It’s a well-established fact that we don’t have Beckenbauer and Baresi at the back, so the reason why we chose to play so high up the field is the most alarming element of last night’s debacle.
Dedryck was bound to misplace a pass, or Efe was bound to misread play. We all knew this. Regret over the last time mistakes like this were made doesn’t mean they won’t happen again. So when the inevitable occurred, our two full backs were 30 yards in front of the line of opposition attack, with our defensive mids well into opposition territory.
Efe’s failure to cover Kamara and Dedryck’s pass were consequences of the main mistake of the night, which was tactical. We didn’t lose the opening goal because of a bad pass, it was lost because we left an acre of Norway unattended.
Ronny, you should never have left so much space at the back away from home in Europe, we’re clearly not good enough for such an open system, not even close. We’ve learned nothing since what was supposed to be a lesson in Warsaw, when the same expansive errors cost us. Molde played rope-a-dope football, they could have watched us against Malmo, Maribor and Legia, as each opened their home games against us in exactly the same manner.
It must be an absolute joy to face a European opponent at home who leaves so much space at the back, begging to be exploited. If we had played with the same tactics we used in Amsterdam I’ve no doubt we would have won the game – no one in that Molde squad would get into the Celtic team.
There’s more. After dominating possession and creating genuine chances, the defeat looked inevitable from the 11th minute when we went behind. Body language changed in an instant and Celtic went out like a light. I’ll spare you what I said at the time in case it’s misconstrued, but the evidence suggests there’s more to worry about than repeating the same tactical mistakes.
Celtic have nine months and one and a half transfer windows to get ready for the next Champions League qualifiers. There’s plenty of time to put things right, but we can’t sleepwalk into another failure. More immediately, we could be out of a cup if we don’t pull our act together this week.
The original Holy Goalie, our own John Fallon, will be signing copies of his book, and no doubt giving you his thoughts on current events, at the Supporters’ Club on London Road on Sunday from 12:30. All are welcome. There’s live entertainment too, so get along and check it out.
1,712 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 21
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- ...
- 46
- »
BIG-CUP-WINNERS on 24th October 2015 11:43 am
Agree with you that Molde were under rated. Their previous two results in the group were excellent and if that were us CQN would have you think we were going to win the entire tournament!
However, that is what makes our tactical setup difficult to accept. We played right into their hands as we did in Malmo. So Paul’s leader is correct, don’t blame the players blame the tactics. I would give Ronny more time but he’s in the last chance saloon in Europe, another display like that and his days are numbered. He will know that himself.
For the record i dont accept that any players displayed a lack of effort on Thursday. I also think we have a lot of very good players and with Jozo, Henderson and Christie coming into the fold the future is far from bleak. Quite why the Hun is on anyone’s radar is a mystery to me?
Bada Bing
Presumably Celtc were not overwhelmed by applications when Delia was appointed..?
Gordon J
I’m using a laptop with Chrome and Adblock Plus and have no such problems. It’s currently blocking 14 of those scummy ads.
Big Shuggy…………..Jees now you have it……….Daniel O’Donnell and no better man. He could sing to the lads in the dressing room and chip in with the entertainment at half-time.
BT
I know what you’re saying but isn’t that the reality at all academies?
More comebacks than WeeFra ( only kidding Fra :-))))
Would also get Stevie Frail back, another with a very good coaching reputation, and was miles ahead of Kennedy with our youths, so I was told from someone else involved
Now off oot to get my bahookie booted by WeeFra :-)
TBB
Praise indeed, thanks.
After such an abject performance such as Thursday’s it’s understandable to jump to the conclusions that we have little chance of qualifying from our group. But I actually don’t think it’s as clear cut as that. The following is on a similar theme to a post yesterday by Winning Captains
We’re unlikely to bring home any points from our final game in Turkey. But our next 2 games at home to Molde an Ajax are winnable, which would put us on 8 points.
Fenerbache are currently on 4 and will get 3 against us in their final game. But they have trips to Molde and Ajax where defeats or draws are highly possible.
Molde lead the group on 7. If they leave Celtic Park with nothing they’d need something from Amsterdam or at home to Fenerbache.
Ajax, like us are on 2. And like us they’ll be confident of beating Molde and Fenerbache at home, putting them on 8 (as they’ll take nothing from Glasgow).
All 4 teams can currently have justifiable ambitions to reach 8 points. I don’t think any team will fancy getting more than 10.
All to play for.
!!Bada Bing!!
Sounds good to me.
HH
BCW
Some good points in your post but I don’t agree that we should be worried about RIFC next season.
BCW @ 11.43
Unfortunately I agree with just about everything you say.
