Examination in Zagreb

162

This was a fascinating tactical battle which could have gone either way.  From the start, Dinamo Zagreb stood off Celtic and steadfastly refused to press the entire game.  For all we criticise Scottish Premiership clubs for defending with 10 men behind the ball, they all press on occasion; Dinamo’s plan was different.

They were intent on defending around 40 yards from their own goal and playing on the counter.  This permitted Celtic 69% possession, but that stat didn’t tell the whole story.  Dinamo’s counter produced the more chances than Celtic’s possession.

Not that there were great chances.   A Pjaca header 10 minutes from time made all the match reports, but in truth, even that would not have hit the target, had Kasper Schmeichel failed to reach it first.  Celtic’s best chance came right at the end.  James Forrest fired the ball forward, Arne Engels crossed into the six yard box, but Adam Idah was pipped to the ball by a last ditch interception.  That aside, Celtic created nothing of note.

You would be forgiven for concluding that when Reo Hatate is off his game, Celtic is too.  Reo’s decision-making and passing was poor throughout.  He gets the ‘blame’ here because he takes so much responsibility, where Reo tumbled, his teammates followed.  He bears the standard and so much responsibility.

I’ve read this was a poor Celtic performance.  In truth, it was better than recent away wins at Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Ross County.  This is Dinamo Zagreb, who drew at home with Monaco and won away in Bratislava and Salzburg.  They have 8 Champions League points; they are not Ross County.

With two games to go we have hit the 9 point target we hoped to achieve before the start of the tournament.  This could be enough to see us through to the next stage, although we are likely to add to the tally.  The last time we bettered our current run of four unbeaten in the European Cup/Champions League was season 1971-72, when a seven game unbeaten run ended with two 0-0 draws against Inter and elimination on penalties.  It’s been that long – and the standard of opposition was sufficiently weak then we won away in Hungary and Malta!

Knowing that some nerd 50 years from now will look up this run of results with awe, we can appreciate last night’s examination.  It informs us where we are in football’s food chain, and provides an insight into where we should aim for next.

Tony Gillespie, Setting free the Bears

Tony’s son Martin has been in touch to say the funeral will be on 18 December.  Anyone who would like more details can contact Martin at martin_gillespie@icloud.com

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  1. What if that performance carries into Sunday?.Not impossible.

     

     

    i think zagreb will beat the rangers.

  2. boondock saint on 11th December 2024 2:25 pm

     

    As with most, I was very happy to get a point last night, but the game was far too cagey for my liking, by both sides. Reo was off last night but still makes himself available in hard areas to receive a ball and build from the back. I thought their defender played Daizen better than any I have seen this season.

     

     

    i watched it all again this morning, without emotion you can pick it apart. before the game Brendan said he expected them to be 4-3-3-, where normally they are 5-3-2.

     

     

    I would suggest though they were more 4 defending, with the two wide backs really doing a job on daizen and nic, while the two holding midfielders made it really a back 6. for a team that is meant to be really poor allegedly, their discipline on formation was excellent, very little space ever opening up.

     

     

    as to Reo, it is a personal thing on how i see the game, but if you play the ball forward, trying to find our men in space, i dont count this as giving the ball away, i do say we just missed the opporchancity.

     

     

    whisper it but reo , using my measurement only gave the ball away twice, as did daizen.

     

     

    and still we could have won it or lost it in the last 5 and injury time.

     

     

    anyways, i love the new format, for bringing meaningful league type fixtures with still all to play for.

     

     

    tuppence worth

  3. what brendan said –

     

     

    —————

     

     

    Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers: “The positive is we didn’t concede. I thought we lacked quality in the final third. The pitch was a little bit tricky.

     

     

    “We had great energy, good commitment. In the Champions League, if you get a clean sheet and take a point away from home and you’re not very happy, that shows how the team has progressed.”

     

     

    Match stats

     

    Celtic (W1 D3) have gone four consecutive Champions League/European Cup matches without defeat for the first time since October 1986.

     

     

    Dinamo remain unbeaten at home against Scottish opposition, although this was the first time they’ve failed to beat such opposition at home (P6 W5 D1).

     

     

    Celtic have had more than one goalless draw (v Atalanta in October and Dinamo here) in a Champions League campaign for the first time.

     

     

    Dinamo have lost just one of their last five Champions League matches (W2 D2), having lost five of their previous six before that (D1).

     

     

    With an average age of 28 years and 1 day, Celtic named their oldest starting XI for a Champions League game since a 1-0 win over Manchester United in November 2006 (28y 272d).

  4. As much of a concern is that (aside from Ross Co) we have not really played well despite grinding out results since Leipzig.

     

     

    Great to be doing the latter but not so good when we are going into a cup final and have not quite got over and easy (by CL standards hurdle) CL.

  5. I checked and seems the back 5 Reserves Zagreb played last night

     

     

    were exact same used against Dortmund.

