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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HT
I watch a lot of La Liga fitba, particularly my wee 2nd team Villarreal. Some of our passing moves in the first half was similar to what is seen in Spain.
Cowiebhoy…
An tearman didn’t divulge a name but it is probably the same. Hail Hail
Off to watch narcos with a few cidres.
The measure of a Celtic fan is not the joy you get when winning it’s the pain you feel in defeat
discuss
SOAL
I heard Jive Bunny are playing your 80th…..in December.
See ya there x
HT
That is after a game of Bowls and some Bingo and game of phat
RocknRollstar
Thanks WITS
HH
HT
I do agree we need to get Commons back into middle
If I had to criticise Ronny on anything last night, it would have been on playing Johansen through middle and Commons wide right
Commons just does not have the work rate for playing there, Johansen does
Commons in turn is far more creative ( and receptive to drawing fouls in good positions in European games) through the middle
We can all see this, how not Ronny ?
Hail Hail
JNP
Rocket :-)
Gene
both and in particular the way you conduct yourself after either, especially in public.
good night all and thank you for being here.
Corkcelt…..
Regarding Efe last night, I heard Kris Commons saying he made many more mistakes than our Efe, but mistakes in different areas are treated differently, I was delighted with our performance last night, I mentioned to a poster on here earlier today, how times have changed when we are moaning about getting 2-2 draws after leading, me personally, I think we will have a great Europa run and I am loving watching us in Europe, might not get the required win, but we don’t get beat and most post on here are talking about Tiernet, Forrest, Boyata, Ambrose and the evervescent Broony all having good games……
By the way I am 45 and still getting used to us scoring 2 goals never mind leading !
Oh and Corkcelt
You must have been enjoying the BV too much to give us all a visit in the Coarner :-)
Glad you enjoyed Bhud
Hail Hail
Good Evening.
Here’s a short piece about never taking at face value the things that the Scottish sports media tell you…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/10/02/discerning-readers/
And in case of interest, here are my thoughts on Dermot Desmond and the ‘British Premier League’.
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/10/01/the-brit-pish-premier-league/
Have a great weekend!
Hello again all you young rebels.
School holidays here in Oz so not been on the blog lately , been down
the peninsula beaches in our auld gypsy caravan playing soccer tennis
with the wee fhella, no computers , no i pads, no video games just the
reb tunes blasting away on the auld stereo, i should be as fit as a
butchers dog but instead i’m hobbling about here like a cowboy thats
lost his horse.
On reading back i see the agenda drivers are still at it on here, they’ve
got to be getting paid for their constant diatribe against our club but
hey ho, i put up with their drivel so they will have to put up with mine.
it’s amazing how many people came up to us on the beach to talk
about the Celts, big Greek community here and i don’t think they are
too fond of the Turks ” why did you not bury them? they asked, well
i’ve just watched the game and i’m asking myself the same question.
The Aussies see our hoop tops and they all want to talk about Tom
Rogic more of them are now paying attention to our games as they
have high expectations of him as a future Aussie captain.
Meanwhile back at base camp the wee mhan said.
” Papa ”
” Whit ”
” see that spare tent pole we’ve got?
” I, what about it?
” Could we no put our Celtic flag on it?
” What for?
” Well more people will come and talk to us when they see it ”
The logic of grand kids.
Great idea wee mhan get me the flag.
H.H Mick
WITS.
Thanks for the heads up earlier , and for a fortnight earlier at Ayr . HH.
SOAL.
Never mind the music lists.
Have you found oot what DD shot @ St Andrews yet ? ;-))
Dallas, DD & Sipsini, Thanks, yes an enjoyable trip but I feel totally knackered after it.
Only disappointment, I couldn’t find anybody at CQN Corner, arrived at the ground about 7 went to Pool’s Office to the area where I expected folk to be, there were a couple of groups standing about and I approached them and asked if this was CQN Corner, they looked at me as if I had two heads or as if I was a couple of pence short of the full shilling before sending me on my way. Anyhow I slunk off with my tail betwen my legs to find solace in the Lounges.
Gene
Don’t you know you can’t express hurt, pain, anger, frustration or disappointment in defeat on CQN now.
