It’s probably easier to start with what went right last night, than what went wrong. Efe Ambrose was the epitome of composure, trying to retain possession whenever possible, his transformation since Juventus has been remarkable. van Dijk, Lustig and Izaguirre each did well. Fraser Forster had a few saves to make, but this was one Champions League game he didn’t need to pull off a wonder-save. He was totally exposed for the goal but otherwise Ajax didn’t really stress the Celtic goalkeeper, a clue, perhaps, to the solid performance of those immediately in front of him.
Our top two Champions League performers, Georgios Samaras and Kris Commons, both put in their least effective game at this level. Samaras’ normally-reliable touch and ability to hold the ball deserted him, while Kris looked like a guy returning from injury. Slowly.
The minutia of these games are analysed by each team and after last month’s game, Frank de Boer clearly identified that Georgios was the major cog in Celtic’s machine. The striker was triangulated by opponents each time the ball came near him.
Neil Lennon was left with few choices in the middle of the park. Mulgrew and Kayal would not have been his first choice partnership, given a free hand, but the only practical change there would have been to introduce Joe Ledley. It’s far from clear what difference this would have made.
Celtic persisted in playing down the left long after it was evident this strategy was unproductive. Late in the first half one wag text me to say, “Time to bring Forrest on”, which told the whole story. Anthony Stokes was adrift, largely unconnected to the ankle clipping going on behind him. In short, our play was predictable and correctly predicted by do Boer. We didn’t have a Plan B, which even the best of teams need to avoid defeat occasionally in the Champions League.
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Estadio National.
Make a point of coming over for the Milan game,we usually go for a meal before the game,and a wee swally in between courses,and a few after the game.I hope you do come.
I do not blame the Manager or the players for last night.
The seeds were sown for last night by the miserly summer transfer window.
Yet again we do not strengthen from a position of strength.
I posted last night I was sure Big Peter slept well last night.
I sure as hell didn’t!
I sense a mood swing on the blog-anybody else?- More well thought out questions being asked of our management,players,business strategy etc. That,s the way it should be, constructive critisism should always be welcome,sometimes you can even learn from it!! Hail Hail Hebcelt criticism-sp
fanadpatriot
You make a good point re guys not getting a chance. I guess there is no excuse once our CL fate is decided to not give some guys a better bite at the cherry.
It’s great how the lamb munchers are out in force when it’s to do with us.
I see @peteradamsmith asking Celtic fans to get in touch with videos about trouble in Ajax.
Beware anyone this clown only gets wheeled out for a reason like the Charles Green interview.
When an STV journo asks for videos he’s worth a watching.
All stayed quiet for months when Charlotte Fakes brought corruption out and they stayed quiet when the SFA helped their beloved club with bending rules.
oldtim67 17:09
Think I’m going, that would be good. Was going to Amsterdam but things came up and decided against it, if I’m doing a Euro trip then where better than a home game? I’ll let you know nearer the time.
EN
Paul67 et al,
That’s a pretty reasonable description of an oddly disjointed performance from Neil’s bhoys last night.
One thing to add would be the decision by Neil to press high up the pitch, which was reasonably successful in the first half with a couple of rash keeper kicks etc turning over possession in the Ajax half.
Don’t think I’ve ever seen Celtic play this way in an away CL game, and it was a brave move which shows Neil is determined to adapt the tactics of the team, to try to evolve.
Which is really fascinating to watch.
On a bum note we were toothless.
Heck, despite The Honest Mistake’s statistic/damned lie which proves that Celtic’s goalscoring has not suffered this season so far post-Hooper, we just looked a wee bit bereft of a threat last night.
Hooper back on loan in January?
HH!
Oldtim67 and EN…I have to agree with you re manager and performances. Find myself coming away from many games disappointed even after victory…
CultsBhoy
I would introduce young Denny Johnstone to the squad,not to overdo it,but give him20 mins.,etc.,to give him belief in himself,this bhoy is a player,it would also show other young players if they work hard there will be opportunities.
Oldtim
If I remember correctly yoy posted when lenny got the job that you weren’t happy. I remember because I was sitting in zbyszek home when you posted it..
Tooting
Hooper and his fat money grabbing agent can rot in norfolk with the rest of the turkeys
Grant Russell @STVGrant 1m
UEFA tell STV there have been no official reports of “improper conduct” by fans during Ajax v Celtic.