     

     

    Wonder why they keep playing their reserves ? FacetiousCSC

  6. Quite a few tickets going for free tonight.

     

     

    Not really surprising given it will be foggy @ -3 tonight in Hamilton.

     

     

    Massive game for the Ghirls.

     

     

    COYGIG

  7. Why the f@ck ?

     

     

    One of the busiest days of the year in Glasgow ( Sat Dec 14 ) and they’re sutting off streets in the City Centre for an ABOD poxy March.

     

     

    GCC will be reminded of this when our joyous winning the league celebrations takes place

     

     

    HH.

  8. Delighted with the point despite all the poor mouth attitude from Zagreb I knew it would be an achievement to get a point last night. They had a formidable defence and never gave any space to our attack. I would have played Adam Idah for the full second half because Kyogo was

     

    a passenger and never got a sniff.

  9. BIGCHIPSUK on 11TH DECEMBER 2024 2:04 PM

     

    Melvin Udall: “The Villa game will be as hard as any we’ve had so far.”

     

     

    Hopefully we can bring our Vs Blackburn 2002, Liverpool 1997 & 2003, Man Utd 2006 and Man City. 2016 spirit to Villa Park (and outcomes like Man Utd 2008 and Arsenal 2009). Overall our record against EPL teams is better than it should be. 🤞🍀

     

    —————

     

    Yes please!

     

    The Blackburn result was especially sweet though was it not fholks? 😂

     

    Men against boys aye?

     

    How’d that work out for you mr Sounness?

     

     

    😂😂😂👍🇮🇪🍀

  10. Greenpinata on 11th December 2024 3:40 pm

     

     

    Why on earth would such a parade be allowed in Glasgow at ANY time let alone so near to Christmas ?

     

    Dreadful.

     

    I will be down in Glasgow to celebrate my birthday that day. Have these Orange B`s no respect? :-))

  11. ZiggyDoc1 @2.21pm

     

     

    If MC and Juve draw tonight they will both overtake Celtic. A win either way would best suit us, possibly?

     

     

    3 points paradox: If CCV hadn’t scored v Bruges and Celtic had lost last night, we’d have a point more than we do.

  12. Greenpinata

     

     

    I have just sent a complaint to Glasgow City Council. I know nothing will happen but the more people do this the better.

  13. the 69 cup final , the 4 nuthin game, those highlights are superb.

     

     

    if Connellys goal is an ultimate individual goal, then for me, chalmers is the ultimate team goal.

     

     

    i remember bertie telling the story that he saw this game twice, Stein played it out on the tactics board, the two midfields to sit in deep, giving the rangers space and them breaking forward into the big spaces behind, it happened for stevies goal and lennox a few times. Bertie said the 2nd time he saw it was when the players actually did it all on the pitch, as instructed.

     

     

    But that goal, McNeill clears with a header, which loops to the byeline, where tommy passes it on to murdoch, who chips it to wallace, who lays it back to brogan, who launches it forward to chalmers, who runs 40 yards and cooly calmly put it in the net passed the keeper, with the outside of his right foot, just wonderful.

     

     

    on to sunday, bring our best game, and play all the hunskelpers.

     

     

    —————-

     

     

    back to 69 from the wiki, this wee gem.

     

     

    Evening Times 28 April 1969

     

    After being fined £5 at Glasgow Marine Court today Celtic fan Michael McGhee asked the magistrate – ‘Can I have my horn back ?’

     

    The horn was confiscated by police when McGhee was arrested after the cup final on Saturday. McGhee, 22, of 39 Closeburn Street Possil admitted a breach of the peace in Keppochill Road.

     

     

    Mr Kevin Breslin, the Fiscal, said McGhee was shouting ‘Celtic are the F*****g champions’ and ‘we are the people’.

     

    He was making the noise from a horn, the type found on motor vehicles.

     

    Baillie Thomas McLaren asked McGhee,’ Do you want it for next year ?’

     

    He then told the court officer ‘Give him his horn back. Judging by Saturday’s result it looks as if he will be playing it for some time to come’.

  14. The Zagreb players were constantly hitting the deck and nursing imaginary leg injuries every time a Celtic player went near them. I appreciate this is common in modern football but the Croatians seemed particularly guilty last night.

  15. B78- been lucky enough to be invited to a couple of LC Final hospitality in recent years, as GP said earlier you end up at Hampden about an hour and a half before kick off, and after the game you’re stuck in the bus park for an hour after the game,before going back to CP,I don’t think they advertise packages as it’s the same groups who go every time,and sells out immediately.

  16. cannot find anything saying the sports bar at celtic park is open for joe public on sunday, anyone got a link ?

  17. glendalystonsils on

    TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 11TH DECEMBER 2024 4:24 PM

     

     

    They rightly figured they would have a better chance against a 10 man Celtic by getting the ref to pull out yellows which might later lead to reds . Can’t fault their logic , just their honesty .

