Let’s be clear: Anderlecht won last night’s the game because they won the tactical battle. (I have not watched this back, so forgive me if there’s a few seconds error) 55 seconds into the game Anderlecht had a 50 second period of unbroken possession, most of it in our half. We knew that early the visitors had an inappropriate levels of time and options.
By contrast, when Celtic got possession, we lacked options. Midfielders and full backs were faced with unattractive choices throughout the night. The familiar triangular patterns we have watched for 18 months existed only in fleeting moments.
Brendan twice tried to change things: initially by pulling Sinclair into the middle, pushing Armstrong left, and then by hooking these two at halftime, and introducing Ntcham and Rogic. The changes at the interval gave Celtic more presence in the centre of the field, but not enough to transform a rank bad performance.
Did you notice we didn’t press in the Anderlecht half? Out of possession, our three at the back became a flat back five as the full backs dropped deep. As a consequence, we allowed Anderlecht time to circulate the ball and build a move. Anderlecht are not a good team (few would get into the Celtic team), so they were unable to win by the necessary margin, but from 55 seconds in, it was evident the Belgians were in command of the most valuable asset in a game: space. Celtic tactics were wrong.
Let me touch on the players for a second, because they were mentioned post-match by Brendan. We watched this same squad stride imperiously around a pitch in Brussels in September. And, with one of two additions, our Invincibles were a European embarrassment under Ronny Deila. Don’t try to kid me these were bad players, who became Invincibles under Brendan, were magnificent in Brussels, but are not good enough for this level now.
This type of thinking is a fallacy. It’s all about the team, not individuals.
We were tactically masterful at Anderlecht, and I suspect did as well as we could have in both games against Bayern Munich. However, we were tactically atrocious in both games against PSG and at home to an Anderlecht, who were on the precipice of becoming the worst team in Champions League history. This is so self-evidently clear I think we are close to some form of group delusion if we don’t acknowledge the fact, and instead look for scapegoats in hoops.
Jim Craig on CQN TONIGHT!!!
Lisbon Lion, Jim Craig, will be on the blog for a chat tonight from around 18:30. Jim has seen it all in his >50 year connection to the club, so tune in and share your thoughts with him.
You can order a signed copy now at CQNBookstore.co.uk and if you would like a personal dedication added just drop an email after placing your order to david@cqnpublishing.co.uk and we’ll get Jim to sort this evening.
All pre-ordered books will be posted first thing Thursday morning.
*JIM CRAIG – RIGHT BACK TO 67, THE LISBON LION DIARY is published this week by CQN Books. You still have time to get a SIGNED copy by ordering at www.cqnbookstore.co.uk and if you would like a personal dedication added to your book by Jim then simply email your massage to david@cqnpublishing.co.uk after ordering and we’ll do the rest!
The book arrives on Wednesday and it is sensational! And if you haven’t done so already, listen to Jim Craig on the CQN Podcast below.
You will love it!
371 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- »
I see there are rumours that Celtic are interested in Lewis Morgan (21) and Jack Hendry (22).
I strongly suspect it’s a load of rubbish. If we can’t get our current players (treble winners) to raise their game to the required level in UCL, why would we expect players from St Mirren and Dundee to be capable? We don’t need any more SPFL level players – we are pretty sorted on that front, thanks.
It may sound harsh but it’s rather true…
We beat Anderlecht 3-1 on aggregate, we progres. Don’t understand the clamour to replace our players with theirs.
Their centre halves were gash in the first game, ours less gash in the return.
C Gordon was great last night, Ive criticised his kick outs in the past, but he saved us last night. If that early shot had gone in we would have been under real pressure and might have crumbled. MOTM for us imo.
Davidopoulos on 6th December 2017 2:39 pm
Heard the scouts and coaching staff were very impressed with Lewis Morgan a while back. Scotland U21 international too and scouted by the likes of Championship clubs in England. Impressed enough to make a move? Time will tell.
Could be a good move to get in there first and see if he make take the next step. Wouldn’t be straight into the first team.
Comes highly recommended by Tosh McKinlay, apparently!
First I’ve heard about Jack Hendry was today.
HH
Noticed KT has been playing very tucked in to the CBs and giving the right winger loads of time and space.
I’ve seen this with other teams as well – the idea seems to be that the defence will deal with the cross..
Dunno about it – don’t like to see an opposition player given that time and space. Plus, it used to be – don’t let the cross get in at all.
Any step forward can be seen as Progrés.
Ask any 4th place team from Luxembourg!
