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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niallo83
It was 4-2-3-1. Problem is there were too many untested partnerships out there.
On the right, you had Lustig and Mcgregor – untried – while on the left Matthews and Berget – really untried.
In the middle – yes we had Van Dijk and Ambrose, but without a DM in front of them their win rate has been poor. In the middle Johansen and Mulgrew have only played as a 2 against the Icelandic part-timers, and barring a meaningless game last season, the same applies to Commons behind Pukki.
A recipe for disaster.
Couldn’t the manager have ‘done his own thing’ after we’d qualified?
Ronny ” I dont fear a C L Catastrophe” Whitttttttttttttttt?
I keep watching Pukki and I think there is a player in there waiting to blossom but it just never happens im reluctant to put him in the dud bracket but my eyes dont lie. H.H.
Auldheid
My expectations are pretty low now…I don’t expect us to be world beaters, but I do expect us to be Celtic…There lies the problem.
We cant be Real or Barca….but we can be Celtic, if we are allowed.
For example…Like RD said….Id rather have 2 good players than 5 crap ones, and it will take time, that’s fine.
So whoever it is that is responsible for the shocking signing policy…should be sacked.
The total money wasted on the dead wood, would have got us 2 or 3 key players, good pros.
We cannot continue taking punts on potential….buy three key players, develop the young players to compliment them….may take a while….but its got to be better than the moneyball approach
However, as you would expect…I still say sack the board:)
HH
Trad88
Can I add Snodgrass and May to ur list??
Snodgrass ” Celtic are in my heart”
Green man. Stop writing sense
Auldheid
Is that you telling me, that its unlikely that I will be voted on to the board:)
HH
Dontbrattbakkinanger
10:45 on 31 July, 2014
TTLTim- 1 Corinthians 13:11 covers that point neatly.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I sincerely hope you have a long, healthy and happy retirement.
I just had a gander at the whole of that Chapter. Powerful, as it always is.
Just one thing that I noticed and FFM, well he really is a Genius beond belief as we were talking about this on Saturday, well to be honest he was educating me. It ended up being chaotic at the end, mega chaotic but that guy, he really is the epitome of Celtic.
1 Corinthians 13
13 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.
2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
8 Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
9 For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
10 But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.
11 When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things.
12 For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known.
13 And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.
A lot of the newer versions change charity to love. Jesus brought a message of Love to the World, he won’t be bringing Love when he returns though.
bsr
On yirr bike!!!!
the green man
12:45 on 31 July, 2014
I’m sure, if asked, the club line would be he left in the summer.
I’m not sure how many actually believe that.
The de facto Director of Football team of the scout and the accountant are being found out after a spell, about 3-4 years ago, where they were in credit in the good transfer/bad transfer comparison.
beond–beyond
Now I’ve had the chance to get over that shamble’s last night, it really is time to start to a clear out and give the manger a fighting chance to bring his own style of player in. Yes, like a lot of people have said, Ronnie was caught out with the system he played last night but also badly let down by the players.
I’ve said from day one that Ambrose is an accident waiting to happen, the quicker he’s shown the door the better. The total lack of concentration shown by a ‘So called’ International is astounding! Pukki again showed why he was 4th choice striker last year, will never have the ability to lead the line and was never a proven goalscorer even before we shelled out the gut’s of 2 mill for him.
Desmond & Lawell need to stop hiding and address the fans concerns before this get’s any worse (can it!!)
At least, if we are knocked out, we go into prelims for the Europa Cup, which may be more our level, to be honest.
I know it’s not the Petrofac Training Cup, we can only aspire to that great trophy!
Looking at who we would get in the prelims of the EL should the Miracle of Murrayfield fail to materialise. Potentially a few very difficult ties to even get into EL. Group stages.
Dinamo Moscow, St Etienne, Feyenoord
jude2005
Yep, James McCarthy was a massive one too, tailor made for us. FFS when we signed Jackie McNamara from Dunfermline in the mid 90s he cost about 500 grand so is it not reasonable that by 2011 or whatever it was the going rate for these guys may have risen a bit!
HH
Just looked up PLOT in ma wee O D. A plan made in secret by a group of people. So Ronny yee need tae tell other people the PLOT!!!
What worries me is if we do manage to beat Legia 3-0 next week and go through to the next round last nights shambles will be swept under the carpet and everything will be fine again when it is obvious we need change.H.H.
