First the treble then the double slipped through the net leaving Celtic absolute certainties for the inaugural Scottish Premiership title, but with only a couple of higher aspirations to aim for. Fraser Forster is closing in on Bobby Clark’s Aberdeen league shut out record, which if he keeps a clean sheet at home to St Johnstone on Sunday, he would be able to eclipse 31 minutes into the visit to Tynecastle on 22 February.
Neil Lennon called Saturday’s defeat unacceptable but it would be just as unacceptable to concede to St Johnstone at home this weekend when so close to an all-time record. Saints have scored only one league goal away from home (at Firhill) since winning at Tynecastle on 2 November last year. Notwithstanding their four Cup goals at Forfar on Saturday, you could not wish for a more goal-shy league visitors.
The manager was rightly critical of his defence on Saturday so will hopefully use this weekend to ensure they are ready to play up for their goalkeeper this Sunday.
One of the highlights for the Celtic community last year was the incredible Ben Nevis Huddle, completed on the snow-capped mountain in June. This year’s event will take place on Saturday, 28 June. Applications opened on Friday and there are only 77 places left (big mountain but limited safe standing capacity). Go here if you want to get involved.
If you would like to read the new CQN Magazine, GO HERE to read properly, and for FREE, the graphic below is just a taster.
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On Saturday’s failure, three Players contributed to us not competing effectively: Forest, Samaras and Matthews.
As has been pointed out we were overrun in the middle. Felt for Kris Commons.
Why did the clearly unfit Adam Matthews start, young Fisher should have been in from the start in my opinion, at the very least when Adam got clattered in the first half.
Why was Biton not brought and why did James Stay on.
Our performances in the domestic cups is terrible. We should be romping the domestic cups in much the same way Barca, Bayern etc. perform in the UCL.
Hard to get myself motivated now that we are out both cups and the league all but won.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Jungle Jim
16:37 on
10 February, 2014
croppybhoy
People can comment on what they want. My point is that matters on the PROFESSIONAL field are not as simple as that which ” Practically everyone in the ground could see after 20 minutes,”.
JJ
PS Why “croppy” bhoy?
Apparently after twenty minutes Willie Miller who knows a wee bit about the game from a professional angle was commenting to the effect that Celtic were cutting their own throats.
Celtic have done not too badly with Scandinavian players.
Ok, there have been a couple of exceptions.
HH!!
The Honest Mistake
VVD has played 23 times for Celtic and 62 times for Groningen in a league at least comparable to spl.
He also has 8 European games for us against superior opposition.
Efe has played 51 times for Celtic and has 33 international caps . plus 11 European games for us.he also played67 times for previous club Ashod.
Inexperienced?
I got laughed at by a poster for suggesting there were aprons in the CFC PLC boardroom……oh really :)
Peter Lawell is so disconnected from his “consumer base” that he is rapidly heading for his Jock Brown, Gerald Ratner et al moment.
Desmond is the only one who can change things and he doesn’t because he gets his dividend every year from the profits (read the sheet). Anything better than what the banks offer is a good investment, right?
Oh and just for the record Desmond never put a penny into CFC that was not dividend bearing…….no ordinary shares for him. Its all true!
50,000 x ￡1000 = ￡50 M……..should be enough to send the lot of them down the road.
Turn the club into a cooperative and be done with it.
my money is waiting…….again!
Towards the end of last season, with the League race well won, Neil Lennon refused to play younger players since the Cup Final was coming up and the players needed to be kept match fit.
What excuse for not playing younger players will be found this season?
Tallybhoy @15 34
” how are Karagandy doing ? ”
Currently 4th . 17 points off top spot .
Europa League .?
Played 6 -lost 4 , drew 2.
Warm and sunny , way down south . 22 degrees at 1pm . Topless German pensionistas on the beach with legs like roadmaps . Fair put me off my salami / pickled carcioffi panino !
Auguri !
As Stevie Wonder said to me on Saturday, Aberdeen controlled the centre of midfield with three players – Robson, Flood and the pacy Pawlett, while our pair of Brown and Johansen were outnumbered and overworked.
Especially as the manager persisted in picking the congenitally lazy Samaras on the left, to no great effect, while Forrest hugged the right touchline.
Forrest had a decent game in an attacking sense but compare the indolence of Samaras to the commitment of McGinn and Hayes on the Aberdeen flanks, who kept Matthews and Izaguirre quiet with their diligent and lung-bursting back-tracking runs.
