Celtic did enough in the opening 16 minutes to put this game beyond Dundee United but only managed to score once, an excellent effort from Gary Hooper, before United tightened up and made a contest of the game.
Georgios Samaras sprung past the United defence inside the first 30 seconds and squared the ball across the six yard line but Stokes arrived a split-second late to convert. That signalled a period of relentless Celtic pressure as the home team found it impossible to get out of their own half or hodl any kind of possession.
Gary Hooper controlled a long clearlance inside the centre circle on 12 minutes before knocking the ball square to James Forrest, who had space to exploit. Forrest drove forward before returning the pass to Hooper inside the box. The Celtic striker turned outside Gunning before driving a shot low inside Dusan Pernis’ right had post to open the scoring.
Celtic continued to press forward with Forrest again involved in their most dangerous moves. The young winger threaded a through ball to Anthony Stokes on the edge of the area before racing past the defensive line to meet the return pass on the volley but his shot struck Pernis.
Give-and-go football was proving effective for Celtic and on 41 minutes Cha Du-Ri played a one-two with Forrest but could not convert his shot.
Celtic were so dominant in the first half their only real concern must have been why they were not further ahead but the second half proved to be more of a contest. Dundee United’s passing was poor all afternoon but Celtic slipped to their level, frequently succumbing to unforced errors. The visitors were never in any trouble defensively but Neil Lennon decided to shake things up in midfield, and substituted central defender, Glenn Loovens, pulled Victor Wanyama back and brought Scott Brown into midfield.
The subsequent change, bringing Ki on for Stokes gave Celtic more athleticism and meant that the final few minutes, which are often tense when defending a one goal lead, were contested almost exclusively in the United half. Fraser Forster had a few catches and the odd punch but had a relatively easy afternoon.
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Gary Kenneth future Barnsley superstar…
CultsBhoy
what happened tae Paul Gallacher yesterday ?
No bother Paddy. I was just in shock that anyone could contemplate such an awful thing… me, a hun… unthinkable! There’s nothing I detest more in the world than that shower of scum.
Hail Hail!
jungle1967 The more players we have fit and well the better and the more we can change our shape during a match the better.With Broonie signing a new contract we have invested a lot of money on him so it is likely Neil will find a place in the team for him.H.H.
What will the hunderminers have to say now…..
*scratchin’ the heid*
…..oh wait a minute…
On my way back from game. A cold day in Dundee, luckily I had a hat I managed to acquire in Copenhagen which, although made me look like the bear from bo selecta, it done its job keeping me warm.
Easiest 1-0 victory I remember, DU no chances I recall, FF one punch from a corner.
Victor 67 a star, my MoM. Good 3 points.
hh
bjmac
Thats the first time in what seems ages, that the defence looked comfortable and in control.
Neil said on the radio that big Glen had cramp and he took him off on advice from the phsyio due to his recent problems from injury. The big fella did not look too happy about it.
I hope Wanyama stays in midfield, he is a great reader of the game.
I think Brown will play wide right for us with Forrest moving to the left; of course injury and suspension mean there will be many variations of this.
Ciao —–
An away win on a Sunday after a European game on Thursday.
3 POINTS . A clean sheet.
But —— Yet another Curate’s Egg of a performance —– Celtic managed to be excellent, good , average and bad within that ninety minutes. Second half ball retention was dire.
Wanyama is a player.
Dundee United were rank.
The Officiating was absolutely dire . Truly awful. It would be laughable if it wasn’t so serious..
Warm and sunny -been a lovely day —way down south.
I might as well tell the blog before he does that SwanseaBhoy’s shocking news has been affecting my dreams.
His revelation that he is to return to ML5 in the new year, leaving the Chester bhoys bereft of a regular, reliable, safe, comfortable, over-generously affordable lift to Celtic Park, provoked an anxiety dream last night.
I dreamed that somebody organised a bus from here from a Celtic game. I turned up and it was all these guys I didn’t know, all well oiled for that time in the morning. It was a world away from the trip with SwanseaBhoy, John67 and Partizan when we picked him up in Penrith.
