I liked a lot about what we did last night. Leigh Griffiths provided more evidence that he is a remarkable predator. Kris Commons delivered another driven corner, his third of this European campaign to result in a goal, Lustig made first contact leaving Griffiths with only instinct to produce a shot on target. That same instinct clicked an instant later to turn the second shot over the keeper and into the net.
Do you remember a moment, before the first goal, when Fenerbahce enjoyed their best spell of pressure, and we cleared our lines aimlessly four times in a couple of minutes? It looked ugly and invited Fenerbahce to continue to pile the pressure on, but it was a salutary indication of how tactically well Celtic played. When under pressure, clear your lines, regroup, and get ready to go again.
On two occasions we dribbled out of a defensive position leading to a goal. Nir Bitton had ample opportunity to clear forward, but with opponents closing space all around him, he hesitated until he could play-in James Forrest, who surge forward to cross for Commons to score.
Scott Brown as immense all night, but having held-off a challenge 20 yards from his own goal on the wing, he should have cleared deep inside Fenerbahce territory instead of trying to make a pass. We didn’t get the ball back until the score was 2-2. Johansen and Lustig were both caught similarly in the second half but neither was punished. Being brave in possession isn’t always wise.
Some of the passing football we played was a treat to watch. Bitton and Brown played their best game as a partnership, if not as individuals in a Celtic shirt; Brown was certainly that good. James Forrest, now fit, is drinking-in responsibility. He was effective last night, but not because he used his unparalleled pace, instead he delivered link play.
You’ll have noticed Craig Gordon likes a leg save. Few keepers do, they seem to try to get their hands or torso to a ball, but I like that Craig likes getting any hard part of his body in the way.
Don’t let it bounce.
“Don’t let it bounce.” There’s not a central defender in the world who doesn’t hear that phrase every week. When a ball is coming towards the danger zone in the air, get your head on it. If you let it bounce, anything can happen.
This was Efe Ambrose first mistake last night. He failed to read the flight of the ball. The moment it bounced, he was in trouble. With Fernandao waiting to feed on the scraps, Efe should then have concentrated on winning the physical challenge as the ball dropped a second time, but instead he found his ‘don’t let the ball bounce’ instinct too late and committed a second inexcusable error.
Think back almost three years to the opening minutes of the Champions League game against Juventus, Efe committed pretty much the same mistake. He lost the flight of the ball and we were a goal down and out before we warmed up.
Although Efe is taking a large slice of the blame in some places for the second Fenerbahce goal, I’m not convinced this is a fair assessment. To give due credit, it was an excellent corner and header – from a zone in front near post it’s difficult to score from. The point about zonal marking is you defend areas it’s easy to score from, at the cost of leaving less-risky areas unattended. Fernandao’s header didn’t come from a high-risk zone.
For some reason, wispy Leigh Griffiths was delegated to man-mark bulky target-man Fernandao. Wee guys can block big guys, but they need to be standing ball-side of the attacker, preferably facing his chest with arms out, so that when movement happens, he’s at least the right side of the attacker. Leigh was on his heels, completely unprepared.
Before the kick was struck, Fernandao was on the move, gambling on a near-post run. Should Efe have also gambled similarly? On first glance it looked like it, but that’s only because the ball went to that area and ended up in the net. Fernandao could afford to gamble by running into a space the ball may or may not arrive at. This is not the case for a defender. He has to wait until the ball is in the air. If he leaves his zone before the ball’s kicked to follow an attacker who has move early, he’s not doing his job.
It’s all about the block.
Great corner aside, we lost the second goal because we didn’t get a block on Fenerbahce’s target man. Before the kick was taken, Leigh Griffiths was adjacent to and looking at Fernandao, having been delegated the task by the impressive Kieran Tierney, but Leigh was also looking all around him and made no attempt to block.
Griffiths (5’ 8”), the smallest man in the Celtic team, should never have been near Fernandao (6’ 4”), the tallest man in the Fenerbahce team. That’s 8 inches of disadvantage and double figures of kilos weight.
There are two big questions to be asked about this goal:
Why didn’t we have a physical equal on Fernandao, capable of withstanding a shove, or better still, getting his own shove in first? Fenerbahce had one target man striker, we didn’t notice him. It doesn’t matter if you play zonal or man-to-man, if we are conceding 8 inches to the opponent’s main physical threat, we’ll continue to lose goals at corner kicks.
But the real curious question is why was it left to 18-year-old Kieran Tierney to instruct who picks up whom at a corner kick? Action moves so quickly at corners that everyone needs to understand they have a responsibility to take control, not just the central defenders, captain, or keeper. Or 18-year-old novice.
This is not happening at Celtic right now, which is why we’re playing our European football on Thursdays this season. If you put your smallest player on an opponent’s tallest, and it’s left to an 18-year-old to delegate responsibility, you deserve to lose a goal.
Last Man Standing 5
Last call for all those wanting to take part in Last Man Standing 5, in aid of Wee Shay McGinlay who is 2 and suffers from cerebral palsy. To date CQNers and friends have raised an incredible £5400 towards the fund raising campaign, to finance treatment for Shay not available on the NHS, which will hopefully improve his quality of life.