Pawlett helped Aberdeen win the midfield battle and also sprung forward when the chance presented itself, not least at the winning goal.
Meanwhile, we had Stokes and Commons, neither of them renowned for their defensive discipline. And on the day (early goal apart) they caused little threat to the Dons defence, due in large part to the intelligence of Robson and Flood in shutting down space in the area of the penalty box “D”.
We were out-fought and out-thought by a team that was prepared to run itself into the ground, while we carried at least three half-hearted passengers (one of whom should never appear in a Celtic strip again).
Tactically, we are a mess. The team is drifting, as is the club.
We need new ideas, new energy and new direction.
Can Neil Lennon supply this?
I have my doubts.
quonno
Precisely my point. Give the bhoy a chance to show that he can be a player for us as well.
Jungle Jim
at.. 16.14
Ah am surprised at you,pal
You Do Know Bettah.
Opinions.. Dae Maitter..in Spite o’ whit ye say tae the Contrary.
Opinions, ur whit it is awe aboot..
It wid be nae Fun At Awe ,without the Usual.. “Cussin’ n Discussin'”. sessions..which ur De Rigueur.. The Accepted Reaction..
n Which rigidly scheduled.. tae take place… Among us Fans ,efter a Crushin’ n Disappointing Result frum oor Cherished Heroes..
N..Mak nae mistake aboot it..
Celtic ur.. Oor Cherished n Adored .. Oor.. Wan n Onlys..
Ah expect tae Win EVERY GAME..
N ..if We Dinnae..
Ah am Very Upset..
Ah canny help it..it is Ma Nature..oan account o’ me Being a Human Bean.
N.. don’t tell me that You are Any Different… fur you ur a Human Bean, also.
n..if ye dae..insist that You ur any Different…
Then.. Awe Ah kin say is..
Ah Dinnah Believe ye..Pal..
Let the Lads Hiv thur Moan..it’s jist whit the doctor ordered..
It’s.. whit did he say, again?
Aye..
“it’s Therapeutical”.. that’s it..
n.. He wiz right..
Ma Thera feels Much Mair.. Peutical…
Efter a Guid .. Damn… Moanin’ n Beefin’ Sesh.
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
quonno 16:32 on 10 February, 2014
“contrived to all but wrap the trophy in red white and blue ribbons for THEIR benefit.”
I think you are believing media ficton on Sevco’s standing in Scottish football.
They will almost certainly reach the semi-finals and meet a top-flight team for the first time in over a year.
Should that team be St Johnstone or Inverness, then Sevco will definately lose. Aberdeen and Dundee United will embarras them though.
Fanatic.
22 year old Vvd has 85 first team appearances under his belt, many of them against inferior opposition.
25 year old former bomb scare Efe plied his trade in Israel before scaring the celtic goalkeeper for a season before starting to settle in this season.
Yes inexperienced.
South of Tunis
Not long back.
Been raining most of the day. Yesterday was lovely.
Topless German pensioners let loose on a Sicilian beach?!
Dio cristo!
Auguri!
HH!!
JJ
Afraid to disagree about Saturday – after 15-20 minutes Aberdeen were the better team
Our front four had virtually stopped moving which meant our back four had very few options when they had the ball
The two in midfield ran themselves ragged trying to give our back four options but that was very difficult given they were up against 3 or 4 opponents
We have no physical strength in our forward line so we could not hit the ball long as there was no one who was going to hold it up
Nor do we ever play the ball into space to exploit JF’s pace as Lenny like most modern coaches has bought in to the possession mantra
Interestingly Mourinho has never really bought in to that as he proved yet again last week at MC
Football is a simple game -many players couldn’t cope with it if that wasn’t true
When things are going against you you have to change
Lenny -for whatever reason didn’t until we were losing -his solution was the same one he had used against Ross County -namely throw on more forwards
It didn’t work then and it didn’t work on Saturday -by the end we were reduced to throwing big VVD up to play CF!
PS Croppybhoy as a small homage to rebels of ’98
HH
johnbhoy
16:46 on 10 February, 2014
You’ve just Summed up Saturday’s match and overall performance as well as the overall direction the club seems to be drifting towards perfectly.
NFL said Wee Jamesie was exempted from criticism on Saturday.
Hmmm.
Croppybhoy 16:31
That NL then follows up and says the only two players absolved from criticism are Forrest and Stokes CONFIRMS we have a problem
I wonder how many games at centre half Efe Ambrose has played.
He plays defensive mid for Nigeria and used to be right back in Israel.