I realised, in a panic, that I had left my card in the house and got off the bus to go and retrieve it. When I got back, the bus had gone, leaving me frantically calling people and posting on CQN to see who could get me to the game on time. Life here will be much more troublesome and less enjoyable without SwanseaBhoy and Mrs SwanseaBhoy, and their dogs (one of which has never been the same since they let me watch the 3-3 draw at Kilmarnock in the splendid home that they now, remarkably, are on the point of giving up to move back to Coatbridge, and I terrified the poor beast when Stokesy’s second goal went in).
Coatbridge’s gain is Chester’s great loss, and it’s not as if Coatbridge didn’t already have all the advantages.
We got a young squad with loads of skill and potential -but – they are no-where near the finished article yet.
They do make a lot of basic errors . If they can rid themselves of the sloppy play will be 30 percent better team.
So we have to make sure that the bhoys improve and then we dont need to have near heart attacks when watching them in action.
Its called “being cruel to be kind”
roy croppie says:
4 December, 2011 at 15:42
Agree
HH
Hello folks, thank god that game is over.An utterly turgid affair if you ask me.
But I suppose every game is all about 3 points and thankfully they are now resting in parkhead after a Gary hooper special won the match.
A great big shout out has to go to our latest gem, Big Victor.A great find and is looking an extremely good prospect at doing the holding midfield role….I must say better than anyone I’ve seen since our own Neil Lennon patrolled midfield…with every passing game, I am getting more convinced that this guy could be the real deal..
Lenny’s Lions are still available at 11/10 to win the title.
Considering the number of catastrophes that lie in wait for our stricken neighbours, this really is Opportunity Knocks time for serious punters.
There has probably NEVER been a better odds-against bet in the history of gambling.
IT’S COMING HOME.
THE EXILED TIM says:
4 December, 2011 at 15:31
Quite a few on the blog today are hurting bad……….
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You’re no trying to tell me there are huns on board,just in case we
drop points?
Nae chance ya loupin bassas,pay your bills ,like any other honest fholks.
Bjmac
Sky agreed with your MOM selection
easy choice really
i would have given it to him for last Saturday too
playin well, the big man
If the huns had gone to Tannadice after a European game (ok, it’s hypothetical, stay with me) and won it would have been called a performance of a championship winner.
And we did it without cheating too
TerryONeill Neil ah love yae says:
4 December, 2011 at 15:31
Kojo
4 December, 2011 at 15:18
Think Vic being moved back tae let Broonie get a run out shows two things for me,firstly that he has complete trust in Big Vic tae play at the back .
Secondly an more worrying for me is that move looks the route back in tae the first team for Broonie ie a permanent step back in tae the back four for Vic.
Vic n Kayal as a partnership are as good as any central midfield that Celtic have deployed in ma time watching Celtic all be it based on a limited number of performances.
Breaking that up to accommodate Brown is a mistake,Brown should stay on the bench till losss of form or injury lets him back in.
absolutely spot on……..if lenny reverts back to broony it will be a big mistake. vic and beram bring assurances in the midfield, both can pass and hold the ball. broony cannae i’m afraid.
furthermore when sammi puts in a shift like that, in the second half, he should be hooked and freshlegs brought on, he looses possesion on a grand scale when he runs out of steam
Celts can ye stop calling Huns …. Erm Huns on Cqn, I seem to be catching all the flak for it :>)
V
HH
roy croppie says:
4 December, 2011 at 15:42
Neil said on the radio that big Glen had cramp and he took him off on advice from the phsyio due to his recent problems from injury. The big fella did not look too happy about it.
I hope Wanyama stays in midfield, he is a great reader of the game.
I think Brown will play wide right for us with Forrest moving to the left; of course injury and suspension mean there will be many variations of this.
=============================================
Glad to see big Glenda unhappy about being substituted – shows that there’s genuine desire in the tema to maintain momentum.
