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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Edinburgh’s Green n White
Has a ring to it…. Sort of!
HH jamesgang
Invite 12 / 15 fans onto pitch and tell them that their season ticket money has been sent to UEFA.
Invite more and more to cover the previous fines and, of course, the one that is coming our way.
Or show staged video of the above.
Headline or audio
Can you afford not to expose those who think so much of themselves but nothing of you or your club?
Oh-oh….that’ll be Embra Castle on the FF banned list now.
It is to be bathed in Green light to celebrate St Patrick’s day!! True story.
greetinintheirsaltnsaucecsc
Get a hold of your so called leaders of the GB /ultras and ask them what the score is, some one must be in charge, or has it went to far, is the tail wagging the dog AGAIN, strange when anything like this pops up they stay shtum, any one willing to put their hands up? Someone might but normaly, it’s a spokesperson, a joke, ok time for the appolligists with the excuses, and please please don’t bring thems into it, I don’t give a Fack what they do or sing, it’s Celtic I care about.
jamesgang
Auld Reekie will be Green and White that day.
To be fair it is a really good day out through here for Paddy’s Day. The grassmarket is a decent place to be and I assume Malone’s will be jumping. The local’s in Edinburgh don;t seem to mind and there are a lot of Irish people in Edinburgh.
May nip out for a Guinness myself.
LB
LB
My first house was a flat.
23 y/o
Top of the grassmarket.
Loved it! Must fly. Literally.
HH jamesgang
Footballing performance The Scottish FA have announced that Brian McClair has been appointed their new performance director
The 51-year-old, who earned 30 caps for Scotland, was recently the director of Manchester United’s youth academy.
LB
Was delighted with the way our team attempted to overcome all the difficulties that it encountered last evening. Sadly the efforts of our team are being forgotten due to one or two idiots who have no true feeling for Celtic. Just wee attention seekers, IMO.
Seventy thousand of us travelled to Seville and the world and Europe praised us for our sporting behaviour even on an occasion when we suffered an unwarranted defeat. Yet one or two neanderthals bring shame on the rest of us by their senseless actions.This senseless selfish behaviour must be rooted out. Supporters must close ranks and find a way to ostracize these idiots before they do more damage to this club of ours.
Tom. Great to see nir put a foot on the ball and control midfieid. It’s been a long long time since we saw that
But what happens on park has no consequences now
One good offer and he will be sold
Sad the way things are now
Mick TT
Prayer said,and a candle will be lit in ML5 for your Mother in law and your family.
Till later all
choresCSC
I see Eufa are set to add insult to injury over last night’s game. Bad enough that we should receive unmerited cards from a poor referee, we are in trouble from the beaks because of it!
Congratulations Choccy
Now things have gone way way too ridiculous. UEFA have called us to account for our players’ behaviour. 7 booked and only 1 bad challenge in the game, made by the scorer of the goal. Corrupt How can they be anything else. Is thon reprobate Dallas behind this?
Now we are being labelled as a dirty team as well as one with crowd issues. Seems very unfair.
Shows you how stupid the ref. Was and how uefa are acting is just as daft, all Celtic need to highlight is we where out of the tie and needed to score a goal, so the coach told the keeper to waste time? I wonder how that would go down? Fakin idiots, THEYR as bad as the flare brigade.
I see that the team that is Sevco in disguise are on TV tonight. I wonder what the songsheet will consist of.
Parkheadcumsalford
15:30 on 27 February, 2015
‘Is thon reprobate Dallas behind this?’
###
Maybe a bit of that, and a bit of the blowback from the referees ‘strike’.
UEFA are not daft.
Ref has shocker and rather than listen to criticism it is clever to go on the offensive.
We are familiar with such a tactic ……. Blame the victims.
Has the club officially complained about the refs performance last night, probably not.
Will the club appeal any decision if we are found guilty, probably not.
Do UEFA see our club as a soft touch, most likely, reap what you sew
squire danaher
had NL not been as short sighted as to rule out signing scottish players
Sorry, when did Lennon do this?
——————————————
Geordie Munro
“But for Bereszynski, we would have played no matches at all.”
Up over goal,
Utter pish.
Yep, cos if Berezynski hadn’t played, we would have marched on in Europe through the ‘losing 6-1 on aggregate’ rule.
canamalar
Spot on , until we stand up for ourselves UEFA / SFA /SPFL etc will keep on extracting the pash .
GCT
As normal it is your inability to interpret.
Our three best players choose any names you wish
HH
Those charges have Dallases paw marks all over it, paranoid?
livibhoy
15:17 on 27 February, 2015
Before I start winding up HUNS….are you at the wind up?
If the fans learned to behave the club wouldent need to complain bottom line.
Mick TT
A wee prayer said for all concerned.
fgf,
The support need to be reminded we will always be hopeless victims, so demanding justice can’t be allowed to happen, know your place timmy
Now WHOIS playing the victim?
Tim Malone Will Tell
15:19 on 27 February, 2015
‘So if the word “hun” gets banned for being sectarian – what next? “Sevco” – or maybe even “Zombie”?
Maybe we could move onto “Necro” – short for the necrophiliacs.
Seriously though – once anybody can invoke the law simply by saying “I am offended”,’
###
No.
They have to establish that the term refers to one or more of a number of categories, one of which is religion.
That’s why they’re desperate to convince people that the term hun refers to Protestants. It’s bollocks of course, we know it’s bollocks and they know it’s bollocks, but the handwringers like Nil By Mouth, MSPs etc don’t know. It’s just not something they’re familiar with or understand, but that won’t stop them going along with the charade.
canamalar
This sitting back and accepting the blame for everything has to stop , if the club / players /supporters do something wrong then accept the punishment and move on BUT if we are wrongly accused or being treated differently to others then we need to speak out.
It’s an automatic investigation by UEFA if any team has FIVE bookings during a game.
We had SEVEN, feck all to do with Dallas.
fgf,
That’s not going to happen, form what I’ve seen our lot are simply happy to keep skinning us, and they are no too bothered who else skins us as long as they get the lions share.
Right it is time for a frank discussion on who these clowns with Pyro are and get rid of them.
7 charges in 3 years is beyond a joke and this garbage needs to stop.
Their ongoing insistence on this kind of behaviour and stupid banners is hurting the club and the reputation of Celtic fans.
And some folk go on about wanting drink at football again.
Good grief.
As for the charge over player conduct that referee was the cause of it all. Nothing will be done about him.
caltontongues
I knew that, I was being faecious:)
Snake…,
Naw it’s no
CaltonTongues
15:51 on
It’s an automatic investigation by UEFA if any team has FIVE bookings during a game.
We had SEVEN, feck all to do with Dallas.
————
Are you sure mate? What about the referee’s strike?
Rumour has it the Slovakian Referee’s tea room has a wanted picture with the Celtic crest on it, such is there comradery with their stricken Scottish colleagues…
Nir Biton has looked a player from the day he arrived.
I’m very pleased with our progress under Ronnie and JC, I liked these appointments from day 1 and it’s great to witness the progress being made. We will need to find a couple of very good CB’s in the summer but if we can then the future looks bright.
I got a parking ticket this morning. I was only 10 minutes over my time. Bloody Hugh Dallas…. Grrrrrrrr!!