This was a defensive and tactical failure. Efe Ambrose was slow to follow his man for the first goal (Fraser was the beaten easily, though redeemed himself later). Efe was also brushed off the ball at the second goal. Strength in the six yard box is imperative for a central defender.
Mikael Lustig was caught underneath his man for the cross which led to the second goal, a feature of our defending all night. All he could do was attempt to block the header back across goal, instead of challenge for the ball. He was also in the wrong starting position, and therefore, unable to stop the cross which led to the fourth goal.
With Lustig and Ambrose already culpable at the second goal, Virgil van Dijk was caught napping. He may have expected better from his team-mates, but he should have remained alert with the ball inside the penalty area. The space afforded to Radovic, Virgil’s man, should never have existed.
I’ve no idea why Emilio, our only left back, was omitted from the starting line-up. He offered balance when he came on, until his late horror show when he was turned inside out, then inside out again, at the third goal. It was like watching a clip from the 50s, when full backs didn’t know to get tight and close-off one option for the attacker.
Charlie Mulgrew had a nightmare beyond the level of the others, which is saying something. Two penalty kicks, failing to attack the ball with his man, who headed the third goal, failing to track the run for the fourth, and the debacle which led to possession being lost when Efe was red carded, was a calamitous return.
I’ve heard transfer rumours about everyone who played in defence last night apart from Lustig and Izaguirre. It looked like the defenders had been listening to them too, and had minds on other things.
The squad’s weaknesses were exposed by Legia.
It’s probably too late to lament the absence of Wanyama, but with Brown again out through injury, we’re short of bite in central midfield, exactly what we needed when the defence was comatose. Stefan Johansen and Charlie Mulgrew had the senior combative roles, it just didn’t work. We need to fix this gap as soon as possible.
Ronny got things wrong.
I agree with the manager’s assessment in his post-match BBC interview, the back four didn’t defend as a unit, which is fatal at any level of football, and we didn’t press as a team. I’ll make no excuses for the defenders, but playing this specific 4-3-3 away from home in Europe was asking for trouble.
If we’re short of bite with Johansen and Mulgrew, we’re shorter still if the third man in the middle is the creative Kris Commons. Love him, though we do, he is neither a tackler nor a box-to-box player. The middle three in this formation need to be mobile, covering as much ground as four, sometimes five, opponents. Johansen, Mulgrew and Commons was wrong on all levels. As a result, the Legia midfield probably had their easiest game of the year.
Callum McGregor delivered a goal, as much as anyone could reasonably expect of him, but this was his first game against top-flight full-timers. He needs people to ease him into the role. Jo Inge Berget hasn’t trained with the club, has played only twice since January and there’s a reasonable chance he didn’t know the names of all his team-mates.
If you want to know why we didn’t press as a team as soon as Legia got in amongst us, the clues are everywhere. Of course we didn’t press as a team.
On top of this, we ran the same Pukki experiment as last year, with the same outcome. We’ve seen a lot more of this Celtic team than Ronny, who might now be on the same page as the rest of us.
“Anywhere but Warsaw” was title of the CQN article on the day of the draw as this one was entirely predictable, and that was before Legia won in Dublin. The new manager has yet to get his feet under the table. The squad are in a state of flux. We are short of experienced, reliable, players in several positions, and football in July is often a lottery. There was a chance Legia would capitulate but it was more likely that they would be fitter and better rehearsed.
Seven days is a long time in preseason terms, and as you don’t need me to tell you, we’ve been here before. Don’t think this is over.
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oney=money
typo
weeminger
12:01 on 1 August, 2014
____________________
When he seen that his ‘toy’ was no longer there to be played with, he might move on?
Nye Bevans’ rebel soldier
11:49 on
1 August, 2014
CultsBhoy
11:39 on
1 August, 2014
Not looking for a fight pal,but can you remember the
old board back in the day?,talk about self serving rank
amateurs who treated the support like shite.
