Our Champions League, league phase, concluded with only our second defeat of the campaign. Like the first, it was away from home against a club from a top five league, unlike the first, it was not a humbling experience. Although five minutes in it promised to be even worse.
Celtic steadied and grew into the game. Our major positive is the redemption of Adam Idah, who looked like he was in the wrong movie all this term, but flourished at Villa Park, scoring twice in the first half to bring us level at the break.
There are no complaints about the result; Villa deserved to win and in selling Kyogo on Monday, we accepted this probability. The players and manager deserve credit for competing as they did. However, the manager’s decision to throw on Dane Murray was demonstrably unfair on the 21-year-old.
Dane has not played a single minute of top flight football in his career and made his only Celtic start (against Midtjylland) in July 2021. Brendan has shown no inclination of developing the player, but threw him into a cauldron last night. Managers do like to play games; you and I are not supposed to notice.
12 points and a 21st place finish feels like a huge achievement. The draw was favourable, but as we saw against Young Boys, it does not matter who you face at this level, you still need to go out and get the job done.
It could have been better. Brugge figured us out and it took too long to adjust, two points were there for us. We were far better than Dinamo Zagreb but didn’t find the opening. Those four points would have taken us level on points with eighth place Villa, but out of the automatic qualification on goal difference.
Only three of the 20 clubs above us play outside the big five leagues: PSV Eindhoven, Benfica and Feyenoord, while Sporting and Brugge mean six teams outside the wealthy leagues made it to the playoffs.
There is so much to unpick from the new league format. Celtic and Dinamo Zagreb are examples of how to recover from a catastrophic defeat. Dinamo were draw against Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Arsenal, Milan and Monaco. They started with a 9-2 loss in Munich but finished with 11 points. Denied progress only on goal difference from a draw which was expected to crush them.
It has been an enthralling, exhausting and successful league phase. We have earned money, coefficient points and enhanced our reputation as a place to play and scout for players. The platform has been raised.
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McPhail
We’re on sky according to the schedule.
McPhail Bhoy on 30th January 2025 3:17 pm
I assume Sunday’s game against Motherwell is not on TV?
,,,,,,,,,,
Its DEFO on SKY SPORTS with the build up starting at 2.15 IF I remember correctly ?
HH.
No that Adam Idah got his opportunity at the top level and grabbed it with both hands, we have Dane Murray as an escaped goat…
His error was less than CCV’s against Brugge.
It can happen to the best, Celtic coaches won’t be making a big deal of it.
If anyone thinks a 21y.o. 6ft4″ Airdrieonian is a fragile kid – my guess is they haven’t sauntered down the road of an Airdrie scheme in a pleasant summers day…
I said O’Riley will come good and I was right, I said Adam Idah will come good and now your going to believe us – Dane Murray is going to be a top Centre Half…
That’s a fact…
Hail Hail
●● Games on TV February ●●
Motherwell v Celtic sky sports football k.o. 3 o’clock league.Sunday 2 February.
Celtic v Raith Rovers Premier sports 2 k.o.5:30 Scottish cup Fourth round Saturday 8 February.
Hibs v Celtic Premier sports 1 k.o. 12 :30 Saturday 22 February.
Celtic v Aberdeen Sky sports football k.o. 8 o’clock Tuesday 25 February.
Palma to Olympiacos
Lindsall Train selling up?
https://x.com/TMuk_news/status/1884753025652216016?t=l1KHlRUncG2Mc1jCJIg2hg&s=08
A different measurement of how well we have done
So Neil Lennon can make Efe Ambrose play like Billy McNeill twice vs the great Barcelona side, but super Brendan canny get a tune out of Nawrocki?
Chairbhoy,
Firstly, I think that our manager is the best fit manager for Celtic that we could get .
I thought that from the start and I still think that. He is a top class manager and I like him.
However he is not immune from criticism or making mistakes.
I don’t think the vast majority of Celtic supporters are holding it against Dane Murray.
Hh.
Missed the game and just watched the highlights on BBC. Never really saw anything to suggest we were in with a shout. Very pleased for Adam getting 2 CL goals and Hatate was unlucky with the shot from outside the box. I don’t agree with P67’s sentiment on Dane Murray – Brendan would have told him he would get a chance to get on before the game. What an experience for him. Shame he slipped up for their final goal but when the dust settles he will be over the moon having walked on to the pitch in the Hoops to play at the highest club level possible.
If we had been offered 12 points before a ball was kicked everyone on here would have taken it. Well done Bhoys.
Dane Murray’s blunder at the 4th goal was nothing to do with age or ability . It looked like he simply panicked and froze on the big stage, in a situation he would probably have dealt with normally . If it was a one -off it was meaningless . If it showed a flaw in his temprament , that could be a problem in the longer term given the relentless demands of playing for Celtic .
None of us know the reasons why our manager put Dane on, maybe it was to give him an opportunity at this level , maybe he does practice better than those around him, we don’t know. Maybe he put young Cummings on to say hey look at what you get to do as a Celtic player rather than a Millwall player or a watford player, I don’t know. But I do know that they got to experience something that many of their teammates from all ages and teams probably will never sample and that will stay with them throughout their careers. We are always talking about giving our young guys a chance well it happened last night, and I guarantee that they will both be after more of the same, unless their heads get turned by other things. I am very proud of how our team has done and whether we make it through the next round or not, we have shown everyone that we belonged in this new set up. Aston Villa were the better team, none of us doubt that, but the calibre of the league they play in and the money they earn dwarfs us in comparison. But our bhoys found a way back and gave us a wee bit of hope after a disastrous beginning.
