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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Clogher Celt
Iv been banging the McCarthy drum for a while now, considering the wage lawell will set a side for a new manager we obviously can’t expect any top level managers
Mick has played for us, usually puts together a strong hard to beat team and players generally seem to enjoy playing for him.
I would be happy to see him brought in, being abit of passion back to the team.
The Celtic Underground podcast with Tony Warner this week is well worth a listen.
Tony gets very animated when talking about his time at Millwall under Denis Wise. A club and a bloke that I generally cannae stand, but the interview is interesting because of Tony’s clear identification with that period of his long and varied career as the pinnacle, put down to a sense of team spirit and togetherness that set them apart and which he still views as a real privilege to be part of.
Not suggesting Denis Wise as manager, but at any level either the manager or his number two needs to instigate that bond.
I am at a loss to get excited about any of the candidates being bandied about. Best I can come up with is Pellegrini with Yogi as his assistant!!
I fear that we will go for Larsson as Peter protects his empire with distraction from out real failings.
GREENPINATA on 18TH APRIL 2016 4:11 PM
‘Maybe, but at least Paul 67 watched his team. Phil had more important things to do.’
##
I may have misread it but the article suggests he didn’t watch the match because one of his children had been taken to hospital.
Most normal people would regard that as being more important.
CAPTAIN BEEFHEART on 18TH APRIL 2016 4:18 PM
noting wrong with a big ego in charge of celtic – i’d say its a prerequisite for ronny’s replacement.
Green piñata
Exactly – imagine neglecting Celtic to go see your own child in hospital.. What a weirdo Phil is, eh?
Deary me..!
I see that posters are already speculating over who they would want as a new manager. I think I’ll join in the fun.
MO’N- No! I still haven’t forgiven him for Black Sunday and his handling of the lead up to that game.
Owen Coyle – OMG! Nooooooooo!
Roy Keane – as above. Nooooooooo!
Neil Lennon – No.
Roberto Martinez – No!
Mark McGhee – No!!!
Gary Caldwell – No!
Paul Lambert – a lukewarm ‘Maybe’
David Moyes – that woul be a resounding ‘Yes’.
Generally, I’m underwhelmed by the names discussed so far but would get really excited if The Special One or someone of that ilk decided to come and save the famous Glasgow Celtic and decided to pass on a huge monetary contract.
TALIABHOY on 18TH APRIL 2016 4:19 PM
From the BBC article on Moyes… hmmmm
Its written by Pat Murphy, I’d take anything he says with a large pinch of salt
GREENPINATA on 18TH APRIL 2016 4:11 PM
Reading the last paragraph of Phil’s article, it sounds like one of his children was taken into hospital.
So, yes, I would say he had more important things to do.
DBBIA
Gubbed by Sevco – what larks
what larks
Guys get a grip.
Of course visiting a sick child is much more important than a game of football.
That is indisputable. I sincerely hope all is well, and I really mean that.
I do notice that Phil’s blog was written after the game which hopefully suggests that he had some spare time to think and write about other less important matters.
“Brendan Rodgers”
……………….
………………………..Have We Not Suffered Enough?
I think in Phil’s world an Irish Tory is better than a British one; that’s why he appears to be supporting Desmond over Lawwell.
Desmond’s “ownership” of Celtic has been a disaster IMHO, and the sooner it ends the better.
Johan Mjällby for manager. There Ive said it.
Has he gone yet????
GREENPINATA on 18TH APRIL 2016 4:11 PM
Apologies. Not trying to rub it in…..I posted that before reading on and realising that two other posters had beaten me to the same point.
Hearin’……………..Dream Team………..Campbell an’ Williamson spottit oan that M74
aye…………………………….Dick ‘n’ Boaby
Afternoon bhoys I don’t post much but yesterdays result was coming after some of the results
we have had over the past couple of seasons, hopefully we steady the ship and win the league, get a
decent manager in and get back to playing the Celtic way, at this time we need to stick together and
back the team, Hail Hail As for when the Huns that rib me about the result I say thank F**K it was
not R*ng*rs that beat us it was a tribute Act, Triggers Broom FC and walk on.
Hail Hail and here’s to 5 in a row.
Proudbhoy,
Any word on the baby?
Mick might tick a lot of the boxes. Managed at the World Cup, played for us. Gets on well with the blazers. He seems to be well regarded by players (except Roy).
Who knows? Even if we wanted him would he leave Ipswich?
ITALIABHOY on 18TH APRIL 2016 4:48 PM
Desmond’s “ownership” of Celtic has been a disaster IMHO, and the sooner it ends the better.
I think disaster is a bit of an exaggeration, we’ve won 10 out of 15 league titles in his time as owner
My phone is red hot…few of the local bhoys texting.
They reckon..the crux is this.
Moyes tells DD, that he is prepared to do the job….but only if he has total control.
So…its Moyes or Lawell.
Thats the word on the street:)
HH
major shareholder
“‘So,’ said Estella, ‘I must be taken as I have been made. The success is not mine, the failure is not mine, but the two together make me.”
DBBIA/SatisHouseCSC
I’d gie Big Peter the gig………..
………………seriously,
imagine Pedro in the trackie……
;)
HH
“Mick, you’re a liar… you’re a ****** ******. I didn’t rate you as a player, I don’t rate you as a manager, and I don’t rate you as a person. You’re a ******* ******* and you can stick your World Cup up your a***. The only reason I have any dealings with you is that somehow you are the manager of my country! You can stick it up your boll*****.”
Roy Keane speaking to Mick McCarthy
We’ve been here before.
