I read the CQN Magazine article this morning on our December fixtures; eight games, seven in the league, with only one midweek off. It has the look of a month which will go a long way to deciding the outcome of the title.
The awkward looking fixtures come at the start of the month. Away to St Johnstone, home to Hibs and away to Kilmarnock. We have played each of these teams before this season and have yet to win, drawing home to St Johnstone and at Hibs, while losing a League Cup tie at Kilmarnock.
Four of the remaining five games after that are at Celtic Park. On paper, they are against more resourceful opponents, but there is less jeopardy in these games. The Feyenoord game has only pride, coefficient points and cash on the line, while we recorded three goal wins earlier in the season over the next three opponents: Hearts, Livingston and Dundee.
The game against Newco at the end of the month is already attracting attention, but honestly, if we do what we need to do between now and then, that game will take care of itself. It holds no fears whatsoever.
St Johnstone on Sunday, however? That’s a bigger game that the one we played in Rome on Tuesday. Win this game and see the confidence build.
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HH
Agreed, St. Johnstone first then…
One game at a time
I seen the hun score last night with about 15 mins left to play. So I decided to watch what was left of the match to see how they were playing and how they would go about winning the game.
It’s difficult sometimes to assess them as a Celtic fan because of the inherent dislike. That said, they’re dire. Truly dire.
I’d go as far as saying that were we to lose this league title to that hun team, it would be a generational low for Celtic FC.
Regardless though, we want to see Celtic play well and win the league on our own steam regardless of how poor they are.
3 points and a good performance on Sunday will be a start.
Agree.
On current form any game against a Craig Levein managed will be challenging.
Craig Levein managed team…..
This time last year we co8ld call on Giakoumakis, Juranovic, Mooy, Jota, Starfelt. Now compare and contrast with the expected line up on Sunday. A team of unproven, not looking too clever wee boys. Tens of millions in the bank whilst massively hiking fat cat pay (during a collapse in Livi g standards no less) whilst hugely weakening the team and throwing the progress under Ange into sharp reverse? Great work plc… just as well we can fall back on our nepotism policy to keep us right in January.
PS yes, the huns are 💩 but let’s face it, so are we. We ve won 11 out of 20 this season. Our standards have collapsed on all performance metrics. Yes the Boardroom fossils acceded to an ambitious managerial appointment, but only under duress in Lawwell Snr’s case. Portents are not good.
Back to the bean counters in charge and resulting malaise.
PETERLATCHFORDSBELLY @ 12:27 PM,
Going into the UCL campaign with a team much weakened from the team that struggled in the same competition last year is bizarre.
The Feyenoord game has only pride, coefficient points and cash on the line,
Imagine we were saying The Rangers game has only pride, league points and cash on the line.
It’s about time our obsession with the dead team changed to an obsession with Europe, that’s the future.
LivingInThePastCSC
Hail Hail
Yep, back to league action. And remember:
The league is the priority
So we can qualify for the Champions League
So we can not bother trying when we get there
Because the league is the priority!
Love your work Paul, but this article encompasses some of the poor-quality mindset around our club.
We compete ‘where we belong’ in the ECL midweek, then get all sweaty palmed over the prospect of playing a club with a fraction of our squad and resources.
Just can’t imagine Atletico being squeaky bummy over an away tie to Almeria or Granada.
We will burst the Saints if we are even half as good as we know we can be: Absolutely burst them IMO!!
——
LivingInThePastCSC
With Charlie ‘Jethro’ Tully ?
BBC One O’Clock News leading the positive King Charles spin.
Unbelievably transparent.
Let’s hope that Paul67’s attitude is not being passed on to us from the board.
If a mid season game against St Johnstone is deemed more important than a CL game against Lazio then we are on a never ending downward spiral.
And might as well add, as I very rarely post, my comments about the adverts on here – I cannot even open the leader now without a full page advert taking over my phone screen.
Is this all really necessary?
Friday.
That is all.
So another Champions League humiliation over….now for the heady heights of Perth.
Small time attitude produces small time results.