The current entrants stand at 72, so if you want to take join the LMS5 clique, then simply drop a line to Jobo and CRC at cqnlastmanstanding@gmail.com before 12pm Saturday and they will send you more details.
Thanks for indulging me bringing the work of the Foundation to your attention all this week. The Great Scottish Run is less than 48 hours away and dozens of Celtic fans have put thousands of hours into preparing for the event. Those doing the ‘half’ are going to miss the Hamilton game, another consequence of playing Thursday night European football.
If you can support any of the runners, please do:
Click here for my linked donation page.
Thank you.
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Joe Baldie………………always intrigued by your weather reports. I get this picture that east Kilbride is a beautiful rural area?
Good morning all,
I was always taught never to speak ill of the departed, but sometimes echoes from beyond the veil are just too funny to ignore, especially with Halloween sitting just over the horizon.
Dressing up as some scary alternative creature, singing daft songs, begging for treats, and generally making an eejit of yersel (dookin for apples while half banjoed springs to mind) is encapsulated for a recently passed away acqaintance seems to have been just about encapsulated in a few pictures I took while sauntering down Argyle Street yesterday.
The random thoughts that sprung to mind were
1. The person who designed the adverts for the wake, just has to be a Tim
2. Perhaps this is the final confession before that last gasp and the oiling of Exrtreme Unction
But most of all
3. THOSE WINDOWS WILL GET PANNED OVER THE WEEKEND!
https://enematic.wordpress.com/2015/10/03/the-sky-is-blue/
Hail Hail
Estadio
Estadio
You have just reminded me I took a picture of that shop window on Thursday evening ⚽️⚽️
TOSB
If you can be botheRed…..Read back…….
………
;)
Das Reboot: How German Soccer Reinvented Itself and Conquered the World.
Really worth a read about how to build a successful team from a backdrop of poor results, from the ground up. I would strongly recommend this to Ronny. Many lessons to be learned. Fascinating.
Vespacide on 3rd October 2015 10:04 am
Born Today
A good list. I’m adding my son, born 3 Oct 1980. No a bad manager in the automotive field.
HH
Vespacide …. Happy Birthday to you.
Gerry
Just read Ronny saying jo Hansen has a back injury well Ronny do not play him then simples.HH.
TOSB
Approx 43,048
Vespacide…. Hope you have a great day
Hail Hail
Gerrybhoy….
Hope your bhoy also has a great day, 1980, the memories my first ever Celtic v Rangers (they were called that then) a young impressionable lad that realised their hatred from a very young age
I still think George McCluskey stole that from Daniel Fergus but like any striker I am with George on that score
What are the best Celtic bars in San Francisco and New York?
Cheers
George McCluskey would probably get a game for us now even though he couldn’t run. I remember a wet game at parkhead where he got a late hat trick as a sub I think.
Ah Gerry you’re talking about the riot game. I remember looking at the sky and seeing it almost black with bottles flying towards the police from the celtic end after the pitch had cleared. Scary journey home.
21’44”
San Francisco – The Abbey Tavern 4100 Geary Boulevard
New York – The Parlour Bar 250 West 86th Street
Both are excellent
Coolmore Mafia
I was at the game with 2 Rangers (they were called that back then although still spending other people’s money) and 2 other Celtic fans, five of us on a escort xr at 10 I wasn’t the slightest bit scared, fast forward to Joe Miller 1989 me and 3 pals had to hide behind in the back of a wee Pakastani guys shop as the “Huns were marauding” stool annoyed that I was hiding but at least I live to hide another day ‘
*** LMS5 ***
A fantastic 77 entries now in so still possible we might reach the magic 88 – WITH YOUR HELP!! Just email cqnlastmanstanding@gmail.com
For those that have already entered I have a note of your week 1 pick from 68 of you. Remider email has just been sent to –
Larssonse7en
Thoms Sellick
Whitedoghunch
tully5y
Hebcelt
Bada Bing
Tomtheleedstim
fleagle1888
And 1 other without a blog name!
Aff oot…..
RIP Stevie. Hard to believe I won’t be joining him in a “Black Bush” in the Blane ever again. A more generous and cheerful soul you’ll find hard to meet.
Catman
Cheers. Real Celtic bars or everyday Irish bars?
Brisbane
Both have Celtic Memorabilia on the walls and show all games. They also both have CSCs that meet there.
Catman
Magic! I’m staying in Hotels around 3 miles from each. A short taxi ride after a few pints of the dark stuff.
Canamalar 1:04am
a wonderful short wee post full of compassion,thank you.
AAFG
it would be great to see you on 10/10,
keep on keeping on sir you have much to offer to many,
till later all thank you for being here
Thanks to the Bhoys that replied to my question last night about my son.Some helpful replies.
GERRYFAETHE BRIG
I managed to get a taxi back from that 89 Final, got out of it outside the Holiday Inn on cambridge Street, a vase was thrown from one of the windows and skelped the roof of the taxi, it would have done me in. Turns out it was full of huns over from Belfast. Lovely people
HH
Originalsadiesbhoy, yes I have a brother called Eddie, but would be very surprised if you know him. Never a fitba fella.
bmcwp, we will indeed drink to Stevie’s memory.
