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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Every time a ex Celtic players get mentioned as being the next manger of Celtic football club,they are shot down,without being at the club,why is that,I said earlier regarding ex players coming to coach Celtic, Lambert,a failure at Livingston, Aston Villa, now at Blackburn Rovers,and not doing well there,Lennon,chucked Celtic, lucky he was booted out the club after the Ross County game,Stokes got him out of jail at Kilmarnock, and the rumour was if they had lost there,he was going to resign,went to Bolton again didn’t save them from being relegated,Keane couldn’t do it at Sunderland them being relegated, no Keane shouldn’t even be considered for the Celtic managers job,as for Martin O’Neil,Sutton,Hartson,again I can’t see having much success with them 3,then somebody mentioned Malky McKay, no way somebody posted he is a racist, Owen Coyle even gets it for turning us down,for Burnley, that was the mans choice,and lately another ex player Gary Caldwell,who is doing a decent job with Wigan,is not good enough,so who ever gets the job is in for a rough ride,and I suppose that’s the way things are now,but for me there will be no excuses from me about renewing my season ticket,you lot who are chucking it ,good riddance,
If, and that’s a big IF, the stories coming out of Norway are true, then Ronny needs to be relieved of his duties tomorrow, along with JC and JK?
There is people within our club who could stand in, until an appointment,
Willie McStay & Tommy Boyd, bring back Frail as well ? as mentioned earlier, with Brown and Commons as support ?
or people available for a short term contract
Nigel Pearson, Jose Maurinho :-((
Spartim
The former Argentinian manager?
That would be a dream. Fun fitba and press conferences. :)
SFTB
One mans gossip, is another’s cast iron information, which just happened to transpire, which is also given as a reason for Ronnys departure.
My information came directly from an ex SPL manager who was directly involved with the club, as he was loaning players and in regular contact.
My agenda was to have a debate as I predicted it was only going to end one way, although i would except a defeat to Sevco over a title loss If that’s what transpires. HH
I was also told other news regarding a certain player that I didn’t think would serve any benefit in revealing so I kept that to myself.
As I said if I knew then Peter Lawell definetly knew therefore we are left to wonder what if?
themaestro72 on 18th April 2016 10:31 pm
If and when Ronny goes 1 name I haven’t seen linked but is worth a shout…
Paul Hartley?
——–
So, get rid of a manager who drew with Sevco and replace him with one who lost 4-0?
What a shambles we have become. The undead, despite missing Waggoner, Forrester, King and O’Halloran for various reasons, planned for the game. We did not, and paid the price.
I am puzzled that there is so much certainty that we will win the league. Barcelona, in my humble opinion, from being 10 points ahead will lose out to Real Madrid. Similarly, if I were a betting man, Spurs will overtake Leicester.
I am no longer confident that we will defeat Hearts or Aberdeen. Then there will be real pressure, and we will either have a dead man walking, a temporary fix, or a new manager with no time to correct the malaise. Shambolic planning.
Cana, he was just looking out for us. Seriously though, much as I respect yourself and others for the resolution work – I just don’t think such issues affect most supporters. That was my point.
Incidentally, good luck with it all.
Said from day 1 Lawwell would hang Deila out to dry. Who’s the next patsy? Sacked one year in as the Huns win the league?
PS you know you’ve hit rock bottom when Sevco’s manager takes to the press to express sympathy for your plight. This is where smart arse Pete’s strategy has left nice guy Ronny.
PPS Cannae wait to see Pete’s bonus this year.
Even reading Bankier’s name make me feel unclean.. A very slimy slippery character with no feeling for normal people let alone football fans
Gary 67
That is a good shout.
At the AGM last year Bankier looked very uncomfortable, and I don’t think he will fancy another one.
Cowiebhoy
Celtic have various options
Sack him now & bring in interim
Sack him & let him stay till season end
Sack him at season end
Keep him
Three of the options fill me with dread,as he is such a poor manager he could blow the league
The best option IMHO is for RD / Celtic to announce he is going at season end, and the fans will get behind the team and push them across the line.
Would it be too far fetched to think they’d go for Derek McInnes?
Full stop embargo now in vogue on CQN :-)
get Davie Hay in for 5 games.. .. he would organise team
coul anyone hear guess team line up for any game this year?
*Bdddum tish*
Beefey..,
So corruption of the game does not affect most supporters, that’ll be why sevco were welcomed into the SPL on their first season because most supporters wanted them there, oh wait a minute, that’s no what happened because most supporters don’t want a corrupt game.
BARCABHOY@10:08 – First class post – I agree entirely with what you say.
I have been saying as much, in fragments, for months, and have been shot down regulary by the ‘usual suspects’ who long for the heads of Peter Lawwell and the board on platters.
Anyone with a smattering of business experience knows the difference between what you would like to say and what you actually can say.
Events on the park have superceded all the political ‘guff’ meantime, however those operational football failings are another reason to order the decapitation of PL and the board by some, with not the slightest inkling of who would replace them, or indeed how it would be done.
DD
That’s the man or even Sampaoli, now he likes a pressing game and fitter players
THEGLASGOWCELTICWAY – In a word , yes
My wish list
1. Simeone and his mad assistant
2. Marco Silva – Olympiacos
3. Marcelo Biesla
What we’ll probably get
1. Jim McIntyre
2. John Hughes
3. Stubbs (please no!!!)
Clashcitybhoy
It honestly fills me with dread, as you, that due to yesterday he could also know blow this league
Replace now, even with an interim, who can change our team set up quickly to see us through
Incidentally and this is a personal opinion
I also hope, we are now looking at clearing of our entire scouting system with head of dept being No1 target
I had an honestly frightening conversation a few weeks ago with someone in the know, with what he told me,
CB
The Submari are a small family team in a small suburb of Valencia. Low budget punching above their weight in La Liga. Wage and Celtic would talk to Mr Toral, I believe.
