At the end of last month, looking ahead to the Miydjitlland tie, I predicted, “a Halloween movie awaits”. Home and away, Miydjitlland created few chances until late in normal time, when Celtic tired. They were unable to sustain periods of pressure and will surely not lay a glove on PSV Eindhoven in the next round. Still, we endure Halloween in July.
The young and inexperienced defenders performed well, this one was not on them. As did Scott Bain, whose confidence to drop the shoulder before playing a 30-yard forward pass, created our best chance of the game. He also made two fine saves, which makes me wonder what could have been had we never embarked on our Greek Odyssey.
Callum McGregor’s goal was sublime; he placed rather than blasted his shot, one of the few occasions we tested a keeper who never convinced. Anthony Ralston reminded us why we had such high hopes for him a few years back, while Stephen Welsh and Dane Murray outperformed expectations.
James Forrest should have put the tie beyond the Danes shortly after coming on but poked his shot wide. Within seconds, Miydjitlland were level.
Like Celtic, Miydjitlland were short of reinforcements, but started extra time with four substitutes on the field, including an 18-year-old debutant, Victor Lind. The teenager repeatedly mishit the ball whenever he got near it, but he and the other subs managed to provide what proved to be crucial energy. Celtic made only the one change, Forrest for Liel Abada, until after they went a goal down in the 94th minute. When energy sapped from ever-busy Ryan Christie and David Turnbull, the writing was on the wall.
Even though Celtic closed the game unable to pass out of their half, Ange Postecoglou stuck to his game plan. Teams on their way out of a cup invariably go Route One in the final minutes, not so this time.
I am sure none of us had Champions League expectations; we are not at PSV Eindhoven level, but Europa League group stage qualification is crucial for financial, competitive, coefficient and recruitment reasons. That would have been achieved with a win last night. Two qualification rounds now have to be negotiated, you have more fraught evenings ahead.
I remain hopeful the squad we have on 1 September will be significantly better that that available last night. Whether that will be sufficient to take the Champions League bounty available to this season’s Premiership winners is another story.
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Another day, “hopeful” is the word…..great…
Paul 67,
Reading your synopsis, how on earth did we get beaten ?
HH.
Why are we in this state ?
We’ve got targets, they’re the same ones today as they were yesterday so go get them if they hesitate move on, or are we gonna get the “we tried” mantra.
GREENPINATA on 29TH JULY 2021 12:09 PM
Happyclappers are us on here…..
I felt sorry for many of our players last night, busting their chops to get the ball up to Edouard, only to find Edouard was determined to ensure that his chops would not be busted.
Pathetic.
I have seen Jablonec play a few times and IMO they are miles ahead of the Danish mob who have just papped us out of the CL, but with hope and prayers you never know.
As ever, thanks for the forward planning Pedro, you sure have done the club proud.
Edouard is looking after Edouard. Every man for himself on the good ship Celtic….
The narrative:
“Home and away, Miydjitlland created few chances until late in normal time, when Celtic tired. ”
The reality:
The Danes had 12 shots last night (4 on target) whilst we had 5 (2)
The narrative:
“Anthony Ralston reminded us why we had such high hopes for him a few years back, while Stephen Welsh and Dane Murray outperformed expectations.”
The reality:
We conceded 2 goals last night, both scored from inside the box
The Scott Bain para is too long to copy n paste and I’m not sure I can be bothered. However, both he and the defence are absolved of any blame for the 2 goals last night.
Maybe it was all Eddie’s fault.
To repeat something I posted several months ago, I’m not sure we can solve ‘this’ until we determine what ‘this’ is and how ‘this’ happened.
“At the end of last month, looking ahead to the Miydjitlland tie, I predicted, “a Halloween movie awaits”.
You must have come top of all your classes in school, eah?
A two-bob match report we could have read on the official website topped off by an almost proud pat on the back for being able to predict that we would struggle.
But as to actual analysis? Not one bit of it.
The management may have changed, slightly, but Pavlov’s slobbering dogs still know who serves them their dinner. This has become a truly dire website now, and this is the last time I’m posting on it.
JAMES FORREST on 29TH JULY 2021 12:18 PM
I would be sorry to see you go.
We need as many realists on here as possible.
onenightinlouden/peterlovencrantsboaby you are a fraud hail hail to all celts our time will come
My Celtic MOTM was Tony Ralston.
How did we get here ?
Thoughts ?
Bonus earned, forward planning or taking the piss ?
Rudderless .
Dominic & Ange , can either implement the massive changes required ?
Btw , whar aboot is yon majority shareholder ?
Callum McGregor’s goal was sublime; he placed rather than blasted his shot,
—-
that is because he doesnt have the strength to blast his shots
same as all the tippy tappy wee boys that we have filled our squad with over the last decade just to make sure we stayed ahead of Aberdeen
ANGELGABRIEL on 29TH JULY 2021 12:24 PM
How did we get here ?
