It’s a bit frustrating being so close to qualification for the knock out stages last night before a momentary lapse cost us late in the game, but there were plenty of positives. 60 minutes into last month’s game at Celtic Park against Astra, taking four points from them looked very ambitious. We played considerably better last night in the corresponding home game, or in the home game against Dinamo Zagreb.
Celtic are functioning better in midfield, while defensively they’re also looking solid. We acknowledged some weeks ago that without Guidetti or Commons we would struggle to create and execute chances, and so it proved.
With Anthony Stokes also out the picture, Leigh Griffiths got the nod to replace Stefan Scepovic and instantly brought some drive to the forward line. He was unfortunate that his ‘goal’ was disallowed for a debatable infringement, but he just brings the kind of purpose inside the box that we didn’t have until his arrival.
We’re now four games unbeaten in this competition, and we’re improving. The evidence suggests that Salzburg have also improved since we took a point from them on match day one. Last night’s result in Zagreb was impressive, but Salzburg will face their stiffest test of the group at Celtic Park.
Still fancy our chances of winning the group.
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mike in toronto
16:01 on
7 November, 2014
I agree – perfect opportunity to test things.
However, in fairness to Celtic I think we are doing that this year.
For example, I would have thought Ronnys vision of 4-2-3-1 based on fast moving and inter play would have carved open teams in the SPL but so far, that looks like the defensive formation it isnt at home, when playing against blanket defences.
So, and I think Ronny is learning and adapting in all honesty – he has to find a system that will allow 2 players to play up front at home and use his preferred system away where teams are a wee bit more adventurous.
BUT
Hes tried the 2 up front recently, with a 4-4-2 formation and he, probably, like me saw the reversion back to sideward passing, forward play down the wings and then wasted crosses into the box.
The next trial and error is finding that system which doesnt inhibit wide players from moving inside and encourages movement in the middle of the park without leaving yourself outnumbered or prone to the counter – at the same time as providing width.
Hold on a second – im gonna stop right there – I nearly ventured into John Barnes territory!!
Ill grab me coat – proved why im nothing but an internet expert!!
ernie
Thanks for that. Signed.
JJ
In Sep/Oct my position was to give RD to end of Nov – if we were not top of the league at end of Nov then I wanted him to go
Still a few weeks to end of Nov and I do think Celtic are improving and I like the way we played last night
Good back 4 and a mix of strong energetic and quick 5 in midfield
We were weak with one up front the new man Scepovic – he is still short of what’s required
We seem to play better away from home – our game is about pressing and breaking Away from home I think RD has us in a good place
At home I think we play like we are under pressure – but getting better
My view now is less demanding because I see improvement
But remain cautious about how good RD is or can be
Early days and as long as we look like we are going to win the League (and I think we do) I am cool with giving RD more time
Cautious optimism from me
67ECW
Bada,
Plus 1.
geordi munro
As much as I loved his passion, NFL was never known for passing, either as a player or a manager.
But your point that two managers dont seem to rate him is a fair point. That is why I realize that there may be other factors at play that I am not privy to.
But, to be frank, he has to be better in the middle than CM. Its worth a shot.
Mike,
I think both managers rate him. Lenny had lots of changes to play him post Xmas but records took over imo.
I think we’ll see more of nb once there’s a bit more daylight between us and the chasing pack.
HH
Changes – chances
davidopoulos
16:19 on 7 November, 2014
ernie lynch
Funnily enough I signed it a couple of hours ago! Love a good petition…
—-
Petitions
The lists of the intelligentsia!
Pass me my quill!
;-)
(With apologies to SMT members of the intelligentsia who may be lurking…)
HH jamesgang
Sevcomedian rumour of £10M being given to Sevco by Ashley in January. One bedlamite knows how it should be spent:
“* strength and conditioning facilities (the current setup is good, but it could be better — for instance, some machines could be removed and replaced with more racks and/or lifting platforms, more trap-bars [for trap-bar deadlifts] could be aquired, more chin-up/pull-up bars could be installed along the wall of the inside pitch for more efficient group training, there could be more dipping stations, more back-extension units, more glute-ham raise units, a number of pulling/pushing sleds, a number of blue rumble rollers [the black ones are too harsh], all the players should have Adidas weightlifting shoes for squatting, regular visits by a weightlifting coach to teach injury-free squat form [e.g., get tight, straight spine, knees out {vital in order to avoid injuring oneself!}, load on the heels], etc)
* repairs to facilities and grounds that need done
* more spending on nutrition
After all of that, it could perhaps be spent on player aquisitions and wages.”
