Bayern Munich left Glasgow with three points, but that was two more than they deserved. The game was decided on a 22nd minute lapse. Dedryk Boyata should have headed but allowed the ball to bounce behind him. This is the kind of mistake which primary school kids are shouted out for. From that moment, Coman was clear through on Craig Gordon, who made the mistake of coming out of his box in the vain hope of reaching the ball before the French international striker. That aside, Celtic were excellent and deserved a point for their efforts.
As with the corresponding game in Munich, this was a game for James Forrest, not Patrick Roberts, so I was pleased Brendan Rodgers’ hand was forced with the injury to Patrick. James was outstanding. He regularly drew three defenders, kept his head up in possession, and created the chance which allowed Callum McGregor to convert.
Watch James again at the goal. He played the magicians’ trick: “Look over here, watch me.” Every Bayern Munich player was focused on him before he pulled a rabbit out of the hat, it was a thing of beauty. Wing play is difficult, although it seems it is more difficult for some to understand it, than it is to play there. I enjoyed watching Arjen Robben, but James was the more productive winger last night.
Screeds have been written about a momentary lapse by Nir Bitton at Firhill, which cost Celtic nothing. Last night, under the most intense pressure, the player grew in stature in the central defensive position. I heard “What are you doing?” as he chased down a loose ball in the Bayern right back position a moment before the Celtic goal, but without that, or his build-up play which led to the goal, we would not have drawn level.
It is also worth recording that Celtic still had the option to make a substitution when Nir received a head injury which resulted in several minutes treatment and the application of a substantial bandage. If his appetite for a scrap was in question (you know what I mean), he would have left the field at that moment.
I was getting frustrated for Callum McGregor, who constantly showed for the ball, but in the central role he started the game, seldom received it. It was a brave move for Brendan to hook Scott Sinclair and push Callum wide, although Scott was clearly below his best, but this change was pivotal in getting Celtic level. The aforementioned build up play from Bitton, the run and delicious dink from Forrest, cut Bayern open. In true Halloween fashion, Callum wasted no time in burying ghosts of past German encounters.
Scott Brown was imperious, while Stuart Armstrong will still be replaying his early chance to open the scoring over in his mind, he can be satisfied with his performance. Lustig and Tierney put in mature and energetic efforts.
Moussa Dembele had little scope to shine; an early left foot effort which he didn’t connect with cleanly was the sum total of his genuine opportunities. Celtic wisely put numbers in defence and midfield, leaving the striker isolated.
A word about Dedryk. He dropped on his knee on the final whistle, no doubt feeling the pain of his earlier mistake. You and I have been watching football long enough to know this is part of the game. Big Billy shared a couple of similar memories with me, which he carried like old wounds. Dedryk has recovered from darker places during his time at Celtic and can use the hurt from last night against PSG, and when his countrymen visit on match day 6. It was an infuriating moment, but he is a player unrecognisable from the Dedryk we lamented in Molde.
There is so much to be positive about. On similar form, we will destroy Anderlecht and no one will fancy coming to Celtic Park in the Europa League. So what do you have to worry about? We’ll talk about that tomorrow.
Brendan Rodgers – The Road to Paradise is available now from CQNBookstore.com – the first 100 orders received will come with a free gift.
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I agree with some of the positive comments about Bitton’s performance in the last couple of games.
I can see Brendan converting him into a very good ball playing centre back.
I wouldn’t blame him for the second goal either. I think our weakness there is in preventing crosses coming into our box. Something else I’m sure Brendan is aware of and is working on.
50 shades of green not being flippant but really who cares on a Celtic blog ? H H Hebcelt
SILVER CITY 1888 @1.41
Hah ! – Indeed .
Commentator also stated that the PSG right back ( on the bench ) had also scored a hat trick in a ” competitive match – Meunier for Belgium v Gibraltar. !
Well we didn’t half get stuck in last night , terrific performance from James Forrest . Nir bitton I thought is growing into that position , he was terrific . Callum again terrific , as was our captain , what in the name of god are we going to do when he finishes up . KT was just KT fabulous . Admit to getting a bit worried about Scott Sinclair , he hasn,t as yet hit the heights of last season, stewart armstrong , and this is my feelings on the guy right or wrong , disappointed of his commitment to the club ,I think he has design on playing somewhere else , otherwise he would have signed more than a year extension , and it’s a sad affair as he was a revelation last season . We have positions that could be improved upon . I trust BR will also have seen that ,and act accordingly . We need to start drawing away in the league , we need to be champions again .
