A game most of us expected to lose without fuss instead turned out to be a frustrating look into what could have been. Again, we lost four goals in Europe, as we did on three occasions in our Europa League group last season. Again, we allowed a two-goal lead to slip away. Despite the superficial similarities to last season, there are reasons to believe we are on a different trajectory.
Celtic bossed Real Betis for the first 30 minutes; the home side could barely hold possession in the final third. At 0-2, the game could have slipped away from them, but a couple of breaks of the ball 18 yards from the Celtic goal was enough to bring them back into contention and transform the night. Celtic were too fragile to assert telling authority.
Tom Rogic was head and shoulders above everyone else on the field. On nights like that, you wonder what he is doing in Scottish football.
After an uninspiring start against Ross County on Saturday, Jota showed us what all the fuss is about. Forced to play on the right, his deliveries were a delight. His chance to put Celtic three up may, or may not, have changed the outcome of the game; if you can lose four so readily, there are no guarantees. The winger pulled up with cramp on Saturday and was visibly waning after 75 minutes last night, when his touch and composure deserted him, but we have a player straight from the ‘Bums on seats’ drawer.
Albian Ajeti’s movement inside the box set the game alight. He got onto the end of Jota’s cross to score the opener, then tempted Claudio Bravo in the Betis goal into a challenge before nipping the ball away from the keeper. Would Eduard have made either run? Not recently, that’s for sure. The penalty was of the stonewall variety.
After the game, when asked why we keep losing so many goals in Europe, I protested. The central defenders only met last week, the left back has never played there before this month, and the right and left side pairings were completely new partnerships, “This is different”, I insisted. Time will tell.
I have watched a lot of Celtic teams lose in Spain but do not recall going there with such an attacking strategy. I suspect it would never occur to Ange Postecoglou to play any differently.
The game had the look of one of those all-star games we used to see in the 80s, “England v The Rest of the World”, type affairs. Plenty of talent and lots of goals, as no one really knew each other or what the structure was. Both Celtic and Betis will improve. Going on my expectations before the game, there were reasons to be encouraged, despite all the goals against!
BT will be interested to hear that Uefa permit member clubs to veto broadcaster staff assigned to cover games. I doubt it. BT subscribers were denied the channels’s top team when Newco refused to allow Neil Lennon and Chris Sutton entrance to Ibrox on security grounds. Where else outside of the Gangster Clubs will you see behaviour like this? It is like a club being run by children.
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AP needs P plates for the EuL this year.
He has quite a bit to learn.
Silver?
AR needs a lot of support.
45 minutes dreaming.
30 minutes effective.
15 minutes — The Ralstonator.
Cost us at least two goals.
Then gave them hell from 80 minutes in.
BBC this morning, Celtic defensive frailties while Huns lose two goals😕
CONEYBHOY on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2021 11:36 AM
As commented by others on last chat, yes indeed, the followers of our business partners have been EMBOLDENED over the last year.
I can’t think of anything we’ve done which might have encouraged them.
Mind you, The Great Desmondo holed up in his Malahide mansion doesn’t have to worry about the impact of their conduct.
THELURKINTIM on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2021 12:51 AM
Have one wee gun story worth telling sometime. On the broken country it’s too early to get into all of that. People fighting on all the fronts you mentioned though.
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FRANKTERRY on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2021 7:32 AM
Cheers.
HH!
Many good points there Paul after quite a dashing loss to an equally porous Real Betis, but you write…
‘After the game, when asked why we keep losing so many goals in Europe, I protested. The central defenders only met last week, the left back has never played there before this month, and the right and left side pairings were completely new partnerships, “This is different”, I insisted.’
The question you don’t probe Paul, is WHY did our central defenders only meet last week? WHY did we not recruit a recognised LB (Scales?) until the games were upon us and WHY are our pairings completely new? WHY?
Like the recent Michael Grant article emphasised, the club is lax and lackadaisical in how it goes about its business. Defence has been a glaring black hole for months (long, long before Ange arrived) but we were content to pair Dane and Welshy, Carl and Welshy to see how far we’d go. And then when we bring in CCV and he’s not fully match fit, we throw him into a Euro cauldron.
The club does issues management by wait-and-see and by degree. It’s kinda part of their risk culture.