Love this team, proud to be a Celtic fan.
Now we have the last few days of the transfer window to keep us on our toes. What’s not to love being a member of the Celtic family!!!
Hail Hail
Sean
CHAIRBHOY
No, no, no wasn’t Dane Murray’s fault it was the usual target..
🎶 We’re busy dissing Brendan working the whole day through.🎶
HH
!!Bada Bing!! on 30th January 2025 3:54 pm
Lindsall Train selling up?
links please.
If you think CQN can be a bit negatory , try a read of reaction to last night’s game on Sentinel Celts . I did and was just about reaching for the Samaratins number . Not so much bed wetting , more drowning in a tsunami of pish .
KT staying at Arsenal till summer
1 hour 21.
Talk-sport phone in.
Celtic fans sing anti monarchy songs in fron of prince billy.
michael fagin, ahahahahaha
simon jordan sick.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdCGT1wyZ5s
GDT – I hear you but I think Dane misjudged the situation plain and simple.
If he hadn’t blundered and we’d lost 3-2 we wouldn’t be talking about him today.
He’ll learn a hard lesson.
My only slight criticism of Dane (as an individual athlete) and our video prep team?
Ollie Watkins has done this before, several times.
Accelerates towards a retreating defender – who misjudges his pace – and picks his pocket.
If some geezer who sits on his ass watching MOTD knows this … it is slightly annoying professional sports people don’t.
Round about now somebody will post when does the window close
tickets for our Scottish Cup tie to be played against Raith Rovers at Celtic Park on Saturday, February 8 (kick-off 5:30pm) are available on general sale right now.
SS- Just noticed it’s from John James site…..so…
No matter how you spin it, the manager made errors in depriving us of Kyogo 48 hours before this big match and subbing Cummings and Murray
Does anyone know when the window shuts 🙃
PRESTONPANS
I set them up and knock them away – Monday night 11.00pm 👍
bigbhoy on 30th January 2025 5:25 pm
No matter how you spin it, the manager made errors in depriving us of Kyogo 48 hours before this big match and subbing Cummings and Murray
Do you not think Brendan would rather have had Kyogo last night? I think when bids come in,it’s the Board who decides if and when we take it mate,although it would have been interesting, if we needed points last night to qualify?
kyogo would have not made any difference last night.
unless he could play centre half.
the manager didnt deny anyone anything.
i want to know the real story of why kyogo would quit celtic for that club with such haste at the end up.
celtic could pull a masterstroke and hint that Jotas first game will be the cup game againt raith rovers.
that could ensure a bumper crowd for that game even with that kick off time
Young Dale made an error. We were still in the game although not creating much at that point .agreed would have looked better had it finished 3-2 instead of what it did . We got another look at where we are lacking ,.4 days of the window to go , don’t know about most of you but I fear we have had our lot , and I sincerely hope I am wrong on that point . HH
just from watching the clips of training other day, i am going to take a stab that Jota is fit and ready to play.
having said that, the clip of pre game villa showed kaspar having very good close ball control, so things can be deceptive.
Gene
Big Jimmy
Thanks for the information
Feck off PAUL67.
I thought Aston Villa looked shaky in defence when under pressure and at 3-2 I fancied a result was definitely on. However we were unable to sustain that pressure. Kasper and Idah were our standout players last night and good to see Adam finishing as our top scorer with 3 goals in Europe league stage.
Adidas should be fined for that abomination of a strip and I agree with other with posters who said it made things difficult to identify Celtic players at times. Strange the ref did nothing when Nicolas Kuhn was grabbed around the waist and hauled to the ground by the Villa ‘keeper at a Celtic corner kick in the first half. Penalty?
Pick of 5he goals were Aston Villas second and Celtic’s double.
Scullybhoy,
Totally out of order.
Its his site, feel free to start your own.
guy pretends to be a celtic supporter,
very long winded call to clyde.
celtic lacking ambition and rodgers working his ticket, letting kyogo go, rodgers flashing his pecs to show england he is still there ………..
and then the mask slips by calling our manager BRENDA.
maybe he did the match report for CQN.
Thanks to Gene for response to question about Celtic minded pubs in Birmingham. Couldn’t get into Nortons Digbeth, so settled for Bullring Tavern which was full of Celtic fans and I think by about 6pm last night was just about drunk dry. Young Kelvinbhoy got to and from match with no issues and met/saw the likes of Joe Ledley, Shane Duffy, David Turnbull and Barry Bannan. Good to see those guys still have the Celtic bug……fingers crossed for Bayern tomorrow. Am not a big fan of Madrid but whoever it is, it will be a great night at Paradise.
The Murray Nawrocki debate ….I thought it was a simple …Dane. strip…you’re twice as quick !!!
QUADROPHENIAN on 30TH JANUARY 2025 12:44 PM
‘Right son, here’s your chance to play on the second biggest stage in world football for the mightily loved and adored Glasgow Celtic; just keep it clean and tidy for aboot 6mins; y’up furrit?”
“That’s demonstrably unfair on me Mr Manager; I’m just a 21 year old professional footballer”.
FUXACHE CSC
———
Haha!! I was about to post similar but you’ve mailed it 👍🏻
Erm…nailed it, not posted it…