There are times when you don’t care what pub or company you are in— your heart swells with pride . Last night was like that, and so was Aberdeen, where I thought the record was in danger. Silly me! The football team was there for all to see. The manager hasn’t been here two years yet. The football has improved from bottom up. Chain him to the gates of Celtic Park,
Raymac…we don’t have those kind of gates at CP…perhaps the Griff could tie him to one of the goalposts… :-)
The referee made a great occaision even better.Not pandering to the divers, letting meaty challenges go, not one of the hun driven agenda cheats we get every week, a contender for MOTM
Got to hand it to Not Bitton..no complaints from the lad. He’s probably one of the most naturally gifted players in the squad. Technically and tactically top level. I used to think he was a page ahead of his team mates but less so nowadays as we have improved. However he is top drawer. He’s certainly not a top drawer centre back but he’s a top player.
I love seeing his natural effortless passing but allied to his attitude makes him a top player.
Ok he’s tall but how many of our guys have his flexibility in terms of positions he can fill?
Great to see him being recognised.
Nir Bityon
HEBCELT on 1ST NOVEMBER 2017 1:49 PM
50 shades of green not being flippant but really who cares on a Celtic blog ? H H Hebcelt
Fair enough mate if its not your cup of tea, just ignore it, however there is a chance Celtic could get drawn against City l8r on in the tournament. I know a few r interested in the youths.
Also wasn’t aware the blog was only for Celtic news, I’ll remember that next time a bloody election comes round.Cheers
H.H
50 SHADES OF GREEN on 1ST NOVEMBER 2017 2:15 PM
Also wasn’t aware the blog was only for Celtic news
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I think you’re also allowed to post about black pudding.
Loved our performance last night and how we matched one of the top teams in the world, yeah we got beat but it doesn’t matter, we only lost the game not our place in europe after christmas. We as a team will have gained and learned so much from last night and there will be encounters to come where we’ll utilise our hard learnt experiences and put them to good use. I think we’re goin places :)
What Bitton has in abundance, apart from ability, is composure…he never seems to be flustered…and last night, although whacked on the head, he played on. Credit to Hernandez too, didn’t make anything of the wound to his eye…and to think some players roll over and over and over for a simple rip in their tights…
50 Shades of Green…election? When? Ernie didn’t mention it… :-)
HEBCELT on 1ST NOVEMBER 2017 1:01 PM
Barney 67 if anyone owes us it is Scotty Sinclair seems have lost his Mojo,
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Agreed. I thought he was poor, by his nprmal standards. Dembele isn’t fully fit yet and Armstrong is Armstrong, but Sinclair was disappointing. Maybe he’s carrying an injury.
ERNIE LYNCH on 1ST NOVEMBER 2017 2:19 PM
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I think you’re also allowed to post about black pudding.
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WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 1ST NOVEMBER 2017 2:25 Pm
50 Shades of Green…election? When? Ernie didn’t mention
:-) :-):-):-):-):-)
50 Shades of Green no offence meant – cyber handshake. Ern the old Black Pudding really irks you eh!! I’ll send you one nd you can give me your honest opinion – might even get you to like it!! H H Hebcelt
Ern if Scott is carrying an injury should he be playing??
HEBCELT on 1ST NOVEMBER 2017 2:38 PM
50 Shades of Green no offence meant – cyber handshake. Ern the old Black Pudding really irks you eh!! I’ll send you one nd you can give me your honest opinion – might even get you to like it!! H H Hebcelt..
@@@@@@
No offence taken mate. Just chewing the fat so to speak.
P.s its now 5 v 3 city come backs on. :-)
H.H
I think Bayern marked Scott Sinclair out of the game as they’d spied him as a trouble maker
in earlier rounds.
BR benched him for the previous two games, saving him for last night.
I don’t think he’s suffering second season syndrome or anything like it as his goal in Belgium
showed.
Oops dog walking spacing
HEBCELT on 1ST NOVEMBER 2017 2:40 PM
That would be for him and the manager to decide. Whatever the reason he’s certainly not at his best, which makes the over all team performance all the more impressive.
Scott Sinclair?
On the bench two matches in succession, then subbed last night.
