Craig Gordon
I think we all have a desire to be generous to Craig for a couple of reasons: as Ronny said, without him, we would not have gotten through the group stage, and we are due him some support after he spoiled his copy in the first leg. He returned to form last night, made several fine saves, but we would expect him to make all of them.
He also contributed a truly exceptional save from an offside attempt.
Adam Matthews and Emilio Izaguirre
Neither full back was as productive in the final third as they were a week ago, but that would have been a consequence of a different game plan, and the numerical disadvantage. There is a tendency to criticise our full backs, especially Izzie, for bombing forward and leaving gaps at the back, but this is their role in the team. It’s up to someone else to provide cover. We’re as strong at full back as I’ve known us.
Virgil van Dijk, Jason Denayer and Efe Ambrose
For two want-away players, this tie was a big stage. Virgil didn’t give a good account of himself. The first booking last night was incorrect. He stopped the player but played the ball and his challenge was never dangerous. Scouts watching his second yellow will have recorded that he made a very bad decision which ultimately cost his team. The referee had a nightmare, but the second yellow was a correct decision.
Jason and Efe played well. There was one moment Efe failed to follow a player in the box but Craig Gordon saved. Jason was comfortable throughout. If he wants a morality tale on what could happen if he returns to Manchester City, he should look no further than his team-mate up front.
Nir Bitton
The scouts who were there to watch Virgil would have left with a notebook full of comments about Nir Bitton. At Murrayfield against Legia, Nir was part of a midfield which included Mulgrew, McGregor and Johansen. It was an abject team performance and the Israeli bore much of the brunt of criticism.
Here’s the thing: I’m beginning to think he’s our best player. He could have played in any of the Champions League games I’ve watched this week, Sign him up, Peter.
Scott Brown, Stuart Armstrong, Stefan Johansen
A major reason last season’s European campaign was such a write-off was the absence of Scott Brown following his rush-of-blood red card and three game suspension. We need players with the ability and engine of Scott and Stefan, both must be a nightmare to play against.
Stuart Armstrong looks like he has been playing in this Celtic team for years. He’s fitted in very well and already looks like an automatic choice. Wait to see what he’s like after 6 months.
Gary Mackay-Stevens
I couldn’t believe the innate criticism of Ronny after the game on BT Sport for subbing Gary, who was our best player until that point, after the red card. When you are early in the game, away from home in the San Siro, it is a perfectly acceptable tactic to sacrifice a wide player (Gary was our only out-and-out wide player) for a defender or covering midfielder.
We didn’t win the game, but anyone who asserts that we would have won the game by leaving a wide player on in place of a covering midfielder or defender, is stretching credulity. The tactics chosen kept the game alive until the 88th minute, albeit the break required didn’t materialise.
When he was on the field, Gary won the ball in a central position, ripped 60 yards through Inter, before finding a team-mate. He looked to be revelling in the space and opportunity given to him.
John Guidetti, James Forrest, Chris Commons
This was a hard shift for all three. John could have had a penalty but thereafter found himself on his bum too often. He is a player who has not progressed as hoped under Ronny, yet, and has a lot of work to do between now and the end of the season.
James has not returned to his blistering performances from a couple of years ago, when he was clearly our M.V.P. As his limbs mature his speed and injury record could go either way. He’ll be with us for another few years, so Celtic have time to build resilience into those leg muscles and nerves.
Kris came on with 13 minutes left and used his unerring goal-sonar to squeeze an attempt out of the meagre provisions he had. He also appears to have updated the referee on what an incompetent clown he is at the end of the game.
This was the first of seven European away games we failed to score in this season, but the reasons we’re out of Europe all lie in what happened last week. You cannot make goalkeeping and defensive mistakes like that and remain in Europe, nor can you pass up so many clear-cut chances.
Don’t know where to start on the flare last night. I fear the next decision from Uefa will be more than a fine.
Thanks to everyone who donated to our Mary’s Meals school kitchen appeal yesterday while entering the ticket competition. The winner was informed by email a few moments ago, so check your inbox.
If you need tickets for the CQN St Patrick’s Dinner, with a Q&A with Packy Bonner, Joe Miller, Tommy Coyne and Tom Boyd, Archie Macpherson speaking about Jock Stein, and music from Patricia Ferns, let me know, celticquicknews@gmail.com
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Ronny sais he no blaming the ref, let’s move on, BFDJ sais both yellows where bang on, lol.
beatbhoy,
What about the forearm smash from the goal scorer earlier?
Micky.
Prayers said keep strong, give your mrs lots of love , attention ,lots of reassurance
And stay positive for her.
Best of luck mhate.
tonydonnelly67
Whit else wid a sticky like BFSDJ say:))
Anyone know how the ticket sales are going for Sunday ? Anywhere near a full hoose ?
Just listened to Ronny, liked what I heard:
In 7 years of management I have never criticised the Ref, yesterday was special, there was a lot going on and everybody seen it.
