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You are at:»»Dropping Gordon was ballsy, now manager has other decisions to make

Dropping Gordon was ballsy, now manager has other decisions to make

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

After the defeat at Ibrox on 29 December, we anticipated changes, but the most significant decision Brendan Rodgers made was the most unexpected.  Celtic’s man of the match that day was goalkeeper, Craig Gordon, without whom the score would have been significantly worse than the 1-0 defeat.  Remarkably, he was dropped and has not played since.

The reason for this has nothing to do with Craig’s ability between the sticks, it gets to the reason we lost control of the game: how quickly and accurately we move the ball.  Despite a man of the match performance, Craig was dropped because Brendan realised our game plan can be easily dismantled if we are pedestrian in possession.

While Scott Bain is better with the ball at his feet than Craig, and Craig’s liability in this area is limited, central midfield was significantly more culpable for what went wrong at Ibrox.

Since then Callum McGregor has been restored to his normal midfield berth, Scott Brown has retained his place and Olivier Ntcham has been absent through injury, so the manager has had no major selection choices to make in this area.  Olivier is now fit and in with a chance of making his first appearance of the year in Sunday’s Scottish Cup tie, while just as we were at Ibrox, we are short at left back, where McGregor moved to fill in.

Brendan has some big decisions to make this week.  A central mid of Brown and Ntcham is not right for the football we play.  In taking the least expected decision, to drop Gordon for Bain, I hope we saw a sign that Brendan values the velocity with which we circulate the ball.

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  2. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    GUTENBERG on 9TH FEBRUARY 2019 8:30 PM

     

    David 17

     

     

     

     

    There should be a citing – for Defoe. What is it about people you think are decent that change as soon as they walk up the marble staircase.

     

     

     

     

    Don’t remember him as a diver but then never paid too much attention before.

     

     

    ========================================================================

     

     

    Seems obvious to me that every new player is given a grounding on the required behaviour standards the moment they enter the gates of hades. Perhaps even before they sign on .

     

     

    The most obvious example is the making of the sign of the cross. Acceptable everywhere except Ibrox .

     

     

    Some years back I remember an Italian Rangers player who used to kiss the hand of the trainer every time he was coming onto the field . Very strange. The hand held a small brown object .

     

    I often wondered if the hand was holding a crucifix.

  3. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    Information Clearing House – News You Won’t Find On CNN – This website has been described by John Pilger as having a wonderfully free rebellious spirit .

     

     

    John Pilger. To the left of Maduro.

  4. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    News You Won’t Find On CNN

     

    And that’s a fact, find me one bit of news on CNN, just one

  5. Gutenberg on

    Macjay

     

    It’s a common point of discussion with friends of mine, not all of whom are Celtic supporters.

     

    It’s as though they are injected with the Hun serum as soon as they sign.

  7. Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on

    Oh and it publishes articles from across the political spectrum, John Pilger is only one of the contributors.

  8. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    GUTENBERG on 9TH FEBRUARY 2019 8:49 PM

     

     

    I must say that I get the distinct impression , from afar , that the general trend in Scotland is anti Rangers and that as time goes on this will continue.

     

     

    Wish we would contribute by moderating our musical repertoire.

     

     

    Affoot for a constitutional .

     

     

    Regards to yourself and your bonny lass .

  9. Gutenberg on

    Thanks Macjay, and to you.

     

    She’s heading back to Sydney in 4 weeks so no doubt you’ll meet up again in Cheers.

  13. The Green Deila on

    What is the Stars on 9th February 2019 8:17

     

     

    Say Nothing by Patrick Radden Keeffe

     

    Well worth a read

     

     

    —————————–

     

    Thanks WITS, noted ?

  16. Melbourne Mick on

    Hello again all you young rebels.

     

     

    PARK ROAD 67

     

    Sorry i’m just getting back to you from yesterday.

     

    Comp. was having a bit of a tantrum.