The Mowbray tenure.
I remember then the slow uptake on his (non) ability on here.
Waiting for the penny to drop.
Which it did.
As early as last August there was a push for Deila to go. Ominous signs for some. Mineshafting for others.
As late as November the deed should have been done.
It wasn’t – the mystical turned corner remained as elusive as ever.
Every (EVERY) important game lost or squandered.
A headlights caught manager on the sidelines. An assistant manager who looks like he’s in a barbers queue instead of a dugout and a neophyte defensive coach who has an out of his depth demeanour.
All the yea sayers?
Maybe it’s time you revisit your faith in Ronnie and where and when it turned?
And also assess your open-mindedness in relation to people’s early assertions that Ronnie Deila was never ever going to be good enough for what we all hope and expect our Celtic to be.
Optimism is no bad thing. But when it’s preferred over reality?
Another begin again for Glasgow Celtic…
Just get somebody who trusts football over science and lets players do what they’re good at (Intrinsically, intuitively) – I’m always led to believe that football is a simple game.
No one fears playing us.
Almost any team can match us and most can quickly upset us. There is a mental fragility within the team that won’t go away – I can’t believe that’s solely down to eleven players – his tenure for me has been a catalogue of lows…
The new asterisk years…
U
Clogher Celt
Slow progress here.
I was surprised Mick didn’t rule himself out completely for the Aston villa job.
He’s a smart man, get it right and it’s his only chance of managing in champions league.
He would sort the men from the boys. No doubt about that.
The Green Man @ 4.58pm
That also matches the info I have had for the past 8 days and I don’t even reside in the UK anymore but know many people within the game.
Interesting times ahead. I’m also hearing of a strategy change by Desmond.
Hurting. That doesn’t quite cover it. A sair yin that I doubt will ever heal.
To the players who let us down. You know who you are, please don’t ever pull the Hoops over your head again. You are spineless millionaire imposters, detached from those who’s’ hearts and souls are rooted within our Club, community and heritage.
To the management. Time to move on lads. Please just go now, no fuss, your dignity intact.
To the Club “leadership”. In any other business enterprise you would be summarily dismissed over your silence, ineptitude and especially your lack of communication. Supposed captains of industry? Don’t make say something I’ll regret later.
To the bean counters ensconced within Paradise: entitled as I am as a “paying customer”, you will no doubt understand I am entitled to change my mind over your product. You will not get one more penny out of me.
To all my fellow supporters who were at the game. My heart goes out to you. This Southern Ayrshire Tim feels it deeply with you.
Paul, thank you for the forum on which allows me to express my mince. This will, thankfully for all others, be my last contribution for some time.
Italian media are reporting that a boat with @ 400 men / women and children aboard has sunk in the Mediterranean ( Somalia / Eritrea and Ethiopia ) All are feared to have drowned.
28 human beings drowned in the Sicilian Canal yesterday.As things stand @ 10,000 human beings are arriving in Sicily every week..The relevant authorities are claiming that some 500000 human beings are parked up in Libya waiting to cross..
Proudbhoy,
Stick with it!!
2 Villa Board members resigned today. I think they are in a bigger mess than us, that’s saying something.
http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/aston-villa-directors-resign-immediate-11204759
DAVIDOPULOS@4:21 – Phil Mac can be the most supercilious of people. Since his commentary, and subsequent canonization by some on here and elsewhere, on the demise of Rangers in Downfall, he has become a ‘prima donna’.
His output on anything to do with Celtic has been all hearsay and innuendo – as far as I am concerned he knows nothing about the ‘behind the scenes’ at Celtic Park.
His latest offering is in the ‘I better write something’ category, and is like a lump of swiss cheese – more holes than substance – it says precisely nothing about nothing.
“Pip, dear old chap, life is made of ever so many partings welded together, as I may say, and one man’s a blacksmith, and one’s a whitesmith, and one’s a goldsmith, and one’s a coppersmith. Divisions among such must come, and must be met as they come.”
Maxibhoy
The drums are beating all over.
Its getting interesting indeed.
One thing is clear….There are no excuses left after yesterday.
HH
I missed most of the first half where we were well second best.
However, they didn’t have a chance afterwards and McKay will never hit a ball better than on his goal.
They had very little creativity other than through Wallace and we could have got a couple more with a smidgeon more luck.
The standard was dire, though, even though the bite and aggro wasn’t quite the same as when we played the original lot.
I doubt there’s been anybody here who thinks that Ronnie should stay, though.
The only reason this clown is still in a job is due go the board being as incompetent as he is. Shameful from board to pitch and we a!lowed this to happen.
Yesterday was like watching a friend getting beat up and you couldn’t do A thing to help him. This should definitely be the end of Ronnie from a tactical and business point of view. Scott Brown should be moved to right full back Lustigs legs have gone. Scott was in the wars yesterday he will be hurting today. Bogota was and has been brutal all season We have a lot of young good prospects coming up get the new manager in asap before we tank in the league and euro qualifiers. The fans are not often wrong listen to them. They want every Celtic player and manager who comes in to be a success and gives them all a chance while assessing them but they are good judges of who will work and who wont
Canamalar it looks like OCD obsession on 18th April 2016 4:14 pm
It’s a blog that’s what blogs are supposed to do, allow people to have opinions, no
———–
That’s your opinion:-)
I have to say really enjoyed yesterdays game-passed the ball well-good to see youth coming through-cant wait for the final now and looking forward to seeing this team progrees in The CL qualifiers…
Hold on…apologies posting from a parallel universe!!…its great …