EWO (or should I call you Mr. Barnes….you’ve been outed!)
I agree… I like what RD is trying to do … but the problem is that it is really a 4-2-4, which has been tried on and off for the last few season, and which, as several posters have noted, often leads to us getting overrun in the middle of the park …. it could work, but we need two strong, solid midfielders who can see a pass … what I would give for big VW now!
mike in toronto
16:24 on 7 November, 2014
_______________________
Not butting in fella…purely as a contrast
the managers who rated Peter Grant all
ended up sacked as losers.
HH
………….it’s Friday. Time to smile…….
A teacher in Dublin asks her class “Can anyone tell me the name of Robin Hood’s girlfriend?”
Little Paddy raises his hand and says “Yes Miss, it’s Trudy Glen.”
“No Paddy, the answer is Maid Marion.”
“But Miss, what about the song? Robin Hood, Robin Hood, roiding Trudy Glen.”
:-))))
monaghan1900
Do you maybe – just mibbee – that one of these posters might be in the business of supplying knocked off gym kit!?!
Or might it be a wee billy boy gym bunny with a build like darcy bussel and a Broxie bear tutu!
HH jamesgang
Monaghan
It’s seems that loonball is being serious
Bonkers
TBB – fair enough. Wipe the floor with the other two and just beat Salzburg then.
Rioskorrie, Totally silly but I must admit it made me smile and shock & horror but it made Mrs. corkcelt laugh.
jamesgang
Nothing sticks it to The Man like a weighty petition!
KevJungle
Feel free to butt in as much as you like… that is what a blog is for! chat, talk football…
and, while you and I would seem to have different approaches, I tend to agree with a lot of what you say on here.
as for PG, never a great footballer, but always gave it his all for the club. And as a fan, I cant begrudge another fan who was lucky enough to live the dream.
And while McInnes thinks it is natural for the dressing room to get behind their man, he believes they were not in an informed position to make such comments.
He said: “I think we’ve got to remind ourselves here that Shay had the offence on him. I think sometimes that can be forgotten about.
And where does Mc Innes get such informed information from?.From his player,obviously,because there was not another single person heard it,or viewed it.
For him to come out and state that he is disappointed in Celtic,for backing their player is ridiculous.
Of course we are again listening to the SMSMs interpretation of what the guy actually said.Snakes.
PF Ayr
The overall performance was not dire but there was one factor that occasionally deserved that judgement and it is based on technique.
The only time I was driven to swear when watching the game was when our players failed to receive and control the ball properly.
I commented to a fellow supporter in the pub I watched game in when an Astra player did a pirouette with the ball to leave two of our players stranded, that we have no one with that technical ability in our squad.
I also noticed that in tight situations with two or three players involved the the Romanians tended to emerge using skill and touch whilst we did using brawn but with ball not under our complete control whilst they had.
It was also noticeable ( and someone mentioned earlier as an equivalent to a brain fart) that one piece of miscontrol by one player was passed to the next like a virus because the player on the receiving end was trying to retrieve a bad situation caused by the miscontrol of his team mate.
On receiving the ball Lustig is at his most dangerous when going forward but needs a pass to his outside foot that takes him that way. Put it to the other foot and he is then going back rather than forward and can get closed down lose the ball and is out of position.
On such fine matters of technique do performances and results depend and it is a matter of working on that technique to reduce instances of error.
Really top players have it quite naturally, the guys we can afford need to practice it a lot more.
I really, really, really, really don’t like Griffiths.
I didn’t want Celtic to sign him in the first place and I like him a damn sight less having recently spent time in his company.
However, as a footballer he is probably our best striker after Guidetti.
I’m bewildered that anyone who watched last night’s game wouldn’t think that LG did more in his comparatively short time than Scepovic. Twice in a very short space of time he got himself into scoring positions that Scepovic could only dream of.
Ronny surely must see the energy, pace and directness that LG brings to the forward line. Can anyone else see Scepovic scoring from charging down an attempted clearance the way LG did last week?
No, me neither.
If Ronny doesn’t fancy LG as a result of off field antics I’d back the manager to the hilt. However, recently he’s been giving him more game time and that would suggest to me that he’s prepared to focus on his footballing abilities. If that’s the case then Ronny is continuing to make a huge mistake by playing SS as the main striker if Guidetti is out.
rioskorrie
Now that’s funny!
davidopoulos
And so is that!