Expect to see Broon feature wide right at the wee fella’s expense in the next few weeks – Lenny will save Forrest over the harsher weather, maybe keep him especially for Udinese away and the Huns.
The Broonie contract is good business, even by that Plamph on the radio,Daryl’s £11m reckoning.
Over 8 years it works out at less than £1.4m a year.
I don’t think anyone would get as good a player as Broonie for £1.4M.
Also he now has a decent sell on value again.
Mind you I wouldn’t split up Vic and Beram to accomodate him in centre mid.
Keep winning games Celtic, the league will be ours.
EC67
Gordon_J,
Ye’ll get nowhere with that kind of common sense!
HH
Vmhan♣ who Supports Neil Lennon says:
4 December, 2011 at 15:47
Celts can ye stop calling Huns …. Erm Huns on Cqn, I seem to be catching all the flak for it :>)
*********
I’ll send you a flak jacket :-)?
Vmhan – naw.
“Privately, the police have admitted that it is their intention to “smash” the Irish Republican, Marxist Green Brigade.”
Apologies if this point’s been made before but the question should be asked – just how do Strathclyde’s finest know that the members of the Green Brigade are “Marxist?” Misuse of extensive surveillance, perhaps.
I know there’s a lot going on in the world but I must have missed the news that having left-of-centre viewpoints has been declared illegal. I would have thought that the Guardian would have gone big on that particular piece of legislation. Scotland, right up there with Zimbabwe, Syria, North Korea…………………..
Hoopers Goal
http://youtu.be/WIxJWSp3xLw
BJMAC 1541
I was reminiscing about awaydays on the East Coast earlier wi my hun mate.
Aberdeen-brilliant day out,and a wee battle on the beach to reach the buses to knock the shine off it.
Perth-just a great day out. Lovely wee town,lovely people,and great pubs.
Edinburgh-had a lot of mates there back in the day,Fantastic city,badly needs a population transplant.
Dundee-no way I would ever go there unless Celtic were playing. Not after a wee episode wi the Glasgow University Engineering Society in 83. Nae sense of humour,fewer decent pubs,and they’re welcome to the place.
roy croppie says:
4 December, 2011 at 15:42
I think Brown will play wide right for us with Forrest moving to the left;
surely tae ghod no!………..lenny dont tinker to accomodate broony. this team is growing, without broony methinks.
no no no dont make it happen. noooooooooooooooooo!
Hoopers 2nd touch was stunning
TerryONeill Neil ah love yae says:
4 December, 2011 at 15:30
Watched the Madrid match in the boozer with your mate Shuggy on Wednesday. He says he has fond memories of arguing with you at the games. He said he won them all.;);););););):(:(:(
Very happy with the result – a bit of concern 2nd half- we seemed to box one a bit casual, but I think the concern is based on historic problems which make us all nervous.
Thougt Viktor and Kyal were outstanding. Samnites had a great first 30 – wee James would have had the goal of the season if he had stuck it either side of the keeper.
All in all – 3 points at Tannadice = Result!
BTW – when will Neil get a Manager of the Mibth Award?
Gail hail
Brown will not sit on the bench and I think Sammi will now recieve more bench time due to the Captains return.
However we do have a few more options again and with a tough programme ahead the manager will earn his corn getting the line ups correct and keeping us ‘experts’ happy!
A bit late
Vhman, don`t stop calling huns `huns` for goodness` sake.
big Vic and young adam are cracking finds and only 19 and 20 or 20 and 19?
see adam being linked with liverpool and everton – worrying, but thats the model we are aspiring to these days a la Ajax
dwptom
I think it should read -R Shortarse has publicly leaked what the bold Strathclyde polis dream of doing to the GB
no, I’M Neil Lennon “i’ll never walk alone” (fourstonecoppi )
You think he’ll get £20,000 a week for being club captain, and to sit on the bench?
Broonie is the club captain and will be one of the first on the team sheet every week and he will give a 100% I think he will play on the right with Forrest moveing to the left with Sammi on the bench.H.H.