As TeT said though, it is too out the box for our board.
Barcabhoy
Why would our board not make a statement in the meantime to say they feel, that the titles should be stripped for the DOS years, which have already been declared illegal, and Rangers have admitted wrongdoing?
SID
I don’t doubt that your informant saw and heard what he saw and heard. I do doubt that he knew the whole context.
Your agenda was to have a debate. About what, exactly?
It can’t have been about disruption or disagreement between playing staff and coaches because your informant will tell you that is rife in the fevered world of football. A club full of successful competitive players where everyone gets on is a fantasy. How does it help us to know who disnae like who? CQN doesn’t have a gossip column :-)
I agree with the legitimate question you ask- What was PL doing about it? The answer is we’ll never know. Some years down the line we might hear various versions from various participants but the full truth is known only to a handful of senior management at Celtic and I doubt that they will ever write a “kiss and tell” book.
COWIEBHOY
What ruMours are coming out of Norway ?
67heaven,
That the Vikings discovered America……….
So, Ronny has got his side of the story out first. He’s either broke ranks or this has been an agreed leak. Silence today was probably sorting the narrative for this concious uncoupling.
Harry Redknapp,and Rosie the dug to do the accounts.
DD.
There is a thread on the Huddleboard regarding anyone wanting to go to the Liverpool / Villarreal at Anfield on May 5th.
Don’t know how genuine , but the guy can source tickets for the away end. Friends of Villarreal only. 42 euros a ticket.
First comment on the blog having read for a while!
Yesterday saw my worst fears realised – not only with the defeat but with our manager. Ronny has always struck me as a good man and I was always hoping he’d turn it around and that it was coincidence that the players were underperforming. Unfortunately, it ended yesterday. I see no other alternative for the club, and Ronny, than to part ways.
Will pay credit to some players yesterday, Big Erik, Charlie, Rogic and Tierney were, for me, the only ones to achieve pass marks. But setting up defensively against our city rivals proved tactical inadequacy from Ronny and those beside him.
Would like an older head in the job. Moyes is maybe far out, but i can dream.
Winds of Change, an adequent name eh!
Thanks for having me!
Angel Gabriel
Cheers bro. Will check that out. Thanks.
HH
Mr pastry
Under Peter Lawwell’s stewardship as CEO we have succumbed to record defeats in Europe. There have been annihilations at the hands of Legia Warsaw, artmedia Bratislava, Barcelona, Milan, Braga and Utrecht, and decisive defeats to the likes of Maribor, Malmo, molde, not to mention coming bottom on 2 out of 3 attempts in very moderate Europa league groups.
These defeats have straddled various different managerial tenures and different playing squads over a 10 year period.
Now a few points to ponder in working out how this has come to pass-
Is it that our CEO repeatedly makes rubbish managerial appointments?
Is it that our CEO repeatedly fails in squad succession planning and consistently leaves transfer business until too late in the day?
Or maybe a combination of both?
Think though those European debacles…..
Artmedia – a team fielded that had the likes of loanee aliadiere pitched straight in. Telfer playing the same night he signed. Nakamura and boruc not signed until later in the window. Balde playing after having been in signing talks with marseille that same day as Lawwell tried to get him off the wage bill.
Braga/ Utrecht in 2010. Huge squad turnover during these qualifiers. A new goalkeeper (loanee Forster) not signed until after Europe had gone, izzy coming in then too.
Sion 2011- our goalkeeper position (extension of forster’s loan) not sorted out until the day before the game after we had sniffed about cheap trialists (pletikosa)
2013 – cheapo crock Mouyokolo signed and thrown straight in in Karagandy.
2014 – the summer of the 5 players borrowed from all corners of the bargain bin – Berget, Guidetti, Denayer, Wakaso and Tonev with some of these guys and scepovic coming in long after the CL had been burst twice. Berget fielded in Warsaw the day after he signed.
2015- simunovic signed on the deadline after the CL had gone again.
There is a recurring theme here. Tardy transfer business completed late in the day and after the brown stuff hit the fan, teams of hastily cobbled together strangers playing – surprise, surprise – like teams of hastily cobbled together strangers.
How in your view is none of this Peter Lawwell’s fault?
SFTB
My agenda was to pass on information to other Celtic fans.
This wasn’t a tiff as you say, it was serious division.
Personally, I like to know information about my club, good or bad.
That way I’m not sleepwalking in to thinking everything is rosy, maybe just maybe yesterday didn’t need to happen. HH
Winds of Change
Are you a book?
———
Hmmm…
Both ‘Croydon’ & ‘Wee Jimmy Sommerville’ Hiv Both Just Been Mentioned Oan ‘Have I Got News For You’.(BBC1)
Paddy Power Offering 5/1 That They Mention ‘Reverend I.M.Jolly’ Next.
~~~~
As if yesterday’s defeat wasn’t bad enough.
Followed by complete silence from the ‘powers’ that be at Celtic Park today.
And capped off with reports on Norwegian TV that Deila will be off at the end of the season, again before anything has been said on the record by Celtic.
Am I correct in saying that it was “them” that have been/are in meltdown?
I’m starting to think I woke this morning in a Parallel universe.
Sadly, we now appear to be the gift that keeps on giving.
Chris1888
I don’t think the league is in jeopardy with Ronny remaining in post. I think that goes too far. I fact if we win our remaining games then Ronny has done what he had to do and has maintained a high level of delivery in terms of league points. I think under Lenny we won it one year with 70something points so Ronny’s league record doesn’t cause me concern at all.
I’m sure you’d know it if you saw it, WC!
Scott Brown as caretaker manager for last 5 games
Manager NOT player manager.
Two birds one stone.