     

    I’ll always remember Girvan for the howling wind coming

     

    from the sea lol.

     

    We had some welcome rain this weekend, relief from the

     

    blistering heat .

     

    Expecting a few visitors from the U.K. at our CSC’s golf club lunch

     

    next Sunday and a well respected CQN’r from France, that will have

     

    you all guessing 8-))

     

    Wee Grace’s birthday today, 5 years old coming on forty, so it’s

     

    the beach for us and a day of papa doing what he’s told.

     

    H.H Mick

  20. GFTB on

    Melbourne Mick 9.33pm

     

     

    Many happy returns to wee Grace 5yrs old… where does the time go :-). Enjoy every second …

     

     

    The Sevs have had every helping hand(shake) in the world, don’t abide by the rules, and still “we” moan … they have won the square root of fcuk all since their new incarnation, one day they might win a trophy, even Gretna nearly won a trophy without any assistance at all … but until then why not leave the worry until it happens … and the SFA are so incompetent at cheating Brendan is going for 25 the morra …. one day his knockout record will end (and it could be tomorrow) but no point in soiling the underwear until it actually happens ….

     

     

    A draw in tonight’s evening Scottish cup game will be more helpful to the current every trophy holders than the teams that played out the gripping 0-0

     

     

    Just my opinion :-)

  21. bigshuggy on

    I posted earlier about Defoe’s diving and that was before David’s twitter post on the penalty.First I saw the penalty incident. Defoe should be ashamed. It seems that Sevco and the establishment will resort to anything. Steve Clarke will not be too happy tonight.

  22. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Big Shug- they are encouraged to do it,they know 9/10 the MIBS will buy it,the issue is Dallas over egged it,by giving them penalties they don’t need…

  24. GFTB on

    Bigshuggy 9.58pm

     

     

    Glass houses, canny remember you complaining about the penalties I acquired :-)

     

     

    All kidding aside young Dallas has probably made the rest of his fraternity a bit cautious with his downright cheating

  25. Melbourne Mick on

    GFTB

     

     

    Thanks Gerry, i’ll tell her you wished her a happy birthday, she’ll

     

    want to know all about you though lol.

     

    Still trying to explain to her the meaning of The Fields of Athenry

     

    and she’ll want it played again today, problem is i’ve got to end

     

    the story in a nice way and tell her Michael is back with his

     

    family and got lots of corn now.

     

    As long as everything is all hunky dory in her wee world 8-))

     

    H.H Mick

  27. !!Bada Bing!! on

    The over obvious cheating by thick huns,Beaton and Dallas has made them unemployable for any game involving Celtic or Sevco…..hasn’t it,?

  30. Fool Time Whistle on

    Another Tin Hat in place

     

     

    In my humble & honest opinion Jermain Defoe neither dived last week nor today.

     

     

    Last week, he ran at decent pace past McGinn in the box. McGinn initially thought to tackle him but realized that it would be a certain PK – so he puled his leg back at the last second. However, he couldn’t pull away completely or avoid his knee coming into contact with Defoe’s left knee & multiple photos show the contact. Defoe went down on his left knee only as a result of that contact but immeidately go to his feet to go after the ball. He did not claim for a PK neither did he look at the referee. Their first penalty that day was a clear foul on him inside the box.

     

     

    Today’s incident is very similar in that Defoe’s footwork & speed in the box are too much for many journeyman defenders. The aptly named Broadfoot is one such.

     

     

    Broadfoot’s right boot connects with Defoe’s left foot as Defoe cuts across him. Defoe is leaning forward & towards where he intends to go after getting across Broadfoot. Both his feet/legs are behind his centre of balance. At his pace, that simple contact is enough to bring him down. Once he lands he rolls on to his erchie & clearly holds the outside of his left foot – precisely where Broadfoot’s (great unintended pun) foot made contact. Unlike many infamous simulators Defoe doesn’t do the full length frontal fall/dive (a Klinsman if you like) with his arms widely outstretched in front of him – with an eye for where the ref is.