A positive curve…
Meanwhile, back at domestic level the WWF fantasy league is becalmed in the doldrums
Sirens calling out to Deek Mac…;-)
We should sign Jon Flanagan in January if possible. Cracking player and can play right back and left back.
Nothing gets me more annoyed than lack of technique. I never bother with tactics as technique is what overcomes them.
Technique is mainly first touch, whether to bring a ball under immediate control or move it on in a controlled manner to someone with technique good enough to repeat.
I heard Brendan talk about us taking 5 touches to control the ball, that gives the opposition the upper hand if they press. Technique provides time and space to players who have it and the ability to control or move on the ball at speed it is what moves the players who can do that up the pay ladder.
Tactics comes in when you don’t have enough players with that high level of technique, it is a way of removing the space technically gifted players enjoy. A bit of strength and intimidation can help too and apart from Scott Brown we are light in that department.
It follows that when faced with more technically gifted players, where playing to ball around at the back until a gap appears does not work, that we need options and that means players who can hold up play and players who can win second ball in a midfield battle.
Our style of play is perfect for domestic consumption, 67 unbeaten proves that, but it is useless in Europe and 5 defeats in the qualifying games, especially when gubbed, tells us we need more strings to our bow.
On the bright side we will not be going into the EL with any preconceived notions, but can use it, as Lenny did, to prepare us for another tilt at the CL next season.
Anyone else think PL regrets not allowing MD to go to West Ham or whoever else was sniffing around for 30-40 million? With that we could have got three solid first team players. In addition, 8 million secures us Edouard from PSG.
Dembele is clearly class but there is more than enough evidence to suggest he is injury prone. I posted on here last night before a ball was kicked that he would probably limp off during the game.
Gareth Bale is the perfect example of this here in Spain. World class player who misses majority of games by picking up injury after injury.
We were really poor in the first half and Brendan did get his selection and tactics wrong. But I thought second half we were stronger and although conceded were better in midfield and create a couple of half chances.
I look forward to the EL and hope major lessons have been learned from this CL campaign. Lessons that will be evidenced by serious business in January and the summer.
MWD BTW I finally have been offered a job after spending 6 months as a governmental manipulated statistic.
MWD
Congratulations!
A lack of testing opposition appears to be a widely held reason for our poorer European performances.
If that be the case, do not despair, the remedy is at hand.
Once Sevco hire their dream management team and get Mc.Ginn from Hibs settled in, we will have all the challenges we need to spur us on to greater heights.
It is the outcome that all Scotland craves and will put our game back at the top table!!
MOONBEAMSWD
That’s great news,mate. Absolutely delighted for you.
HH
Paul’s headline is a fairly accurate reflection of our European journey.
With the exception of one game in the group we have looked second rate.
Players shoulder some of the blame but coaches have to accept a a lot of the responsibility.
I have said that i thought Ntcham and Kouassi were signed with Europe in mind but unfortunately the coaches have others in mind who have consistently proved they are not up to the task.
Are the coaches asking them to do something above their ability?
Our ball retention is particularly poor.
This may be due to the step up from our poor league to European elite level.
Also continually playing 2 from the three of Armstrong .McGregor and Rogic is folly.
None of them is a good tackler and all come up short positionally and defensively. leaving Brown to do the work of three.
Coaches have to accept that some are short of European requirement and plan to replace.
The league we play in makes it difficult to recruit better players but Europe helped counter that but continuing to be whipping boys is not a great incentive for recruitment.
SPFL TV selections
Tuesday January 23, 2018 Ladbrokes Premiership
Partick Thistle v Celtic Live on BT Sport 1, kick-off 7.45pm
Fixture amendment …
Tuesday January 30, 2018 Ladbrokes Premiership
Celtic v Heart of Midlothian Kick-off 7.45pm
Moonbeams – great news about being an ex-stat !!!
Catch you on the Bellgrove Express HH
Who would win in a fight between the Belgian league and the spfl? ;-)
Barney
Scott Brown
Celtic40Me
When do the players accept responsibility, too many self entitled in the support (a general observation and not at you, though you may be ;-) )
Auldheid – correct. In SPFL, we play the ball across the back and from side to side waiting for an opening which we know will eventually come. In Europe when we do it, you just know we will give it away. We gift goals time and time again in CL due to unforced errors. It’s all very well to talk of the superior technique of most CL teams but I am not sure their are any teams in the CL that so regularly shoot themselves in the foot.
I posted on here after the PSG drubbing that I found it strange that in domestic cup games (here and in England), the little teams play out of their skins and fight for everything when they are given David & Goliath type draws. They make sure they give absolutely everything. They scrap for everything, compensate for lack of quality with a hunger and belief that they might get lucky and earn a replay or shock win. We have been the victims of it plenty of times.
