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. Reading back since full-time last night it has become clear to me that there are some on here who seem to think that all other teams in the CL can and will get three points from every game they will play between now and February. Memo to them….it does not work that way.

     

    We win our next game at home and we may well have qualified for the last sixteen playoffs

     

    With a game to spare. Not certain but possible.

     

    Leave your entitlement at home and we may just get there

  2. Match Day 6 all done and dusted and it looks like a draw at home to the bottom team of the 32 will guarantee Celtic a place in the play-off round.

     

     

    It would take 2 wins with a huge swing in GD for Shakhtar (v Brest & Dortmund) and/or Sparta Prague (v Inter & Leverkusen) for them to top Celtic on 10 points.

     

     

    So we probably only need to consider Man City, PSV, Dinamo Zagreb, PSG and Stuttgart, four of whom would have to overtake Celtic to prevent us progressing. And with PSG due to have Man City and Stuttgart, Zagreb facing Arsenal and Milan, and PSV facing a Liverpool team who will be looking to finish with a 100% record, 12 points (a home win v YB) will almost certainly put Celtic through.

     

     

    I’m away to rest my brain now! 🥴

  3. Celtic Mac,

     

    We know how it works.

     

    Well I do.Win games you should.Easy.A win last night against poor opposition,we are sitting around 13th tonight.That precious point we got,has dropped us to 21st.

     

    We are fortunate we have the worst team next,or my confidence would be shot.

     

    As for ” A sense of entitlement” nonsense,will you not be expecting a win against YBs?.

  4. “quadrophenian on 11th December 2024 10:07 pm

     

    You know bhoys, it’s possible to recognise we didn’t play at our best and gain all 3 points – yet accept there’s still good value in 1 point from an away-from-home draw against an under-strength opponent.”

     

     

    Far too sensible.

  5. `Gene on 11th December 2024 10:37 pm

     

    Clunks

     

    Mathematically only 4 can’t catch us`

     

     

     

    Has that taken into account whether or not the teams above the bottom four play against each other?

  6. turkeybhoy

     

     

    Win the games you should?

     

    Entitlement written all over that statement.

     

    That is not how it works

     

    Only how you think it works….

  7. To want the best for our team is not entitlement.

     

    Constructive Criticism is not entitlement

     

    Being the best we can be is not entitlement

     

    Discussing missed opportunities is not entitlement.

     

    Agreeing with our manager is not entitlement.

     

     

    HH.

  8. SFTB balanced post match assertions are greatly missed on the blog .

     

     

    I feel a sadness knowing that he will never post here again .

     

     

    What a loss he must be to his close friends and family .

     

     

    TT

  9. greenpinata

     

     

    “Being the best we can be…..”

     

    Did ye get that out of a Chinese fortune cookie?

  10. Thinking more simplistically, should Celtic beat YB they will have 12 points regardless of the AV result.

     

     

    Only 12 teams drop out at this stage and, as it stands 11 teams can’t reach 12 points.

     

     

    Man City play PSG next, and whatever the outcome of that game only one of them will be able to reach 12 points, even winning their final game. So this means that at least 12 teams definitely won’t reach 12 points, so a win for Celtic against YB will definitely put them through.

  11. It does not matter a jot if 10 teams can’t catch us.

     

     

    All that matters is that enough can unless we beat Young Boys or draw with them and Villa.

     

     

    Stuttgart

     

    Man City

     

    PSV

     

    PSG

     

     

    Will all do that.

     

     

    It’s that simple. We blew a big opportunity last night by not having enough ambition.

     

     

    Milan Brugge Lille PSG Feyenoord and others had ambition this round and all were rewarded.

  12. BigChipsUK on 11th December 2024 10:28 pm – good analysis.

     

    Hot Smoked on 11th December 2024 10:36 pm – apols for my sensibilities ;

     

    Greenpinata on 11th December 2024 10:48 pm – what you said!

  13. Celtic Mac on 11th December 2024 10:56 pm

     

    greenpinata

     

     

    “Being the best we can be…..”

     

    Did ye get that out of a Chinese fortune cookie?

     

    ——-

     

    Thats funny, however I can only explain it for you, Unfortunately i cannot understand it for you.

  14. Sadly a tense nervous night awaits us in January when we really should be through. Unless some crazy result happens the night before.

  15. SAINT STIVS on 11TH DECEMBER 2024 5:33 PM

     

    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

     

     

    *Not just a tactician but a psychologist tae as he knew whose arse tae kick and who needed a hug, I recall one game at the start of what IMHO was greatest season in our history, it was against our ould enemy, no NOT queens park or the hi hi, and we were 2 up after 4 minutes, at the hun end tae, Jock then let them have the ball for the next 86 but the NEVER threatened, we had not long returned from our long tour of the States where the birth of the honest NIAR was conceived as well as the Big Cup victory.

