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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EN The problem in the domestic game is that most teams put 10 men behind the ball when they play us. That immediately makes for a dour unattractive game and mitigates against high scoring exciting football. The few times that the other teams came out and played football were enjoyable but its mostly guys trying to kick lumps out of us with minimal protection from the MIBS.
Burnley78. Here here. Everydays’ a school day. And then factor in the personal abuse he has suffered. We were pish last night and must try and do better although a no. 9 would be great. HH.
B78.
At least I read your posts..
greenpinata
This team has over performed in European football.
The level of investment in this team by the board and the lack of backing for NFL by the board is shocking.
We are a pot 4 team and we are where we should be at the moment.
My point is simply that the only manager backed by the board has been MON . No other Celtic manager has been backed to that extent.
The point is that there maybe £6m in players on the bench last night as you say but I guess these players were not first choice for Neil and were a false economy.
We gamble on unknown talent and mostly fail.
This is the wrong policy
setting free the bears supports celtic’s best fighter- wee oscar knox
17:25 on 7 November, 2013
What a sensible person you are…… Great post
corkcelt 17:47
It’s been that way for a while. I think these teams know if you shut down the wings we cannot do anything from the middle so it’s side passing from wing to wing until a wide player runs into a corner or flings in a cross to the wee fella in the box.
Agree on the refs but that shouldn’t t stop clever attacking football.
EN
west csc
Go away fool.
Can’t agree with you Paul. Samaras’ lack of effort was despicable and reminded of a similar performance in Madrid against Athletico, which I attended, and, if it had been left up to me, he would never have put on another Celtic shirt. Lennon giving him the captaincy is a total joke, as Samaras is as far from being a leader as one can get. Lennon’s other favourite, Forrest, as usual, contributed nothing. Paddy McCourt must have been scratching his head to think he was considered to be less of a footballer than them!
Big cup winners.
The MrT of cqn… o))
Fassreifen
16:09 on 7 November, 2013
Scullybhoy, if provocation is being talked about, the banner in the Ajax end saying “Fenian B******ds” (Phil Mac tweeted the photo earlier) should be mentioned.
…………………………………………………..
I had hoped we were better than them not just as bad as them.
burghbhoy
17:49 on 7 November, 2013
It’s the only sensible policy, which will bear fruit……and our Board will learn from experience, as we move forward….KTF……e.g. We should soon be seeing youth coming through from the Youth Development Programme…..
My Dear Friend…..Kojo
Legend Of The Vegas Strip…..
Last Surviving Member Of ‘The Rat Pack’
The Man Who Set Light To The Map Of The Ponderosa….
At The Start Of ‘Bonanza’…..
Before The Young Bournesoup…
Could Memorize It…..
Our Tattooed Heroes Lack Character…
And Core Fitness….
Get Them Runnin’ Up And Down The Dunes At Gullane Sands…..
Wearing Only Mankinis…..
First Thing Monday Morning….
Worked For Big Jock………
Back In The Day
Right..?
Burghbhoy,
I appreciate what you are saying, although I’m not in total agreement.
You do not address the lack of fitness compared to other CL teams.
It should also be remembered that the Ajax team was a weakened team from last season
IMO if we could have got a £6 million player that met the criteria instead of three then we would have.
HH, Always in Celtic.
After the events in Glasgow it was always likely that there would be trouble in Amsterdam
The Dutch seem to have a big problem with football hooliganism
They also seem have a element among their police who would not be out of place in any of the football crews!
At the very least our government should be asking questions of their Dutch counterparts about the behaviour of undercover police who can be quite clearly seen assaulting people who have already been restrained – that is both shocking and cowardly
CFC like any big club has some troublemakers and a trip to Amsterdam is likely to attract even more than normal
However troublemakers should be dealt with in a professional manner and that is not evident from the pictures and videos on show
Not surprisingly the MSM seem interested in this story but not the whole story – no change there then!
Should we have the misfortune of drawings Ajax again I would advocate not taking tickets and not giving them our tourist euros
I would also refuse their fans tickets for CP
HH
I think most will agree with me when i say “if were gonna be poor in Europe then lets be poor with Scottish talent, rather than useless foreigners who only come for the European night’s”. Does our club have an Anti-Scottish signing policy? Why aren’t the youths from our (so-called) Youth Academy getting the opportunity to prove how good they are in the SPL more often? Players that don’t perform in the SPL should not get near the Champions League Squad. And I don’t care if you have to play a 15 year old in a position to replace an under-performing Senior, it has to be done otherwise this bunch of duds will remain duds. We got a bankers mentality at this club with the Champions League being the Players reward for failure in the SPL. We should be miles ahead of all these other clubs in the SPL (not to mention Morton) with the amount of resources we have at this club, yet we are left with the impression that is opposite to that.
If Sevco were in the SPL this season they would be challenging this bunch of useless twats for every single piece of silverware going on the Domestic front.