In CL games that should be us. Leave the invincible arrogance behind and embrace the underdog tag. Other than Brown and Griff, who do we have that has that kind of dig?
DENIABHOY
You think our team approaches CL games arrogantly because we’re unbeaten in Scotland??
Surely no Shirley:))
moonbeams. great news. hh.
Another poor performance last night,I Thought some of the players , can’t handle the C L.Sinclair McGregor, Armstrong,Lusitg,and Boyata,and Siminovicic,to many injuries,these players need to be moved on,in the January or Summer transfer window
GO TELL THE SPARTIM on 6TH DECEMBER 2017 3:44 PM
I don’t think I’m self-entitled. But then if you are you probably don’t realize it ;)
AULDHEID,
Couldn’t agree more about technique (or our players way too often displaying) the lack of it. Imo, the Anderlecht players showed it in abundance.
I do think we need to play in another league to get the competition our players need to develop but surely our coaches can compensate in part by helping them to better their technique. At the very least, that they can control the ball instantly and pass with either foot, with one touch.
AULDHEID on 6TH DECEMBER 2017 3:26 PM
Nothing gets me more annoyed than lack of technique. I never bother with tactics as technique is what overcomes them.
I would add to that, football intelligence. Knowing where to move to receive a pass, especially from a teammate who is under pressure. Anticipating a through pass/reverse pass/knockdown. A number of times last night we seemed to lack these abilities.
JNP
couple more resources
http://rawfoodrecipes.com/
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/tips-and-recipes-from-celeb-chef-matthew-kenney/
Never seen the manager as animated as he was during the first half
Scott Brown firefighter extraordinaire
before
MWD
Good Luck in the job.
I heard there’s a vacant post in the Southside.
You’re not are you?
HH
Tonight Liverpool face Spartak, they have a 7 GD cushion so how do they set themselves up knowing a 4 goal loss will see them out, park the bus???
DENIABHOY
A mate suggested to me last night that our invincible tag was becoming a monkey on our backs. It’s not a nice thought, but if We’re gonna lose it, I’d rather lose to Hibs.
Last week I watched the WC draw fae the trumpet’s favourite country. I noticed that Belgium were one of the top seeds and the outlanders wurnae.
Anderlecht are from there and so is one of our defenders who has a good chance of going ate the WC in the summer, you know the one that thinks he’s Baresi.
Franco whose favourite player was wee ten thirty would walk or maybe limp through our league but how would he have fared in Europe as a result of playing in it.
John51
Watch this space.
I don’t think I could afford going from £2 a week to £1 a week though. :-)
Embramike
Big Packy
TTR
BMCUWP
Cheers
MWD
Tontine Tim on 6th December 2017 4:03 pm
Head to head decides before goal difference. If you assume Sevilla will beat Maribor then Liverpool need to win to win the group, draw to finish second but if they lose they are in EL.
Starry Plough – I am serious and don’t call me Shirley :)
Celtic40Me
i never thought you were, but im sure we could point them out
Whitedoghunch 4.03.
Magic, I will pass them on, thank you.
I had decided I was going to pass on posting today but I had to thank you.
Hail Hail
Glendaystonsils & Auldheid
We have to assume a basic level of skill in all footballers, so with that in mind…
Skill is always allied to tactics, even if those tactics are simply “Give the ball to Jinky.”
The type of tactics should be adjusted to the level of skill to make the team as effective as possible.
All skill players wil concede that they are only able to do their stuff because of the work/tactics that the rest of the team put in.
Creating space for your self and the team is done by 4 things & if you’re lucky by combining all 4.
Skill, speed, strength & tactics.
The last person we had who played with all 4 was Henryk. He had the first 3 and the coach/team provided the other one.
If a supremely skilled player has no sense of tactics then he will be like a guy who played at my son’s school team. Big guy, immensely skilful – but he would do all the tricks and flicks in a part of the pitch where there was no opposition within 10 yards. He was a circus act and nothing he did in these moments remotely benefitted the team.
Within the skills category a good first touch & two footedness are essential.
HH
GLENDALYSTONSILS on 6TH DECEMBER 2017 4:02 PM
At the risk of sounding like a fan boy, I watched Dendoncker and Trebel for a while last night and they didn’t stop moving the whole time, running not jogging into space to make themselves available. It wasn’t a surprise that as a time they were knackered in the last ten minutes. They wanted the ball and made sure they made the space for pass. Armstrong didn’t want the ball