New personal best score at Flappy Birds………
Anyone criticising James F should watch a replay of the game. He constantly had three or four A’deen players around him and usually managed to get to the by-line and cross the ball or to cut inside and pass to a teammate. I thought he was brilliant.
Steinreignedsupreme,
Sevco are second favourites to win the Cup.
Do not discount them.
JohnBhoy
Is it really .. YOU…Palomine??
Whur Hiv ye bin?
Don’t answer that… Ah dinna wanta know.. Ah jist asked that…because, that is whit.. Everybuddy asks..
Anyway..
You hiv Hit the Nail, very squarely.
Sammi is a Lazy Bum… Defensively, speaking,of Course..
as is
Commons.. again.. speaking.. only… aboot his tracking-Back Qualities..
Forrest,, an awe…
Forrest,of course, Ah kin Forgie.. fur he is Quite the Match winner… on occasion
as is
Sammi n Commons,of course..
But.. Ah only Forgie.. Forrest..in this case…oan account of the Fact that
Wee Jamsie..is a Favourite o’ Mine.
Which is a Very Good Reason..
Right?
as the ither Two.. AIN’T!
Ah don’t forgie… Sammi, nor… Commons.
Those Two.. Ah jis Canny..
Nice Chattin’ ,Pal..
Welcome Back..
If you ur. actually… Who Ah think ye ur..
n
If ye ur No?
Well.
Ah gie ye A Warm Welcome.. tae.
Kojo
Still,Laughin’
Our cross ball are mostly over hit
where as Barry Robsons seemed to be on the button in the danger area.
just a wee point
A fantastic weekend for the sportsfan particularly for those of us accross the water in the green and misty isle with that great win over our Celtic cousins in the rugby, some great GAA games and of course our unfortunate demise in that big Cup game.
We have to credit Aberdeen, they were a much better side than I anticipated and the SPL would be a much better league if teams like the Dons could produce this kind of form on a regular basis. This means there will be no big day out in the May sunshine but there is the benefit that the Celtic squad can start their holidays earlier with those Champions Lge games coming in the middle of summer.
I honestly thought we had more than an eleven points lead in the Championship so there is still work to be done, a couple of defeats and things could get tricky I see Roy Keane being mentioned to replace Neil as manager if he decides to go. Keano’s main reason for being at Saturday’s match was to watch Anthony Stokes for International duty.
Ole Mick Hucknall wisnae Holding Back The Years at Old Trafford yesterday.
James F beat his man and played a perfect cross – not his fault that Virgil missed a sitter.
Good early evening friends. Or is it still late afternoon?
79caps
I thought he played well in the second half in doing what you say -however I would temper that by saying that despite getting past his man there were not many crosses that caused the Dons defence much bother
That brings us back to our lack of a genuine penalty box striker
IMHO LG is not type of player either but obviously need the chance to prove himself
HH
79caps
I think Forrest is an excellent young player stifled in a system that does not utilize his talent.
Bourne
Apologies, busy afternoon.
I’m afraid I can agree with your point about Aberdeen coming in a one off game and it can happen etc.
Neil Lennon should have had his players champing at the bit to get in about the Dons on Saturday. He had the events at Tynecastle the previous week that he could have used as a motivating factor. The fact that Saturday had become our biggest game of the season would have been another.
The most concerning point to me is that this is not new, our record in national cup competitions under NL is woeful.
Yes the league is the priority but the fact that players and management were so inept in what had become such an important game is what has left the residue of disappointment and anger.
On a side issue I’ve just been up collecting Pittodrie tickets from the TO. Two members of staff expressed their concerns if the Huns get to the final as the TO will be open on the day and have to deal with their hordes; dreadful that it’s come to this.
Ps Naill McGinn was a perfect gent as always in Bar67 on Saturday night.
Tricoloured Ribbon 17:05 on 10 February, 2014
“Sevco are second favourites to win the Cup.
“Do not discount them.”
Sevco are second favourites because Zombies are backing them at the bookies.
That is what helps set the odds.
A lot of people are in for a big surprise when they meet a Premiership team.
fan-a-tic
What system should it be?
hankray
We have more than an eleven point lead. We have a twenty one point lead!
Cheerio,
JJ
On the clean sheet record it may look good in the history books to have your name next to it if you are the keeper or the manager of Celtic.
Is it more important than say the blooding of another youngster ?
Have we not played anymore youngsters or even one of them because they are not good enough or because we didnt want to chance the loss of a goal or God forbid a gemme.
