Goal shyness hampers Celtic

880

Overall I was pleased with many aspects of Celtic’s play yesterday.  We dominated large parts of the game and got in and around the Hearts penalty area often enough to score the proverbial barrel load.

Hearts scored a good goal.  The flick from Beattie and run from Skacel were both exquisite, although a deflection off the blameless Kelvin Wilson was crucial.  Enough has been said about the second Hearts goal already.  Defensively we were good.

Midfield also played well, to a point, forcing Hearts into retreat for all but the opening 20 minutes of the second half.  Ki Sung-Yueng should have scored twice but he’s never been a player for back post headers and I was more surprised he found himself in that position than he missed both opportunities.  He is a player who continues to impress.

The question we should turn our attention to is why Celtic didn’t score more goals?

It is probably not an exaggeration to suggest Emilio Izaguirre is the best left back at the club in 30 years.  Skilful and intelligent in possession, Celtic look composed when he is on the field, but he’s being kept out of the team by a free transfer from Aberdeen because Charlie Mulgrew is manufacturing the most crucial item in the game – goals.

I’m close to advocating ‘Give the ball to Charlie’ tactics.  He has the ability to fire in remarkably dangerous crosses and has an instinctive awareness that the purpose of the game is to score goals.  Kris Commons shares this awareness but Kris has had a wretched season and is still rescuing his game from injury and early season loss of form.

In these circumstances, Neil Lennon cannot afford to play Izaguirre if it involves dropping Mulgew as this would severely hamper Celtic’s ability to put the ball in the net.  If the manager wants to use Emilio, particularly in Europe next season when retaining possession will be crucial, Charlie has to play left midfield.

Scoring goals is the primary responsibility of the strikers.  None of Celtic’s current crop are impressing at the moment, but we need to look further upstream first.

We have an outstanding original canvass painting of Neil Lennon available for purchase on eBay to kick start our summer charity fundraising. This year the beneficiaries will be Leukaemia and Lymphoma Research, Martin Chambers Foundation and The Neuroblastoma Alliance, Aberdour PS PTA, The Haven, Blantyre. The painting, by US based artist, Joseph Gormley, is an outstanding memento of our manager during these times.

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  1. ItaliaBhoy , 21:15

     

    Yes, they are, which is why here and RTC are vital in bringing this information to the fore. And if anyone is sitting on the game changing information which I have heard of, but need to be able to back up, now is the time to release it – get in contact with me here or via Paul67

  2. Snake Plissken on

    sparkleghirl

     

     

    They are claiming it is down to maintenance not editing out the bits they don’t want

  3. haha BT

     

    its miodrag…

     

    young miodrag krivocapic

     

    and Scott of temp stand tweeted same

     

    ya patter plageriser ye

     

    :)

     

    like masel, haha

  4. Auld Neil Lennon heid on

    ItaliaBhoy on 16 April, 2012 at 21:02 said:

     

     

    He had the advantage of being willing to listen to Internet bampots rather than ridicule them.

  5. !!Bada Bing!!, 21:22

     

    It doesn’t take long to get up to speed when you can see where you are going

  6. Praecepta,

     

     

    What’s that phrase we keep hearing about not interrupting an enemy who is making mistakes?

     

     

    D&P’s satatement is good. They had better name a preferred bidder soon before the other two pull out. Remember that they will probably need that exclusivity fee in order to make it to the end of the season.

  7. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Snake- from earlier !!Bada Bing!! on 16 April, 2012 at 19:49 said: I think that the Clyde Podcast might get lost in cyberspace

  8. ItaliaBhoy on 16 April, 2012 at 21:07 said:

     

    Duff and Phelps, Administrators of Rangers Football Club, issued the following statement……

     

    “While we as administrators have a statutory duty to look after the interests of creditors and keep the business going, it is of paramount importance that the bid which is taken forward is the best on offer for Rangers Football Club.”

     

     

     

    ########

     

     

     

    ‘par·a·mount   adjective

     

    1. chief in importance or impact; supreme; preeminent: a point of paramount significance.

     

    2. above others in rank or authority; superior in power or jurisdiction.’

     

     

     

    How much are these clowns charging?

  9. well said Token, hopefully the young lads come good

     

    young Hendo is a fine player, taken off around 65mins, i see

     

     

    and great point by

     

    ParkheadcumsalfordwhoisNeilLennonand PaulMcBrideandTrishGodman

     

    re yer man fae larkhall

     

    my thought exactly

  10. Snake Plissken on 16 April, 2012 at 21:24 said:

     

    ”sparkleghirl

     

     

    They are claiming it is down to maintenance not editing out the bits they don’t want”

     

     

     

    It will be the lawyers who are holding up the process.

  11. sparkleghirl on 16 April, 2012 at 20:57 said:

     

    Blue knights walking – and not because of BTC but because Ticketus are doing the dirty on them

     

     

    ***

     

     

    You mean asking for the money which they are legally owed?

  12. Radio Clyde tonight was a walk in the park for Alex Thompson. He didn’t even have to try to show those pathetic excuses for journalists up. The fella never got out of second gear whilst the panel where twitching away. This fellas just warming up…….

