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How did we do at the San Siro?

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

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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  5. jamesgang on

    ACGR

     

     

    Lennybhoy had a spare for cqn11 earlier in the week.

     

     

    See you sunday bro.

     

     

    Up at 6 for daddy taxi duties so bedtime for this Tim.

     

     

    HH jamesgang

  14. southside on

    macha

     

     

    00:01 on 28 February, 2015

     

     

    Just invested in one of them new fangled record player thingies. Looked out my old vinyl from the attic. A fair amount of Clash stuff in there.

     

    Foolishly sold much of my collection when cd’s were all the rage. Had to replace London Calling….£20 for an album! My original had a sticker reading “pay no more than £5 for this album”

  16. petec on

    Gordon64

     

     

    23:51 on 27 February, 2015

     

     

    The tie against Inter was essentially lost

     

    in the the first 15 minutes at CP.

     

    The remaining 165 minutes was always going

     

    to be just a valiant effort.

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

     

    Alrite Big Chap, it was Great to see you again over in Belfast.

     

     

    I disagree, we had them rattled at Celtic Park, and in their own home. We might even have won it, if Luck was on our side, playing so long in the San Siro with 10 men and if the goalscorer had been sent off…….

     

     

    Thursday night was a Powerful performance against a team that got help it didn’t deserve.

     

     

    Ronny the Rattler

  19. petec on

    Twinbhoy

     

     

    23:50 on 27 February, 2015

     

     

    One day, justice will be served. Celtic FC will become the biggest ..truth..

     

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     

     

    The Truth is always the winner.

     

     

    HH Great comment.

  20. Árd Macha on

    southside,

     

     

    Did the same a long time ago myself. Only got back into my music a couple of years ago when I broke my ankle and spent my Friday nights on twitter posting tunes from grooveshark.

     

     

    There was always wine involved, but I have recently returned to CQN to torture yiz.

     

     

    Doing Lent means tonight’s tunes are alcohol free:-)

     

     

    Ard Macha

  24. Gerryfaethebrig on

    árd macha

     

     

    00:07 on 28 February, 2015

     

     

    It’s Saturday morning…..

     

    A few songs of fallen heroes would be good or a wee love story like “Grace”

     

     

    Hue & Cry….. They are still looking for Linda

     

     

    Fourgreenfields……we need a bit of help

  25. ohits on

    Was on you tube watching wee Jay and his goal of the Month celebration when it dawned on me the wee man has won more than the Huns this year , Legend .

  27. mike in toronto on

    ard macha

     

     

    Billy Bragg, the Clash, the Beat … three of my favourites… add in the Kane bhoys, and you are on fire tonight.

  31. Gordon64 on

    The game was a bogey when Virgil was sent off.

     

    RD then subbed GMS for Effe for tactical reasons.

     

    The substitution of Guidetti for James Forrest

     

    made no sense whatsoever.

     

    Better leaving GMS on the park and bringing on KC.

  33. The Raven on

    Árd Macha

     

     

     

     

    00:13 on

     

     

    28 February, 2015

     

     

     

     

    Dd,the raven,

     

     

    Glad you enjoyed. The Clash; my favourite band of all time.

     

     

    A couple more tunes then bed.

     

    —————————————————————————–

     

    Ard , yes the clash were some band .

     

     

    Had the privelege to see them at the apollo in 1980 , amazing gig .

     

     

    White man ma fav clash song

     

     

    Saw in an old record shop ‘ give em enough rope’ vinyl was selling

     

    for £20 , still got the original in the house , no way in prime condition

     

    but still there , wonder if it would still play on turntable !

  34. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    Gordon64, no it wasn’t. It was over when the ref sent VVD off. We were very much in the tie up until that point. We were matching Inter and were showing no fear of going forward. The sending off and the rearrangement (James Forrest) killed any chance we had of progressing.

     

     

    The referee last night killed our European hopes, he also ruined what was shaping up to be a very good spectacle as a football game.

     

     

    Paranoia aside, I think these pricks (referee’s) need to understand that millions of people worldwide want to see a contest, and their killing of the contest is detrimental to their own financial progression.

  35. Gerryfaethebrig on

    a ceiler gonof rust

     

     

    23:59 on 27 February, 2015

     

     

    See Lennybhoy first, but I hav a couple of tickets waiting on people getting back to me for CQN11, if needed Lennybhoy can drop me a text and you can definitely have one of mine.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  36. southside on

    árd macha

     

     

    00:19 on 28 February, 2015

     

     

    Nae alcohol on a Friday aarrgggh. A step too far.

     

    Was on the vino earlier, moved on to jd,n,coke. Paracetamol later.

     

    Apols for losing half you’re moniker on the last post.

  37. A Ceiler Gonof Rust on

    G64, two more things.

     

     

    1. I’m not in any way blaming James Forrest for last nights outcome.

     

     

    2. How you doing ya big lump:-)

     

     

     

    HH

  40. topkat on

    Aberdeen fans ticket allocation only 1800 for sunday…..would have thought they would have brought between 5-6 thousand…..

  42. Árd Macha on

    southside,

     

     

    This is weekend number two. No one likes their drink more than me, but I’m also a stubborn wee bassa, so should stick it through to Easter.

     

     

    Donegal will need to give me a wide berth when I head down there at Easter.

     

     

    Ard Macha

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