I would start at the “Support” — we are shocking as highlighted at the Malmo home game.
They get a goal back and the whole place goes silent and all you can hear are the local zoomer’s howling at the moon and the Malmo support going up a gear from 150m away.
We as a support are divided, lacking a clear vision and scared — lacking confidence in where we are heading and how we will get there.
If that is the situation with the support is it any wonder that the team struggle / blow up in spectacular fashion with any new challenge that they are unfamiliar with. Add in the growing evidence that the squad is split, the manager is being challenged and the PL / Irish Raj axis care for nothing apart from their financial situation — one is trying hard to get money out and the other cares for nothing apart from a want that he does not want to put money in.
Given these circumstances it was a miracle that we managed to find our way from the dressing room to the park — a Spinal Tap style navigation failure really would be the end.
Then you have the complete shambles of L/town with everything in place, detailed to the n’th degree missing just one thing — usable talent coming out the other end. I fear we really have created a monster here that will never deliver.
We are currently putting children on a plinth — making them local superstars — and doing nothing to keep them grounded in the real world. We have had this in the youth teams in the past and now we are inflicting this on children who are 3/4 years younger.
We need a distributed model with competition between various geographic strands.
The L / Town academy isn’t working — it might work in PowerPoint but not on the park.
THEBATTEREDBUNNET
It’s a thing of beauty,innit?
Pop ups
I’ve goy PayPal this morning and it’s not even spelled correctly?
HT
Look at Celtic treating these kids like royalty
Heads up their own before they have even kicked a football in ernest
Do they even know what black football boots are?
You have to have the hunger and desire to make it big not be pandered to
IMHO they are too big headed and treated like they made the grade for their own good at 14,15 etc
Ssssshhhh………………………..The Rangers are coming
Much as I am feeling very unhappy with the Molde debacle, and fast running out of patience with Ronny, we must at least wait until the Europa Cup Group stage is over before making a final judgement. We have 2 Home games coming up, they can and must be won. There is no point in going into all the permutations but we can still qualify and even if we don’t, 2 home wins and a decent performance in Fernabache together with domestic success will do for me.
Hamiltontim on 23rd October 2015 10:59.
Just read back great story mhate HH.
BT
Now that I’d certainly agree with!
I think Ronny has a theory on football.
And from where I am sitting his theory is seriously flawed. However in case there are any excited lurking Huns, I would argue that Warburton is cut from the same cloth. Same methodology.
From Per Guardiola Barcelona and Bayern Munich teams, to
All of Jose Mourinho’s teams.
These are the identikit to follow.
The basis of any successful team, should be built upon the following
1) Organized, disciplined, hard-working, tactically aware.
Jose Mourinho demands that every player that plays for Chelsea must have strong defensive awareness. The successful teams have huge appreciation for the 2 sides of football…. Attack and defend.
And the very best teams (Jose Mourinho again) install discipline even in to the strikers on being hard to beat, good defenders.
It’s for this reason that Mourinho let Juan Matta leave Chelsea without blinking an eye.
It is also why Hazard, Oscar, Willian have all struggled at different times. Because if they don’t bring work rate, defensive awareness and discipline to the table, then Mourinho drops them.
Therefore, it is imperative that the factors above are the very foundation of what a good manager should Instill.
Get the team organised, disciplined, hard to beat…. Achieve that, then if you have sufficient quality in the attacking third of the team, you will fundamentally score goals, and create opportunities across 90 minutes of football.
Hard to beat, organised, disciplined, hard working = the basis.
The rest will follow
Ronny Deila’s Celtic are so far removed from what I have just described above.
BSR – you heading up from Lower EK for today’s 2nd round Scottish Cup game against Forres Mechanics? £6 pay at the gate and keep your stub in case it guarantees a ticket when we draw you know who in the 3rd round….
Celtic is rotting from the head down. I’m sorry,but it’s the truth.
I love our club as much as anyone. I still have the expectation of victory every fixture,the joy of seeing The Hoooops,the hairs on the back of my neck rising with anticipation.
But to be honest,I’m more angry about things now than I ever was when the Kellys et al were in charge.
They were a bunch of self-interested Celtic fans,with a nice wee sideline in personal reward. Now we have a bunch in charge with no interest in Celtic and a much bigger sideline in personal reward.
The reward for loyalty is betrayal. It always has been.
Corkcelt at 12:09 said “…There is no point in going into all the permutations but we can still qualify…..”
So NOW you tell me…. ;-)
I am tempted to print off my post above.
Print it off, enclose it in an envelope, and post it to Celtic Park, F.A.O Peter Lawwell
Job description, of what a football manager should be.