     

     

    Jock introduced us to the “link men” Bobby and Bertie or McKellar and Watt as the fans labelled them, as they shut down the hun midfield of the 2 smiths who were fine ball players themselves but were no match for our 2, this was NOT so much as 2 going on 7 but more likely 8 or 9 with or linkmen scoring both goals.

     

     

    I was in the enclosure with my da and his Carolinas, and my main memory of that afternoon was we had sung so much in the first half and at the break that our support resorted to whistling and humming, try doing that with the Merry Ploughboy, the “Grace” of its day.

     

     

     

    should we have defended better in liverpool in 66 ?

     

     

    *strange as it may sound but we had no fear of them as 4 days earlier we had soundly beaten them 1-0 going on 4 or 5, so Jock took a chance on a high scoring forward line dropping the wee mhan and playing a 424 which included the buzz bomb, joe mcgoals, stevie and the bear, but that’s NOT what beat us but the cowardice of the belgian ref who said he feared the backlash of the over rated kop if he had allowed our goal to stand

  16. Tiny Tim and all cqn’r’s

     

     

    Hi Celts.

     

    I spoke to Shirley,Tonys(sftb)wife there,arrangements are finalised for Dec 18th at 1pm at Linn Crematorium,thereafter at kings Park Hotel 2pm-ish for a cup of tea.

     

     

    If you wish to email Tonys family with any pictures,tales or anecdotes of Settingfreethebears please do so to-

     

    martin_gillespie@icloud.com

     

     

    With thanks in advance AT.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  17. Gene on 11th December 2024 10:37 pm

     

     

    Clunks

     

     

    Mathematically only 4 can’t catch us

     

     

    ——–

     

     

    I know BUT

     

     

    half the blog comes on and talks keech, so I figured I would give it a shot (shoosh in the back)

     

     

    Liberating it is!!

  18. Thanks AT,

     

     

    His contributions to This Dear Green Place will be sorely missed

     

    but the loss to his family is awful and profound.

     

     

    Strange isn’t it? I’d never met the guy but I felt I knew him a bit thanks to this fine platform.

     

     

    HH Celtic Quick News CSC

  19. “not having enough ambition…..”

     

    “be the best you can be….”

     

     

    Psychobabble gone mad….

     

    Wont win ye games though….

  20. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Clunks on 11th December 2024 11:26 pm

     

     

    Mathematically only 4 can’t catch us

     

     

    I know BUT

     

     

    half the blog comes on and talks keech ….

     

     

    ——

     

     

    … and the other 70% cannae count.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Hundreds of clubs can’t now match our Champions League points tally ….

     

     

    .. including four currently in the competition.

     

     

    Good night CQN.

  21. BURNLEY78 on 11TH DECEMBER 2024 11:15 PM

     

    Sadly a tense nervous night awaits us in January when we really should be through. Unless some crazy result happens the night before.

     

    —————

     

    I think you’ll find that night will be anything but tense and nervous at CP.

     

     

    Place will be buzzing and the team will deliver.

     

     

    We WILL beat Young Boys to qualify from this group stage.

     

     

    If we don’t, we don’t deserve to qualify, but confident we will.

     

     

    3-0 to the hoops!

     

     

    😃👍⚽️🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪🍀🇮🇪⚽️

  22. My New Desktop Computer was delivered yesterday afternoon.

     

    Oh what fun I had trying to set it up …..NOT.

     

     

    The physical aspect was moving my Computer Desk away from the wall after emptying most of the stuff that I kept inside cupboards and drawers…it was rather painful and then hoovering the living room before connecting the new cables etc…those physical efforts left me quite knackered.

     

     

    My mental state was becoming rather frayed as I was trying to remember PASSWORDS and to receive some ” One Time Passwords” on my Phone, as I set about the task of getting the new Computer to work properly…. it was driving me nuts !

     

    However, I was determined to see this through on my own….rather than pay an IT Guy a £100 to do it, like the last time I bought a new desktop. ?

     

     

    So far so good, as everything appears to working okay except that I now how to figure out on how to contact ” MCAFFEE Security” as I paid them £39.99 on Sunday in an effort to RENEW the Security on my now OLD Desktop that was seriously affected by a VIRUS on Saturday. It worked to a certain extent, but I was getting 3 or 4 messages on screen every 3 or 4 minutes from different Security Companies trying to sell me ” Security” AFTER paying for MCAFEE a few days ago ?

     

     

    MCAFEE are asking me to pay £19.99 for the Security on this NEW Desktop this morning, however I will try to contact them Today and ask them to ” TRANSFER” the £39.99 RENEWAL from the OLD Desktop to this New One ?

