Celtic got what they deserved yesterday. Alarm bells were ringing from the opening minutes when Newco Rangers created several chances. Their goal on 16 minutes was reward for their ability to get inside the Celtic box with remarkable ease.
So much about football is down to game intelligence, something which bypassed Dedryck Boyata in the move which led to the opening goal, as he clumsily barged into the back of an opponent who was running away from goal. After Dedryck went off injured for Erik Sviatchenko midway through the first half, Craig Gordon had little to do.
This fact illuminates the only positive aspect of Celtic’s performance – the defence. Sviatchenko and Charlie Mulgrew both played well, while Kieran Tierney would have collected the Man of the Match award, had his team-mates delivered near to his level.
Sviatchenko wasn’t in the starting line-up because he’d been out injured, but with extra time, he played (well) for 95 minutes. Leaving him out, presumably over concerns he would be unable to play 90 minutes, was a miscalculation.
From midfield forward we were individually and tactically second best. Scott Brown provided more evidence that he’s not regained top form after his injury lay-off. His touch and decision-making were both off. He had an opportunity to clear at the first goal but his contact wasn’t strong enough.
This is a real concern. Scott’s 31 in the summer, young enough to have several good years at this level, but my expectation is that we need to manage the remainder of his career carefully, in light of the cumulative effect of injuries. If this concern is valid, it will have a big impact on Celtic next season.
I did a fair amount of shouting at Nir Bitton during the first half. We were regularly overloaded 3-against-2 on the wing, while Nir remained in a central position, 5 yards away from being able to effectively press. If this was down to team orders they were complicit in a dreadful first half performance. If it was a personal reluctance to press, it was inexplicable. I could believe either scenario.
It was all too much for Gary Mackay-Steven and Patrick Roberts. Gary’s form has been underwhelming this season, but when I questioned his inclusion ahead of the game the point was made that he’s chipped in with a number of goals recently. Ronny Deila turned and walked to the dug-out to instruct Gary’s substitution after one inaccurate pass too many.
In the starting line-up, only Gary, Patrick Roberts and Leigh Griffiths had scored in our previous 7 league games. I suspect we were caught asking the wrong question here – who’s going to score the goals? Instead of asking how best to win the middle of the park. With Roberts, Mackay-Steven, Griffiths and Johansen occupying the advanced four positions we were lacking in kilograms – literally lightweight.
Contrast to when Gordon Strachan plucked Charlie Mulgrew from defensive cover to play left side of midfield at Ibrox; winning a game well against the odds.
Stefan Johansen was another unable to judge the weight or accuracy to apply to a pass, he was hooked injured after 84 minutes but could have gone earlier due to performance. His replacement, Tom Rogic, brought a considerable improvement to our use of the ball. Had we started with Rogic and Sviatchenko it would have been a different result.
The plan didn’t work for Leigh Griffiths. He was unable to hold play up, get in behind or craft a proper opening. He’s been our charm this season, but he’s no miracle worker.
More on the big picture stuff later in the week.
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Regarding Scott Allen. Winning Captains, of this parish , recently posted an update on his “progress”,the gist being he must retain the ball better. Does he try a forward pass to often ? Bitton has went backwards . Scott Brown has lost the yard of pace that set him apart from most energetic midfielders . He has never been a playmaker.
I would suggest we give Scott Allan proper game time rather than judge him on the odd 15 minute cameo appearance.
Can he be any worse than what we witnessed yesterday ?
I’ve had to
I’m certain the gb will have a big anti board banner on Sunday
Shooie
I hear warbo the magnificent was lauding mckay as the new John robertson.
30 shots on goal to 10. 10 on target to 3
The match finished 1-1 .. 2-2 after extra time. Tie was lost when ball say up and sudden death penalty went over the bar
By all accounts we were rank …
Doesn’t make them contenders but the smsm will punt that line all summer long
strong rumours from england that brendan rogers
has been sounded out abt taking over.
the problem is it doesnt matter who the manager is
until the board is cleaned out nothing will change.
when i listened to bankier backed up by lawell,
livingston,wilson ect talk down to shareholders
as though we were dirt on his shoe ,i knew the
club was rotting from the top down
Peter Lawwell is a magician. He’s made all the fans disappear from Celtic Park.