###
Owner not being a Celtic fan is probably where it starts.
heres my prediction . Celtic to win league , Furuhashi top scorer , getitroonye huns
We need to change the culture of our club and how it is managed. I keep renewing my season ticket but I have lost all faith in how our club is ran.
We repeatedly go into these games with a team in flux and transition. Making the same mistake over and over is a form of insanity.
What makes this year so grossly negligent is the league was gone so long ago. Our focus since then should have been the start of the new season. What on earth has being going on? Player recruitment and getting the manager in place has been amateurish and woeful. The board and the senior management own this mess.
I think season ticket holders need to use their influence to change our corporate structures as they are clearly failing. How? I am not entirely sure but to petition the board now that renewals are dependent on more fan involvement and board accountability would be a start.
Sorry feeling pretty scunnered with the absolute state we are in.
More Groundhog Day than Halloween, Paul. That’s now four straight years with no Champions League – the worst run since we first got in.
Shocking mismanagement from where we were 38 months ago.
Still, we’ve got the old firm back!
9inarowx2
4×3
not good enough for some
PUNKROCKBHOY67 on 29TH JULY 2021 12:23 PM
Are you a hun?
onil aye are you a fud?
PUNKROCKBHOY67 on 29TH JULY 2021 12:31 PM
Comedy gold….
Hard yards ahead – plain and simple.
The tie was tight. We lost.
Ange has managed 2 competitive games.
He knows where we are (his body language before each leg, while subtle, told me he privately had low expectations).
This result will not have been a shock to Ange so, IMHO, talk of him chucking it is misinformed at best.
So how do we manage those hard yards?
Simple (not easy) Hard work, common focus, increased capability and capacity to deliver continuous improvement.
– Players in
– Players out
– Adoption of the philosophy
– Fitness
– Tactics
All starting 3 weeks ago.
All taking place over a long period.
PS – for those who may (perhaps understandably) perceive “Continuous Improvement” as empty rhetoric or standard management claptrap …..
…. pray allow me to elaborate.
In our case it is nothing more than a series of mini journies from
1. Really rubbish to just rubbish
2. Rubbish to ordinary
3. Ordinary to quite good
4 Quite good to good
5. Good to very good
6. Very good to excellent
How quickly we get through the first will determine if we win the league or not.
The fifth will take years.
The sixth might never happen.
A new defender and a new goalie TOMORROW would be a start.
onil dobber
Typo ….
How quickly we get through the first FOUR will determine if we win the league or not.
hail hail to all good celtic men
The result last night still hurts like hell- we started the better team but died without a whimper when they got confidence from their goal
I know we will have a different team when the window shuts but will it be a much better team or just a little better- who knows? And who will score our goals with only Ajeti left?
Ange is a development coach but they need time. Ralston who was good last night will never be good enough. Dane Murray needs regular playing time but will Lowland League be a good enough level?
I reckon we still need 2 more CBs a LB and a genuine striker, better than Nisbet
We need to sell Eddie Griff Boli Ntcham Barkas and Hjelde, unfortunately, as his head has left the building. We might need to re-sign Ryan Christie as he fits Ange’s profile even with his Rugby shooting
I bow to your superior use of the English language…..
maybe i should just make up another username and log in to agree with myself ? sleekithunsrus
roonye ya hun
A Greek Tragedy more like.
JF
“This has become a truly dire website now, and this is the last time I’m posting on it.”
—————————————————–
Have these tactics actually promoted any traffic towards your blog?
Ange said last night maybe he hasn’t explained loudly and clearly enough to the board what he needed. Obviously he has done just that but been palmed off with empty promises.
That is a clear shot across the bow.
Not unlike BR with his comment about not needing any more wingers.
McKay should man up and come out and defend Ange and commit the board to doing things better, faster and more professionally going forward.
@ DENIABHOY on 29TH JULY 2021 12:44 PM
Agreed.
Brendan was tactful and media savvy in his comments -he implied a lot but did not overtly criticise.
Neil was obsequious. He only had a job on account of Lawwell’s desire to have someone who was in his debt. No surprise that Neil described Peter as the best CEO he’s worked with (not hard given Neil’s CV).
Ange has the Australian assertive way of speaking. Matter if fact and tells it like it is. I think it appeals to.many Celtic fans as it confirms what many have been saying for years.
What a state we are in.
For the last time , Celtic do not have a “Board”, it had a rubber stamping committee. You are barking up the wrong tree whinging about the “Board”. The CEO implements a strategy dictated by the owner.
oh dear. some truths ?
bye
I still do not know who is buying footballers for our club
Previously Lawwell did the deal (whether the Manager wanted/needed them or not)
Who is doing it now
We spent £10m on Barkas and Ajeti – who said these two are top players ??
Who said the 3 we have just bought are any good
And let me say again (I did all last season) please take whatever you can get for OE he is an absolute liability
£20m get it quick if you can
i expect a positive spin that OE is so happy he wants to sign a new contract FFS
Long road ahead
67ECW