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Hibernian v Celtic, Live updates

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  2. Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan on

    Good Morning.

     

     

    A very good point was made earlier about how the shape of the game changed when Olivier Ntcham left the filed of play and I think this needs to be considered more.

     

     

    Craig Gordon is a shot stopper. We know that there are certain elements of his game, such as cross balls and distribution which could be better, but his ability to make reflex saves is second to none and replacing him with someone of similar quality will be a problem.

     

     

    There is no need to discuss Kieran Tierney other than to say that every now and then the bhoy needs a rest. Ferguson was brilliant at giving his young players a week or two off at Old Trafford and if you want the best out of Kieran we should find away to let him away every now and then.

     

     

    Mikael Lustig has been a great servant to Celtic, will play in the world cup finals and, like Gordon, will be difficult to replace with someone of equal quality and/or someone who has the passion that Captain Jack shows for Celtic. Young Ralston is good, and strong, but we need to see mor eof him in the first team to get the measure of the boy failing which we need to buy.

     

     

    Celtic had great hopes for Jozo when he was signed. The word within was that we had unearthed a really quality centre back. He is injury prone however. As for Dedryck Boyatta, he has played at every level for Belgium and, in my opinion, is a very good centre back though not a world beater – then again where do you get a world beating centre back?

     

     

    Van Djyk was slaughtered when partnering Efe in certain performances – other than that we have not had anyone who can contend for being a world class centre. The Likes of Reiper and Mjalby were absolutely top class though maybe not world class, yet they were helped by having a midfield in front of them that was of a different calibre to the current midfield selections.

     

     

    And that is my point.

     

     

    Celtic have strikers who can score in a variety of different ways but what we don’t have is a creative, physical and dominant midfield of a level which is needed for top class European Football.

     

     

    The midfield is the engine room, the heartbeat, the fulcrum of both defense and attack.

     

     

    An opposing team has to play through, beyond, out wide or behind a good midfield and that allows defenders to read the game and go about their business with aplomb. A midfield who can show for the ball and keep it under pressure makes the work of a defender – a good defender- so much easier.

     

     

    Equally, a midfield that creates, can get beyond its attackers, can play them in, has vision and can see when the opposition is out of position or has left a gap can make a good attacker a great attacker in terms of goal scoring opportunities.

     

     

    A strong midfield of winners also makes a team confident from front to back. They puff out their chest, put their foot on the ball, get hard in the tackle and produce passes which draw the breath and make the heart beat faster — and that is just the spectator. The player on the pitch is no different.

     

     

    I can tell many a second hand story of players who have seen and felt the benefit of the classy midfielder in their team. Strikers whose goals totally dried up when a certain team mate was absent and defenders who shipped goals repeatedly when someone else didn’t line up in front of them.

     

     

    Celtic lost their way yesterday when Olivier Ntcham left the pitch because, with respect to his replacement, that replacement was simply not Olivier Ntcham and does not play the game the same way, in the same position or with the same simplicity as Ntcham.

     

     

    I like Stuart Armstrong, I like his drive when he is on form etc but he is up and down a bit these days but he does not sit with Brown, who is by far our outstanding midfielder, and fill a gap, control the flow, dictate the play and acts as a lynchpin in the middle of the park.

     

     

    Once that was gone, the Hibs boys saw a gap, were able to pull the rest of the midfield about and so forced Celtic to lose shape at times and make mistakes.

     

     

    I have heard a rumour that Celtic are looking to bring in 5 players in the forthcoming window, 3 young prospects and 2 players who would be ready for first team European Class duty.

     

     

    Brendan Rodgers is amassing a wealth of young talent for a future team – a collection of Brendan’s Bhoys like the Kelly Kids or the Quality Street Gang who can flit in and out of the first team to learn their trade.

     

     

    However, no matter what we think of some of our current players, no matter how much we like them, are fond of them and think they are good, Brendan Rodgers will want to aim higher, for better quality, for a better calibre, for players who will single handedly and as part of a team make a differnce, and players who will make other people play better in their chosen positions.

     

     

    Such players, more often than not, are midfield players who make defenders bigger and stronger, and attackers quicker and more deadly.

     

     

    I hope that our view of our current squad is about to be radically changed by our own manager. Not only that, I hope that the board’s view of our current team ethos, management, capability and potential is about to be educated by our current manager.

     

     

    At the current time, our midfield is comprised of Scott Brown and any three others.

     

     

    It might be Scott Brown, Olivier Ntcham and two others.

     

     

    If it changes to Scott Brown, Another automatick pick, and Olivier Ntcham plus one – then you will see a corresponding improvement in both backs and strikers.

     

     

    We live in privileged and interesting times. Tomorrow we may well live in a time of real opportunity.