Remember them well. And agree that they were a bunch of chantie wrasslers.
Problem is that in the contempt for the fans stakes there is not a fag paper’s thickness between them and current Board.
At least Kelly and White showed their faces about the place. How often does DD deign to show up.
So Kev will you when you get control of the clumpany will you be introducing a class test or just a sign, No Snobs Allowed????
CultsBhoy
The issue regarding goal scoring the other night was that we had our most potent scorer in recent months on for 45 mins and the other 2 on the bench until 80 mins when we brough Griffith’s on.
We must play a striker. Commons does get goals and was excellent last season but Celtic need to have more goal scoring options. Personally I would have brought on Griffith’s for Berget at half time on Wednesday and went for a goal at the start of the 2nd half.
Then withdraw Pukki at 60 mins or so and stick with what we have. Griffith’s is the best lone striker in our squad. He is a proven lone striker. I don;t mind what happened on Wednesday if Ronny learns from it. If he makes similar mistakes on Wednesday at Murrayfield I will be very concerned!
LB
Kevj……consistent as always, unlike some on here
who bend with the strongest windbag,I have to a say
time might prove you right,but I don’t think so,btw I’ve
renewed and have got a pair, also my lassie has her
first ST this season she just loves going to watch the
Celtic…..hope you and your loved one’s are doing well,
and look forward to the day your back at CP.
Nye Bevans’ rebel soldier
______________________
Good to see you back safely and still as rebelious as usual :)
Keep it lit fella.
Hail Hail
rebelious=rebellious
typo
Ffm with his dod….
http://postimage.org/
LiviBhoy @ 11:44
I agree, he’s obviously being paid so highly because he’s doing what the board want him to do.
You think this is acceptable?
A disproportionately high wage while the Club is going backwards – the treatment of the support, illegal harrassment in the stadium, lies about this serious issue, wtf??
Lack of player investment is the least of my own concerns here.
If it’s a flamin business, the most important thing is the customer – get them coming back?
Anyone can look at what’s happening all over, in catering, hospitality, stadium security and see it’s horrendously done – it’s been getting worse for years, we are being treated with total contempt. Yet all of the staff who work at CP in my experience are friendly, hard-working, despite not being deemed worthy of the living rate hourly wage. You know, an extra pound or two an hour for 4-16 hours work a week.
If I had a son, I’d love to introduce him to CP as he grew up. But at the moment, I wouldn’t do it. It’s typical establishment stuff this – intimidation. And we are the apathetic voters. Until it happens to our own children, we turn a blind eye.
I’ll let you have your response to this, but I’m saying no more now I’ve ranted so much this morning. To make these serious points is battering your heid against a brick wall on CQN these days.
Oops…
KevJungle
Our SB sales have fallen over the years for a variety of reasons – maybe this wasn’t unexpected given the financial crisis etc and some buying the armageddon myth.
For those(like yourself?) who have stopped buying a SB as a result of the boards perceived inability to run the club as well as they might, what are you doing about it?
Aren’t you the ones meekly accepting that you can no longer support you club because of these people?
I don’t see protests outside the ground or Celts for Change 2 so how can you expect to be taken seriously when you appear happy to simply walk off into the sunset cutting of full financial support to the club without doing visibly doing anything about it?
Taking into account that Celtic FC IS the fans at what point do you decide to stop backing the team?
Celtic will be around long after the current incumbents have gone but it will still be all about us – the fans. WE are what make Celtic, and God knows we will disagree with a lot of what goes on at the club in the future but I don’t think cutting ties completely will solve anything unless there is a coherent action plan which can be suitably justified.
Otherwise Celtic just shrink for nothing.
HH
The Battered Bunnet
12:02 on 1 August, 2014
MadMitch
PL’s KPIs…
I asked the question of Tom Allison – chair of the Remuneration Cmtte – at the AGM 3 years ago when the club’s stated KPIs had all bombed over the previous 4 years, yet the Exec Team got full entitlement via the LTIP.