Our custodians happily line their own pockets whilst we accept mediocrity, surely something has to give?
QUADROPHENIAN on 1ST DECEMBER 2023 12:52 PM
Did you miss the reaction to our 2 draws this season??
.am just glad the mentioning of and reliance of ‘whit uhrr the huns daen” lightens up.
A lot of entitkement on show and now we can hear the greetin faced in our library as thegroans cascade down the stands but reading bavk matchday word is stick tae shoutin at the telly!!(no you btw)
Hail Hail
Cheers Pablo.
Personally I’m glad this subject is being aired now.
Brendan Rodgers is starting his fourth December as Celtic manager.
December has proven a sticky period in his past with a few “ground out” performances.
I recall his first season – grumbles from the stands as we eked out a couple of single goal victories on cold nights against “weaker” opponents.
We went 34-4-0 that season BTW.
I expect similar this month.
Performances that is.
As for the grumbling, easy to predict summat that has already started.
PeterLatchfordsBelly,
Please name this team of”Unproven,not too clever looking,Wee boys”,who will be taking the field against St Johnstone on Sunday.I will make it easier for you.Name me three ” Unproven wee boys” who will line up on Sunday.
Absolute tripe from a poster that loves coming on to spout the usual,same line after anything that’s not a win.
Usual pathetic wee dig at The Board.Not on your own,another 5 or 6 very similar.Instead of listening to your guff,think I will listen to Danny Murphys honest ,no agenda driven,verdict on Celtic.
What a miserable existence some have being Celtic fans.
aipple
How about ‘Friday On My Mind’?
Or is that just on a Monday?…..
EasyBeatsCSC
A nice early goal or two and a return to form for Kyogo would be very welcome. And a clean sheet. An enjoyable afternoon is probably pushing it a bit, but it would be nice.
Being out of Europe will hopefully bring a renewed focus to our domestic games. Competing like we did on Tuesday should hopefully help with sharpness, but the 80% possession stats will probably be back do a different challenge which will test a different set of skills and smarts
Matt to return to his best setting up Kyogo for all 5 of his goals
ONIL,
Have you and Peter Latchford ever been seen in the same room together.Strikingly similar posts on a perpetual loop.Gloom and Doom brothers.
“but only under duress in Lawwell Snr’s case.”
Just made up, to justify previous points in the post.
Looking forward to the game v the Saints, Levein will have them set up to just defend, that’s his M.O.
Palma should be back, Yang may drop out to Mikey Johnston as I thought he did better than usual on Tuesday. Is this maybe the time to go 3-5-2? Enable some support for Kyogo and let 1 or 2 midfielders break into the box from deep-lying positions, but hey what do I know, I think following the Tic is a blessing! :)) por cierto
NEILBHOY on 1ST DECEMBER 2023 1:07 PM
And might as well add, as I very rarely post, my comments about the adverts on here – I cannot even open the leader now without a full page advert taking over my phone screen.
Is this all really necessary?
_____
It was becoming virtually impossible for me to read in on Google Chrome. Have switched to duckduckgo and thus far, no issues
I don’t think Kyogo needs a return to form as much as his team mates need to give him the ball (the quicker, the better).
Celtic40me,
This is our biggest problem.Hardly any of the midfield seem to know Kyogo is on the park.Calmac the worst offender.Too busy retaining the ball,with square passing and feeding it out wide,which a good percentage of the time ,gets funneled back the way it came,to start again.We need a playmaker.Without Hatate,it’s all too predictable.O Riley tries to break the lines,but usually snuffed out by defenders having the time to regroup themselves .The 4-3-3 is not working for us at the moment without him unless the wingers are tearing it up,which is always unpredictable.Maybe BR could try Palma there,and play a 4-4-2, with Kyogo and Oh.Or is that a little to way out thinking.
Turkeybhoy
Celtic are enjoying the most amazing decades of success ever in our history right now. There are some things around structure of the football world we can’t resolve but witching the controllable things we are doing well. My grandfather would be astonished at where we sit right now. As would my dad.