     

     

    At least, I hope so!

     

     

    BRTH

     

     

    PS The Mary’s Meals appeal has now reached a fantastic £2600 plus thanks to the generosity of some truly fantastic people, but overall we need to his £11k to feed the 805 kids.

     

     

    However, if we can get it up to around £5k Mary’s Meals will match this and take the project very close to target so if you have a couple of quid spare then please donate it here.

     

     

    It costs £13.90 to feed a child for a whole year. Yeah — £13.90 FOR A YEAR!!

     

     

    https://www.marysmeals.org.uk/fundraising/project/jim-mcginley/st-anthonys-balfron-appeal-for-a-meal-1

  3. Philbhoy on

    ART OF WAR

     

     

    Sad news.

     

     

    Prayers said for her family and friends.

     

     

    May Alison rest in peace.

  4. soukous on

    That’s Sinclair now Boyata Lennons had a go at I would like to see him being called out on his comments on these players the sheer hypocrisy after the penalty in the Semi -Final and the tug back on Sinclair in the league game.He is not the Celtic manager and shouldn’t have a free pass to criticise our players as he pleases.

  5. Turkeybhoy on

    BROGAN ROGAN TREVINO AND HOGAN on 11TH DECEMBER 2017 10:10 AM

     

    Good Morning.

     

     

     

    Great post.I could not agree more.Most times,the manager gets the subs right.Yesterday,he did not.

     

    I know I keep banging the drum for Eboue to play,but why he has not had a run of games is a mystery to me.He alongside Broony and Ntcham would seem ideal to me.Ntcham has stated that his best position is playing behind the front men,playing the other two would enable this.

     

    The midfield is looking a bit stale.Probably the amount of games.IMHO,it needs freshened up.Players need rested.

  8. corkcelt on

    A couple of interesting posts on the scroll back, one from Fan-a-tic last night & BRTH this morning.

     

    Fan-a-tic makes the point about the site morphing into a cabal of ubertims who are stifling legitimate discussion on players & tactics & BRTH makes the point that regardless of how much we love individual players there is always room for improvement.

     

    I must admit that my troll alert antennas may have made me a bit intolerant of team criticism from time to time & when you look at the big picture of 4 consecutive Trophies & 68 Domestic Games unbeaten it appears the height of nonsense & stupidity to question either Brendan or the team.

     

    However not to do so is to become complacent and to just expect that success will simply go on & on and expect that this year the team will suddenly up a gear & once more win the League at a canter.

     

    I for one am taking the points made on board and will endeavor to be more tolerant of opposing views.

  9. corkcelt on

    Re Ebouie, I think some Poster yesterday said there was a disciplinary problem & he had gone AWOL for a period. I have no idea whether that is true or not.

     

     

    Re Lennon, I am getting a wee bit disillusioned with him myself. I could be wrong but after Efe scored the big man had the presence of mind not to celebrate and we well know how he loves to celebrate. There was a quick shot of Lennon & I could swear he was cupping his ears at the Celtic Support & as far as I remember he also did it when Stokes scored penalty, again that day Stokes didn’t celebrate either.

  10. Greenpinata on

    AOW,

     

     

    So sorry to hear your sad news. Your family has been through the mill this year. RIP Allison.

     

     

    My thoughts and prayers are with you and yours. May God grant you a better 2018.

     

     

    Best wishes

     

    Mark-C.

  11. 50 shades of green on

    Rube v spurs

     

    Basel v man city

     

    Porto v Lpool

     

    Seville v man U.

     

    Real Madrid v PSG.

     

    Shaktar D v Roma

     

    London Huns v Barcelona

     

    Bayern v besiktas.

  13. Jimbob on

    Cork Celt,I mentioned Koussa, yesterday,I asked were has he disappeared to,like has he A W O L, I think Brendan or the Club should give us updates,on some of the players ,who have gone off the radar.

  15. Billy Bhoy on

    Real Madrid v PSG

     

    Wowee!

     

    So one of these two is only going to play two more games in the CL than Celtic did! Same for Barca and Chelsea.

     

     

    Hopefully we will still be in Europe after the two defeated teams.

     

     

    Mon the draw!

  19. starry plough on

    Plzeň’s best UEFA Europa League campaign so far ended in a round of 16 loss to Lyon in 2013/14. The Czech club’s captain has one team in mind when it comes to today’s draw, Roman Hubník telling UEFA.com: “I would like to get Celtic and I think our fans would like that too.” However, team-mate Tomáš Hořava has a hunch that they will get København or Lyon.

  20. Hunderbirds are Gone on

    My thoughts on the game.

