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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BADGERHC on 18TH SEPTEMBER 2021 12:38 PM
JHB on 18TH SEPTEMBER 2021 7:30 AM
“I hear what you say regarding Ange … – however perhaps you know him better than I.”
LowBarCSC
—————-
I didn’t grace it with a reply Badger. I’d simply stated I’d seen gruff Ange interviewed numerous times in Aleague and Socceroo interviews, and that poster made it into snide dig. On him, not me.
See you in the Mild West some day!
https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/protestors-gather-glasgow-orange-walk-25014672
BURNLEY78 @ 12:09
I don’t know where you are getting your statistics mate, but your US figure for age related Covid deaths is in error. Here are the figures up to this week. Deaths of those 74 or younger total 44.72%. So the over 75 cohort is 55.28%
I haven’t checked your obesity figures, but respectfully, i would doubt them. I live in the U.S. and I personally know 5 people who have passed from Covid. None were remotely obese, and the eldest was 64. I have responded to you before on this blog that my much younger brother in law (51) and a superbly fit iron man triathlete, was in an ICU in New York very seriously ill for weeks with Covid. He has recovered, but still has lingering effects on his lungs. You must make your own decisions, but there is a lot unknown about this disease, and I personally would not be so sanguine about your immunity, sans vaccine. Just an opinion.
https://www.statista.com/statistics/1191568/reported-deaths-from-covid-by-age-us/
YORKBHOY on 18TH SEPTEMBER 2021 1:27 PM
Ha!
31003
Condolences
Superbru reminder for Drew 1967, fess19, One Malloy and Mick The Tim- 45 mins left
Kudos to a resilient Brentford for a great 2-0 win w 10 men at Wolves.
BTW – Toney is the real deal; strength, instinct, guile. Great player to have in your side (sighs) for 5-mill and up.
QUADROPHENIAN
Agree. And you forgot speed. He is like lightning. Scored 3 today, and had 2 chalked off.
INIQUITOUSIV
2 incorrectly chalked off?
Or just two that don’t count?
And the other was a penalty.
sigh
Good morning, I haven’t gotten involved in any debates over the Covid 19 vaccine, to me its a personal choice, my only objection is for those poster who choose not to get it coming on sites like this trying to justify their rational.
I also feel that a look at DARPA, an organisation started by President Eisenhower, for information on the US efforts to combat biological warfare, realising that after SARS, MERS etc another coronovirus was on the horizon.
They were then and still are confident that Covid 19 will be the last of it kind and all coronoviruses, including the common cold, will be eradicated.
Mibbees just imbibes that will explain why the vaccine was hurried though as they were already in the process of developing it.
INIQUITOUSIV – yes; runs a good line and works his nads off.
Ivan Toney…… never heard of him
:-)))
HH
Tontine
Yesterday’s essay on the building of chapelz down your way 👍
Smile every time I read of ‘the lonesome boatman
Great Post
HH
Quadrophenian
“INIQUITOUSIV – yes; runs a good line and works his nads off.”
—————————————
Nicky Minaj reckons that is a side efect of the Covid Vaxx
SFTB – LOL.
Well, look at the swell effect it had on her charlies.
TONTINE TIM
TT
The anti vaxers blocking entrance to Hospitals…….nurses , ambulances etc is a disgrace.
All organised by two nurses…go figure.
They have rights(anti vaxers) but so do we.Don’t take the Vax but don’t deny our rights to the Hospitals.
Go and protest outside Queens Park.
PHILBHOY
Not looking for an argument mate. This is a after match quote from Brentford manager Thomas Frank:
On Ivan Toney: “He was superb. What a player. What a mentality. What a presence. They make the penalty on him, he executed it himself. A fantastic assist and he was ever present all over the pitch.”
No matter how you cut it, Lawwell effed up royally by not signing this guy, who really wanted to join us. Quite a few posters on here, including myself, who had watched him, were calling for us to sign him rather than Ajeti, who hadn’t kicked a ball in earnest for months, and was sunning himself on a Sardinia beach, taking his own sweet time on a decision. Toney and Kyogo together would have been dynamite, but Lawwell, as ever, had zero ambition.
What a team Bayern Munich are! Just took in part of their game. Now 7-0 up after 80 minutes. Just a machine, inexorably bearing down on the Bochum goal. The main difference with us is that they give away almost nothing at the back!
ERNIE LYNCH on 18TH SEPTEMBER 2021 12:17 PM
HOT SMOKED on 18TH SEPTEMBER 2021 10:36 AM
MCPHAIL BHOY on 18TH SEPTEMBER 2021 10:19 AM
‘His comments really are a poor reflection on Scottish football .
I wanted to win, of course but now I hope we really gub his team.’
###
He’s only telling it like it is.
ernie: `telling it like it is `does not stop it being a poor reflection on Scottish football.
Three teams beginning with an `H` in the top three places of the League Table.
“Racist and sectarian singing” at an Orange Walk.
Would have thought, eh?
31003
Deepest condolences
HOT SMOKED on 18TH SEPTEMBER 2021 4:15 PM
It’s a good ie accurate reflection of a poor product.
Call it out on twitter
https://twitter.com/Henriklubo/status/1439223757512613893?s=19
HH
Good = Opinion;
Accurate = Fact.
HOT SMOKED @ ages ago
Yes, Ismaila has a tendency to go in a little late, then he’s not really used to playing for Celtic. Scott Brown was booked nearly every week, because he was prepared to go in.
Good manager will get through to Soro IMO. That said we haven’t really tickled the gap left by SB rotating CMG TR and IS whilst waiting on James McCarthy might not get us to the next window, as its clear we need a DM.
Hail Hail
Hot smoked
Hibs, hearts and huns?
HOT SMOKED on 18TH SEPTEMBER 2021 5:27 PM
A reflection that is accurate is good. By definition.
INIQUITOUSIV
I would not expect the manager of a wee team to say his star man is a tit.
If they have a poor season they may need to sell him to survive another season in the EPL.
Better to talk him up now.
No idea about our negotiations with a potential purchase in the past.
We didny sign him.
Get over it.
Not looking for an argument either.
31003: Sincerest condolences.
Ar dheis lámh Dhé go raibh anam Maria.
31003.
Sorry for your loss.
RIP.💚
INIQUITOUSIV
100% correct re Toney
RC
I knew you’d be up next.
No one knows how Toney would have performed if we’d signed him.
Including you.
I thought we’d got past the Toney stuff.
He wanted to join an EPL team, he said that plenty of times.
He’d have joined Celtic as a good step to the EPL, but Brentford offered a much better step to the EPL so they were always favourites.
Alas not Huddle.
Some need to get over John McGinn first.
Hi Bhoys
Below is the last paragraph in the bbc report on today’s anti catholic marches.
Earlier this month, a number fans were charged after footage emerged online of fans singing a sectarian song ahead of an Old Firm game.
Even after all the complaints to the bbc about incorrect reporting of FACTS. It appears they still don’t know the difference between secterianism and anti irish racism.
KEEP THE FAITH
Important game tomorrow bhoys on a surface that should be banned in the pro league.
Any win will do on that surface.
D :)
JJ Kenny on forcEverton
D :)