Angel Gabriel
Astounding re Allan .. When one considers the uttering dross who populate our midfield
Here is my ‘quick’ analysis of Ronny’s squad dealings in the last two years:
GK OUT – Forster & Zaluska – £12m
GK IN – Gordon & Bailly – £500k
Although Forster was a big star, there has been no real loss in this department.
DF OUT – VVD, Denayer, Mathews, Mouyokolo – £15m
DF IN – Svaitchenko, Siminovic, Boyata, Janko – £9 m
No doubt VVD and Denayer were big players, however three internationalists coming in.
MF OUT – McGeoch, Irvine, Wakaso, Kayal, Boerrighter, Tonev, Berget, Wakaso – £500k(minus)
MF IN – Wakaso, Berget, Armstrong, GMS, Christie, Allan & Roberts – £4 m
In anyone’s estimation, at the time, the incomings looked so much better than outgoings.
FW OUT – Samaras, Fridjohnnson, Baldie, Pukki, Watt, Scepovic, Guidetti – £2 m
FW IN – Guidetti, Cole, Cifti & CKM – £5m
The biggest problem area and with so many wrong moves, caution was the key – however Cole and Cifti still puzzle.
I have largely ignored a number of the other young player loans.
So there we have it – 17 in @ £18.5m and 21 out @ £28.5 million.
GK –
No real problem
DF –
The four defenders are in my opinion still unproven.
MF –
Leaving aside Roberts – the other four midfielders are either unproven or are underperforming.
FW –
Apart from a short good spell by Guidetti (now gone), two forwards have flopped and one CKR is unproven.
The £10m generated from ‘in and outs’ has been used to make up for the failure to qualify for the CL.
Ronny has been supported, qualification for even one CL Group would have resulted in a bigger transfer budget – but we can’t spend what we haven’t got.
What is obvious is that there have been no real successes in the players that Ronny has signed – one or two maybe make it in the future, who knows?
Now I know I have had to guestimate some figures – however I don’t think that I am far away.
Welcome any observations!!!
Lawwell should step down from the kiddy on SPFL/SFA Boards and trying to get a UEFA gig,and sort out the shambles he is presiding over,and has created.
New kits to punt next season as well,new sponsor.
Pure pish and conjecture
TBJ-;]]
TBJ
I agree p, the MSM always have always will talk them up.
I say bring next year on and let’s see who owns this city !!
Were the smoke bombs/pyro commented on ?
Bada
New strip has a yellow stripe down the back… only comes in one xxxl size but shrinks to fit the player.
Manufactured by No Bollox in slave labour factories in the east.
TBJ-It has 2 sponsors ,Dafabet on the front and Magners on the back.HH Yellow streak optional….
TBJ….,
Brown shorts ?
Well Bhoys that was a tough day at work.
Some 30 odd hours after the match I still feel nauseous when I look back at it.
Sleep didn’t easily come last night.
What hurts is the manner of defeat and the knowledge that the last 4 years could have been so much better if those in charge had a Wee bit more courage.
HH
I know it sounds the cheap option, but I would go for big Yogi Hughes on a one year rolling contract.
Let’s see if he could squeeze more out of this bunch of players.
I believe we will bring in three/four quality players in the summer.
New manager’s remit – domestic success next season and a proper tilt at CL in 2017 – we have no hope this year
Canamalar
Defo brown shorts … .. big nir bitton needs these most weeks. He couldn’t even get a gig with the IDF
Reports coming from Norway Ronny and Celtic agree to part ways at end of the season. All over Twitter at the moment.
Norwegian TV announce RD and Celtic parting company at end of season. Twitter.