Wouldn’t have happened (didn’t happen) last season.
Brendan’s setting the bar higher each passing week, and he’s letting the players know.
Taken in isolation, last night’s match indicated CalMac and wee Jamesie understand the requirement. The penny may not yet have dropped with Scotty.
THE BATTERED BUNNET on 1ST NOVEMBER 2017 2:55 PM
Scott Sinclair?
On the bench two matches in succession, then subbed last night.
###
Circumstances also consistent with him carrying an injury.
!!BADA BING!! on 1ST NOVEMBER 2017 10:22 AM
https://stv.tv/news/east-central/1401243-hearts-scottish-cup-winner-stefano-salvatori-dies-aged-49/
*when we signed PDC one of the jambo Italian players said we had no idea who we were signing, he was a cross between laudrup and gascoine. Might have been Stefano who gave us great joy in the SC Final the year we stopped the immoral 10
JIMTIM on 1ST NOVEMBER 2017 2:01 PM
Well we didn’t half get stuck in last night , terrific performance from James Forrest . Nir bitton I thought is growing into that position , he was terrific .
*the latter at one point last night reminded me of the Fife Beckenbauer, and he wisnae a centre half either.
The Fife Beckenbauer, a damn shame for both us and him that he didn’t possess the mental fortitude to be a superstar.
notcutoutforthelimelightcsc
My friends in Celtic,
I was gutted last night when we came away with no points.
I completely agree with the many posts praising our performance, but I can never accept a defeat at Parkhead as being a good outcome.
HH.
Scott Sinclair is like all Celtic players incomplete?, as someone else used to say
often on here ‘ otherwise they wouldn’t be at Celtic ‘ A quick glance at his previous clubs and appearances
would have testified before we signed him to become our player of the year he was up and down, or in and out.
Sinky had difficulty trying to finish against Hibs, St Johnstone, and Kilmarnock all at Celtic Park
this season and to expect him to routinely trouble the Bayern Munich’s or PSG’s of the world
didn’t happen with Paddy Roberts let alone much cheaper optioned Scott.
I doubt Gareth Southgate will be in Dingwall.
Tontine…think it might have been Pasquale Bruno who talked about Di Canio…they were both in Scotland mid-ninties…
ninties=nineties
Gareth Southgate spotted in Dingwall, having taken his dogs for a long walk…
” He’s certainly not a top drawer centre back…”
I believe Bitton is a top drawer centre back. Not in the old fashioned sense but , in the manner in which we play, I believe Nir is excellent. His style means mistakes, perhaps costly, will be made but as he improves in an unfamiliar position, so will his decision making and mistakes will be fewer.
JJ
Gareth should get himself to Dingwall great place for a game the Stornoway Celts will be there, so proud of our team last night,look at the reports from the Bayern fans they know they were somewhere special last night. H H Hebcelt
Lots of good play last night.showed great fighting spirit too.ww’re not far away.
Wish craig gordon would stop distancing himself for any blame when we lose a bad goal…like too blame his team mates.wasnt his fault last night so no need to play the blame game craig
While Boyata and Bitton played well we have to be realistic that they both are responsible for the goals conceded.
Boyata was indecisive at first and a good player punished us.
At the second neither of the players wide stopped the cross and Boyata was at front post and Tierney at back.Bitton was also looking outside to ball carrier and and Martinez pulled behind him so had clear header.
The same ball watching was evident in Astana and needs to be addressed if he is to become a top class defender.
The rule is simple .Stay goal side of opponent and do not ballwatch.
We need a commander at the back who can direct and designate. be our transfer window priority.
Not easy to find but this should
“ Celtic were magnificent, not just in terms of commitment and determination. They played good football too,” said the FCB coach. “Scottish supporters and especially Celtic fans really get behind their team. All credit to our opponents who made it incredibly difficult for us.”
Jupp Heynkes
Word of The Day
punctilio /pʌŋkˈtɪlɪˌəʊ/
noun (pl) -os
1. a fine point, particular, or detail, as of conduct, ceremony, or procedure.
2. strictness or exactness in the observance of formalities or amenities.
3. strict attention to minute points of etiquette
4. a petty formality or fine point of etiquette
Word Origin and History for punctilio
n.
1590s, “point,” also “detail of action,” from Italian puntiglio or Spanish puntillo, diminutive of punto “point” (see point (n.)).
KTF