     

     

    Such is the standard of refereeing & the lack of consistency that Defoe is the target for adverse comment when he is both awarded a penalty for an incident & NOT awarded a penalty for a very similar incident about 7 days apart. The inconsistent refereeing is the problem much of the time & this is aided by the divers amongst professional ranks. I was obviously very happy that they were not awarded another penalty because that would in all likelihood have been enough for a victory but that apart – the issues remain the same as outlined by Steve Clarke.

     

     

    I know how incensed we all get by terrible refereeing decisions & by players who are cheating divers (gawd help us when Jordan Jones joins Morelos & Candeis at that club) but this player has never previously been known as a “simulator” throughout his whole career to date. Despite all the clamour I haven’t seen anything in his play in their jersey to suggest that he has become one now..

     

     

    After their game against St Mirren I posted a similar comment and assessment.

     

     

    I was also never convinced that Steve Clarke was referring to Defoe when he made his consistency comments on his Monday media session about that game against St Mirren. Candeis would have been my candidate for diving when he threw his legs back & up to generate the contact with the defenders legs before throwing himself forward and into the box.

     

     

    One of our own was often unjustly accused of divin (usually by rabid anti Celtic people) & he was of similar height & had a comparable ability in the box. Henrik was just too quick for most SPFL defenders & frankly even too quick for some Scottish referees. At speed & with his balance adjusted in anticipation of where he intended to go, the slightest touch could often bring Henrik down. The accusations by some folk that he dived were laughable & never had any real credibility and, like Defoe, Henrik had no record of simulation during his wonderful career before & after Celtic.

     

     

    There are plenty of reasons to question some of their players (Moreols, Jack, Candeis etc) integrity & the impartiality of amny Scottish refereeing officials but we really don’t help that justifiable cause for complaint by choosing the wrong examples to that seem to just feed our frustration.

     

     

    Seems that Gerrard was happy to get another go at Kilmarnock at their place on February 20. I saw a comment online that very late in the game a stray pass rolled the ball into the technical area & Mr Gerrard chose to kick away & thus ate up some more seconds off the clock. As I see it, Morelos is still uinavaliable for that game.

     

     

    I also saw some pathetic comments from Gerrard post game commenting that they had a “war against Aberdeen” and that the travel there & back was a factor.

     

     

    Lord knows what he’d make of being asked to travel to Inverness after an away tie in Europe in the midweek beforehand.

     

     

    HH

  31. GFTB on

    Melbourne Mick 10.15pm

     

     

    Tell her my wee 10yr old daughter is Emily Grace … the Grace part coming from the song back in 2008 when she was born (her Sev mums choice through lovely name & lovely love song :-) my wee ghirl attended the Celtic v Hibs game the other night through her primary school & the Kano foundation 8 girls & 2 boys from

     

    Primary 6/7… the Kano foundation are doing more than Celtic for our young fans… they done more in one night than I have in a decade :-) on Thursday I got 4 questions … is Izzy ok ? When is KT back ? Who do we play next ? Do you think we will win ? … her thoughts she loved the “light show” (her dance music) loved the “Green Brigade” and loved the “football” in that order… I was a very contented father on Wednesday night :-)

  32. the_huddle on

    Fool Time Whistle on 9th February 2019 10:24 pm

     

    ———–

     

    And yet the videos last week and tonight quite clearly shows him diving, how strong is that tin hat??

  34. Melbourne Mick on

    Great to hear Gerry, and tremendous respect to the KANO FOUNDATION.

     

    THE HUDDLE

     

    Smashing tunes, keep em cummin.

     

    H.H Mick

  38. Ray Winstone's Big Disembodied Heid on

    Just watched the ” highlights ” of the huns game. Defoe dived no question about it. Not going at speed and no contact from the defender.

     

     

    He CHEATED.

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