Richie #TeamOscarForever
12:51 on
31 July, 2014
At least, if we are knocked out, we go into prelims for the Europa Cup, which may be more our level, to be honest.
I know it’s not the Petrofac Training Cup, we can only aspire to that great trophy!
=====================
Jokes about the huns not going to cut it any more bud. Lets get our own house in order.
There’s lots of sayings that spring to mind…. But growing from a position of strength is the key one that Celtic continually fail at. We never ever invest when we are in a position of strength…. Instead we stagnate, decline and let those competing against us catch up & overtake.
This is where the mindset of the Celtic board is fundamentally flawed.
When Lennon’s team qualified for the last 16, 2 seasons ago, the club as a whole should of laid down a marker, and annual involvement in the group stages of Champs League should have been the bare minimum aspiration for Celtic. Champs league participation nets approx. a guaranteed 18million every season….. Therefore even in simplistic terms, the management team should be setting aside at least 8million for expenditure on players, to enable season on season continuous development & growth.
But Naw… What do we do… Asset strip, and peddle backwards!
Pukki reminds me of a player years ago who was nick named milk tray. Cos he was a soft centre.
Delbhoy74….
Absolutely right ..
I hope R.D learns from his errors.. But the guy deserves the same opportunity that was afforded to Strachan & Lennon, and that’s to impose his own footprint on the team over time.
Should we get to Mowbray esque results of 4-0 losses against St Mirren, then at that stage, it’s tatie bye
Auldheid:
With Celtic as dire as they are, and with Celtic paying other employees less than the living wage, and with Celtic smearing the name and reputations of some of its supporters, then Peter Lawwell’s bonuses are nothing less than obscene and totally diametrical to the ethos of our club. As long as he continues to be paid such bonuses Celtic will not receive a single penny, not a single one, from me.
Just for the record, I like the man, but he has already driven me away from the club and if I’m honest… as each day goes by my passion for the club evaporates just a wee bit more and that once sickened me but not anymore.
2 mill for Pukki and we accepted 1.2 mil for Tony?? Geezzuzz wept!!!
I feel our away goal may yet be crucial in this tie.
At best though, it will buy us time until the basic problems can be addressed. Hopefully.
It might give us some comfort to blame one individual like say PL for last nights shambles but like with most of life it’s a combination of events :
Lack of return for our investments in the first team.
A bad bad night from some of our most senior players.
A new coach and coaching system.
And most crucially for me the lack of a striker, only Gary Hooper in recent years has come to Celtic and done what it says on the tin and that for any club who has CL aspirations is not going to fly.
I see Pukki getting it today but I thought Kris was awful last night, truly awful and he will know that this morning, front players need service there was no passing let alone service last night.
We had the perfect start to an away game in Europe only to see it squandered by players who seem to be incapable of passing or controlling the football, fair play to Legia they worked harder than us all over the pitch and deserved to make chances and score goals, they will have no fear of us next week and however optimistic I normally am I think this tie is gone.
Where’s our no. 7 CSC
kitalba
Chin up pal. I feel ur pain. Your passion will never die. H H
Auld … @ 12.31
I don’t want to have a go at you but your analysis is nonsense.
PL is leading the club towards oblivion with bonus inspired strategy.
You are now reduced to running around Europe to find straw men that will support your analysis that we are lucky to be where we are.
The people in charge are second rate.
PL couldn’t spell growth agenda never mind deliver one.
He needs to go.
The Irish Raj needs to sell up.
Finally — Just what are the numbers on Malmo?
DBBIA
Happy days in your retirement…
Amazed to see Kitalba post
A most passionate fan driven away by one man at Celtic park
The board must listen to the support or the wedge between the support and plc will become unrepairable
Awe Naw@12.31
Take “happily” out of the sentence and I’ll sign up to it. We have not had a robust or self confident attitude to the cheating of 2012 (and before)
Temmu Pukki’s goal record prior to joining us was better than Tony Watt’s is now. A goal every 3.01 games versus a goal every 3.6 games.
Since joining us it’s slipped to a goal every 3.3 games.
Still better than Tony Watt’s. Plus he hasn’t had three separate manager’s question his commitment to training.
