Well done to everyone for the win against Morton. After a difficult week it was good to get the result sorted out before halftime. Fixing poor form is seldom a straightforward business, but yesterday’s win was our sixth game in a month, with the loss of only one goal in that period.
The five games before this run didn’t produce a single clean sheet. Erik Sviatchenko started only the last of those five games (at Pittodrie), so while the sample size isn’t enough to draw clear conclusions, it’s an early indication the Dane has tightened things up at the back.
One thing Erik hasn’t been able to do is turn Celtic into a team which looks like it knows how to defend a corner kick. A Morton corner fell into the six-yard box to an attacker’s foot (never mind head). We’ve seen dozens of these horror-show set-pieces this season. They have cost us in the Champions League, Europa League, League Cup and in the Premiership. The Scottish Cup is the only tournament we’ve got away with it, so far.
You are I are beyond despairing at this point, let’s just get it sorted, Celtic.
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Apologies for off topic comment, but have we scored from a free kick this season?
Most teams have a free kick threat in their armoury (and we usually do) but it seems absent this year.
Commons and Mulgrew have not played many games and Charlie hasn’t seemed to lose the knack a few seasons ago.
VVD was the main man last year but no-one has really stepped up this year.
Cifci seemed to be having a go early season, Leigh has been having a go but pretty sure he hasn’t nailed one.
Bitton doesn’t take them, Stefan isn’t up to much there and Brown never does, Not sure I’ve seen McGregor pr Armstrong have a go either.
I am struggling to remember many attempts this season never mind a goal! I may just be getting old
Erik’s lack of pace worries me. We’ll get away with it most weeks but teams will target this. If he played for us in European football – which is increasingly unforgiving, we will pay a hefty price.
Erik is due a suspension soon, given he is booked just about every time he plays.
For me I’d go with Mulgrew and Ambrose and see how that works. Ambrose adds pace.
BMCUWP thanks for the reminder of the wee Mhan’s anniversary. I am one of those who can say” I was at Lisbon”. The locals were fairly neutral until the wee Mhan took the ball up to an Inter player and left him standing. From then on they got the message and were on our side.
Three years later I was on a trip to Fatima and was asked (poor singer thou I am) to sing the Celtic Song. As I finished the Portuguese coach driver ,who till then had not said one word in English, looked at me and said “Ah! tommi gemal and jimme jonstone.” Yes, in those days Europe knew who we were…the famous Glasgow Celtic.
weebobbycollins
Leave ‘wee Erik’ in place if it ain’t baroque don’t fix it.
VanDijk CSC
Anyway point I wanted to make…
I think Ronny has been handed a big life line. My own view is that yesterday hasn’t changed anything. I still don’t think he is up to the job and should be replaced. However, having been drawn against Secvo, if he can put them in their place and win the league comfortably, he will probably stay in the job. Warburton and Weir will think they can outsmart him as will plenty of their fans, who by the way have had a good laugh at his expense this season. So if I’m Ronny I’m well fired up to show them who’s boss. Let’s hope he’s up to it.
BSR….one big positive about wee Erik, he doesn’t believe in them’s renaissance.
Erik’s so slow he couldn’t even get By zantine.
Eric’s so slow he makes Charlie look fast – need janko back as well. Lustig has been dreadful for months.
I hope Erik doesn’t over stretch himself by trying too hard to run faster – who knows, his knee could pop art.
Livindarnsarfcsc
By zantine – that’s a good one!
I also heard that Erik when younger, was expected to larger and taller however he stayed out too long in the sun during a heatwave.
CurseOfTheShrinkles CSC
Early in the 2nd half against ict recently with the score still at 0-0 the ball was pinged through the sieve. I was worried that going 1 down would be beyond our present team’s powers of recovery and/or that a last man lunge would give the obligatory ‘Eric the Red’ headlines.
Great save by Gordon spared us the first scenario. Big Erik apparently running in mud wearing clown shoes spared us the other!