A settled backline before the Euro hostilities commence?? Nah, we’ll see how we go; we’ll evolve it.
Course there’s v encouraging signs under Ange – a bit like a swashbuckling Tommy Burns team with similar shortcomings – and without wanting to wet-blanket a decent show, this is a movie we’ve seen umpteen times.
JOHNNYCOMELATELYCSC
quadrophenian on 17th September 2021 12:17 pm
Nail on head.
SQUIRE DANAHER on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2021 12:09 PM
CONEYBHOY on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2021 11:36 AM
Mind you, The Great Desmondo holed up in his Malahide mansion doesn’t have to worry about the impact of their conduct.
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didn’t know he had a gaff in Malahide; he has 3 in Ailsbuty road (2 are investments ) and 1 on Shrewsbury (another investment i think – Dunne’s old place before liquidation)
Love Malahide; sea , sand , restaurants and Gibneys’ is a fine pub to watch Celtic games
That’ll be Lorraine and GMB banned then!
https://twitter.com/teresab1977/status/1438766458683727872?s=24
Paul67
Aye right, and we bossed Sevco in the first half at the ParksDome, with the same end result, nul points.
If you play ‘a system’ that leaves your perennial sieve exposed, expect to lose goals, supporters don’t even bother hiding behind the couch anymore, for Europe, mid table La Liga sides thrive on the naïve cavalier antiquated sides like Celtic.
The up side of Celtic, is that we scored three times, even St Brendan lost six and patched trying to defend with his high press.
Might win the SPL if we score enough, disasterous even if we had better defenders in the Europa.
Changing the personnel is not enough they need coached, after all its why we sacked NFL wasn’t it?
QUADROPHENIAN
Well said.
Great to see Ange going for it with an attacking philosophy. Bus parking will get you the odd result but won’t get you near the later stages of these competitions, which is what the aim should be. Would be great if that was the thinking in the upper echelons, but that looks even further away now.
You can still defend well without playing defensively – that has to be the next step. Agree on Rogic – he is showing what he can do under a quality coach, as he did under Rodgers.
A lot to be positive about in the on-field department.
“It is like a club being run by children.”
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Almost as bad as being run by people who tie themselves to a club being run by children…….
CONEYBHOY on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2021 12:23 PM
My point was more a generalisation but you hit the gist.
I assume he will have a pad either there, Howth or the likes of Killiney. Irrespectively, he won’t have to worry about Huns trashing his street.
QUADROPHENIAN on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2021 12:17 PM
👍
BT TV are simply making noises now after it’s too late.
They should have insisted that Sutton and Lennon appear or cancelled the broadcast.
I have already complained and told them, because of their cowardice in cow towing to the thugs, that I won’t be renewing after my current deal expires.
Shameful behaviour allowing themselves to be dictated to by cowboys running that bigotfest.
All from a broadcaster that has paid millions to televise these games.
Although I suspect BT TV were compliant partners in this charade. They knew the racist and sectarian abuse to which Sutton and Lennon would be subjected and they knew their cameras and mikes would pick it up. That would have meant dealing with it.
Nothing to see here Timmy.
As I say compliant partners just like Sky, BBC, STV and all our SMSM who are all infested with hun supporting ‘journalists’ and presenters.
No more from me.
We had no bench.
PETERLATCHFORDSBELLY on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2021 1:11 PM
We had no bench.
Yep . We had no bench because we recruited too late , because we hired Ange too late , because we courted Howe until it was too late , because the board and DD fannied about until it was too late .
It’s never too late to learn ………… or is it?
As a result of Lyon’s training session at Ibrox last night, Morelos and Kent have picked up a couple of hammy’s. Neither have kicked a ball this season and Kamara maintained his lacklustre form. Would it be too outrageous to think that these three players would prefer not to be playing their football in Scotland ?
Wantaways ? Does that word only apply to Celtic players and we should believe that every player across the river is bursting a gut for 2IAR and the Europa League ? Nah, they were promised a big Champions League bonus to stay for one more year but that dream went up in flames. Proper scunnered they are.
Gerrand is just that bit better at keeping his cool than Lenny was 12 months ago.
We really need to instill a passion for defending and keeping clean sheets, as we do in attacking.
JIMDOM- said same to a hun pal,showing similar signs as we had last season.