  13. Auld Neil Lennon heid on

    Ok guys quick stab at guesinh what is planned for Ranjurs

     

     

    The license to play football was always the key. Think of membership as the stocked pub but a license is needed to sell the booze.

     

     

    I was pretty sure it gave SFA power as the rules Section 3 (I think) BOUND the SPL to be subservient to the SFA club licensing. What clinched it for me was reading a bit on RTC about the licence not being transferable. I had missed that but at that point it was game set and match to SFA.

     

     

    You can see it all unfolding now with the SFA proposing a National League of two divisons. Newco will be allowed in exceptional circumstances to start in SPL2 and what a boost that will get from it.

     

     

    Newco will be barred from Europe for three years so that will hamper income and you can see from latest on the Blue Knights being shafted by Ticketus switchng to Bill Ng, that Ticketus will have a hook in Newco to get their money back, so whilst Newco will be a force by dint of their support they will be financially constrained and playing to the same rules as everyone else, rules which I hope will be strenghtened to police licensing and make referee evaluation an outsourced service under control of the league..

     

     

    The SFA have the power to govern, they have been reluctant to use it but you can see that hope of keeping Oldco alive and prospering using a sugar daddy is dieing and folk are moving to accepting that.

     

     

    Ye canny whack reality..

     

     

    I reckon a two tier league with Rangers in Div2 will also satisfy integrity issues, especially if Oldco get titles withdrawn. Its all unfolding nicely.

     

     

    Newco can simply ditch Ibrox and play elsewhere until CW gives up his hold on it and true blues will stick with their club during the period of reparation.

     

     

    The thing now is how quickly can it be put in place to get Newco into Div2?

  14. iBhoy on 16 April, 2012 at 21:29 said:

     

    You mean asking for the money which they are legally owed?

     

     

    More or less, yes. Ng offers more money and sooner.

     

     

     

    Re Clyde broadcast – is there anything dodgy in it? The fact that AT read a tweet that may have been a threat? Can’t think of anything else.

  15. Another thing – I thought the “exclusivity fee” was £1million.

     

     

    But D&P ask The Blue Nile for 500k?

     

     

    D&P getting desperate?

  16. hamiltontim patter comin up…

     

    spider man jammies time

     

     

    would like to walk away on this note…

     

    “joint adminstrators”

     

     

    haha

     

    joint !

     

    big ganja roll-up administrators !

     

     

    fits the job description so far, i suppose

     

    big puffs o white smoke comin out of Casino Loyale

     

    :)

     

    “hall, davie, gonnie pass that boatle o bru”

     

    right, bedtime

     

    night, God bless, safe home

  17. Wigan – with Caldenbauer and young McCarthy in the team – ripping the Arse a new, erm, one…

  18. Duff and Fibbs Statement

     

     

    “a̶s̶s̶u̶m̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶n̶o̶ ̶f̶u̶r̶t̶h̶e̶r̶ ̶h̶u̶r̶d̶l̶e̶s̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶p̶l̶a̶c̶e̶d̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶o̶u̶r̶ ̶p̶a̶t̶h̶.̶ ̶”

     

    assuming someone else really does have a proper bid

  19. On speaking to some fellow Celts today the discussion of course was oor Neil and his antics, the suggestion put to me was that because of his “Antics” we were losing out on 50/50 decisions, and that this was not the way to defeat the authorities, and that we were in danger of becoming marginalised because of his behaviour, my reply was that if that was really the case why was Tony Mowberry,s reign littered with Honest Mistakes, how come Wee gordon noever got the breaks,(or the respect) how come Tommy Burns never got the breaks ( I could go on and on), you see we have tried to play nice, we have tried to be friends with the establishment, but to what end? did we get the breaks we deserved, did things even themselves out with “Walter” ? did Dallas and the like become even handed, did they hell, in other words what do we have to lose? we get bugger all when we share the toys and bugger all when we shout and scream!!

     

    And as for even handed journalism well I think AT answered that better than anybody

  20. sparkleghirl on 16 April, 2012 at 21:32 said:

     

     

    ”Re Clyde broadcast – is there anything dodgy in it? The fact that AT read a tweet that may have been a threat? Can’t think of anything else.”

     

     

     

     

    It could be defamatory. It’s easy enough to know it refers to Leggat. If it’s a fake twitter account then Clyde could be in trouble for broadcasting it, and more trouble for repeating it.

  21. Italiabhoy, whats the score pal?

     

     

    In the joy of Alex Thomson I forgot I had big money on in form Wigan tonight….

     

     

    TJ

  22. Gene's a Bhoys name on

    So D&P asked the BK to put up or shut up………silence, shut the door behind you

  23. BBC – Blue Knights ‘stepping back’

     

     

    Which technically isn’t walking away I suppose.

     

     

    Just like Mister Sir David Murray never ever sacked Rangers managers.

     

     

    You remember Mister Sir david don’t you? The poor innocent in all this – In fact I think I have a quote here -Murray said: “I was duped, my advisers were duped, the bank was duped, shareholders were duped.

     

    “We’ve all been duped. Is duped the right word? Yes, duped is the right word.”

     

     

    U

  24. Philbhoy - It's just the beginning! on

    Paul67

     

     

    Are we likely to get another “New Article” tonight?

     

     

    Bin a long day and need ma bed.

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