After collecting one point from their previous five games, Livingston fans can scarcely believe the result and performance their side recorded against Celtic yesterday. A goal from a breakaway on 25 minutes was enough to shatter Celtic’s early fluency. For all the flattery achieved by pounding opponents at Celtic Park, there is a fragility about Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Andrew Shinnie nipped in front of Stephen Welsh before thrashing a shot high into the net. The central defender should have done better but it was an excellent finish from Shinnie. The move started when Celtic were exposed on the right as Livingston won possession in the middle of the field.
The way we setup, we are going to concede chances and goals on the counter; going behind should not have had the consequences that followed. Instead of provoking a clinical reaction, Celtic’s early assured touch deserted them.
James McCarthy started his first game since May and is clearly well off pace. Mikey Johnston came on for his first appearance of any sort since May, he also needs time before we can expect anything like his best.
While central mid took much of the focus, our wing play was no better. Jota was significantly less effective against Livingston than against Betis on Thursday, and Liel Abada’s devastating runs into the box just didn’t happen. The only real pass mark was for Joe Hart, who made an instinctive save that prevented the home side doubling their lead.
We won on nine consecutive visits to Livingston between 2001 and 2007 before an 11-year gap until the next visit. Since returning to the West Lothian venue in 2018, we have played five, drawn three and lost twice. I am not fond of blaming the pitch; we have ample access to artificial pitches to practice on. Be ready next time.
So what now for our league challenge? News from Ibrox that Motherwell took a point to limit the damage of the afternoon was a merciful relief. A four-point gap is bad enough but six points would feel daunting. We are still in the race largely due to the fact that our only genuine opponents are well below the form they enjoyed in the two previous seasons. Whoever sorts out their form first will win the title.
Lots to consider, Ange.
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MADMITCH on 21ST SEPTEMBER 2021 11:47 AM
Or better still put forward your thoughts
Id have thought my thoughts were pretty obvious. But, without having looked at the accounts in any great depth my initial thoughts are:
In terms of the football last season was a bin fire on and off the pitch.
In terms of the financials, to have suffered the effects of the pandemic for the entire season, not to have sold any of our key players, and to have spent as much as we did on the squad while only posting losses of 11m is very good. We have the gains on the sales of Ajer and Edouard to come this year, a decent cash balance and, hopefully, money to spend in January and next Summer.
CONEYBHOY on 21ST SEPTEMBER 2021 12:00 PM
“Player trading and wage levels of the new players over the last 2 years was reckless”
Do think we should have been spending less?
@ CELTIC40ME on 21ST SEPTEMBER 2021 11:54 AM
Bit of a banal comment to say he would have moved on eventually and we would need to move on too. Of course, no debating that.
Brendan’s term can be used as a benchmark for what we can achieve as a club, whether on the football pitch or balance sheet.
Unsure why he can’t be used as a yardstick to determine if our Board are doing their uptmost (and in a competent fashion) to make us the best team we can possible be.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 21ST SEPTEMBER 2021 11:51 AM
“How are things with Giakoumakis ?”
Made it last night, ok, but you need to let it lie for a while before serving, por cierto
BIG WAVY on 21ST SEPTEMBER 2021 10:47 AM
SupperSutton,
If I can, then the clamour comes from a desire (from some) to have in place a football operation that can be the very best it can be. So, in this instance, a well-invested recruitment department scouting and buying players that align with the profile wanted by the manager.
What we seem to have, too often, is indulgent suits with no alignment, no football pedigree and a contempt that seems to send us available players (typically from England) who they think will keep us happy – think Hart, Duffy and McCarthy lately.
That’s an absolute waste of our limited money and resources.
That’s why it matters.
HH
——-
Thanks for the reply. You are not happy with the players being brought in, or the players being sold or the players not fitting with the managers plans or… etc.
However, knowing WHO is responsible for the decisions doesn’t change them nor influence what happens next.
I’m happy to just concentrate on the the playing side.
ROLLING_STONE on 21ST SEPTEMBER 2021 12:07 PM
“Bit of a banal comment to say he would have moved on eventually and we would need to move on too. Of course, no debating that.”
So why do you show no signs of moving on now? He left over 2 1/2 years ago but we’re still talking about him in relation to our financial figures for last year.
“Unsure why he can’t be used as a yardstick to determine if our Board are doing their uptmost (and in a competent fashion) to make us the best team we can possible be.”
Because he was one of the two best manager’s we’ve had in the last 45 years. Ambition is great but expectations need to be real and realistic
Just back from real world … seems like everyone and their granny is out the boot into the tic … attempting to divert our energy ….
Some of the comments from fellow professionals is completely out of order … what is that little tosser at Livi on about
Welcometothemadhouseangecfc
SUPERSUTTON on 21ST SEPTEMBER 2021 10:38 AM
“Maybe it’s head in the sane, but I don’t understand the clamour for those who want / need to know who is responsible for signing players.
I’m a simple man. I can’t change which players we have or which ones we play. So I don’t worry about it.
Players on the park are good enough to get a win against Livingston away. And so we’re previous Celtic teams who also didn’t win.
That’s the great thing about football, the favourite doesn’t always win.”
———————————————————————
Well at least your open to the possibility that you might have your head in the sand!