On the 12:00 K.O. it’s not fair on the Fans…soon we will be playing before Breakfast.
Good on you Ronny your becoming a strong man, shooting from the hip.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Celtic now charged by SPFL with being ‘too sexy n rock n roll’ following comments by noel Gallagher.
Charge refers to breach of Law 169(0)
———–
In a frank interview with The Irish Post, Noel Gallagher has spoken about why bands like Kasabian and Keane can’t compete with Celtic bands like Oasis and The Manic Street Preachers.
Gallagher, whose mother Peggy is from Mayo, also complained that while Oasis were never afraid to speak out, bands today are too concerned with being cool.
The Oasis lynchpin called out bands like The Arctic Monkeys, saying they are “invisible, they don’t say anything”.
“Liam and I were up for getting involved, moving to London and shaking things up”, he continued.
“Oasis weren’t cool. Now everybody is a bit too cool for school, cool is not standing in a corner with sunglasses, smoking a cigarette, drinking champagne and quoting Jack Kerouac. Cool is not giving a f**k about what you say or what you wear, cool is not being cool.”
Gallagher attributes his songwriting success with Oasis and as a solo artist to the joy and sense of hope that comes from his Irish roots.
“Live Forever has the saddest chords but the most uplifting message and that’s being Irish, the Irish can cry while they are drinking. They cry at funerals and then have the best party.
It’s the Celt in us. You find it in the Scottish, the Irish, Scousers and maybe the Welsh if you look at a band like the Manics. All the Celtic bands have that thing, these bands have something that the likes of Keane don’t have and will never possess.
The Libertines are fair enough but they don’t have that thing. U2 have got it – there’s a rage in Celtic people, not anger…there’s a joy that goes with it.”
The Celtic and Manchester City supporter also spoke about the tensions between his team and Rangers in the interview.
Asked about choosing between England and the Republic of Ireland in soccer Gallagher said he was a Republic of Ireland supporter and doesn’t consider himself to be “English at all”.
Gallagher has been speaking to the media ahead of the release of his new album, Chasing Yesterday, out March 2 and to promote his tour with Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds.
HH JamesGang
Ronny says Aberdeen have to win or at least draw to stay in the fight for the championship.
Mcinnes says there is still a lot to play for, win lose or draw.
Somehow, Sheila McLaren concludes that the managers are “again at loggerheads” !!
And David Moyes has reiterated his ambition to one day manage Celtic.
tonydonnelly67
18:00 on 27 February, 2015
So the same guy has done it 5 times ???
Mick tt
Thoughts and prayers for your Mother in law and your family
Given the comments on here, and my discussion of this morning, I thought I would go back and take a look at VVD’s bookings again …. fresh eyes, and all that …
On the first occassion, VVD was a second late, and the guy was turning him, and VVD went through him to stop the guy breaking… by the rules, a booking.
On the second one, VVD ended up on the wrong side of the player, who was behind him (goal side), and VVD clipped him to stop him getting away…. by the rules, a booking.
In both cases, I think the fouls were unnecessary, as I think the IM players were looking to go down, and would have gone down anyways…
but, if I’m being honest, I would want bookings if the fouls had been committed against a Celtic player.
So, were the bookings on the soft end of the scale? yes. but were they bookings? afraid so. More than anything, they were both mistakes and silly by VVD.
Sipsini
The list of “honest mistakes” is so long, I forgot that one, but had mentioned it earlier today, wondering how that merited the same punishment as VVD’s innocuous fouls, Craig’s, er, “time wasting” wtf? and KC’s dissent.
ExSlaemuirBhoy –
the usual 5 or 6 sections in the upper Lisbon Lions remain closed. But, per the online site, the rest of the ground looks pretty busy. So low 50-thousands by the look of it. A good chance we’ll have the 3rd highest attendance in the UK this weekend with only Man U and Arsenal attracting more (probably).
Can’t wait. 2 more sleeps ;-)
mike in toronto
Why bookings? Are fouls always a booking? HH
If the term ‘hun’ is about protestants why do so many protestants use it regarding fans of clubs whose home is/was Ibrox?
Aye good yin,huns!
opentoallcsc
Do you know, the word ‘Ultra’ translates from the originial Italian as ‘selfish wee tit’. Little known fact.
Cunninglinguistcsc
Mike in Toronto
So, replace ‘clip’ with ‘push’ in your analysis of VVD’s second foul, and Celtic should have had a penalty and Inter a man sent off when the Inter defender fouled Stuart Armstrong in the penalty box then?
Key moment of the tie for me.
As James Forrest Gump might have said………
“Huns is
as Huns does!”
18:26 on
27 February, 2015
Quite apart from what I would term the rather sinister element of many of the decisions of the officials last night – like sideline throws, penalty denied and no free kicks allowed to Celtic that I can remember in danger areas in the first half particularly and blatant corner kick just before Virgil got the line – John Guidetti’s display was a huge disappointment. This was the player I was really banking on to deliver in the San Siro. His timing and control were shocking. But give him credit for keeping us in the tie with his strike at Celtic Park.
