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Has this squad hit the ceiling or can we control, pass and move better

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

You and I both knew before last night that Salzburg are well ahead of Celtic, so a 3-1 defeat away to the top seed surprised no one.  However, the game itself provided positive, as well as disappointing aspects.

Odsonne Eduard looked a handful when running at defences.  His goal and the chance he created a minute before the break typified this.  For all Salzburg’s ability, they looked weakest in defence.  We looked like we could put the ball in the net every time we got near then, which, admittedly, was seldom.

That aside, Eduard’s distribution was as poor as the rest of the teams’.  There were two distinct phases to the game: before Salzburg’s third goal and after.  After this point, the home team did not press nearly as forcefully, which allowed Celtic to find men with passes and retain possession.  This merely demonstrated how poorly we did so earlier in the game.

Prior to then, passing and movement lacked the confidence needed to play out from the back.  For example, Salzburg did not mark defenders in front of or at either side of the box when Craig Gordon took goal kicks in the first half.  Despite having three options for an easy pass, Craig kicked long the majority of the time – by definition into areas with fewer Celtic players, as we had three back at the penalty box.

The goalkeeper just didn’t fancy the consequences of passing to an unmarked defender – the story of the game in metaphor!

Dedryck Boyata was the outstanding Celtic player on the park.  He won everything in his vicinity and I even noticed him chasing down a ball he had himself headed clear, before others reacted.  But, on one occasion, when Craig chose to send a goal kick straight to him, he panicked, lost possession and conceded a chance in a dangerous area.  There was an easy pass back to the keeper.

You do not need to be Iniesta to work the ball out from the back.  You need to be able to control and pass, while everyone in the team needs the awareness to move into space, ensuring no one is boxed in.  This takes lots of practice and confidence.  We are correctly working towards this kind of football, but we’re not there yet, even in the SPFL.

The pertinent questions is, has this squad hit the ceiling or can we control, pass and move better?  I’m sure we can improve, although perhaps only by degrees.

I know what you were thinking every time Salzburg got a corner kick, “Here we go again” – or was that just me?  Instead, we defended set-pieces well; in fact, it was the home team who conceded the two best chances of any type before the interval.

James Forrest tucked in well on the right.  He got unfortunate with the bounce at the penalty, which was correctly awarded.  No complaints at the red card either, although I could squabble that Dabbur, who was already cautioned, should have received a second yellow on the two occasions he displayed a Tshirt message after his goals, if the referee followed his guidelines correctly.  Pedants CSC.

The football business is all about the next game and right now there is nothing on the horizon more than St Johnstone on Sunday.  Lick your wounds and get a result, Celtic.

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  1. Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on

    Roy, our support and players were one on that memorable day.

     

     

    I hope Lewis Morgan starts tomorrow. We need a spark from somewhere to help us create more and hopefully put away chances we get.

     

     

    God night all and sleep well.

  3. Jobo Baldie on

    Good evening, friends.

     

    I’ve just enjoyed a fairly pleasant scroll back the last 4 or 5 pages and I’m surprised to see the differences of opinion regarding the outcome of tomorrow’s other game. If we were sitting here in mid March 6 points behind hearts then I just might hope that they dropped something away at Ibrox. But at this stage in the season the title is still in our own hands – 3 games to play against Hearts so 2 wins and 1 draw gets us level with them.

     

    Now I appreciate that with some many games to play, every single team that’s within 9 points of the top can say the same thing. But If Hearts were to win tomorrow they would then be 11 points clear of Sevco. Therefor, and this is definitely a FACT, the league title would no longer be in Sevco’s own hands – after just 8 games played! That would be nice.

     

    So absolutely NO doubt in my own mind – my Beautiful Sunday will be for us to win in Perth and Hearts to win in Glasgow.

     

    As for our team selection, provided Benkovic is fit then why not move Jack Hendry to right back and give Lustig a rest? Jack has, in the main, played well in the last 2 games in so far as he (a) never hides and (b) tries to play football.

  4. tonyrome on

    Hi Bhoys

     

     

    Could never and I mean never hope for the huns to win anything.

     

     

    I don’t want anyone to take this the wrong way but on here everyone who posts about having troubles in their life get nothing but good wishes and support from this blog even though most of us are strangers to each oher. The one thing (friend) we have in common is Glasgow Celtic. They are our best friend, our love our passion and for some our life. So when they are down why are people lining up to have a kick at them. There is enough people out there wishing ill will upon us and our club without joining in with them. No more neg stuff please at least until we get through this patch and secure eight and chase nine. We will all be tims till the day we die opinions and thoughts are welcome but for now make them positive.

     

     

    KEEP THE FAITH

  5. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Tomorrow all I want is a Celtic win, quite like the fact Hibs, Killie & Aberdeen all won today, and I hope they all keep winning (as well as us) our double treble winners are going through a tough time but am sure they will find their form again …

  8. excathedra44 on

    TOPKAT on 6TH OCTOBER 2018 9:57 PM

     

    Hearts a man down tomorrow aginst sevco afore the game starts…….beathun the referee.

     

    —————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

     

    You can add to that a marginal performance from Naismith so Hearts will be limited.

  12. weebobbycollins on

    I agree Jobo…tomorrow I would play young Hendry and let Lustig put his feet up for a spell. Won’t do him any harm…

  19. petec on

    What is the Stars on 6th October 2018 8:35 pm

     

     

    Any here hoping for a Rangers win tomorrow???

     

     

     

    >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

     

     

    Let’s call it a Draw

     

     

    Seeing Newco getting beat again would be good but……

     

     

    oh feck it. C’mon the Jam farts. Beat em up.