Clearly not every fan wants to analyze what is going on with the club. It takes a lot of time and thought but there are those who do for a variety of reasons. If you don’t analyze why you got defeated you might keep doing the same thing and keep getting beaten! Celtic have had no wins and two losses in last 5 games at Livi. The playing surface is always plastic, the ground is always 6m shorter than the ground at Celtic Park and Livi always adopt the same game plan – very tight defense and counter. Celtic appear to adopt the same game plan too – 2 wingers, one striker, not much muscle in midfield. Individual players can’t win a match, they win and lose as a team although a moment of genius puts the spotlight on an individual. But the opposition can suppress even the best of individuals by using a certain game plan. Sure Celtic had, on the whole, better players than Livi but Livi made sure this didn’t really count. Is there nothing to be learned from no wins in 5 games at Livi?
Perhaps something should be changed.
Perhaps something should be changed, e.g. a manager getting players that are fit and suit the style of play he wants. So there’s your answer as to why “the clamour for those who want / need to know who is responsible for signing players.”
:^
Celtic40me – I took figures from SwissRamble but other reports suggest around £84m for 2019.
Adjusting for the pandemic, I’d imagine our figures would look similar for 2020 (we qualified for EL last 32 both seasons) – possibly a bit higher with 9 in a row and quadruple treble merchandising.
I’d say it would have dropped down to around £70-75m for 2021 (limited EL money as we won only one game and didn’t make knock out stages). I’d suggest probably around the lower end as I expect fewer people would have gone week in week out last season and merchandising would have been down.
Mabye Bing found out?
Coneybhoy
boom
Por Certo
boom
What Athens in Greece, stays in Greece
New Article ?
New article up.
SPIDEY101 on 21ST SEPTEMBER 2021 12:32 PM
“Celtic40me – I took figures from SwissRamble but other reports suggest around £84m for 2019.”
Swiss Ramble has 2019 as 83m. I took the figures from our Annual accounts – £83.4
“Adjusting for the pandemic, I’d imagine our figures would look similar for 2020 (we qualified for EL last 32 both seasons) – possibly a bit higher with 9 in a row and quadruple treble merchandising.
I’d say it would have dropped down to around £70-75m for 2021”
According to Uefa the difference in prize money between our performance in 2018/2019 and 2020/2021 is £2m. Ticket sales on top dont take it to more than 4m
I dont think merchandise sales, outwith an adjustment for Covid will be down 9m.
GREENPINATA on 21ST SEPTEMBER 2021 10:40 AM
Saint Stivs,
Is this the same Brendan O’Hara who claimed circa quarter of a million GBP on expenses.?
One of the big 3 on the gravy train. ; for claiming expenses from the taxpayer that is.
————————–
So, 1 minute search on the old internet, brings me to the most excellent and transparent
MPS EXPENSES website.
https://www.mpsexpenses.info/#!/all
Scroll down the list, interesting reading, further on IPSA website there is really good information on what can be claimed, and up to what cost (budget).
Budgets
6.10 For London Area MPs, the annual office costs budget is £30,400.
6.11 For non-London Area MPs, the annual office costs budget is £27,470.
Budgets
7.12 For London Area MPs, the annual staffing budget is £190,750.
7.13 For non-London Area MPs, the annual staffing budget is £179,330.
7.14 In order to respond to a rise in constituency workload as a result of the coronavirus pandemic,
a supplement is made to staffing budget for 2021-22, in addition to the amounts set out in
7.12 and 7.13 above, as follows:
a. For London Area MPs, £27,680.
b. For non-London Area MPs, £24,970
So in the year in question, Mr O’Hara claimed £220,000, 90% of his costs being STAFF and office.
Just like, Ian Paisley (£250k) and David Mundell (£245k)
Not difficult to research. Or Interpret.
So, not excessive , within the rules, all applied fairly and transparently.
Just think, 59 or so MPs from Scotland constituents, lets say at £200k in expenses only, go independent, there is a £12m saving to the tax payer, that would put a few ambulances on the road.
So yir man is not excessive or on a gravy train at all.
Mps expenses….how was that adapted by the war criminal gp? ….it wasn’t.
We should always be looking at the short-term AND long-term but we always seem to lose momentum and have to start again fromzero. Arguably Deila, Rodgers and Ange have the same vision, not sure what vision NL had beyond just wining trophies. The point being Rodgers benefitted to some extent from what Deila was trying to do although ultimately it seemed that Deila didn’t get enough support. But Lennon lost any momentum (not all his fault) and Ange is back at square one. It’s obvious short-term and long-term are connected. And it all depends on club management structure. Every manager will leave eventually but we shouldn’t always be starting from scratch each time. The youth set-up will always be there but unless it’s aligned with the first team’s football philosophy it will always produce few players who can get first team football. And unless we have scouts that understand the football philosophy we’re always going to get mismatches. And unless we have a DoF that is committed to the philosophy we’re always going to have problems transitioning from one manager to another.
So unless we see major revolutionary changes, not evolutionary changes nothing much will change. Arguably Dom McK wanted a revolution but that was too painful and challenging for the powers that be so he had to go now we’re getting “evolutionary changes” and you have to ask is that ever going to be enough?