For the second time this season against Kilmarnock, the first half offered Celtic promise as well as a lead at the interval. Celtic’s pace of play and directness had the visitors on the backfoot until the break. The left wing played an important part of the story. Luis Palma and Greg Taylor are by far Celtic’s most competent retainers of possession on the left and made sure we were able to quickly attack Killie down that flank.
Luis put in a couple of poor crosses just before the break, and with options on the bench, Brendan Rodgers hooked the Honduran for Yang. An attempt to aid our attacking efforts would later undermine our ability to progress play up-field. The rot did not really set in until Taylor, on his first game back from injury, was replaced after an hour.
Daizen Maeda is not known for holding play up, however he gets up and down the park and tracks back better than anyone in the game. But seven minutes after our left flank’s defensive and ball holding abilities were weakened, Maeda made way for Nicolas Kuhn. Kuhn is a crosser of the ball (though poorly on this occasion), not a defensive-minded player. You can be sure, “Tracks back” does not feature on his bio.
Yet again, Joe Hart was called upon to make several saves (more than his counterpart in the Kilmarnock goal). The defence played well; Tony Ralston and Liam Scales in particular, but in the second half we were without a gameplan to move play forward.
The above debacle set the scene for Kilmarnock’s deserved draw. Celtic could have got away with the win, just as they did recently home to Ross County, or at Hibs, but it would have been a win despite what happened at crucial times on the field.
We are now behind a team in the league, which lost several first-team players in the summer without transfer fees, who then signed players that overwhelmingly disappointed, some of whom have already been offloaded, and who sacked their manager during an injury crisis which saw them slip well off the pace.
What do they have that we don’t? They didn’t have a good transfer window, they didn’t have a season without injuries, they didn’t start with a manager who knew what he was doing. Midseason, they added organisational ability and here we are!
Newco remain in Europe and could find this undermines them in the league, but only if we are able to apply our own pressure, which means winning football games. We need a robust and functioning gameplan for Sunday, or we risk dropping points yet again to Motherwell and removing any pressure on our title rivals.
Soon Cameron Carter-Vickers will return, and we can hope Reo Hatate gives us the last couple of months of the season. On their own, this does not feel like it will be enough to push us over the line.
247 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
Chairbhoy 6.18am
Yet another terrific post.
The Lawwell myth is strong indeed & I remember well his many missteps – Mogga, Deila, Lenny II… and also the many (wilfully) missed opportunities to bury them.
Next season they’ll show us how it’s done.
The way Rodger’s has the players playing isn’t the system the fans want to see,can we win the league,I hope so ,but he needs to start making big changes starting this Sunday against Motherwell,Lagerbiele and Nawrocki,need to be given another chance,also young Vatta playing along with Kyogo,and Iwata in midfield,if fit young Frame as back up for Taylor
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68345885
Not Celtic related.
I felt quite sad when I read this.
Never knew the guy. Never followed his life after football.
I think that sadness has something to do with having a vivid memory of a football event
Plus a sense (rightly or wrongly) that ex athletes somehow shouldn’t leave this earth prematurely.
Another reminder I suppose that not everyone is lucky to get their three score and ten … and that we should enjoy what we have while we have it.
On that note …
what Chairbhoy said at 6:18am
(first line of his post).
Kieran Maguire’s comments on Lawwell are certainly worth discussing. I look forward to reading p67’s thoughts on them.
PLB @ 10:00 am
“and also the many (wilfully) missed opportunities to bury them.
Next season they’ll show us how it’s done”
———
PLB
“They” will never bury us.
They” may try.
And, as part of that attempt, they may offer shovels to some of our own.
And a small proportion of our own who are offered a shovel will take it and dig.
But “They” will never bury us.
Hail Hail
Keep The Faith
(In spite of everything AND whether it comes from within and/or from without)
Yawn.
Kieran Maguire knows what side his bread is buttered on.
And always has.
Read his output over the last 15 years.
PLB
Soap – magic…
PeterLatchfordsBelly on 20th February 2024 9:41 am
The brutal truth.
CHAIRBHOY on 20TH FEBRUARY 2024 6:18 AM
All well and good but I would have thought at least a mention of the connection between Rangers winning three in a row and spending millions they didn`t have, leading to their demise, would have been worthy of a mention.
Back to Basics
Fair point and agreed.
I should’ve been clearer – they will strain every sinew to bury us. They won’t succeed – no thanks to our current custodians.
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 20TH FEBRUARY 2024 10:26 AM
And, as part of that attempt, they may offer shovels to some of our own.And a small proportion of our own who are offered a shovel will take it and dig.`
A SMALL proportion? Hmm..
418
Still in search of the lost brain I see.
I’ve not paid a penny into Celtic once Res12 efforts made it clear to me and many others the game is corrupt.
But the biggest no brainer, when you find yours, is that but for Res12 no one would know how corrupt the game is and those who understand that have stopped buying their £49 ticket.
Those who continue to do so have their own reasons which have to be respected and when you find your brain, check what the word “respect” means.
It will be in the dictionary a bit further along from ” buffoon”
On a lighter note slightly off piste.
That isn’t our Matt on BBC 2 live lounge asking Bruce Hornsby a question 🤪
HS
agreed 100%
but thats what seems to get on folks t1ts
they will cheat/fight/scream to get success – regardless
to most folks, we dont seem to be
Chairbhoy.
There is a clear pattern of Celtic doing what is said on the tin of their QUAC code compliance statements ie to increase shareholder value.
It might have been better to state to stop shareholder value from falling below £Xxx.
A team fit for the purpose of consistently beating all domestic competition should not decrease share value but when a decision is made to keep some cash in reserve in case CL participation is not acheived is planning to maintain share holder value rather than increase it.
The idea of buy low sell high might work if executed properly but it clearly is not and PL is DD’s man responsible.
The only break in the pattern is when PL was absent and his reappointment is the PL equivalent of appointing NL in the shower and we all know how that turned out.
It was an insult to the broad intelligence of Celtic supporters.
A reap what you sow decision that will erode the sense of self respect of even the most loyal of supporters.
new article posted.
Lead balloons
Secure your Half Season Ticket online today Celtic FC – Official Site
Auldheid
Completely agree. They are the masters of conveying contempt for their own ‘ customers’.
These genius businessmen with a strategy straight out the Gerald Ratner playbook.
If their ‘customer base’ wasn’t irrationally emotionally attached to the ‘business’ they would be dead in the water.. and deservedly so.
An Tearman
I would urge every shareholder to update their shares and default their voting rights to the Celtic Trust,settinv up alternate groups only serves Dermots divide and rule strategy.
===
As stated to G Fearman the CST are structurally divisive. They do not represent non shareholding supporters.
If you check back on the Restructuring proposal you will see that the aim is to create ONE group that can claim to cover both.
It is indeed the fragmentation of the support organisations that serves the Board, so it would make no sense to create another, but the CST as constituted and run to their constitution are a source of division and their jam tomorrow approach is for the pie in their sky.
Did you know they turned down the offer of £20k in pledges from Res12 shareholders to get legal support on false grounds, misrepresenting what it was for?
After my very first CST meeting I was at unease at what I perceived as a meanness of spirit and time has has reinforced that view.