McGregor, Kyogo, Forrest, Abada, Johnston, Taylor, Giakoumakis, Dembele, Julien all unavailable. 9 players out,
A 4-3 loss was not a disaster but our defence performance was poor and it is this area where we need to improve. I think Welsh is a better defender than Starfelt, But time will improve matters as the players get to know each other and gel together.
Not falling for this guff about “Security risk”.Total nonsense.Sheer bigotry is why they were denied.That hell hole is hoaching with it now,a lot more so than before.They are hand in hand with,UBs,H and H,and the rest of the more vile bigot following.Led by a bigoted DUP cheerleader.The stench of bigotry is putrid in every act,every utterance,every statement that spewsout from it.
No coincidence the vermin are emboldened to wreck George Sq,twice,parade through the streets spewing racism ,sectarianism,they are encouraged by the vile Board.Painting the Lyon bus is treated as nothing now.They sit in that toilet block like Dobermans,ready to defend their bigotry and entitlement.
Security,when the pundits are ensconced in the bowels of Mordor,getting hospitality,before a stinking bigot has arrived?Same when leaving.
Guff readily accepted by an all too willing media.
the left back has never played there before this month,
dearie dearie , so why not play our new right back in his proper position and scales at left back.
TURKEYBHOY
totally agree with your sentiments.
The problem is the lack of a good holding midfielder. Soro is too undisciplined. DT and TR are attacking midfielders, as is Callum though he is asked to play in a more defensive position.
As for the defence, it is frustrating to see that Jack Hendry was MoM against PSG, against a front line of Mbappe, Messi and Neymar. He was player of the season in Belgium but we didn’t want to keep him. He says there was no one at Celtic to contact him in the summer. Losing him was a more than largeish mistake, though not Dom McKay’s presumably.
Agree with the article but I had to wince at the line about Sevco being like a “club run by children”.
We certainly come under the “people in glass houses” category.
Bit of a roller coaster of a game.
I fancied a draw in the morning.
Nervous energy, on seeing the team, thought a medium sized defeat.
Incredible high on going two goals up. Not long before 2-4 depression kicked in. Finished, tantalisingly close.
In the cold light of day, the result was better than hoped.
However, it was yet another away defeat this season.
We can see how much work we have to do to improve. Coaching, tactics, fitness and probably dipping back into the transfer market.
As many have said before, it’s one helluva remit for one man.
My main worry is that we are unable to fully support Ange as he continues the rebuild.
Hopefully, the next few months proves me wrong
Turkeybhoy – my sentiments exactly – That they have been allowed to act with immunity from any penalty or derision from any authority and media (across the board) has created the monster now. They believe with their superiority complex that applied rules are for others and its their way or no way.
They are a very big stain on the very fabric of our society. Sadly the majority of that governing society is in bed with them.
Caught some Talkshxte on way to work and JW was agreeing with hun decision to bar Sutton and Lennon from the bigotdome, due to Suttons criticism of The Rangers previously and NL’s past history!!! A disgusting hun apologist. Thank the lord my wee non digital car tranny picks up Radio Scotland easier than TS, oh hang on…..
Andy @ 2:11
Who is JW?
Avoid the City Center tomorrow folks. If you cannot please be safe. In my younger days I might have enjoyed breaking through their bigot walk a couple or three times. Paid for it once but worth it.
Why did the huns not complain about Hankook Tyres advertising at Poundland last night, they have a tyre sponsor on that rag of a jersey?
Jim White aka Hun apologist
Yep, he is that
Thanks – didn’t realise he was on that station
Uncle Jimmy – I’ll be going back to listening to my own bad music from now on as even some Celtic Podcasts give me anger issues :)
Its since come out from FF and Hand and Heart,this has been festering for a while.H and H even saying its nothing to do with security to Sutton,just don’t want you anywhere near the place.
This is a club that had the black shirted Fascists from the UBs into Mordor for a wee sing song.
So emboldened that trumpet White on TS defending the decision to ban Lenny.
79Caps
Jack Hendry looks OK in a defensive line up with Scotland ; I assume it was backs to wall vs PSG too and he previously was at a small club in Belguim.
At Celtic, he was expected to step out and pass out of defence and also deal with a breaking opposition when we lost the ball. Very different job and i’m glad he found a good fit. He never looked any good in Rodger’s style