@splbanter: putting things into perspective a bit.. last year Dutch police arrested 88 Man Utd fans in Amsterdam, 25 Man City fans & 55 Anderlecht fans.
Do the Dutch police keep stats by the club you support??
I am pretty certain we will see a new striker in January, maybe even the fabled Finbogasson.
As usual , this will be a buy to appease the support and 6 months to late.
This is the boards modus operandi.
Never ever do they sign quality from a position of strength.
They are forced into it when we come up short.
Unfortunately, this attitude which is normally costs us as it did last night.
BT
I’ve also been reflecting on Hooper… He must wonder if he’s made the right decision…don’t know what they are paying him but he could have screwed Celtic for a decent wedge I’m sure.
Can anybody tell me how Atajic is performing these days? The one sub appearance that I saw at the start of the season looked very promising.
hen1rik
17:07 on 7 November, 2013
Exactly what I said earlier……contrast with the LL reaction to the Manchester Riot, where the LL even blamed the Police / Council, anyone but oldco hoardes….SCOTLAND’S SHAME….
oldtim
I think that’s a shame but you would have the comfort of majority opinion in getting stuck in after such a defeat.
It is not an opinion I share. Two of our most successful managers, WGS and NFL, have taken a severe doing from our fans. Much more than was ever suffered by less successful managers, Billy McNeil, Davie Hay, Liam Brady, and Dr. Jo. Wim and Tommy are revered but did much less in Europe. Only John Barnes and Lou Macari got anywhere near comparable levels of abuse.
I fear we are fast becoming like the rangers fans of the 90s who quickly tired of the predictability of league wins and demanded that they occupy a European spot they had no right to expect.
We are not going to win the CL any time soon.
Despite having achieve 3 last 16 CL spots, we are not a top 20 rated European club and would struggle to make many neutral pundits top 50 list.
Since 2001, we are palpably making better European progress than we have managed since 1974 but the guys that achieved that, apart from MON, for us will never be praised until they have gone.
I fear that, as with WGS, Neil will be driven away by a combination of under-appreciation by our own and the covetous glances of others who appreciate what he has done with, in their eyes, a small club.
I fear our fans will look for some messianic gung ho attacking manager- Ian Holloway e.g. or a non-achieving football purist like Kenny Shiels or John Hughes (our ex Centre Half). We seem very comfortable with entertaining non-winning football, especially when we are not currently having to endure it.
I fear that the critics imagine we are going to attract a successful proven European heavyweight and that this alone will attract big name players. It ain’t gonna happen.
We still are drawing the wrong conclusions as to why Hooper is at Norwich, Wanyama at Southampton and Ki at Swansea/Sunderland. The default is to believe that we can buck economics and keep these players if we only “loosen purse strings”.
For those that want the successful NFL to go, I repeat- Be careful what you wish for!”
But I don’t want you shy retiring critics to be keeping your opinion to themselves. Chance would be a fine thing :-)
LiviBhoy – God bless wee Oscar
16:29 on
On another note I thought Scottish police travelled with the fans these days? After the first leg that should have been a priority to keep our citizens safe abroad and liase with the Dutch police. I know people think our coppers are out to get us but a few Tim coppers travelling over and giving out the right advice would have made a difference.
========
TIM Coppers giving advice !!! Are they the same ‘Tims’ that arrest 14 year olds in dawn raids or dress in full riot kit to stop a couple of hundred teenagers walking to CP. The same Tim coppers who can’t wait to ‘wade’ into the GB.
Tim coppers – just like bananas Born green, turn yellow and hang around in bunches.
Sftb.
I feel the wgs and nfl are being strangled by the board and the fans then vent their anger at the management
well at least belatedly there was a discussion about celtic fans behaviour in dam square before the game yesterday
good discussion, fair play to all who took part
everything needs to discussed out in the open, even things we find unpalatable
and if there is unacceptable behaviour by our fans, we cannt ignore it or condone it
or else we are no better than the poisoned sectarian rangers fans
At the time our manager took the job no one else seemed to want it.
Since his appointment we have had as many ups as we have had downs.
He has had to learn on the job while dealing with all kinds of hillbilly mayhem.
He has one hand tied behind his back financially, both at Board level and in terms of TV revenue.
The key question is ‘ are we in a stronger position than when he was appointed?’
I think the answer has to be Yes.
Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
Albert Einstein
Kind of the way things are going………….
