Last night’s performance was at the upper end of my expectations. We were sharper than I remember from a year ago, although not Nadir Ciftci, who is a couple of weeks behind, and looked a couple of pounds over, his team mates.
You could see how Stjarnan did so well against Lech and Motherwell last season. They defended with six along the back and have a good keeper. Celtic’s passing looked off, but I think that had as much to do with Stjarnan’s denial of space in advanced areas. The chances came when we broke forward having allowed space to open up 50 yards out, and from a set-piece for the opening goal.
Stefan Johansen was my man of the match, he was the creative fulcrum behind all that worked. And yes, Stefan, in a public spat with you, Leigh Griffiths, a man who eats Tea Cakes on the bench and cultivates a rascal persona, walked away looking the grown up. You think about that for a while.
Emilio Izaguirre had a horrible World Cup and started all over the place last season. It was months into the campaign before people started to notice his consistency was back, but the head seemed as though it was still on the beach last night. He would have been punished severely by a mainland European team.
Ronny started with his traditional 4-2-3-1 but for a while after Leigh replaced James Forrest, he played a 4-4-2, which coincided with our best period of the game. Nadir had someone to link with, instead of being isolated in a sea of blue shirts, resplendent with the old World of Sport logo.
It was great having Mikael Lustig back and although Dedryck Boyata was not challenged defensively, he was clearly on a par with Lustig as being a defender who is comfortable on the ball. No mistakes and a goal is pretty much all that could be asked of him.
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mike in tronto (I think that’s how it’s said if you’re in the know)
I agree largely. You have to play to improve your form and technique. SJ will be sharper shortly.
embramike! snap!
martim1980 … I say give SJ a run … but, give SA some time in that role …. if SJ’s game doesn’t improve, then SA can start … if SJ does improve, he starts, but, as I said, then he would likely be snapped up, so SA would need to be ready to step in …..
so, either way, I’d like to see SA give a bit of time in that role ….
PS… if in america, they seem to pronounce it ‘trna’… sort of ‘terrona’… bloody american bastardizing our name (which, admittedly is an english bastardization of the french bastardization of the original name!)
I’m sure RD has read this … (I haven’t yet), but think it might add something to my thoughts/comments …. and thought it might be of interest to some on here …
It is an article from the Journal of Sport Science, called The effect of high and low percentage ball possession on physical and technical profiles in English FA Premier League soccer matches’
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02640414.2013.786185#abstract
Mike de Canada
More sense, Armstrong’s inside run and reverse ball was sublime.
My grandfather was based in Montreal for 28 years and I know folk from outside Toronto- seemed to be the way they all said it ;-)
Going by the comments on here last night and today I really hope we can turn it around next week and go through, going out at this stage would be shocking ……….
ThompsonTwin
13:00 on
16 July, 2015
Defence of Johansen at the penalty.
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Is it really wise to entrust a penalty to a player who has just come on as as a substitute?
Who would have taken it a few minutes earlier – Cifti?, don’t think so.
It would most likely have been Stefan.
Let’s hope we do not live to regret it – could be a £30 million cock-up
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Q – Who should have taken the penalty?
A – Whoever the manager has nominated as our primary penalty taker.
There should be an ordered list that the management team have agreed with the players.
Ronny strikes me as the kind of guy who will have covered this in training. Stefan should know this.
Btw the way- all over Canada- he was referred to as “Scotty” and initially had trouble locating a “bin” I thought it was garbage when I heard it …..
LiviBhoy
15:04 on
16 July, 2015
embramike says “the Huns are Deid”
Interesting thoughts on the two wide men cutting in.
I thought we were trying to walk it in last night in the first half.
The benefit of Commons and Griffith’s is that they will shoot from outside the box. The positive of that shooting is the majority of their shots are on target.
We lacked both last night and although Griffiths made it on the game was almost a dead rubber by then.
I do like the idea of the two players mentioned by yourself cutting in to their favoured foot for a shot. We certainly need to fire more shots off from outside the box especially if teams line up like our opponents last night.
LB
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Agree on the value of taking a strike from outside the box. I thought the problem last night was getting a clear enough sight of goal to attempt this. Most of the time there were 11 opposition bodies in the box defending.
My man of the match last night was Bob.
So that’s that settled.
MWD said AYE
MoonbeamsWD
Have you broke the blog
HH
Back to the school play ground for penalty kicks. Simple rule maker’s/takers.
Naw, I prefer weet weet weet’s decision making process, best fighter then best player
lennon’s passion
16:12 on
16 July, 2015
Back to the school play ground for penalty kicks. Simple rule maker’s/takers.
Canamalar
16:15 on
16 July, 2015
Naw, I prefer weet weet weet’s decision making process, best fighter then best player
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That’s why you amateurs arn’t in charge! ;-))
:oD))
Hebcelt@14.14
The figure of £30m has been used by a fellow poster. I have no idea where he got it from.
Livibhoy @ 14.13
Agreed. I was annoyed at the game when the penalty was not scored but not because I thought it would prove crucial. Ronny has articulated what was annoying about it
Could have been better overall score but not sure many on here would not have taken 2-0 to us at KO time. I know I would have
Jimbo67
So McKay and Moody are acquitted although there is clear evidence – because there was the expectation of privacy.