He’s no fast!!
HH jamesgang
As a Celtic supporter I will be a the semi-final, ticket offer notwithstanding. I was brought up to stand up to them and whether its old Rangers or new Rangers their morals are the same. They have been left in no doubt the Celtic supporters and every other Scottish football supporters view on their status. Going to a Celtic match against them is anything but an endorsement of the continuation myth.
Those who would have us cowering in fear from them and leave the Celtic end at Hampden empty, never mind the outrageous calls to head for the hills, maybe ought to reconsider what the term supporter actually means. We will need our support that day.
Celtic are not Peter Lawwell, Celtic are not Dermot Desmond or Ian Bankier – Celtic are the support and the players on the pitch, no matter our opinion of some of them.
Quite why some are suddenly so riled by the MSM and their ‘Old Firm’ rhetoric, a MSM in Scotland they tell us they are so much in decline and they haven’t read a tabloid in years, is odd to say the least.
Celtic have a legal obligation to fulfill all fixtures.
The support walking away or leaving Hampden empty would be playing into the hands of those out to hurt us.
HH
Bada Bing
Spot on re Lustig. Made a similar point last week. He has already players twice as many games as the whole of last season and the same as the one before.
Ideally we’d have had Janko fit and been able to come in maybe once every four games or so to give Mikael a break.
Money talks, Traditionalist88 and unfortunately it’s the only language understood by a lot of people in senior positions in Scottish football.
When wee Erik goes in, the opponent fair gets the picture.
Hope he makes a quick recovery but since when did Stefan Johansen earn the right to stand over free kicks in shooting range with his hands on his hips dictacting what may be about to happen?
His pitiful attempt that hit a Morton player who jumped on the shins just about summed his set piece ability up.
HH
Maybe Erik is still not fully fit after his winter break?
Pretty much got thrown straight in when Simunovic got injured.
I went to yesterdays game and enjoyed it as did those round about me. I personally won’t be going to the semi (or the final if we get there) as part of a self imposed boycott…I was fed up coming away from Hampden sitting in a poor seat, with a poor view and feeling cheated.
Maybe those who attended yesterday should get preference to the semi tickets, then next those who attend home games regularly.
Fed up already with ‘The Old Firm’ nonsense in my view this newco needs to be clearly defined.
Hopefully the league will look after itself, each game is a final and should be treated as so.
Good luck to Partick Thistle midweek.
HH
Please…………..Fellow Celtic fans……………Give this semi-final game a miss, send the SFA a message they cannot ignore.
BSR…apparently, wee Erik has a bowl of cornflakes in the morning…he likes his surreal.
poorpunCSC
Dharma Bam on 7th March 2016 12:42 pm
Money talks, Traditionalist88 and unfortunately it’s the only language understood by a lot of people in senior positions in Scottish football.
=====
All well and good, but the fact is if we were playing Barcelona or Real Madrid yesterday the place would be packed out.
So is it a statement of principle really or a statement about the quality of opposition?
Until those not attending apparently for reasons of principle actually organise and make their concerns known to the board then they are easily ignored unfortunately.
There have been calls to head for the hills on semi-final day, all well and good if you don;t want to go but in the 90s we organised and got our point across and ultimately things worked out for the best – walking away and doing nothing about it is not an option I’m afraid.
Res 12/Court cases are ongoing but some of these guys have made their minds up and seem to expect Celtic to read their minds or their every blog post as to why they’re not going to CP at the moment!
HH
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 7TH MARCH 2016 11:25 AM
Erik is now an key player in the sieve.
He’s deceptive ( slower than you think ) his lack of pace and lateness in the challenge has already earned him
the full attention of the SFA, and he’s on a yellow a game.
He’s non existent in the air, because he’s not the tallest and can’t jump.
That apart he’s class act.
———————————–
Is it just me or is (big) Erik the smallest 6ft 3 guy I have ever seen? ..maybe that should be in euros? did anyone check the packaging when we signed him?