Celtic have got it massively wrong with this current ideologist .
I know you will be sick of ne banging on about this, but please watch the video.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=elVkANljWpE
Last year, over 280,000 people sought help from councils in Britain in relation to being homeless.
This year, Shelter predict that 80,000 children will wake up without a home on Christmas day.
I am trying to raise money with the Celtic Foundation to make just a tiny difference to such people.
https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/jamesmcginley1
Every penny counts.
Thanks
BRTH
Cheers Franny.
Now for any of you who didn’t read P67 article the most important point in the book signing at The CSC London Road obviously
Really need to start reading that book 8))
Jobo/corkcelt
Indeed qualification is still a possibility but Thursday night doesn’t fill me with confidence that we’ll achieve it I’m afraid.
Molde are nineteen points off the leaders Rosenburg in the Norwegian League and have been hugely underestimated by everyone in this Europa group. Everyone looked down their noses at this team and thought they could be blown away butand I agree with Corkcelt we can still win our two home games and restore credibility.
Jobo @ 12 19
That was Funny.
I’m reserving all my will power to get into the Gazebo tomorrow , to get behind the Hoops, and
ole Pep Deila. ;-)
Disappointed but not surprised about last night. I didn’t watch live, but asked a mate to check the score predicting we’d lost 2-1. Like many, the most disappointing thing having watched the game was the same mistakes being made and the players yet again chucking it or, in Brown’s words, not turning up! Thinking about the whole thing, it does feel like I am about to repeat myself. Tactics: unsurprisingly we all see the issues – we play too high up the park – leaving the centre halfs isolated and frantically chasing back, the midfield and full backs with little options up front so passing sideways, and the front four all compressed into a small area providing little movement for the players further back. Then, we get hit on the break fairly simply – one guy up front pulls wide, dragging one of our centre halfs out of position and then supporting runners flood the spaces while the rest of our team rush back into any area with little semblance of shape or organisation. We largely got away with it last year because VVD and, in particular, Denayer were quick, had a decent appreciation of space and opponents, and were comfortable enough on the ball that when they needed to move forward and join in the play they made a difference. People here have been talking about the system (4231) being the issue – it may play a part given the personnel we have, but it’s less the system and more the game plan that’s the issue. I would drop the defensive line back 15 yards or so – open up the pitch a bit, allow some of our midfielders/forwards a bit of room to run into and options for those further back, provide an option to knock it long occasionally, leave less space at the back. This does mean you have a potential gap between the lines, so we need a proper defensive midfielder as cover and to stop our full backs both bombing forward all the time – they need to be on a pulley system, one forward, one back and tucking in. If we are to stick with 4231, we need the right guy up front – Cole is as close as we have, but he is not as mobile as you would like for that role, and it excludes Griffiths our only real finisher. Given the players we have I’d go 4-4-2 diamond – choose a back four and stick with it. Midfield 3 of a defensive midfielder (based on who we have Ambrose or Mulgrew), with Brown and Bitton either side of him, Commons in the hole, then Cole and Griffiths up front. When we lose possession, Commons, Griffiths and Cole need to press quickly while the others drop back into two banks of four and three, then the front three need to close off passing lanes – let the opposition knock it between two centre halves and goalkeeper until they eventually ‘launch it’. Players: I said some time ago that I thought our assessment of the success of our money all approach was skewed by the wanyama (and to a lesser extent Ki) success. Instead, our most routine profits come from players we have picked up from England – Hooper, Forster, Matthews, Ledley, Kelvin Wilson. Those five, plus Commons, also have us a good 3-4 years service before moving on. By contrast, of our foreign purchases, only Ki, Wanyama and VVD have really worked out in terms of contribution to the team and profit (perhaps Bitton will too) whilst we have wasted considerable funds on the likes of Derk, Bangura, Pukki, etc. you have to kiss some frogs to get a prince and all that, but I feel of the two approaches, we have focused too much on the less successful of the two. I am not saying we should compete with the EPL teams (we can’t) but we should be picking up gems or even just some solid players from the Championship and League 1, supplemented by the best Scottish based players (I actually agree with signing Allan, Christie, Armstrong – less so GMS and Cifti, and feel we missed a trick with the left back Aberdeen signed from Caley Thistle) and room for one or two gambles from abroad. However, that’s for January/summer. Right now we have a group of players who don’t turn up on the big occasion or seem to lack heart when they lose a goal. That’s more difficult to solve without knowing the reasons for it, but the