We need to go 4-5-1 and strangle the away game…….play for the break goal…..
how many times must we say it?
Megabucks banked over the last couple of years from champions league participation transfers etc.A Champions League group arguably easier than it was last season. You can also count number of times on one hand the amount Celtic have truly excited the regular attenders at Celtic Park and away this season. A number of narrow victories against teams that really shouldn’t be competing with us in terms of resources or finance.
Can we really call this progression
Estadio Nacional
“what’s the general view of the manager from the crowds you’ve been in?”
Mixed.
There are plenty of critics especially of our domestic fare.
In the book Soccernomics, there is a section about The Wisdom of Crowds which suggests that median fan opinion has something going for it.
In that case, we are looking for a German speaking Terry Butcher to coach our forwards in isolation.
Do you think that might work?
West
You only appear on cqn to post negative thoughts.
You should try posting something good now and again. Not that my posts are ever any good
Shocking performance by Celtic in this CL. Imagine qualifying for the last 32 and either leading or drawing in all 4 games to date vs the cream of European football. Competing in all these games until the last kick virtually with the possibility of getting a result.
Imagine competing with teams with vastly superior budgets on an in level playing field and still being in with a chance of qualifying for last 16 in CL 2 years in a row despite playing in a pathetic joke domestic league which offers no semblance of competition for practise for our side due to the demise of our only competitor.
Yet still we keep ourselves afloat and sit at that top table despite diminishing domestic resources and a pitiful domestic tv bounty.
Lennon, our learning manager, is just like the players, he is learning and developing. MON had many years more experience, more cash and more chances yet his CL performance was not better than NLs.
Celtic are doing incredibly well on and off the park. As well as any time in my lifetime apart from 67 to 70 in my opinion.
Hi Blantyre Tim,
did his agent force the move in the first place or something? I hadn’t heard that.
HH
blantyretim
The board can’t be blamed for the style of football, that has got to be the manager. Though I would hope they would have a word about the stile of football.
EN
Burghbhoy @17.09 hrs.
How can you not blame the players or the manager ? Surly they must accept their share of the blame. Once they cross that line then I’m sorry its down to them and the manager ( who picks them ).
We had three players who cost £6 million not playing. Why?
To blame everything on PL is simplistic beyond belief.
I posted at 12.53 hrs :-“Thirdly, our overall levels of fitness look below par. This can and must be addressed”.
Is lack of fitness compared to other teams in the CL Big Peter’s fault also ?
HH, Always in Celtic.
En
As the mother in law says.
You buy cheap you buy double..
Depressing last night-personally ,I think lennie got it wrong with a poor squad. Our first 11 can take on many euro teams when they’rd e on their game. Take a couple away and we don’t have anywhere near the quality we need.
I think Lenny has done extremely well in European Competition. Granted last night was not one to be proud of but I thought we were well organised and performed extremely well in both the Barca & Milan games. We got through the 3 qualifying rounds, yes we were seeded to go through but the games still have to be won. Last year beating Barca and reaching the last 16 was a wonderful achievement. He has brought in some great players like FF, Lustig, Van Dijk & Ambrose of present squad and of course Wanyama. It has not all been a bed of roses of course, we also had a few disastrous results and bought in a few turkeys but in general I feel Lenny has done well. The time will come for Lenny to move on and I think he is wise enough to know that. At the very most I wouldn’t expect him to stay beyond next season and the 4 in a row and I wouldn’t be surprised if he called it a day at the end of the current season.
B78
We start nil nil so obviously we are going to be drawing with these teams…o))
We’re caught between a rock and a hard place – our current squad can cope with the all easily – add a lot of quality for the CL and we’ll have a ridiculous squad for the all
Nosolutionsjustproblemscsc
*all=spl
setting free the bears supports celtic’s best fighter- wee oscar knox 17:30
That might just work.
It’s the domestic games I don’t get, should be an easier league for us to play good football in and entertain. I can see how we play in Europe and it’s successful and probably the only thing we can do on our budget but domestically we play a similar non entertaining way.
EN
Amazing the lengths these MSM “journo’s” will go to show Celtic fans in a bad light, yet when CF, Phil and co. give them scoops, on a plate, gift wrapped. They’re not remotely interested. Strange that.
Jacksbeatchesrus
Blantyre tim
Sorry. I meant we were either winning or drawing in all 4 games at HT.