  18. glendalystonsils on

    SAINT STIVS on 11TH DECEMBER 2024 4:40 PM

     

     

    As long as it’s not open to ordinary Joe public

  19. bb – it says it is open on sundays but for away game cl they had ticket arrangements, cannot find that for sunday.

  20. As I have mentioned in the past there is a Croatian side to my family, in fact I have grandweans who have a dida and baka as well as a granny and grampa, I also have a close friend up in our local church who helps out with the volunteering and fund raising that we do and when I was gainfully employed I had a colleague who was actually born in Zagreb before coming here as a wean, the latter was the only one that favoured Zagreb, the rest Split, as the former are like sevco, manure, real madrid, juve, benfica etc, and seen as the establishment side.

     

     

    Also when I saw that the ref was a German, who were always close to the Hrvatska, in fact all of the officials were from the Fatherland, but the former in 2005 was involved in a match fixing scandal where he allegedly accepted a bribe of 300 euros, now although he and three other high-ranking referees informed the DFB about the match fixing, he was subsequently banned from refereeing for 6 months, a suspension that was kept secret for several years until the German newspaper Die Zeit published a secret file from the German FA.

     

     

    I knew then that we wurnae going to get any favours there, but then we should be used to that now and NOT just in Europe, no matter what I am happy with the point, 3 would have been nicer but no need to greet over spilt milk, as we have to walk before we can run in Europe and the Blessed Brendan is only in the early stages of putting together a side that can compete with the top ones in Europe

     

     

    I also recall as a young lad sitting in front of the wireless with my da listening to a very young Celtic side losing a 3 goal lead in Budapest, in front of a very sparse crowd who hudnae given their favourites much of a chance, now although we had 2 goals chalked off on in the 1st half while only a goal down, there were very strong suspicions that the ref had been got at by the home side, but it was no one’s fault but our own, or should I say Bob Kelly as he proudly proclaimed beforehand that we would attack as that was the only way Celtic knew how to play.

     

     

    And yet 4 years later, almost to the day, I sat in a timekeepers office listening to his trannie as the Big Mhan went against the grain and sent out an attacking side but instructed them to play defensively with the versatile Wispy man marking the great veteran Czech player Josef Masopust, who was so bitterly disappointed that he refused to shake hands at the final whistle but came into the away dressing room afterwards to apologise, but then again that’s what great players do.

     

     

    Ironically, the following Saturday our “defensive man marking” hero scored both goals in our SC win over the sheep at the national stadium, Brendan set out the tactics which was NOT to lose and that’s why we pay him the Big Penny.

  21. Quality away win- DZ knew what they were doing all night, cheated the ref on many occasions and got away with 50-5s all night. well done celtic

  22. St.Stivs,

     

    Agree with you about Reo and his forward passing. He is very go0d at dropping back and playing that one touch pass back inside or across. I think if we were to look at stats from every game, no one touches the ball more than our two centerbacks. I love the way that we are playing this season. Yes there will be peaks and valleys with regards to our performances, but we can only see how good our defenders and goalie are if they are actually being put under some pressure during games. we have a right good team,and good players to replace or keep the competition levels high. I read something yesterday where they were talking about our Assistant coaches and them not getting the recognition that they deserve. I think John Kennedy does a fantastic job with Celtic. He is a man still living the dream after his playing career was cruelly cut short by that Romanian butcher. I watch the practice videos on youtube and I hear Gavin Strachan in charge at times, and if our team is playing this way because of these guys, I sure hop ewe can hold onto them for a wee while longer. I think it has been a while since our club has been run so professionally on the playing and non playing sides. It is good though, to still hear our manager talk about the need to bring in more quality and not rest on our laurels.

     

    Sorry for the long post.

     

    Sean

  23. Tontine Tim on 11th December 2024 4:55 pm

     

     

    I had several disagreements with people over “playing the glasgow celtic way2 means attack attack attack.

     

     

    they always cite Jock saying never again afte the defensive display against Dukla, but I then mention he did the same in san siro twice, in fiorintana and suckered several rangers games .

     

     

    master tactician so he was

     

     

    should we have defended better in liverpool in 66 ?

  24. glendalystonsils on

    BOONDOCK SAINT on 11TH DECEMBER 2024 5:24 PM

     

     

    Good points re the defence . Especially when ‘the sieve’ is still fresh in our memories .

  25. Yes Bada Bing

     

     

    The 90 minute return bus journey from Hampden to Celtic Park is a chore also. In my experience.

     

     

    ESP when you are my age and need a piss and a beer !

     

     

    My friend and I walked back to CP last time we did the hospitality at Celtic thing. Never again. I was lucky this time and have 2 tickets for my son and I. One upper and one lower South Stand but really feel lucky to be going as few friends seem to have got tickets this time.

  26. An Tearmann on 11th December 2024 5:54 pm

     

    No.

     

     

    I do hope they get a decent crowd. As previously stated, its not the best weather for the Ghirls game.

     

     

    HH.

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