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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Celtic Mac…it was 2 days ago…according to google…links to the article strangely page can’t be found…it was a judgement against a Sun newspaper tweet…hopefully JF the blogger can clear this up
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 8TH FEBRUARY 2019 1:30 PM
Rainjurrrz do indeed have strength in depth.
SPL refs to discuss introducing a third colour card for when they are officiating at sevco games , an orange one , they believe that it will save a lot of confusion prior to going before compliance officer and appeals panels.
Jeezo…
Kilmarnock v Rangers
William Hill Scottish Cup
09/02/2019 5:15pm Rugby Park
Referee:Alan Muir
AR1
Douglas Ross
AR2
Drew Kirkland
Fourth Official
Barry Cook
Scott Bain last 11 games 11 shut outs speaks for itself me thinks HH
Mods, wtf
We were having an adult conversation here…no histrionics, no bad language, no name calling…it’s not subjudice as far as I know…just a conversation…ach
GLENDALYSTONSILS,
Let me fix that for you….Rainjurrrz do indeed have strength in depth in the refereeing fraternity….yer welcome ;-))
thelurkintim
Hopefully he can. The wording of the IPSO ruling would be useful in the context.
MELBOURNE MICK,
The wee man is only 6’2″…how quickly can you get him on a flight to Glesgae…we’re gonna need him in defence ;-))
H.H.
Paul 67,
Big decisions to be made. Agree but BR has now got a welcome dilemma.
In Brendan we trust.
HH the journey continues.
THELURKINTIM on 8TH FEBRUARY 2019 2:34 PM
That is indeed what I was referring to, in response to BSR’s post at 1.30
RON67 @2-28
Referee -OB
Linesman-OB
Linesman-OB
4th official-OB
Same as it ever was CSC
FAN-A-TIC on 8TH FEBRUARY 2019 2:40 PM
RON67 @2-28
Referee -OB
Linesman-OB
Linesman-OB
4th official-OB
Same as it ever was CSC
every last one of them , HH
THE LURKIN TIM
Must be the Oz sunshine coz i’m the typical wee Glesga ghuy
as for defence? not a chance, he just wants to bang goals in all
day long,
Must admit thats my doing, realised years ago thats the way
to go and some money paying clubs sniffing about now so
wait and see.
H.H Mick
Sevco dream team
Referee -OB Dallas
Linesman-OB Madhun
Linesman-OB Beaton
4th official-OB Tait
Melbourne Mick…are u his agent…you waiting on a bung ;-))
playingthelonggameCSC
H.H.
One thing noticeable on Wednesday was the absence of any real threat down the left side.
Weah ,Tojan and Burke did a great job of continuous motion and neat triangular passing .
Izzy seemed a little more reluctant than usual to go on the outside and with SS often static on the inside we were easily stifled
Was there a lack of movement or the third player that made creating chances difficult?
Would like to see Calmac or Christie push a little more into these areas and SS to add some different runs.
Fanatic
Need KT back – Izzy has lost that lung busting dynamism. Still love him though.
But when KT is back and we have that on both wings ? – wow, some potentially big gubbings coming up.
MELBOURNE MICK
Hope you get to be a proud parent watching your boy skelp a few past sevco one day.
Just checked William Hill odds for Sunday
Celtic to score direct from a corner at any time – 1,500/1
Seems fair.
BIG WAVY
KT had also stopped making forward runs before his absence .
I think SS has to show smarter movement to encourage KT to produce the runs to the byline and great crosses from Delia’s days.
scoddland sniggers at Celtic and the ither teams accept thur lot without naming and shaming the huns, or going beyond a certain point.
If pressed they will eventually buckle and roll out the safely, agreed and konvenient ” Oxx Fxxx” line…….part of the ” wans as bad as the ither” narrative, often used to great effect by useful idiots.
Celtic are the victims in all this, as are the rest of the Scottish game, its a bloody, dirty war.There is no straightforward answer to addressing underhanded, crafty, bigots motivated by fear and hatred.
We are One Great Club stuck in a wee corner, surrounded by those who despise us for far more than having the temerity to be a successful, well-run football club.
We are running at full pelt just to keep ahead of scottish oblivion and mediocrity.
RON 67
Ron we’ve had them all before, right back to tiny Wharton , David Syme
et al but we have overcome all their black arts, shame on them they
have to live with it, have a think about that would you be a happy person
going to work on a monday morning knowing your club was a shit house?
H.H Mick
On Celtic Boys club scandal
None of these individuals were appointed by Celtic FC. Cairney and Torbett well self appointed, They managed and ran the Boys club independently and appointed all others. There was no liason between they the Boys Club and the FC.
However, they did use the FC name and this had been approved. A further statement is a requirement deploring the behaviour of these people while not the clubs responsibility was at an organisation which many young players came through before they signed for the FC.
We should also explain that Boys development is now part of the club and that every effort is made to establish fair and transparent practises are followed to make sure that nothing like what happened at the Boys club can happen again.
A gesture should be made to the people who were child victims for example an invite to hospitality. Whilst legally we are not responsible we can still invite victims of crime to offer our empathy.
CQN sweep sweep
KT back training with the team
Could be ready for Valencia of gets a few mins on Sunday
Three posts deleted on page 1 alone. Got to be some kind of a record.
Not a daily record surely?
THE LURKIN TIM/ FAN A TIC
What a dream, but as you know 15 year old is probably ancient nowadays
for modern clubs, some wonderful players over here coming from war
torn African countries and we always steer them towards the hoops, but
it’s not that difficult , inevitebly they have already been indoctrined by
a Celtic fan in some place or time and the strip is iconic, and for me without
being anyway racist it looks fecking brill on a black player.
H.H Mick
BIGBHOY on 8TH FEBRUARY 2019 3:06 PM
………
With respect.
That’s straight out of the same book as, it was the company that died not the club.
HH
To the guys who were wondering about the article on a certain newspaper and a certain judgement …
The person who gave me the story put that info in the public domain before he should have. That one is embaroged for now, but the story will be republished, and updated, in about a fortnight.
MELBOURNE MICK,, hi mate hope you and Paddy are well.
Emma is comming home for 6 weeks in June, the Mrs is looking forward to it so much.
I sent her and Dylan the new Celtic home top for their Christmas, I’m sure you’ve seen her down the club with it on since then. Take care, hopefully will have saved enough to come back over next yr.
HH
CFC_ on 8TH FEBRUARY 2019 3:20 PM
Correct
EDDIEINKIRKMICHAEL on 8TH FEBRUARY 2019 3:24 PM
………
Cheers.
Watch how you go ;
HH
Life has called.
Laters.
HH
Lol…Mick…bet you carry a Celtic tap wae yourself on the prowl…incase you meet up was a black woman…and get her to wear it…;-))
fetishisticCSC
H.H….horny horny
James Forrest…thanks for that…thought my auld addled brain was making thing up there for a while ;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
EDDIEINKIRKMICHAEL
Yes my legs are still sore dancing with her at our Christmas BBQ
she never stops, and i’ve never known a ghirl so Celtic minded,
Hope you make it down under again and i’m due sending her a
wee mail regarding our next CSC day.
H.H Mick