us play full backs who come inside and play almost as quasi-6/8s who also need to dash out to cover the full back areas. A back three and a proper holding midfielder might work better! Or Playing with CalMac as a 6 alongside another 6 (the Danish fella probably) with Hatate or O’Riley as the 8/10 might be the way to go and would also mean our full backs have to invert less.

     

     

    The lack of physicality applies across the team – with the possible exception of CCV, none of our players look athletic enough to play at a higher level. Talented enough perhaps, but not athletic enough.

     

     

    So a lot to do. We’re massively inexperienced at this level – it’s our first CL group stage for 5 years and we’ve only qualified for the groups 11 times in the past 22 years. Of our current side, only Hart and CalMac have any real experience of this level before now.

     

     

    So I’m kind of seeing this season as a bit of a learning curve. However, I worry that we won’t be so lucky with the draw next year (assuming we make it) and that this is our best chance of finishing second or third in the group – we’re more likely to end up with our usual group of death next year than we are with a decent group. Let’s see how we get on with our next three games – let’s hope the crowd can carry us to at least 4 points in the next two games and maybe we can nick something in Madrid’s final dead rubber game (let’s also hope Madrid beat the other two as well, which is an easy assumption to make but might yet turn out to be the wrong one).

  2. timmy7_noted on

    Spidey101 on 7th October 2022 4:08 pm

     

     

    I thought that was an excellent analysis, I’m pretty much on the same page.

     

    I thought RB were bigger, stronger and faster than us on the night, you can maybe adjust to cope with one of those going against you but not all three.

     

    My biggest frustration on the night (apart from the dreadful goals) was our inability to capitalise when we nicked the ball from them, the goal was a great example where we did but on so many other occasions poor passing and lack of genuine pace allowed the Germans to get behind the ball.

     

     

    Great analysis I enjoyed it thanks.

  4. timmy7_noted on

    Meant to add, our pathetic attempts to score when their goalkeeper was lying injured on the ground was symptomatic of us at the moment.

     

    The Germans absolutely would have scored from that position.

  5. st tams on

    SPIDEY101

     

    A very good summary of where we are as a team.

     

     

    I have being saying since last season, that we lack physicality, in midfield and up front.

  12. scullybhoy on

    Bhoyjoebelfast on 7th October 2022 4:47 pm

     

     

    SCULLYBHOY 4.38

     

    SEVEN● ONE…Billy McPhail heading past Shearer.

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    That was meant to be a tough question Joe.

     

     

    You won’t get the last one though, plus what is the Celtic connection with Red Star Paris?

  13. Bhoyjoebelfast on

    SCULLYBHOY:

     

    Called in to Kolormaster and uplifted Celtic View copy,will get it to you soon.

  14. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Just noticed in twitter big Victor has left his Canadian club, seeing that pic of Calmac in a brace gives me the fear

  15. philcool on

    I don’t blame Big joe on his own for his lapse.

     

    If you look again at the footage you will notice that he had already kicked the ball out to the RB position to Welsh (or JJ ) standing in acres of space but he gave it straight back to Hart instead of bringing the ball forward into the space he had in front of him. I remember groaning at the time.

     

    Anyway.

     

    HH

     

    Phil

  16. timmy7_noted on

    scullybhoy on 7th October 2022 4:43 pm

     

     

    Having suffered numerous knee injuries through footy that is not a good sign.

     

    I had one of those for a while, its designed to prevent lateral movement mainly, which could suggest cruciate damage. Good news from that picture is that he is putting full weight on it so hopefully just a minor stretch.

     

    If the cruciate was detached/snapped so recently he would be unable to move that freely.

     

     

    Notamedic CSC.

  18. !!Bada Bing!! on

    cinchPrem fixture amendments ⬇

     

     

    🆚 Aberdeen (A)

     

    🗓 December 17, 2022

     

    ⌚ 12:30pm

     

     

    🆚 Hibernian (A)

     

    🗓 December 28, 2022

     

    ⌚ 8pm

     

     

    🆚 Rangers (A)

     

    🗓 January 2, 2023

     

    ⌚ 12:30pm

  19. gallagher on

    Just heard from an excellent source that Calmac will be out for a minimum of five months. Telling on the source would be silly, apologies for being the purveyor of bad news.