     

    A draw, when you have been leading 2-0 late in the game, always feels like a defeat. So the tone of the blog after the game was downbeat and critical. Conversely, if Celtic had stormed back from a two goal deficit late in the game, to snatch a draw, the tone of the blog would have been upbeat and triumphalist. Yin yang.

     

     

    I thought on the whole, we had good control of the game against a dangerous opponent. With better finishing we could have scored a few more goals. Credit to Hibs, they worked hard, stuck at it, and got amply rewarded for their efforts.

     

     

    Scottish teams have adjusted better to our style of play this season, and most of our domestic games have been tighter this year.

     

     

    The winter break can’t come quickly enough. We have had a lot of injuries, so doubt we have played any games recently without a few players carrying niggles, and this has to have an effect on performance. More importantly a wee break is required, just to re-set mentally. We have featured in a number of high pressure competitive games already this season. Six CL qualifiers, six CL Group games, four league cup knock out games along with some difficult league games. Most of our players have been involved in important International games too. The players, and the coaches have faced a series of summits, and as soon as they conquer one, another one rears up ahead of them, so imo, a wee break is needed. Actually, not just my opinion, Brendan commented on how important the winter break was to our successful season last year.

     

     

    On players, I really do think Dedryck Boyata has unfortunately peaked as a footballer. For a while, he seemed to be improving, but recent errors have shown that he can not eradicate the sloppiness in his play. He will always be prone to costly errors and therefore can never be a top class Central defender. A replacement is required there. Broonie can’t go on forever, and we should be looking to acquire his helper/replacement soon. However the rest of the squad, all have time on their side, and whilst to progress, you should always be on the lookout for affordable better players than you have, I reckon we may be closer than we think to having a European level competitive team. The financial issue means we probably can never again expect to seriously challenge for European trophies but qualifying for the CL last 16, or EL in the new year more often than not, should be possible, and if we can dish out the occasional flat face to the nouveau riche, well that would be good.

     

     

    Watch us go in the league Europa League and Scottish Cup after the winter break.

     

     

    Glasswellfullfeelingtoday. CSC

  23. Big Georges Fan Club - Hail, Hail, Wee Oscar on

    Hello this is WEE BGFC. Keep the updates coming! thank you CQN

     

    HOWHAVEINOBEENCAUGHTYETCSC

     

     

    HH

     

    WEE BGFC

  24. Silver City 1888 on

    Just saw the highlights on Sportscene. The general criticism of this programme is that it makes the other team look as if they stood a chance against us. The feeling I’ve been left with is how on earth did we lose points there? Well, better finishing and a bit more awareness of fellow players would have seen all the points heading our way. It looked like we played well and certainly not anywhere near justifying the gum bumping that has been coming from certain quarters.

  25. jamesgang on

    We’ve now lost more points than we did all last season. Either we’ve got worse, the opposition has got better or the MIBs are costing us points.

     

     

    It’s not the final option. And I think it’s a bit of the other two combined.

     

     

    As for our Bhoys,It’s not simple cos humans are involved. Never predictable beasties!

     

     

    JF so much improved. SS a shadow of last year.

     

    CalMac doing well with now lightning acceleration. SA accelerating just as fast, but in the wrong direction.

     

     

    Teams from anderlecht to Hibs have worked out that a high, tight press asks questions of our preferred means of playing it out from the back.

     

     

    Yesterday KT was at times left struggling for options at a throw in. Not good enough.

     

     

    Completely agree with BRTH that the engine room isn’t currently powerful enough. And that we need to spell KT, phase in Lustig’s successor and plan for the post Broonie era. Getting McGinn in beside him would postpone that awful day.

     

     

    Saw McGinn play for St Mirren at Celtic Park. He was a brilliantly bloody nuisance to Broonie all day. Said then we should bring him home.

     

     

    Think that still more so now.

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  27. glendalystonsils on

    Great post by BRTH. It’s difficult to criticise ,far less replace players who have brought us so much domestic success, and discussion of players failings/limitations on the blog does seem to bring a backlash from the ‘faithful through and through’ gestapo.

     

    However, you can bet that whatever misgivings are expressed on the blog, Brendan will have too. No matter how difficult , he will be looking to address weaknesses in the forthcoming transfer windows.

  31. embramike says ” Yer team’s deid…Beat it!” on

    Europa League round of 32

     

    Celtic v Zenit

     

    Home leg Thursday 15th Feb – away leg Thursday 22nd Feb

     

    KO times – 8:05 pm or 6 pm (CP time) – to be confirmed

  32. 50 shades of green on

    Dortmund v atalanta.

     

    Nice v loco Moscow.

     

    Copenhagen v A Madrid.

     

    Spartak Moscow v Athletic Club

     

     

    Aek v Kiev

     

    Celtic v Zenit

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