HH jamesgang
Just a wee funny that happened in work today…the tea machine ran out of cups, so a notice was put up “no cups” someone wrote below in a green inky “Newco” I found it funny anyway..when i wrote it ;))
auldheid @ 16:42 ….
Agree 100%
If PL decides to leave, and Celtic is looking for a replacement, I will be nominating you for the job.
MN Celt
That’ll do.
You seen the record of Salzburg’s strikers this season?
44 goals between them and we haven’t got past the first week of November.
monaghan1900-has to be a Timfiltrator that one :)
Although I give RD my full support,it will take time,I will say that he has to consider other options.I dont profess to be an expert on football management,but no one would to see young Mc Gregor needs a time out.He has hit a brick wall.Good player there but needs more time and coaching.
To Scepovic.FFS,give the boy time.How many minutes has he had on the pitch?.He makes great runs,he gets no service.Too many on these guys cases.
I think I will go with TETs summation of the guy,who watched him in Spain,and not the barrack room lawyers on here.
Here we go again.
For almost his entire last 2 years at Celtic, certain posters constantly blasted Neil Lennon for not giving Tony Watt an extended run in the team. They even started posting rumours that Lennon “had it in for Watt”. Absolute garbage of course but if it helps reinforce your complaint, make it up.
Now it’s Liam Henderson and it seems Ronny “has it in for him”. Liam did get a good run in the team but has obviously fallen down the pecking order. Why? I have no idea. But then again, I am not paid a fabulous wage to work with the Celtic players on a daily basis. Nor do I rely on coaches to keep me appraised of every young player’s progress.
Why do people who know little about the everyday running of the club and the daily supervision of the players and their individual progress both on and off the park, always seem to latch onto a particular player and claim to know him better than the manager and his coaches?
I like Liam Henderson and thought he looked like a young David Hay when he had his run, but I’m not going to cry to the blog every day and accuse the manager of conducting personal vendettas just because he doesn’t pick him. I’ll leave it to Ronny Deila to pick the team. I won’t always agree, but hey, I’m not the manager.
mike in toronto
16:41 on 7 November, 2014
_______________________
Fair play fella and thank you.
Hail Hail
jamesgang
16:36 on
7 November, 2014
Do you maybe – just mibbee – that one of these posters might be in the business of supplying knocked off gym kit!?!
——
He obviously knocked the catalogue as well.
….PFayr supports WeeOscar
16:36 on
7 November, 2014
It’s seems that loonball is being serious
——
Deadly serious – in a dignified and decorous manner.
——
!!Bada Bing!!
16:49 on
7 November, 2014
has to be a Timfiltrator that one :)
——
Could any remotely sane individual make something like that up? Only 250 posts though – you may be right!
TurkeyBhoy
Ref Logan being the one ‘sinned against’ according to his manager. His manager is poo stirring as there’s not been a word said against Logan. And rightly so.
HT
I do wish that just for once you’d come off the fence and say what you really think!!!
;-)
Auldheid
Not playing the pass for the Bhoy to run on to….drives me spare every time.,,,
HH jamesgang
tom mclaughlin
Do you think the manager has favourites Tom and if so do you think it’s doing him any favours?
Re. Res,12 I admire the guys involved with this, but not sure what final outcome is hoped for. Are the findings going to be presented to the S.F.A. and what if they simply ignore it, as they know they broke the rules by giving oldco. a license to play in Europe.What leverage can be used against them, I doubt the S.M.S.M. would be interested as it involves their favourites. Please excuse my ignorance. Good luck with it anyway.
Jamesgang
I thought I was being balanced in that post!?!?!
HT,
I’ve noticed LG looking fitter and stronger of late, it could be down to RD’s fitness and diet regime, personally I’d put it down to the Samson hair transplant :)
Play him and Guidetti together and we will score a barrow load.
HT –
All managers have favourites and sometimes the supporters disagree. However, my comment was about players NOT being selected. Having favourites is a far cry from having it in for other players.
Sipsini
I can assure you mate, the player himself wouldn’t say that he’s fitter and stronger.
HT
You were. And to be fair I think you invariably are. I just that big old leg of yours dangling off the side of the boat and thought I’d pull it!
But you’ll never be fairly accused of being equivocal!!!
HH jamesgang