The KPIs are noted in the Annual Report of 2011 as….
————————————————————————————
The same KPIs appear in the “Directors Report” section of the 2013 Annual Report. These are presented in a general manner – i.e. there’s no way of knowing how individual director performace is measured :
“KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
The Group monitors performance against the following
key performance indicators:
• Football success
• Match attendance statistics
• Sales performance per division
• Wage and other costs
• Capital expenditure
• Profit and cash generation
A detailed review of performance of the Group and each
operating division is given in the Chief Executive’s Review
on pages 3 to 7.”
So from an ousider’s perspective it is impossible to say whether an individual (director or otherwise) has achieved their objectives for the year. However, in my experience these kinds of performance management schemes are introduced as a way of managing overall remuneration.
Nye Bevans’ rebel soldier
12:11 on 1 August, 2014
____________________
It’s grand ole, well meaning ‘true’ TIMS like yerself and yer lovely family that I feel are cheated by a bunch of charlatans who you couldny make Celtic ‘supporter’ out of the lot of them the gither.
Having said all of that…if the standing area gets the go ahead. I’ll be back.
Hail Hail
KevJungle is a Celtic fan…not a supporter.
12:09 on
1 August, 2014
And who is going to take it on? Where are these people that will put in millions to take us to new heights and care not a jot for the losses they make?
I like that my club supports itself.
maleys bhoy
12:06 on
1 August, 2014
Traditionalist1888
5-1 to the hoops after extra time.
====
Magic:)
HH
new article posted.
kevjungle is a celtic fan…not a supporter.
12:16 on 1 August, 2014
Nye Bevans’ rebel soldier
12:11 on 1 August, 2014
____________________
It’s grand ole, well meaning ‘true’ TIMS like yerself and yer lovely family that I feel are cheated by a bunch of charlatans who you couldny make Celtic ‘supporter’ out of the lot of them the gither.
Having said all of that…if the standing area gets the go ahead. I’ll be back.
Hail Hail
So let me get this right…
If DD, PL and the bored put in a standing area you’ll come back???
Eh??
FFM – I’m the only conspiracy theorist in the village)
You think the club is going backwards?
How can you support that statement?
Look at the environs to the stadium. The club has never been in better health.
I have to confess that talking about catering to me is pretty much senseless. I don;t buy food at the football I may buy the occassional bovril in the cauld but I go to watch the fitba and eat and drink before I arrive. When my son goes with me in in future and he is more interested in eating and drinking he won;t be back with me until he wants to focus on the game. I have no interest in spending my time at the pie stall.
Regarding the hospitality, I really wouldn;t know what it is like. I have never been in it. All I can say is that it looks pretty decent to me. I feel like a street boy looking in on a wealthy family tucking into their Sunday dinner.
I don;t know enough about employment law to discuss the living wage in depth but agree that I would prefer to see these people earn a decent wage but their may be real reasons they don’t. I will leave that one to the experts.
My main focus at Celtic games is what is on the pitch. The rest is nice to have but the pitch is where it happens. I want Celtic to be contenders. I know we won;t win every game but we must always compete. Even if we lose against better opposition we must still compete with them. It’s still only 11 v 11 men on a football pitch and every player must compete with his direct opponent. I did not see that against Legia and that is my major concern right now. Not the board, not Peter Lawwell, not anything else. The players must take the flak at the minute because they let everyone down on Wednesday and only they can put it right on Wednesday at Murrayfield. That keeper is dodgy. If I were Ronny I would play Griffith’s and Pukki with Commons and rattle shots at his goal from every angle with Stokes following them in because that keeper is very suspect and didn;t look comfortable with anything fired at him. I think the tie is gone because the Poles look a very good outfit but we can give them a scare by scoring a couple of early goals and see if they have the bottle.
LB
KevJungle is a Celtic fan…not a supporter.
12:06 on
1 August, 2014
===========================
You seem to be putting yourself up there as an Uber Tim mate, it’s unbecoming.