If its the latter then thats putting self before Celtic.
For me ah wid have liked to see a youngster getting his chance in recent League gemmes.if you cant blood someone when we are cantering a league when can you ?
On Saturdays gemme , Normally we explain cup knockouts as a bad day at the office,missed chances dodgy penalties given against stonewallers denied.
For me Saturday was different.
We had two teams going head to head fully committed and for the first 15 mins or so I enjoyed it and thought it had the makings of a great gemme.
By the time half time came ad witnessed a rare sight a team going behind to a fully up for it Celtic side and then standing up to be counted an almost immediately start to win the one to one battles.
Aberdeen deserve enormous credit and their manager mcciness did his homework.
The manner of the defeat made me think that Lenny is not up to the job.
Am torn because of what he has had to endure in terms of death threats physical attacks and abuse and ah feel we owe him but just as with the importance of clean sheets v blooding a youngster the question that ultimately should be asked is
Whats best for Celtic.
Ah look at most of the teams Neil Lennon puts out an with the honourable exception of Hearts away n Motherwell away we tend to play a certain way.
That way involves possession of the ball shuttled at no great pace to a wide player usually Izzy an the resultant cross is overhit.
Maybe a caricature but for me its a formation and way of playing that is basically flawed because we do not have good crossers of the ball Mulgrew excepted and we do not have forwards that are good in the air.
We have played tremendous football when we used the diamond formation against Hearts n Motherwell but thats been rare.
Going back to Saturday we had a team who stood up to us and individual battles were lost all over the pitch .The loss of Mulgrew was significant because it weakened our midfield.
By half time ah could see we were losing the midfield battle so could lots of us.
Am at a loss why Lenny did not take steps to bolster that area at half time to continue with the same formation an expect a different outcome was a huge error of judgement.
For me fitbaw isnt complicated you watch it you see were we need help or increased numbers you change it.
Lenny was unwilling or incapable of changing things.
That wasnt a one off freak knock out that wis a good manager overcoming a superior side with tactics and a motivated set of players.
Ah want a Celtic team that plays direct quick attacking football at pace.
Its never changed.
I now dont think Lenny can do that.
JJ
Do you think it was the correct decision to play Matthews on Saturday?
79 caps 17:03
I will give you JF invariably found a teammate when passing inside
His cross balls almost always are nowhere near a teammate (whose fault is that??) and overhit beyond the back post
His level of football intelligence is frankly appalling. It was abundantly obvious that Matthews was nowhere near fit. Forrest must be a full backs nightmare in that you know he will rarely if ever get back to help you out and IMO Matthews ropey afternoon was not helped by Forrest offering him no help whatsoever
I have to say that I do not view James Forrest as a contributor to this Celtic team as what he brings to the table is overshadowed by his many failings, not least his visible attitude when stripped of possession
A system that allows him to attack the space.
Playing diagonal balls early behind the defense would be a start.
Unfortunately we don’t play the diagonal or early ball.
To often he receives a pass from our slow build up and is already double teamed so forced backwards and sideways nullifying his speed.
On the few occasions he gets the cross in our safety first style has most of our team holding position at the centre of field leaving one forward outmanned to try and get to the cross.
A simple adjustment of a player attacking the front post and one the rear would significantly improve the effectiveness of his crosses.
As weird as it seems, like a previous poster, I enjoyed the game on Saturday, I was pleased that Aberdeen came down with a game plan, and despite going a goal down decided to stick to it. I want a resurgent Aberdeen,Dundee Utd and Hibs.
Where I was disappointed was that we could not rise to the challenge . Neil has to take a large part of the blame, bringing Adam back after his lay-off backfired big time, he was clearly labouring for most of the 2nd half,and the fact he did not replace him either means Neil was oblivious to this, or more worrying that he did not trust young Fisher against a fast winger.
I have got to a stage in life now, that whilst upset at a loss and the chance of a day out in May, in the scheme of things, providing the newgovanites don’t win it, then it is good for the game in Scotland.
We really can’t complain of a lack of competition, and then when one arises go into meltdown when beaten.
On a more controversial note, I thought the Aberdeen support on saturday was superb,, and showed us all up.
A couple of thousand outsang the majority of us for the whole game.
Still, I’ve got another opportunity to see my beloved Celtic on Sunday, and if we keep a clean sheet, I’ll be delighted, if not, I’ll still be a happy man.
What’s not to like .. Glasgow’s still Green & W’hite