Whenever there is agenda ridden negativity from folk who prefer to wallow in their own misery on here I take a wee look over at follow follow and realise that they have the same negatrons who are actually 10 x worse and many more of them.
Some folk just like to be angry at those who have accountability and responsibility. It helps them feel good without ever having it themselves.
Turkey
Within not witching
!!BADA BING!! on 1ST DECEMBER 2023 11:29 AM
https://x.com/TamseIIicsonIII/status/1730379029365104733?t=-_zmgFLOUGiGcGxDdbrpgw&s=08
Ha ha
BADA, brilliant. The Village Idiot honing his kraft!
Is peterlatchfordsbelly. Joe McHugh ?
Sounds like him ….
Thinking back to our 13th league game last season (the calendars don’t match due to the World Cup)
We beat Dundee United at home 4-2 with Kyogo putting us ahead in the 90th minute.
The wee man had been on a quiteish run – he played fine but it wasn’t quite clicking – but he came off the bench (replacing a frustrated Giakoumakis) and got us the win.
After that he went on an incredible run of performances and goals.
Here’s hoping for a repeat.
PS – in the above game, Abada sealed it in added time.
Another player we are clearly missing.
TURKEYBHOY on 1ST DECEMBER 2023 2:02 PM
I think a lot of it comes down to the amount of space around Kyogo when you’re playing against a packed narrow deep defence. If you’ve got 3 mids, one of which is taking the ball off the defence there’s a lot of pressure on the other 2 to deliver. Matt gets man marked these days, Iwata isn’t suited to the role, neither is DT and yiu can see a young Holm is on a very steep learning curve atm. With 3 in midfield If the wingers don’t produce were in trouble.
Saying that I think our domestic form is fine – we’re on course for 98 points. Any formation will lead to the odd draw when you’re playing against ten men behind the ball for 90 minutes. Before Motherwell we were scoring enough.
But I take your point though, bottom of the table teams have an easy ready made way of stopping us so it might be that we need a rethink before too long. I’d like to see Oh alongside Kyogo a bit more – they can’t build a good partnership playing ten minutes together here and there.
It’ll be interesting to see if there are any fornation changes if we bring in any new players in January.
TURKEYBHOY on 1ST DECEMBER 2023 1:46 PM
It’s called freedom of speech.
Please feel free to scroll past….
We have played each of these teams before this season and have yet to win, drawing home to St Johnstone and at Hibs, while losing a League Cup tie at Kilmarnock.Saturday 7th October
SCOTTISH PREMIERSHIP
Celtic
3
Kilmarnock
1
FT
Paul67
Too right , we were never getting anywhere, never mind getting out of that group. Brendan Rodgers remit, was to win the league and do better in Europe, whether he was successful is subjective, so it’s back to the action.
We’ll only get better in Europe when BR has his own side. You have to be in it, and the natural order is to win the League first and foremost. The re-signing of key players q1shouldn’t be overlooked, as all of them have contributed.
All roads lead to Perth
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 1ST DECEMBER 2023 2:24 PM
We’ve definitely missed Abadas goals from the right wing, by this time last season he had 7 which would have him as joint top of the spl list. Maeda and Yang have 3 between them
Every confidence we will have the players in place for a crack at the CL next season.Remember,it’s not as difficult.2 pot 4s,2 pot 3s,2 pot 2s.This year,apart from the AM result away,we competed well against good teams.Shit luck,sending offs for minimal offences screwed us.Not a great deal required playerwise to turn these into wins.GK,LB,Midfielder,to play 4-4-2,away,and at home in some games,and Miovski up front with Kyogo.Of course Miovski won’t be expensive enough for some.Some £10 mullion,mythical striker,who they don’t know is out there just itching to come to the SPFL.Not even 10,£ 20 mullion.
Miovski for me.Terrific striker,with pace and brains.
Jota had 5 to Palma’s 4
ONIL,
Freedom of speech.?Does that freedom include the right to repeat the same guff at every given chance.
Maybe you don’t know you are doing it,but you are.For years,after any result that goes against us,you are on with your copy and paste tirade.That is not freedom.That is being chained to an agenda.