Nobody can deny he scored a great goal. I once cleared a pool table from the break. Doesn’t make me Fast Eddy Felson.
Yesterday everything was rosy in the CQN garden, Ronny was saying all the right things and if you didn’t buy into it you were a trumpet, today he is a useless Manager , we have the worst team ever and if you don’t agree you are a trumpet.
As ever the truth is somewhere in the middle. I got pelters here cos I refused to celebrate Deila’s appointment. I always felt it was a huge step up from managing a small team in his home League to managing Celtic in Europe. I also had reservations about our squad quality.
However neither do I now think that he is useless or that our squad is useless. Both Ronny and the team were indeed useless last night but I don’t think either will be as bad again.
This season could be tough but so be it. I agree with those who say give our own youths a chance, lads like O’Connell, Henderson & McGregor. Cut our losses on lads like Derk & Balde & get them off the payroll if at all possible. No problem with selling FF, with Gordon, Zaluska & Fasan in situ. I’d look to hang on to Virgil & use whatever transfer kitty is available to try and land a proven striker. We are feeling low today but we will have better days as the season progresses.
In for a very quick visit, and just read the article and no other posts but for the ones above.
I dont really like singling out individual players, esp after just a crap team performance like last night, but it has been said by me and plenty others for a couple years now, but big Charlie is never a midfielder at this level.
Why we persist with him there i just do not understand.
He can play there in the SPL, but in the CL, its got to be in defence for him.
The only shred of hope I take from last night, is that I dont see Legia being that good a team and surely to God we cannot play as badly as that again this season.
We still have a chnace next week, however slim, but it will take a packed Murrayfield with the crowd in full voice to lift the players to give them that chance.
Oh and them not having a nightmare again of course….
And the manager not getting it completely and utterly wrong in both his tactics and team selection too.
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
Not that Pukki’s the answer. However neither is Tony Watt. Except we didn’t have to pay for him. Not that I’d have kept him assuming 3 managers aren’t lying about his poor training and attitude.
ST or any one who can read/understand a balance sheet/accounts. Can you explain to me in simple terms how PL’s renumeration increases by selling players and failing to progress in the CL? Hail Hail Hebcelt
Siesta time and God do I need it!!! H H
So we replaced
Wilson with virgil
In debt
Vic with biton
Well in clear
Ledley with Johansson
Still well in clear
Hooper with griffiths
Bit of a pattern here.. And im sure johannson and griffiths are earning about 50% what hooper ledley were on.
Biton probably on less aswel
We can include pukki, derk , amido aswel but then we also have made probably 40+ from europe alone.
Must race out and pay £55 for a 3rd choice kit.
Love being a celt but all these things plus living wage fiasco , res12 and police/stewards haressment has really got me annoyed .
And to think one of the main reasons i want to move back home is to see celtic more. Im a right ejit
The Germans have a great word called KARAMBOLAGE which effectively means a multiple car pile up which is what we saw last night, a total train wreck of a performance from the manager down to 3/4 of the playing staff with the odd exception. And let’s not forget the chronic under-investment in ‘players fit enough to wear the jersey’. As a businessman myself i also appreciate we don’t need to mortgage the house to win the SPL either. I agree that having a ‘season off’ from the humping at the hands of far superior and much more well funded opposition (Barcelona, Bayern, Juventus and even the might of Ajax, Benfica and errr Spartak Moscow) is probably a good thing so we can all press the re-set button on expectations.
The 2-1 win v Barcelona was always going to throw everything up into the stratosphere for a few years and what we have now is the hard landing, in no small part to the Biscuit Tin mentality of the Board, Lawell wanting a stellar balance sheet and a big bonus to boot. As much as it’s killing me to accept ‘our level’ that we’re simply gash on many fronts and we will now lose our top players again for pittance probably, the positive’s are that we have a few new young players to celebrate like McGregor and the now increases our chances of us winning a domestic treble perhaps for the first time since MON’S 1st season in charge! I for one have zero interest in us playing in crap Thursday night Europa League games against Maccabi Haifa or Shakhtar Soligorsk in Belarus or outer Uzbekistan. Jog on!
Let’s swallow the medicine Lawell has dished up to us and KTF in the hope we will once again have those glory glory European Football nights…..in 2015 or 2016……this campaign is over before it begun. It’s tragic and we all saw it coming a mile off.