  24. The Buffler on

    Mod , do some posters get banned, and others suspended, just for clarification. Thanks in advance.

  26. !!Bada Bing!! on

    We need someone to step up like Robson and Hartley did in 2007,Abilgaard possibly…massive loss

  27. scullybhoy on

    fanadpatriot on 7th October 2022 4:54 pm

     

     

    McNeil Macari Dalgliesh

     

    Bhoyjoebelfast on 7th October 2022 5:03 pm

     

     

    SCULLYBHOY

     

     

    MccNeill Hood and Macari.

     

    ??????????????????????????????????

     

     

    JOE gets all 3!

  29. scullybhoy on

    Bhoyjoebelfast on 7th October 2022 5:05 pm

     

     

    SCULLYBHOY

     

    Red Star question is it european cup related..if not ??

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    Yip – 67 related.

  31. scullybhoy on

    timmy7_noted on 7th October 2022 4:53 pm

     

     

    scullybhoy on 7th October 2022 4:43 pm

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    Please God you are right.

     

     

    🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

  32. Greenpinata on

    My friends in Celtic,

     

     

    We cannot be complacent on Saturday, however we have a big highly rated squad for a reason.

     

     

    It is often quoted that we cannot compete with the European differential moneywise. I do not necessary buy into that, but consider this :- St Johnstone are valued at circa £8,5m and not one of their players is valued above half a million.

     

     

    We really must make sure we are ready for Tuesday night. We need to optimise this opportunity to right the wrong in Germany. And we most certainly can.

     

     

    We already know how we will play on Tuesday. Angeball.

     

    We know our players will tire and we will need to use subs of the same quality. The challenge will be to take our chances and ensure the tempo of the game will not change with our substitutions.

     

     

    The St Johnstone game is our bread and butter , but personally I would prioritise the Leipzig game.

     

     

    Hopefully I am still of that opinion when watching the game tomorrow.

     

     

    HH to all.

     

     

    PS : Useless fact: St Johnstone are the only professional team in the UK with a J in their name.

  33. scullybhoy on

    Greenpinata on 7th October 2022 5:25 pm

     

     

    My friends in Celtic,

     

    We cannot be complacent on Saturday, however we have a big highly rated squad for a reason.

     

     

    It is often quoted that we cannot compete with the European differential moneywise. I do not necessary buy into that, but consider this :- St Johnstone are valued at circa £8,5m and not one of their players is valued above half a million.

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    Sorry, I hope Im not being cheeky, but did you not say the other day that you dont like player valuations being used as an excuse?

     

     

    HH

  35. scullybhoy on

    John Clark and Tommy Gemmell were the only two Celts to achieve what in the 1966-67 season?

  36. Greenpinata on

    Scullybhoy,

     

     

    You are correct, I don’t necessarily buy into using player valuations as an excuse.

     

     

    I posted the St Johnstone figures as a contrast to CLteams and as a rationale for squad rotation in domestic games

     

     

    Cheers and HH.

  37. scullybhoy on

    Greenpinata on 7th October 2022 5:44 pm

     

     

    Scullybhoy,

     

     

     

     

     

     

    You are correct, I don’t necessarily buy into using player valuations as an excuse.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    I posted the St Johnstone figures as a contrast to CLteams and as a rationale for squad rotation in domestic games

     

    Cheers and HH.

     

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    Fair enough.

     

     

    HH

  41. Rock Tree Bhoy on

    MODERATOR1888 on 7TH OCTOBER 2022 12:03 PM

     

     

    MadMitch

     

     

    If you cant address people on here without resorting to name calling, then the posts will be deleted

     

     

    Keep doing it – and you will be banned

     

    __________________________________________________________

     

     

    Wow! Thats a High Line, I post much less on here specifically because of the name calling. Most of us at one time or another have been insulted on here, some much much more than others, more power to your elbow though, will be interested to see if this new standard will be maintained, or perhaps it was just was just a throw away remark aimed at MadMitch.

     

    _______________________________________________

     

     

    We have desperately needed cover for CmcG for some time now, last couple of seasons in fact, well now we have the chance, hopefully Turnbull, Abildgaard, Mooy, or even James Mccarthy will be able to step up.

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