Celtic have played a massive fourteen matches in Europe this season and I’ve really enjoyed the run. Sure Legia and Maribor were a letdown but then we had a new management team and the squad is now super fit and Ronny has a settled team. The central defensive situation will have to be sorted if Denayer and Virgil are for the off. Question mark over Guidetti will he go or will he stay.
Another big match on Sunday and Aberdeen are talking a great game at present and our young squad will be well up for this and will be well recovered by Sunday. Young players will thrive playing on front of 50,000 fans.
The flare guy wearing the sunglasses has been formally identified as Roy Orbison.
So the bold Spock has been beamed one final time.
Ard Macha
Up*
Ard Macha
Big game on Bt tonight, where in Europe is Falkirk?
Jobo Baldie
18:28 on
27 February, 2015
ExSlaemuirBhoy –
the usual 5 or 6 sections in the upper Lisbon Lions remain closed. But, per the online site, the rest of the ground looks pretty busy. So low 50-thousands by the look of it. A good chance we’ll have the 3rd highest attendance in the UK this weekend with only Man U and Arsenal attracting more (probably).
Can’t wait. 2 more sleeps ;-)
Thanks for that info , ditto I also canny wait
glendalystonsils…………..Probably the CANDY MAN
sipsini
of course not all fouls are bookings ….
No disrespect intended, but I dont have time today to go through chapter and verse as to why I think the fouls here fall within the ambit of yellow card … (I would be happy to chat further about it another time, if you want)
but for now, I will use a more simplified test…
if the fouls had been committed against Celtic, would I have wanted cards? Yes. and the truth is, I think most on here would say the same thing.
Too many on here have to take off their green-tinted specs … if for no other reason than praciticality … if these are the rules (like them or not), there is no point wailing about it … we have to learn to box smarter, or we will keep suffering.
beatbhoy … your question assumes your answer.
I looked at the SA incident… was it borderline? Yes (although 40/60, in my view) … have I seen them given like that? Yes. Have I seen them not given? Yes.
And, although I know you didn’t ask, but someone above did … just because the ref didn’t call a penalty, doesn’t mean that SA had to be booked for diving … sometimes, there is a middle ground … there can be contact, and a player can go down, all within the rules of the game … it doesn’t have to be either a penalty or a booking.
glendalystonsils
it’s Mr. T.Wilbury isn’t it ?
Mike IN Toronto…………Was the guy who elbowed Johansen in the face even booked?
Evening all.
Wonderful effort by the lads. Great pace and fitness throughout.
I’ve been craving this professional approach from a Celtic team for years and am loving it.
God bless Ronnie Deila. Still mistakes being made but we’ll get there.
Flares? Simple context and solution for me.
Context? 50,000 Euros in fines is £1 onto every season ticket.
Solution? Find the guy, if he earns enough not to qualify for legal aid (which is now most people in civil court), bring a case against him and hang him out to try.
In future – no one else will wear a Celtic jersey and light a flare if it costs them their house.
BTW – had the misfortune of listening to BBC Scotland for 5 minutes in the car just now.
The comments of “Rangers loving” Richard Wilson about our club and its fans are a total disgrace and should be challenged by all of us.
A subtle well spoken bigot is still a bigot.
Hail Hail
Sipsini, what time do the huns get boo’d onto the park tonight. Mrs acgr is away oot galavanting so I might watch that for a laugh.
BTW, I was only kidding about the neighbors cat. Its like rangers, its deid.
mike in toronto
but for now, I will use a more simplified test…
if the fouls had been committed against Celtic, would I have wanted cards? Yes. and the truth is, I think most on here would say the same thing.
Too many on here have to take off their green-tinted specs … if for no other reason than praciticality … if these are the rules (like them or not), there is no point wailing about it … we have to learn to box smarter, or we will keep suffering.
————-
Do you think if those two fouls had been committed by the Inter centre half last night, the ref would’ve given 2 yellows and sent him off?
mike in .
I do realise where you are coming from, but, I saw a replication of an elbows incident that was in a scottish referees way dealt with.
That, I don’t find acceptable in any form, although it is common practice from a new club, which will be witnessed and washed away tonight…ringers are ringers.
Apologies, Toronto..:-)
a ceiler gonof rust
Love that word ‘galavanting’. It was a well worn phrase in our house when we were young.
My Ma would have repeatedly said: “I’ll put a stop to your galavanting” or “Your galavanting days are over ”
Ard Macha
Stringer bell
CunninglinguistCSC
Woo. Had to read that twice:-)
hankray … not trying to dodge … but I am at work, and usually check in during lunch break .. I thought it was a foul… it can be difficult, if it is intentional, then perhaps a straight red… but to be fair, I would have to go back and watch the video again before commenting properly … can do so later, and will let you know, if that’s okay.
HH
Live long and prosper in the next world, Leonard Nimoy.
anotherlinktomychildhoodgoneCSC