I think wee need a new CEO more than we need a new manager
all sunday has done is speed up the announcements that were due in the summer…….
if rumors are true – we need to get behind Ronnie until the end of the season. one thing is certain, he loves celtic and he gave the job absolutely everything – including sacrificing family time. He has PL to thank for the quality of player he was told to work with! moyes and rodgers will not accept that!
Peter Lawwell is a polymath. He can count beans. He can scout players. He can heat driveways. He can look the other way for years when his “rivals” systematically cheat. He can empty football stadiums. Is there no beginning to this man’s talents?
I said before the game yesterday that I would not comment for 24 hours, regardless of result.
Frankly 24 hours is not long enough to wait for the wailing and ranting to settle down for any sensible discussion about future directions.
So, I’ll confine myself to a verdict on the recent past.
This management team was cobbled together.
Ronny was supposed to learn his trade at a bigger club with a view to taking over.
John Collins was supposed to be his local experienced Scottish coach to provide the local colour and, possibly, to play bad cop to his good cop.
John Kennedy was promoted ahead of time because he was young and promising and, maybe, we owed him something but it would still have put noses out of joint as several other youth coaches were overlooked.
Ronny started with the, now traditional, European disaster of Legia, an astonishingly inept game- much worse than even yesterday’s. It looked like Celtic had forgotten how to play after Lenny left. But Gordon Strachan was given time after Artmedia. Lenny was given time after Braga and Utrecht. So maybe Ronny deserved some time.
Gradually, over the course of that first season, we definitely improved to put a Treble down as a real possibility, cruelly denied, and a creditable performance post Xmas against Inter in the Europa. However, the loss of both Centre backs meant we never came close to getting back to that level in season 2. We improved slightly in the league after a double Euro disaster in CL and Europa but nowhere near as much as in Season one. We are still comfortable in the league and he will, deservedly, enjoy that win. But the 2 domestic cup performances and the Euro disasters have meant he has been a dead man walking for some time, operating under a series of “win or get sacked” circumstances that would break any manager. Once that tipping point has been reached no amount of “we are backing the manager” statements from players or Board will save you.
This was a cobbled together management team and it is also a dysfunctional one. Ronny, John C and John K had not worked together, were not friends, and could not really have the trust to have each others backs covered. I have no doubt that Jock Stein enjoyed the full confidence of every assistant he employed and, no matter what Sean or Neilly told the players, they would report it back to the management so Jock could make use of what they told him. A management team cannot exist without that trust in each other.
We have a powerful group of senior and respected players, some of whom have ambitions to coach and manage, in Broony, Charlie and Kris Commons. We also have some players dissatisfied with their game time, some dissatisfied with the emphasis on fitness and diet if they think they are playing well (Leigh) and some who think the 3 guys in charge haven’t really got it. No matter how many times, I have heard players back the management team, individually or together, I have never been convinced. John Collins may be a very good technical coach but his man management skills were severely criticised when he was at Hibs and, if Kris Commons reaction was anything to go by, they still remain questionable.
I think the management team needs to break up or we need to get rid of several senior players. That is a difficult choice. Most Boardrooms will instinctively back management over Bolshie players. But, yesterday’s result makes it easier to look away from that option. Since the boil was not lanced earlier, and I respect Ronny’s decision to be lenient with the players concerned, the decision window has moved on and fans are so disappointed with yesterday, on top of Europe this year, that the decision to break up the management team and look at the players futures seperately will be taken.
I suspected before yesterday that RD would be mutualled after the league was won. A fair send off for a man who tried hard but never won over enough players or fans to give him a future.
I really do not share the optimism of many fans that ex-EPL managers are genuinely interested. David Moyes’s agent is already sending out noises to Villa, I would be surprised if Brendan Rogers and Roy Keane were not doing so either. Any of them coming would be like VVD and Wanyama, managing Celtic while holding up a big placard that reads “Come and get me EPL! Look I am back to being a good manager again.”