manager, captain and senior players need to sort it quickly – players should be told in no uncertain terms that poor performances will be tolerated but the absence of fight and work rate will see them in the stands for a good long time. If there is a poisonous clique as some suggest, free transfer them – they are more harmful than the failed buys like Banguea or Balde, so let’s not keep them in the hope of making some money when we are quick to free others. The manager – I really wanted Ronnie to do well – he seems a nice guy and has some really good thoughts about the way the game should be played. I don’t think it helps that his supporting coaches have no track record of managerial success. If the aim was to have someone who knows the league and club to guide Ronnie, I fail to see the logic in the choice of Collins and Kennedy. There would be other candidates I’d have gone for – an elder statesman like Davie Hay for example. Or a manager who would accept being number two for Celtic – John Hughes, Mark McGhee, Wright at St Johnstone maybe? Or a guy who is a perennial number two and finds themselves out of work but has little ambition or the aptitude to be a number 1 – The guy Phelan who was Fergusons number 2 at Man U, Carver who was at Newcastle, Eric Black (remember him?). I could have seen a role for Collins or Kennedy as the number three had Ronnie brought his own number two, but he didn’t. So I do feel that Ronnie has been working with his hands tied behind his back with regards to recruitment of coaching staff and players. However, he just isn’t learning from the same old mistakes – that’s Legia, Maribor, Salzburg, Zagreb, Malmo, Molde who have beaten us, largely using the same wait until they give the ball away and hit them on the break approach (Malmo was set pieces, but how did they get those set pieces in the first place?). He needs some big performances in the next few games, at least two wins in the rest of the Europa League group, and a lengthy winning run in the league and domestic cups now to keep his job in my opinion. Even then, I can’t help feeling he will just be keeping the chair warm until summer and the Board, fearful of the return of the others, will bring in someone new (perhaps there was some truth in the Michael O’Neill rumours, him to come in after Northern Ireland have played in the Euros?). For me, I think we need to change, and I’d probably look for someone with experience and plays a no frills game. Not sure who, but perhaps take a chance on Curbishly? Been out of the game for a while, would be desperate for a chance to get back in, can set up a decent side on a budget. I’d jump at the chance of MON or WGS again, but that just isn’t going to happen. It’s a unique challenge being Celtic manager, you need to be good enough to set up an attacking team that’s able to dominate and win most games whilst also being able to set up a defensive, underdog side around 10 or so games each year, so no owner it’s hard to find the right guy, but surely it can’t be beyond the Board to find a suitable candidate? Or at the very least find a strong, experienced number two to tell Ronnie he needs to learn and learn quickly! – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/dont-blame-defenders-this-one-was-down-to-tactics/comment-page-18/#comments
HT and BT
I’m very sceptical about academy system. I can only speak for Aberdeen but as you know I coach u14 in Aberdeen A league. My team currently sitting top of the table but in reality we are a top 3 team. So a half decent standard. I’ve lost boys to AFC and I’ve taken boys in from AFCacademy.
What amazes me is that while the boys are good they are no better than most of the better boys club players of their age.
When I was that age ( 35 yrs ago) as soon as boys left boys club to go to pro teams they very quickly developed way beyond their old team mates.
I remember playing against Derek Fergusson when he was playing school football and boys club.. I then watched him at 17 playing in a good Rangers team – he was miles ahead of the boys he left behind.
So boys clubs have massively improved ( they probably have) or pro set ups have got weaker ( they have) or the identification of players is wrong….?
My guess is that less kids can afford to even get on the radar. I really believe this. In Aberdeen a good U14 player needs £500 plus a year to take part. Fees are about £200, boots ( £150) kit and travel. I see less and less working class kids taking part. Sad.
What the heck happened to my paragraphs?!
thetimreaper
Why are the Huns on my radiator ?
I made the observation they are confident just now. That is enough for them to gather apace.
BT
Agree book signing the only part that made sense….
Hope he does well with it..:-)
BIG-CUP-WINNERS on 24th October 2015 12:38 pm
Can’t see it. Too many problems off the pitch now and to come in the next few years. This is a false dawn for them, in my opinion they will struggle to compete with Hearts and Aberdeen. That is if they come up at all.
If RD goes — who is available to replace him?
Would we up the wages on offer to expand the talent pool?
▂▃▅▇█▓▒░۩۞۩ ۩۞۩░▒▓█▇▅▃▂
HamiltonTim Page 15
▂▃▅▇█▓▒░۩۞۩ ۩۞۩░▒▓█▇▅▃▂
CULTSBHOY LIKES LIVING WAGE HATES HEATED DRIVEWAYS on 24TH OCTOBER 2015 11:53 AM
Nat know
Agree – player or managers the same rule applies and also to CEO..
———————————————–
Absolutely. So I assume PL is meeting his targets.
Personally I believe these should be related directly to success on the field – but I doubt they are.