” aye maybe 6ft 3 wae a freemans catalogue under him!”..copyright johnnyboy
right…. off to brush up on my art puns….
Paul
Indeed the marking at set pieces is a real weak point in our defending, but sorting it out, as is your and indeed all of our wish, is going to prove difficult because in my opinion we don’t have the personnel within our side to carry it out effectively.
Zonal marking generally works , IF, you have players attacking the ball. Normally you should set up with one player on each post, 3 along the 6 yard box ( one in line of each post and one in the middle of the goal, and another 3 between those three and the goal.
One player ahead of all of those and one left up.
Everyone is marking the space between themselves and the player in front of them and the space to their right.
You are taught never to go backwards. Face the flight and attack it if it is coming into your zone. Do not let it bounce.
The problem I feel we have is that we are not particularly loaded with height, nor with players who are strong at attacking the ball.
Your forwards are a big part of this defensive play. Sutton, BBJ, Pierre, JVOH are examples of players who could do this in the past. Even Henk who wasn’t the tallest could leap like a salmon. They we’re complimented by Bobo, Mjallby, Joos. We were very strong a few years back.
Forrest, Leigh, Commons, Broony, GMS, Armstrong, Izzy, Kieran, Lustig, Roberts, Christie, Allan. There’s a dozen who when added to a keeper whose weakest part of his game is attacking a cross ball, do not lend themselves well to zonal marking.
So for me, we should go back to man to man marking and at least then, though the responsibility is as difficult, it at least allows you to ‘match up’ to your opponents to give you half a chance.
I fear though that we will toil in this area with the current personnel.
I have been boycotting Hampden for years and won’t attend the game. If you want to go fine if not that’s fine too. We are all grown ups! Well nearly!
I was at the game yesterday as its included in my ST.
Anyone else think the surface is dreadful?
Kikinthenakas
WeeBoobyCollins,
I also heard that Erik owes his philosophy on life to his Dada.
I think he’s made a good Impression so far, his looks might please some people, although I think he’s no oil painting.
ArrrghCan’tStop csc
BAWSMAN on 7TH MARCH 2016 12:49 PM
Please…………..Fellow Celtic fans……………Give this semi-final game a miss, send the SFA a message they cannot ignore.
###
It’s not the SFA who need to be sent a message. They’re just doing what they’ve always done.
Sorry, Bobby!
weebobby
The Celtic Sergei doesn’t shrink to fit etc?
johann
Wiki says 6ft 1in….. even that’s a stretch?
I was talking to CQN legend DBBIA down at the ole Gazebo yesterday, should have gotten him to confirm
wee Erik’s official height.
Jamesgang
wearing clown shoes spared us the other!
would that be Rococo the clown shoes?
Traditionalist88,
Money talks is all well and good as that is the point. It was only the threat of money talking, by walking, that resulted in the newclub not starting life in the top league.
Nice straw man there with the Barcelona mention, as I see it.
Erik is renowned for strolling round the neighbourhood each afternoon, delivering letters to random houses in the street.
He’s a Post impressionist at heart.
Dharma Bam…Freudian slip? You saying I’m a wee t*t?
Salvador Dali was a big fan of Surreal Madrid.
Dharma Bam on 7th March 2016 1:06 pm
I think you missed the point, then.
Wee Erik is the same as most footballers only in it for the Monet.
Apparently wee Jamsie told wee Erik that he refused the contract offer because he wants more Monet.
Jamesgang 12:39
“Great save by Gordon spared us the first scenario. Big Erik apparently running in mud wearing clown shoes spared us the other! ”
Big Erik may have apparently running in mud wearing clown shoes but had the brains not to dive in and give the MIB an obvious excuse to reduce a toiling Celtic to 10 men.
He also may have caused the ICT player enough distraction to give Gordon the chance to make a save.
First name on the team sheet and under no circumstances should be left out for the likes of Hamstring Mulgrew.