We might get Malky Mackay as he is too tainted for EPL Boards but would our fans accept him?
We are stuck in the old days if we think we are going to attract a superstar manager or make a big salary appointment and hand over lots of financial control to am “always temporary” coaching team. That football model died with Harry Redknapp and his dug, though the big superstars, Mourinho, Pep, Van Gaal might be given more control than most.
Anyway, I said I would try to look back not forward.
My one wish is that we recruit a team of managers like Jock, Sean and Neilly, or MON, Robbo and Steve, or Neil & Johann, rather than 2 or 3 individuals and try to mould them into a team.
If reports from Norway are true he should go now. Most teams, even good ones like City, slump in form when it becomes public knowledge the manager is leaving.
PF Ayr.
Utter dross sums it up perfectly.
Canamlar.
Correct. I wonder how well our CEO slept last night ? Admission of mistakes and time to move on would be the best solution. The alternative is for him to leave the football department to the next manager.
Won’t hold my breath though.
Stupidity keeping the sacked manager, the league has banana skin written all over it with him at the helm.
Zbyszek..
You have Mail.
The bean counters at Celtic park ain’t daft. Ronny will be put on his notice asap.
Ronny Deila to leave Celtic at end of the season
APR 18, 2016by SCOTZINEin CELTIC
deila
Celtic manager Ronny Deila is to leave the Premiership league leaders at the end of the season. According to Norwegian TV2 channel, the former Strømsgodset manager will be shown the door once his one-year rolling contract expires with the defeat to Championship side Rangers the final straw for Celtic’s hierarchy.
The Norwegian media outlet claimed that the 40-year-old’s time at Celtic has been thwarted by some within the club, persistent criticism from the ‘bloodthirsty’ Scottish tabloid press, as well as former club legends and supporters.
When Deila was unveiled as the surprise replacement to Neil Lennon in June 2014, he was likened to current Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp by one Scottish journalist, but two years on he has provided little evidence to back up such a ‘tag’ and with failures in Europe overshadowing last season’s league and cup double – as well as defeats to Ross County and Rangers in the League Cup and Scottish Cup respectively – time is up for Deila, despite the Norwegian closing in on his second Scottish league title and Celtic’s fifth in a row.
It is expected that Celtic will use the time between now and the end of the season to line up Deila’s successor and appoint him as quickly as they can following the Norwegian’s departure – with the Champions League qualifiers next season kicking off in July.
Former Everton, Manchester United and Real Sociedad manager David Moyes has once again been linked with the position, but newly relegated English Premier League side Aston Villa has the Scot on their radar.
The time for Celtic to appoint a new manager is January if we want to prepare for the CL. A new manager in the summer will probably mean disaster in the CL qualifying matches again (as with WGS, Lenny and Ronny).
We have been atrocious for the most part this season
Embarrassed in Europe … Dumped out of both domestic cup
And poor in the league
If Deila is leaving in the summer .. Then why not now
Dead men walking make poor managers
GARY67@9:20 – Totally agree – no point going into last five games with a ‘lame-duck’ manager.
To sack right him now is a risk – to keep him on is a risk..BUT to sack him and keep him on is the worst of both worlds.
Hope it is a load of tosh!
Lawell should go as well.
What a brass neck he has got….couldnt mark it with a blow-torch.
Chancer
It is clear that Ronny is toast. We have lost nearly every crunch match played during his tenure, many of them from winning positions. Very disappointing.
If he goes immediately, who runs the team for the title run in? Failure to win the league would be a disaster. Worrying times.
SFTB
Would not be surprised if Mckay gets the gig.
Shame, it could have been so different :
1. ICT – Had the officials not cheated V Inverness we would have had a treble.
2. Malmo – Had the officials done their jobs right we would have had a penalty and Malmo down to 10 men and possibly the Champions League this year.
Who knows what may have happened from there, maybe nothing but Ronny was certainly not lucky.