Tonev conevicted with no evidence, because of probability.
Even if Tonev did call Logan a.”black cnut”, it was private and intended for ‘his ears only”
If we were in the middle of our season, we would have thumped that mob yesterday.
Slack passing and a lack of finess from minds not completely over their holidays all contributed to a much clumsy looking game. We will get much better exponentially as match fitness sinks in.
Until then I’m going to air MY OPINION CONTINUALLY, while SHOUTING DOWN other posters, as you are obviously ALL EEJITS with little insight into the game AT ALL!! SEE? I told yous, I’M RIGHT and all you other roasters are ALL WRONG!!!
P.S. We won 2-0 in our fourth game of the season…against the Icelandic champions.
jimbo67 it was posted by Thomson Twin I’ve asked for a breakdown or how he arrived at that figure but so far he is unwilling/unableto provide it. The clue is it was posted by Thomson Twin a great favourite here on the blog – apparently!! H H Hebcelt
Just even sitting next to Haris Vuckic at Wetherby services – that Newcastle ‘starlet’ on loan at sevco last year
He followed the good old sevco diet of Burger King and Krispy kreme
Learnt from Boyd probably
Hh
And while I’m at it, I DENY CATEGORICALLY the accusation that I’d start a fight in an EMPTY ROOM!!!
So there.
ThompsonTwin
16:26 on
16 July, 2015
So McKay and Moody are acquitted although there is clear evidence – because there was the expectation of privacy.
Tonev conevicted with no evidence, because of probability.
Even if Tonev did call Logan a.”black cnut”, it was private and intended for ‘his ears only”
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I believe that Tonev was treated unfairly by the SFA – that’s their M.O.
However, if he had used the language suggested, then it would have been racist whether it was heard by only the 2 people involved or evryone in the stadium. Other people not hearing it doesn’t mean it’s not racist language.
SDB,
I’ll hold your jacket, the skirting board called you a poof
Jimbo67 @ 16:21
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With the upgrade in sponsorship from BT, Celtic could look for an all found figure of around £30 million from a successful CL qualification campaign.
Previous years have yielded around £22 million – this year’s prize-money has been increased.
Of course the figures always include TV money, win/draw prize-money, ticket-sales, sponsorship and marketing.
That’s where the £30 million COULD come in, and if we miss golden chances to progress more easily, we risk a chance of winning this JACKPOT.
A 2 nil win is the upper end of expectations?
Dear oh dear me. How we have lowered expectations.
Paul’s increasing arrogance is matched by his pals in the Celtic boardroom. They are convinced they are doing a fabulous job. Perhaps aiding corruption, participating in it, allowing your support to be criminalised and supporting racism all in the name of money is success eh?
natknow
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so you would be happy to be convicted of racism, or, anything else; on the say so of anyone, even a rival, without CORROBORATION?
jimbo67
I would have taken 2-0 before the game but was disappointed at the final whistle
we created more chances than I thought we would, the park the bus attitude of STJ… was expected and I thought we might struggle so early in the season to break them down
I have high hopes for next week …………..and relish a european night at Paradise
dont let us down bhoys
HH
Paul 67
Easy Tiger.
(:-)
TT
Having fully digested the intellectual and factual information based in Paul’s response to the questioning of his MOTM.
I now m convinced that Celtic would like to sell ST for a decent fee.(:-)
TT
16:47 on
16 July, 2015
natknow
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so you would be happy to be convicted of racism, or, anything else; on the say so of anyone, even a rival, without CORROBORATION?
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No – that’s no what I said. I don’t think Tonev should have been punuished – there was not enough evidence (IMHO) to conclude that he in fact did commit the offence. What I was pointing out was that, whether a statement is or is not racist is not dependent on how many people hear it. You original statement reads like it’s OK to use racist language if it’s only you and the person you’re being racist towards that hears it.
sorry SJ.
TT
BT- You in the Smiddy yet?
Auldheid,
you put me in mind of an essay I wrote the best part of 50 years ago. It included the sentence “Their realities differed”. The teacher claimed that could not be so; there is only one reality. I still wonder if that can be either subjectively or objectively true.
Anyway, I still think Charlie Mulgrew was dire last night. I dread if he plays against a better European team; Izzie was even more dire, imo.
natknow – sorry you’ve changed your tune, and you NATknow it.
I have been called a fenian bastard, face to face, many times – I have no redress without CORROBORATION.
Do you support CORROBORATION?
TT
Is that before or after they sell VVD ?
tinytim
16:54 on 16 July, 2015
Hearing your a pool shark. What type of pool you play 8 ball ?
I’m sure CQN would be a better place if the intelligent Thomson Twin could get a look in. :)
MWD said AYE awaits…
£3M max for SJ :) Stokesys better than him :)
Windowcleanercumplumber
We’re you at the game?- I was, and no one was dire.
Sure we could have been better, it’s early in the season – missing the penalty was crap and so were the shenanigans – but no one was DIRE.