I was one of the ‘snobs’ that paid out good money for season books in the knowledge that I’d certainly not be able to attend some games.
I decided not to renew this season as it is becoming obvious that the supporters needs are ignored beyond the point I find acceptable. My gripe is that games are shifted from 3 on a Saturday for everyone’s benefit but mine, I travel a fair distance to games and I was throwing money away.
I would never call fellow supporters who buy SB’s even though they know they cannot attend.
You have (self proclaimed) zero financial input to the club, what gives you the right to call those who do………..snobs?
FFM – I’m the only conspiracy theorist in the village)
12:12 on
1 August, 2014
I’ve sat in block 142 for 15 seasons now. I can’t recall anybody being arrested in all that time. From the lower section at least.
To hear you speak you’d think that simply entering the ground makes arrest a likely outcome and thousands upon thousands who attend every game without being arrested will attest to that not being the case.
traditionalist88
12:14 on 1 August, 2014
____________________
What am I doing about it?
Well, I’m hoping that more folk will see that by, buying a SB – you vote in the ‘bored’.
YOU are Celtic – NOT the ‘bored’.
YOU are on the outside, hostage to the circus like policies of the folk that YOU continually vote-in by buying yer SB.
You mention Celts For Change who will always be great heroes of mine but, the very rarely mentioned ghuy who cast the 1st stone was Willie Wilson of ‘Save Our Celts’ a group who set the ball rolling to get rid of the old ‘bored’. For me, Willie Wilson was the Celtic fans / supporters Posa Parks.
As my moniker says these days, I’m a Celtic fan…not a supporter. Through the turnstyles at least. I’ll be back again, no matter who the ‘bored’ is, when the standing area is built.
The fans bought all the shares and hold the most shares yet, their were they were when, the Kelly’s & Whites were in control, on the outside looking in.
Maybe it will take more disasters like wednesdays or, heaven forbid, the huns to win the SPFL before the fans are nocked out of the apathy bubble they seem to be locked into?
HH
Posa Parks=Rosa Parks
typo
Bawsman
12:25 on 1 August, 2014
___________________
Just a wee bit inaccurate my friend.
I do contribute financially, not through the turnstyle but in merchandise in the shops, getting gifts fo friends etc.
Snobs cos, they sit on thier hands and don’t sing, cos they pay for seats and don’t go.
Yer right about the kick off times as well – the fan is never considered but, again, the only power the fans have is their ability to with hold SB money and make the powers that be work for their money
HH
NatKnow,
“Why is he paid more than some 1st team players? Becaue the Remuneration Committee decided that’s what he’s worth. Why are you comparing his remuneration with the first team wages? Why not, say, the Ticket Office staff?”
Because we are frequently being told that we can’t afford players in that wage bracket, yet we seem to be able to afford an Arsenal quality CEO. I find that odd. I then take that anomaly and weigh it up with other issues, of which there are lot, such as the refusal to pay the living wage (an hourly rate for part-time staff, minimal in overall club terms, but quite a lot if you take it off of one board member’s salary.
What are these fantastic initiatives this board are bringing to Celtic to improve the treatment of support, to capitalise on the massive world wide support, to develop the team.
I think they took on Auldheid’s great idea of overseas STs. Did he get paid a £500,000 bonus for that? Or even the busfare to go in and beg them to look at it? The team development? Since this legend came about that we have a wonderful youth program, every manager is getting blamed for not using them in the 1st team squad often enough.
You give me anything, I’ll give you spin.
I do like the Celtic Way. Fantastic. But I’ve yet to see the Celtic Triangle.
Who cares what Peter Liewell’s KPI’s are really?
The applicable metric is arses on seats……..and subsequently the revenue streams.
Without Celtic then Dermot Desmond is just another anonymous very rich troll on a golf course…….and Peter Liewell is his Factor/Tallyman of choice.
ONLY when the revenues fall to unacceptable levels will we be rid of them……
Its up to us really!