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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We win or we draw or we lose when it comes to down to it, and down to the manager/coach and the players on the pitch.
I see Peter Lawwell has infiltrated the blog and it’s all Brendan’s fault.
When another puppet replaces him, it will be interesting or hilarious, or whatever takes your fancy to see you all whinging when it all goes wrong, sometimes you get what you wish for and it’s not what you wished for, be warned.
Prudence is the boards watch word, it will be cheaper and more prudent if they back Brendan than it will be in the long run not to, IMO obviously, nearly forgot.
That was a depressing read back.
We have the best manager, the best pool of player’s and
93 points to play for, too much navel gazing will affect your
mental heath.
Nye B- very true mate,but the lack of progress in our play in Europe, has become a worry, and more of a concern, a predictable outcome, worthy of comment, and criticism IMO HH
Selfish egomaniacs putting themselves before the club…sweep them out.
I think FATHER JACK has been on the Toilet Duck again Dougal
BB………….we’re all worrying comrade and rightly so,a few win’s is
all we need.
So list of contenders then?
Desmond’s list
Jim McGuiness
Roy Keane
Joe Kinnear
Shergar
Lawwell list
Jack Ross
Craig Levein
Steve Clark
Not Neil Lennon
Any Austrian second division boss who could be lined up to replace the Red Bull guy.
RON BACARDI on 5TH OCTOBER 2018 7:56 PM
Go away and annoy someone else, you are boring and a bit of a twat.
We are honest tradesmen not master craftsmen.Other clubs with far more financial clout have tried to win trophies in europe and have failed miserably.Let us put this week to bed and start by winning on Sunday.Once again I applaud those who went to Austria and came home crestfallen.I salute you!!!!
Nye- a win on Sunday, a couple of weeks off,need to take stock, and try and develop a Plan B….Molumbu looks like he has the right stuff.
Highest wage bill, so what, we have millions in the bank.
Peter will have his biggest bonus ever, so thats all that really matters.
they will be pulling the big covers out for the top teir for next season.
if we end this season without the title, but still with millions in the bank, then its an abject failure.
if we get beat at saint johnstone will the fans sing sack the board. or brendan get tae,
or nothing at all.
FATHER JACK,,
Know yourself
You can take the League Cup and ram it up Sevco’s erse, and choke them on the Scottish Cup while you’re at it.
And as they spit-roast on silverware and froth over Slippy G, as long as the Hoops take the next 3 titles I’ll be THE happiest Tim you ever saw and will drink and laugh and toast every one of those millennial ‘SPL means nothing,’ fannies.
TEN. Yup. ;))
RON BACARDI on 5TH OCTOBER 2018 8:06 PM
You started with the insults, you are acting like a hun, you obviously don’t have the brains to dismiss or debate against what I say so you attack the messenger, it’s what huns do.
FATHER JACK,
You are obviously on the toilet duck
gonny no start the personal insults, gies a break will yease.
right lets put this to bed, some posters said before, what if salsburg beat liepsig and then we go through to the next round or words to that effect, sorry I don’t wont anymore humpings in Europe, because the next round brings up even better teams .lets concentrate on the league league cup and Scottish cup.hh.
Perth on Sunday is huge. We have a great manager and highly talented players when they work hard. We need that work rate Sunday.
YNWA
Chill and have a wee dance.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3Bkx66lOKQ
Peter Lawwell should have gone in the same taxi as Ronny Deila…
WBC
In the Mowbray taxi for me.
YNWA
SAINT STIVS on 5TH OCTOBER 2018 8:16 PM
Yip, tell yer man, he started it again.
All I want is to post without being insulted for my views, obviously too much to ask for, CQN is going down hill rapidly, the Lawwell attack dogs don’t like what you are posting so they round on you.
I am only saying what others are and they are left alone, newbies are fair game on CQN, hun like in the extreme.
Whatever happened to the kids born after our famous Night in Lisbon who were given middle names of Simpson Craig Gemmell Murdoch McNeill Clark Johnstone Chalmers Wallace Auld Lennox…are they still around? Do any of them post on here? There were a few….
the traffic guy ………… connolly stein
DD…whenever…we need new blood in every department. I saw a shot of the board last night…Bankier, Brian Wilson…what exactly do they offer?
Father Jack
It is a poor show if you feel you are being targeted. Don’t understand Toilet Duck patter.
YNWA
Good night all thank you for being here.
TravellerBhoy if yer lurking
Keep talking & Y.N.W.A
WBC
How would we know what they offer?
Tighter than the Masons oor PLC. Possibly more secretive too.
YNWA
These people don’t bleed Celtic…pounds first…pounds last. They don’t sing, they don’t do the huddle. Are their weekends ruined when we lose? Do they take the fans for granted? Oh for the spirit of Tommy Burns…
Leftclick
GNGB P
YNWA
This has all the makings of a long hard season. With the notable exception of RIFC every SPL team has sussed Celtic. Right now, only KT has the ability to burst through behind packed defences. Dembele – when fit and interested – had the physique, skill and presence to frighten any defence, anywhere. He has gone and I’m not sure we could have kept him but LG cannot replace his quality.
Edouard may well become an outstanding player for us – as important as Dembele at his best. But he is young and at his age confidence is the key factor. Our best hope now may lie in a system specifically customised to play to EO’s strengths.
DELANEYS DUNKY on 5TH OCTOBER 2018 8:30 PM
Thanks, it’s no problem really, at the end of the day, posters who act hun like will always have more sleepless nights than I will.
Never expected anything out of last night’s game. In fact never expect anything from any European game now. Don’t even look forward to them or enjoy them.
That’s a sad place to be.
And the sadder thing is, I can’t see it changing any time soon.
Domestically, I’d prioritise winning Ten over everything else as I’m sure that this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for most who post on here.
still game hogmaney special
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2314/2199644258_d2f5c57cba.jpg
FJ
I enjoy your debate.
Keep on keepin on.
YNWA
Fritzsong…now that Dembele has gone, does O E still want to be here?
Did not expect us to win last night so not surprised by result.
One of our biggist issues is that we spend far to much of our income on squad fillers. We should have 20 first teamers, thereafter it should be a case of dipping into the young team. The young team should contest the league cup.
Ddv, lustig, gamboa, izzy, boyata, christie, alan and comperr (out of contect end of season) are prime examples of this. Bitton, hayes, Miller, benyu and ralston also fall into the same criteria but have more time on their contracts. sinclair is fast falling into this group and i have saw enough of hendry to know i dont want to see anymore of him.
In january we need to sign up a right back with pace, positioning and a willingness to tackle, a bully of a centreback willing to go where it hurts and and a big target man who likes the physical battle and can hold up the ball.
HH