It’s all about clapping like a seal at everything or else you’re a hun and you’ve to girfuy :-)
Hamiltontim, It would be good if Hamilton do water the astroturf on Sunday.
An advantage of astroturf pitches is they cant be cut up , grass left to grow and the ground not rolled , a favourite of Caley when we play up there. However, it does need watered within an hour of kick off to make sure the ball runs better.
New Douglas Park is a ground we tend not to play well at.
That needs to change.
H.T.
I’ve just remembered.
PJ and Duncan’s greatest hits.
That’s your present sorted.
Keep smiling.
Good game last night.
Great company before, during and after the game.
For a wee spell just before Efe’s brain fart, we were playing the Glasgow Celtic way which is very pleasing.
This is very funny and as a bonus has no sweary words.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XnPUe80oBZw
HH
angelgabriel
He has qualified for the CQN open next year
Mick, a spare tent pole ? Whit size is it :-)
Enjoy
Cowiebhoy on 2nd October 2015 9:09 pm
I do agree we need to get Commons back into middle
If I had to criticise Ronny on anything last night, it would have been on playing Johansen through middle and Commons wide right
Commons just does not have the work rate for playing there, Johansen does
Commons in turn is far more creative ( and receptive to drawing fouls in good positions in European games) through the middle
We can all see this, how not Ronny ?
—————-
Johansen played in the middle in front of Brown and Bitton, similar to Ajax away, not behind The Griff – Commons can’t play that position
HT,
Do one, ya green hun ye!!
;-)
HAIL! HAIL!
Melbourne mick
tell the wee mhan a big HAIL HAIL from me,
and tell him he is being thought of,sounds like a good yin :))))))))
Corkcelt.
Glad you enjoyed the trip.
Think you might have arrived at the corner a few minutes early.
Hopefully catch up next time .HH
My friends in Celtic,
In general I thought the blog was very sympathetic to Efe while acknowledging his mistake(s).
There were some eloquent posts that simply stated that he is one of us. No more needs said.
HH.
WITS
Cheers… don’t normally bet but had to nip into work and passing the Bookies i just had to.
HH
HT
45 years on I still feel the pain of the Feynord final.
Must make a real hun
girum
Melbourne Mick,
Tell the wee fhella, Gawnyirsel!
I like the cut of his jib.
HAIL! HAIL!
Token
The_huddle
Sorry disagree,
Johansen was not being played as a defensive midfielder last night, it was to be creative
Commons is far better at that imho :-)
SOAL
Sex, drugs and sausage rolls amigo.
Cowiebhoy
As you know I’ve been banging on about the need to play Commons whenever he’s fit ever since Ronny’s arrival.
If he won’t play a two up front then KC has to play in the central position of the 3 behind the loan striker.
He’s easily our most creative player and I’m still astonished at how he was rubbished on here last season.
Melbourne Mick…..
The wee mhan knows the score, he is being brought up well, keep your stories coming they are most enjoyable
Hail Hail fae the Brig
Hamiltontim, i meant to say earlier about Tom Rogic playing a different role.
In the game at Tannadice , he did not pay such an advanced role and played very well against a poor Utd midfield.
If does play a less advanced role , he can do it do it but will up against a more able midfield especially the boy , Crawford., Accies’ best player so far this season.
It would be nice if that wee horror, Imrie, is dealt with adequately.
Has anyone seen any reports from Paul Paton’s trial for the alleged (had to say that) assault on Lukasz Zaluzka?
Oscar
This is currently trending on linked in for folk to Like
https://image-store.slidesharecdn.com/32ed3ac2-61a1-474e-985f-60848b7071a7-large.jpeg
skyisalandfill
That is very funny, as an ex “MAMIL” before that acronym existed…even funnier.
Cowiebhoy on 2nd October 2015 9:24 pm
The_huddle
Sorry disagree,
Johansen was not being played as a defensive midfielder last night, it was to be creative
Commons is far better at that imho :-)
———-
Sutton disagreed with you, and agreed with me.
Oh well the 2 of you were wrong :-)
Cork Celt,
Only a guess but I think CQN corner might be different before Euopean nights. I went there briefly before the Malmo game and met a number of great people, before having to go and make the queue for the Lower Tier.
Just made the first goal.
Delighted you had a good trip.
Clogher