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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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  11. Delaneys Dunky on

    DBhoy

     

    Motorcycle Emptiness is one of the greatest songs ever written. Listen closely to the lyrics.

     

    Wonderful words.

     

    YNWA

     

    MSP CSC

  12. petec on

    Oh Ok OJ

     

     

    Wrong/Right.

     

     

    OMG I know I am Blessed having Incredible dudes (is that allowed now) there for me if I need HELP.

     

     

    I Don’t need Help….. Anyone, I mean Anyone who bad mouths Believers….. Sorry.

  13. Dbhoy on

    DD

     

    It’s memories of a great holiday in Gran Canaria and watching the hoops beat Souness’s Blackburn in their ain midden.

     

    Only took 2 cd’s one was manics ‘ forever delayed ‘ brilliant best of, played it to death .

     

     

    HH

  14. petec on

    Dbhoy on 6th October 2018 11:55 pm

     

     

    Petec

     

     

     

     

    Brilliant live band,Oasis headlining ?

     

     

     

    ……………………………………………………

     

     

    Yo Bro, I got a bad experience of OASIS @ the Exhibition Centre. Crap Sonic.

     

     

    I am more into OASIS than Ever before because of my Son.

  20. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    MACJAY

     

     

    The sound is all over the place on that,very badly distorted.

  22. Delaneys Dunky on

    DBhoy and MacJay

     

    I prefer The Kings of Leon to The Rolling Stones. These days. ?

     

    YNWA

  24. Dbhoy on

    BMCW

     

    Great article you posted earlier, more like a manifesto mind :))

     

     

    Big shift started in the 70s – privatisation, deregulation of financial sector and tax cuts/evasion for the weathiest in society. What could possibly go wrong?

     

     

    HH

  25. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 7TH OCTOBER 2018 12:19 AM

     

     

    I know , Bobby .

     

    Just liked the authenticity of an unusual live performance and the attempt , I assume , to cut off Jimmy Savile at the start.

     

     

    What is it with Trump and Stones music ?

     

    Fame and the opportunities it provides .

     

    :-)

  26. Tontine Tim on

    Remember we used tae sing:

     

     

    We don’t care if we win lose or draw/what the animals say,

     

    What the hell do we care, for its all we know,

     

    Is that there going to be a show,

     

    And the Glasgow Celtic will be there.

     

     

    Disnae happen now win lose or draw, time tae get back to that and entertain the troops.

     

     

    Huns winning the morra, GTF, how many recall them going up tae the pen where a big sheep win, 5-0, and us losing gives the home side the title, 4-0 at half time where we are drawing 0-0, we stepped up in the 2nd half winning 3-0 retaining our title.

     

     

    They didnae try a leg but it came back tae bite them on the erse a week later when the sheep gubbed them 4-1 AET in the SC Final. The current ebt national side manager scored the equaliser for the sheep, big “he’s fat he’s round” put them ahead, WGS scored a 2nd and Neal Cooper RIP scored the 4th. 2 former huns and 2 exTims done them that day.

     

     

    Jack the lad at right back, why no, Bob Kelly played a young big Billy there moving Dunky MacKay tae right half, this was before Pat Crerand made the breakthrough and Bobby Evans was our centre half and captain. BTW some at the time said Billy widnae make it.

  30. petec on

    Macjay,

     

     

    Trump is reprehensible as a Person, He is, IMO trying to Save Lives.

     

     

     

    David Attenborough showed his true Colours this week. He should read a Bible.

     

     

    CELTIC

  31. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    TONTINE TIM on 7TH OCTOBER 2018 12:28 AM

     

     

    I remember the release of the Celtic song in `61 .

     

    A sanitised version of the song we sang on the terraces.

     

     

    ” Darn the hair we care ? ”

     

    I remember thinking at the time :

     

    Jeez. Give us a break . Embarrassing .

     

     

    At a time when the huns absolutely ruled us.

  33. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    PETEC on 7TH OCTOBER 2018 12:36 AM

     

     

    Trump ?

     

     

    Nobody`s perfect . Including Trump .

     

    I don`t think the punters care.

     

    He may well have inherited his mum`s ” protestant work ethic ” .

     

    It certainly would reflect the lowest U.S. unemployment rate for 49 years .

  34. macjay1 for Neil Lennon on

    D.D.

     

     

    Not too many bands and types of music I dislike.

     

     

    However , Sex pistols ?

     

    No thanks .

  38. Dbhoy on

    DD

     

    I seen them at festival hall ( think barrowlands ) in Melbourne, in my top concerts I’ve ever been to

  40. Gutenberg on

    Roy Croppie

     

    You’re music choice is almost a parallel to mine. Thanks amigo.

     

    But, earlier someone said that they’d prefer the Hun to win on Sunday…

     

    Really…

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