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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Sydneytim, hope you and the family are well. Brian Whitewater, oh dear. The only game I have fond memories of him was when we won 2 1 at ibrox in 1983. He never took any crap from them especially two incidents. one with Sandy Clark and the other was with Davie Mcinnes .
Jobo.
Efe is suspended
Bloody predictive Whitewater should be Whittaker
Jobo
Efe is suspended for Hearts red card.
Hail Hail
JOMMYNOTPAUL
Of course. D’oh
Dallas dallas. Yes family all tired and in bed been a hot spring day here 37deg
Bobby Dallas. So funny that was , he got the ball, beat two players across the park , then lost it and booted sandy Clark in the air , then he chewed his gum and smiled at the cameras
Me and my mate rewound that on vhs so many times and rolled about the floor
Bobby Murdoch. Whittaker didn’t half take Clark out in that game. Brian’s former jags team mate McKinnon also got it from Brian. McKinnon put his arm round Brian’s neck to stop himself. Brian aimed a kick at the bun and shouted you’re an effen nutter, pal. You could see what he said clearly in the footage of the game.
Sydneytim
Re Blackett: What are you basing “truely the worst left back I have seen since brian Whittaker” on ?
There’s no more important Celtic game until the next Celtic game, and it happens to be against unfashionable and underrated Accies. Quickly glancing over their results, and league position, I hope Celtic don’t have anti climatic thoughts or Euro reaction, as it’s back down to plastic with a bump.
The modest levelling surroundings at Hamilton are usually a happy hunting ground and RD’s ‘superior resources’ are suddenly back on track, after Aberdeen’s overnight collapse, and SMSM’s subsequent, shock nausea.
Tyler Blackett paired with Dedryck Boyata is another ‘first’ and Kieran Tierney as expected returns to the bench, to allow Emilio Izzaguire in at LB. Could Mikael Lustig start two games in quick succession? ( naaah). The Brown, Bitton tandem complemented with Commons, Rogic ( the Ned Kelly – Pele) and James Forrest.
Griffiths up top as the lone gunman, as usual.
We’re a wee Leigh injury away from Craig Gordon being told to shoot.
Score prediction; Hamilton 0 Celtic 4
Whitewater?
There’ll be a whole raft of posts on him now.
Yes, Efe is suspended.
Those witch huntersmnay remember….he got sent off saving us a point last week.
A point that, at this stage, we can hardly turn our noses up at.
Whitewater? Not another Celticfc land deal scandal :)
BT sports is so much more professional than sky…they even have height coordination with the pundits.
LIVE UPDATES UP
Beatson, ha ha that post put a smile on.my glum coupon thanks
WEERON
Arguably Efe was the player most responsible for ensuring we came away with a point in both of our last 2 games ;-)
GARY67
The centre back pairing pick themselves today. Last 2 standing.
You forgot Lustig/Boyata, Lustig/Blackett. Though I suspect they’ll come along in due course.
Beat bhoy, predictive text again. Aaaargh
Just passing through…..
________________________
SydneyTim on 4th October 2015 11:53 am
Hail Hail fella….I hope yer well.
Yeah, the bold Brian Whittaker…..know what else….?
The ref who booked BW at that incident was, George Smith who a year earlier….served Communion at the Mass for Pope John Paull 11 in Belahouston Park.
Enjoy the game.
Bye.
This D-Day.
Deila day.
Anything other than a win, should be an immediate sacking.
.
Spoke to a Hamilton Players Dad yesterday..
They have been Practicing Corners All Week..
Just hope Celtic score their 5 Goals before Accies get a Corner..;-)
Summa
Jobo @ 12.05
☺️
We are deadly at set pieces.
Read into that as you will.
Sack Deila day.
Brisbane67 Why do you bother? Find something else to do with your time on earth, following Celtic is not working for you. Look forward to reading your comments after the game. H H ebcelt
Hebcelt.
I bother because I care.
So called fans who do not point out erroneous practices are just as culpable.
C’mon the hoops…3-1 for me.
Brisbane 67
Your moniker tells it all …. HUNLURKER …. Hahahaha
67Heaven
Aye, it must be the 67 that gives the game away
Brisbane 67…
Mmmm, you mostly come across as someone gloating when we have a slip up.
I’m not over the moon the way things are at our club.
By feck, I fair enjoy watching us win and play well and show it on here…try it! HH
There have been a couple of times in my following Celtic over the years when i have wished for a quick ending to a prolonged period of horrible results that the writing was on the wall for the manager.
John Barnes
Tony Mowbray
In the end I hoped for bad results to turf them out the door.
I am honest enough to wish that sometimes when I know that change must come quickly.
Brisbane67 I do’nt doubt you care but does’nt make you right. Just your opinion – which of course you are quite entitled to. You are one trick pony, sack Ronnie,then what? Let,s hear your plan for the future. H H Hebcelt
“….fans who do not point out erroneous practices….”
And these fans come from what background in professional sport?
Or does anyone have the right to a respected opinion even if ignorant?
JJ
Everyone has a right to their opinion: that includes me.
Hebcelt – My plan would be to oust the grey men on the board Lawwell must go. He is an anchor stifling the club. I would like Desmond to sell his shares.
Boyata is NOT a defender. Big boy in his youth but now playing senior football that’s not enough. Not good enough.
Brisbane67 nobody is disputing your right to an opinion,least of all me but remember that’s all it is -an opinion. So that’s your plan -sack all the people in grey suits and get Desmondo to sell his shares. Pure genius why has noone else thought of this?Wee question what then? Enough let’s watch the game. H H Hebcelt
Okay, so that’s not going to happen this afternoon, but that must be the goal. Remember that change only happens when enough people join forces to make it happen.
This afternoon.
I think Deila is clueless. Seriously.
Tactically inept. Strategically at sea.
Well done big man..way to sort it.
I still think he is average mind…and deila is clueless…but we have a game to win