  21. Gerryfaethebrig on

    Jobo 10.13pm

     

     

    Jack Hendry isn’t making these decisions himself, Brendan is telling the bhoy to take chances and move into the middle of the park to try and draw the opposition out, I like Jack and he is only doing what his boss tells him to do … on that note delighted to read about your partial both my sisters in cotton house say it’s the best thing they ever done, canny believe you got a Monday :-) my one wee wee tiny regret was giving up the chance of partial in 2020 but hey ho would probably be divorced if I had an extra 2 days off a week :-)

     

     

    All kidding aside enjoy your partial

     

     

    Hail Hail

  23. THE EXILED TIM on

    I can’t believe anyone would want the huns to win, hartz will blow up at some point, just after the winter break I reckon, the huns will get stronger, they will be helped big time, honest mistakes, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

  29. Jobo Baldie on

    GFTB – Thank you. Early days but getting the work/life balance thingmy is essential. Anyway, going to have a rare watch of Match Of The Day for 2 reasons – (1) I only heard a couple of today’s score so can have kiddy on virtual bets in my head; and (2) I usually fall asleep due an over excess of wine and/or beer but as I’m trying Sober October I’m wide awake! Oh, and early days for Sober October too!

     

    Later…

  30. petec on

    leftclicktic on 6th October 2018 10:27 pm

     

     

    All I want tomorrow is 3pts for the Bhoys :)))

     

     

    Good night all

     

    ……………………………………………………………………….

     

     

    And I am very optimistic you will get them Pat.

     

     

    %%%%%%

     

     

    This World is crazier than ever now, always look for the constants.

     

     

    HH

  31. 16 roads. on

    PETEC on 6TH OCTOBER 2018 3:34 PM

     

     

    ——————————

     

     

    FIFA 19 looks outstanding mo chara. Pro Evolution Soccer as well, Celtic Park magnificent in all it’s splendor.

     

     

    Finnbogason is the one striker that we really should have signed when the opportunity arose, absolutely deadly.

     

     

    HH. ?

  32. weebobbycollins on

    David17 @ 10.21…big Mik needs a wee rest and Brendan, for some reason or other, doesn’t seem to want to play Gamboa…Hendry may not be ideal but our choices are limited…I have thought of KT playing on the right-cutting in on his favoured left…and Emilio on the left…yes? no?

  34. petec on

    Jamesie,

     

     

    CELTIC

     

     

    GLASGOW CELTIC!!!!!!

     

     

    It is a crying shame Celtic Park isnae in FIFA — or maybe not. Time will Tell.

  36. david17 on

    WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 6TH OCTOBER 2018 10:35 PM

     

    David17 @ 10.21…big Mik needs a wee rest and Brendan, for some reason or other, doesn’t seem to want to play Gamboa…Hendry may not be ideal but our choices are limited…I have thought of KT playing on the right-cutting in on his favoured left…and Emilio on the left…yes? no?

     

     

    ——–

     

    Right back situation is a mess. Hendry has been tried there before and it hasn’t worked, end result will be further damage to his confidence. Lustig best of a bad bunch I’m afraid.

  38. Sid1888 on

    Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas on 6th October 2018 9:50 pm

     

     

    I was in the enclosure that day and pretty sure the Huns deliberately took their time coming out for the 2nd half which left our bhoys all in position on the pitch and facing the Broomloan while we belted out YNWA. They knew that we knew Dundee Utd were winning the league and yet here we were 2-0 down to the Scum in their midden and we were giving it laldy. I’m pretty sure I can remember TB just standing in awe at the support, what a 2nd half

     

     

    HH

  41. setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on

    In this our worst start to a league since Dr. Jo’s time, we have won 4, drawn 1 and lost 2 (Hearts & Killie), scoring 7 and conceding 4.

     

     

    It is far too early in the season to lose much sleep. Provided we do better over the next 2 months, we can put this behind us. It is not a debilitating start.

     

     

    In season 2017/18, after 7 games we had won 6 and drawn 1(St. Johnstone) scoring 18 and conceding 3.

     

     

    In 2016/17, we were W6 D1 F 28 A 4

     

    In 2015/16 it was 5:1:1 with F17 A 9

     

    2014/15 was 4:2:1 F 15 A 6 – not very different to this year

     

    2013/14 was 6:1:0 F17 A 7

     

    2012/13 was 4:2:1 again with F 13 A 7

     

    2011/12 was 5:0:2 with F 16 A 6

     

    2010/11 was 7:0:0 with F 16 A 2 (we won our first 8 games before losing at Ibrox)

     

     

     

    The main thing to note is how much more we have usually scored by this date

     

     

    However in our 2 previous slow starts 2012 and 2014 respectively, after 7 games our fortunes varied. In 2012 games 8 to 12 read WWLDD- a truly dreadful start. In 2014 games 8 to 12 produced LWWWW- crisis avoided.

     

     

    I need not point out that our best start in 2010 was the last year we actually lost a league. All the other bad starts resulted in leagues won, even the terribly slow season of 2012.

     

     

    I am not trying to convince anyone that we are certainties just because we have done it before, from much worse circumstances. I am merely saying that October and November can see us redress this poor but far from exceptionally poor start to the current campaign.

     

     

    I would not like to have to recreate the feats of 2012 though, where we ended up winning by 20 points after a truly horrendous first 3 months.

     

     

    Time to put us in a handier league place with good results in Perth, and the 3 home games vs Hibs, Well and Hearts

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