Ritchie, if you make it to the hootenanny next week we can raise a bushmills to Stevie.
And big thank you to all, for your thoughts & prayers.
jobo,
email sent from me around 11, count me in please.
Stephen Sanachan R.I.PA
Frantic I got a fright when I saw the original post. sad news about Stevie Sannachan
May his soul rest in peace.
Sincere Condolences to the family & friends of Stephen Sanachan, I was in the Blane Valley before the game and he was there, its dreadful to think that a man standing there looking forward to the game could be gone so quickly. God be good to him.
Gerryfaethebrig on 3rd October 2015 11:23 am…
My brother, who is now a bit of a high roller, broke his knuckle on a huns jaw on the park that day, when he comes across all condescending about my views on the deid huns…I love reminding him of it :)
crystal palace fans set up is very good, their ultras are very germanic acting.
and the cheerleaders add something
john blue tie mckay on shortbread off the ball.
so far comes across as a trying desperately to be a serious news journalistic, but he is really an average lamb munching murray romancer.
Condolences to Stephen’s family,and friends.HH
Saint Stivs on 3rd October 2015 12:24 pm
You have lastmanstanding mail
HH
CRC
Didn’t see this coming, Cough! Cough!
Sevco director John Gilligan has warned supporters that a share issue is unlikely to happen.
With season ticket money likely to run out at some point over the next six weeks the runaway Championship leaders are in urgent need of cash.
Last season a share issue in October raised £3m with big hearted Mike Ashley loaning the troubled club £5m in January to avoid administration. In June at an EGM shareholders vooted not to repay the loan. In February Mr Ashley also sent five players on loan from Newcastle for a token £1,000 a week payment.
That source of backing is no longer available with the two loans totalling £3m from the three bears due for repayment at the turn of the year.
Dave King’s arrival in March has turned a troubled brand toxic in the eyes of the city with no nominated adviser wanting to be associated with the South African based criminal while the Alternative Investment Market quickly ditched their share trading facilities.
Despite having next to no shares in the company, in common with borders-based banker Paul Murray, Mr Gilligan has enjoyed the status of a blazer in the blue room of dignity and the adoration of the gullible fanbase.
Asked if there would be a share offer during a meeting of the Rangers Supporters Trust the Herald reported Gilly as saying: “The answer in the long term is yes. You know the story with the listing. Until we are listed, we can’t do the share issue. We are striving to get the listing. In the longer term that is exactly where we want to be.
“What makes it really difficult is, because of the Police Scotland investigation, there are other things that are coming into play here which certainly I didn’t see them coming anyway.
“Not the least of which is when you are handed a piece of paper which says the former chief executive (Green) has a contract which he says means we have to pay his legal fees. Nothing is very simple.”
It seems incredible that a club director was unaware of a contract which covered founding father Mr Green for seven years of legal costs which is commonplace within business.
A prospectus for a share issue would need to list company assets against a backdrop of lengthy criminal proceedings relating to the £5.5m asset transfer of Ibrox Stadium and the state-of-the-art Murray Park training complex from Rangers (IL) to Sevco Scotland via Sevco 5088.
Mr Green presented the club with his claim at the end of September, six months after Mr King swept to power on a ticket of accountability and transparency.
With no auditor prepared to put their reputation on the line Sevco have still to produce accounts for the year to 30 June 2015 with an Annual General Meeting unlikely to be held this year.
Mr King has vowed to strongly resist Mr Green’s legal support claim which was detailed in the 2012 share prospectus.
Read more at http://videocelts.com/2015/10/blogs/latest-news/ibrox-director-issues-cash-warning#yqqZBcyyVj5jtcZU.99
Paul67etal.
I know that there are a lot of Celtic supporters who are unhappy with the way that Celtic are playing just now. I think you must have watched Celtic when they were playing at their best 1965 onwards until early 70s it’s a pity that you didn’t support them in the fifties, watching games in those years hardened you as a Celtic supporter, those times your love of Celtic had been established watching crap games, it built you up for the good times, 67 being the creme de la creme for Celtic Supporters.
Celtic supporters should take their kids to matches when the tic are playing crap, ie the fifties for me, but when Celtic are playing bad is a good time to blood your kids into watching Celtic, harden them up to the bad times, but the good times will return you can be sure of that, then your kids may be young adults when the good times come back they will have been hardened by the bad times, but you can be rest assured,they will enjoy the few years that the tic are back to the best.
Mind you it wont harden some on here, they arrived on the scene a few years after Paul67 started up this blog, a great Idea but it dragged in the crap after about 5 years, they most probably aren’t even Celtic Supporters, all they are out to do is drag CQN down to their level, a poison that is a plague on most blogs, we’ll just have to suffer their poison, but it’s hard to bare at times.
Oldtim67 1:00 pm
You reading my mind?
Great post.
So the good ole US of A target a hospital for air strikes then label the victims as colleral damage, anothe war crime that will go unpunished