     

    Surely that process should be very simple and fair…..but I won’t be holding my breath ?

     

     

    In future I think I will just stick to my ” ETCH A SKETCH”….Life was much more simple back then ?

     

    Also BET365 have ” Complicated” matters since my OLD Desktop was hit with that VIRUS last Saturday. Firstly, I couldnt access any site, and after paying for MCAFFEE Security , I discovered that BET365 had BLOCKED me ?

     

    Anyways, I tried to speak to BET365 via the CRAP ” LIVE CHAT”, only to end up chatting to THREE different advisors and the result was dealing with Phone calls from other BET365 advisors since TUESDAY.

     

    For some crazy reason, the VIRUS on the OLD Computer has led to BET365 having their ” RESPONSIBLE GAMBLING” Dept phoning me on Tuesday and again yesterday ( Wednesday), to ask some VERY intrusive questions about my Mental state of health and my Financial situation ?

     

     

    I had just started unpacking my NEW Desktop yesterday when an Advisor from BET365 Phoned me, so I explained about the new Desktop just arriving, and the Advisor stated that he would Phone me again between 9am and Noon Today once I had the New Desktop up and running ?

     

     

    I DID ask the BET365 Advisor yesterday, ” WHY I was being SUBJECTED to questions about my health and Financial situation when it was a VIRUS that had caused the problems with my now OLD Computer, and I asked ” WHY were BET365 NOT interested in my health and Finances IMMEDIATELY prior to the VIRUS on Saturday afternoon” ?

     

     

    All of a sudden I was being asked about my Health and Financial state etc, which had only happened Two or Three years ago when I asked BET365 to increase my Deposit and Betting Limits at that time ?

     

     

    Finally, I now NEED to figure out on how to Set my CLOCK on the New Computer to the ” RIGHT TIME” ?

     

     

    Its been a stressful few days……Once the BET365 has Phoned this morning and my TESCO Food Order has been delivered this morning….I MAY hit the Pub ….as I certainly deserve some Beers. Ive not had any Beers since Celtic beat Ross County 12 days ago ?

     

    LOL.

     

     

    Sorry for the long Post.

     

     

    HH.

  23. Hot smoked

     

    I checked that none of the teams play each other so, theoretically, they could all achieve 9 or 10 points.

     

    If we beat YB then we qualify for the play off round

  24. In the knockout phase is it a case of 9th v 24th, 10th v 23rd etc? Who’d have thought the new format would be such fun for maths geeks😁

  25. An Tearmann on 11th December 2024 11:21 pm

     

    Tiny Tim and all cqn’r’s

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Hi Celts.

     

     

     

     

    I spoke to Shirley,Tonys(sftb)wife there,arrangements are finalised for Dec 18th at 1pm at Linn Crematorium,thereafter at kings Park Hotel 2pm-ish for a cup of tea.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    If you wish to email Tonys family with any pictures,tales or anecdotes of Settingfreethebears please do so to-

     

     

     

     

    martin_gillespie@icloud.com

     

     

     

     

     

     

    With thanks in advance AT.

     

    ……………..

     

     

    Thanks for the INFO AT.

     

    I will pay my respects to our GREAT Friend TONY, and I hope the Family can get through this horrible period asap ?

     

     

    HH Mate.

  26. bankiebhoy1 on 11th December 2024 11:37 pm

     

    Thanks AT,

     

     

     

     

     

     

    His contributions to This Dear Green Place will be sorely missed

     

     

     

     

    but the loss to his family is awful and profound.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Strange isn’t it? I’d never met the guy but I felt I knew him a bit thanks to this fine platform.

     

    …………

     

     

    You would have loved TONYS Company.

     

    He was one of the most intelligent Guys that I have ever met, and a TRUE CELTIC GENT.

     

    It is an Honour and a Privilege to say that I regarded Tony as a real Friend. We met a few times outwith the CQN Bevvy sessions, and he was great company to be with every time.

     

     

    Tony will always be a great loss to his family and friends, I will certainly never forget him.

     

     

    R.I.P. TONY BHOY.

     

    YNWA.

  27. I STILL cant work out on how to set my Computer CLOCK to the correct time as its displaying that it it is 20 minutes SLOW ?

     

     

    I am a CHUMP…..Sometimes.

     

    LOL

     

    HH.

  28. FAVOURITE UNCLE on

    The question on everyone s mind is will we have a repeat of the scenes and sounds when in1963 the mighty GLASGOW rangers welcomed TOTTENHAN HOTSPUR to IBROX PARK. Despite loosing by 3 lucky goals to 2 the IBROX CHOIR was in full cry and we enjoyed a full 2o mins of their favourite ref to THE POPE in ROME.

     

     

     

     

    J MCCLEOD reporting scotlin.

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