Enough of the bs already. Celtic Football Club are fooling nobody but their very own fans.
blantyretim is praying for the Knox family
17:20 on
7 November, 2013
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..
Was I also sitting in Zbyszek’s house.I can’t remember that. I must have been voddied up
I just got a text from my brother.
He asked me to pass on Rab Murphy’s families and The Paul McStay Celtic Supporters Bus thanks to CQN.
Oldtim
Yes to both 8)
Blantyretim.
Bought a cucumber today.G&Ts tonight.
oldtim
Salad dodger :-)
BT.
Another thing. I may be at the AGM next Friday so I’m up for a drink.
Watching TV on shipbuilding in Uk, and Scotland. Milliband is on and his mouth seems to me to be shaping very strangely as he talks. I think aloud and mention this: my seventeen boy says, ‘ he’s lying dad’. Out of the mouths of babes
oldtim67voddied up……
is that BLANTYRE or FIFE talk..or POLSKA.???????
That was a shocker last night.
We showed no imagination.
Our passing is awful, how often do we pass to an opponent?
How many times do we hit a pass too hard?
The key to success in Europe is keeping possession, letting the opposition do the running and chasing. Without players who have the basic skills to pass to a teammate over a 5-15 metre range we will never make progress.
Samaras, I’m a converted fan but last night he was woeful, not one shot at goal, not one!
We created three chances:
1) Stokes in on the keeper, couldn’t find the corner of the goal.
2) Kayal with a clear shot at goal, keeper to beat and he shots high and wide.
3) Forrest bears down on goal, Stokes to his left, he sees him but fails to get his cross in.
And that was that.
It’s often not that different against various SPL teams at home, the lack of chances we create is very worrying indeed. This is down to too many ‘same type of players’ who have little imagination and our players constantly misplacing and over hitting passes.
Outplayed home and away by Ajax, who are hardly world beaters. Bad yes, it was but it could have been worse, we could have been playing at home V’s Dunfermline. Ha Ha huns.
Singing Detective
You are confusing our greatest manager with a sergeant major who managed a team that no longer exists.
SFTBs.
I thought there may have been a sexual connotation in there somewhere, but not a salad one.
Oldtim
Oh for another hendricks..
Favourite uncle.
Not Blantyre as I’m a whisky bhoy..
Although I have been known to divulge in gin and vodka. Not at same time of course..
Paul67 et al
Ajax too often labelled as a poor team. What they are is a young team, average twenty two years old starting last night. Had a go at the Nou, unlucky to draw against Milan at home, and in better shape than us last night. When you defend well you always have a chance of some kind of a result however unlikely. Seems to me we played better after they scored, but never really looked like getting anything from the game. Disjointed and disappointing. Two domestic games plus International break (some more important than others) before we play Milan. Know a lot on here would skip them but it might not hurt Forrest, Brown and Mulgrew to spend a bit of time with Gordon Strachan’s Scotland in the meantime. And then Milan.
FAVOURITE UNCLE.
If we were sitting in Zbyszek’s home it will be Polska talk.
oldtim
Well that’s salad reduced to number 3 on your options of what to do with a cucumber :-)
oldtim67
Or Wodka Polska!
Celtic FC statement
We have been informed that there are five individuals detained in Holland. We are not clear if they have any formal association with the Club, however, we will be liaising with the local authorities in Amsterdam, our own police and the British Consulate in order to fully understand events. We would stress that there is no excuse for any form of violent conduct.
In addition, we have received numerous complaints from Celtic supporters in relation to their treatment in Amsterdam, which we will also investigate fully.
There is no question that Celtic supporters have been subjected to a high degree of provocation. Last week, our supporters were the target of missiles being thrown from Ajax supporters at Celtic Park, a night where 300 seats were damaged within the stadium.
This was followed up by an organised attack on a group of Celtic supporters in Amsterdam on Tuesday, the night before the match. We have also received numerous individual reports of other attacks on our fans.
The Celtic travelling support has a magnificent reputation across Europe and our fans have visited major European cities over many years without incident. Once again the overwhelming majority of our supporters behaved impeccably.
Blantyretim.
Spent a bit of time at the bank today trying to get my share account fixed,seemingly it was my own fault,I never registered on line. It’s done now so I may get an invite to the AGM, I’ll wait and see.
By the way I have 1.206 shares,And I can purchase more online.
What a depressing day.
On the park we’re playing like Wimbledon FC. And the great unwashed are rioting off it.
A hammer blow to our reputation.
SSB “we haven’t seen any evidence” ……..hahahahahahahahahahahahaha ……. Only in Scotland…….so amusing…!!!!!!!!
Celtic Mac.
I like the sound of Wodka Polska, but it’s gin&tonic I’m having tonight with a couple of slithers of Cucumber.
Well said Celtic, it’s the most we can do in this circumstance.
OldTim67, no slice of lime?
I like lime with my G&T