If you were lucky enough, like me, to enjoy a long Christmas holiday, I hope you had a good one. I’m sure few of us are delighted to be back at it today but there’s an indisputable mood on the blog for bringing in the New. A fresh start is needed and fortunately we’re at the start of the transfer window.
For Celtic most attention will be directed towards recruiting a striker who is capable of doing the business in the Champions League, not to overlook the important point of doing the business in Champions League qualifiers. 20-year-old Icelandic striker, Holmbert Fridjobsson, finally joins the club this month but although we’ll hopefully see plenty of the player this month he is surely considered ‘one for the future’.
One prolific striker does not solve all of Celtic’s issues, however. The club remains acutely dependent on Kris Commons’ creativity (as well as goal scoring), which will become increasingly less-effective as opponents setup to inhibit him. He needs a foil.
Since the annihilation in Barcelona Celtic have offered greater protection from midfield but with both full backs encouraged to overlap the midfield anchor role, previously occupied by Wanyama, becomes crucially important. It also offers support to the strategy of allowing Commons a free role as an attacking midfielder.
Over the break, Archie MacPherson, Scotland’s greatest ever broadcaster, wrote an article for Celtic Quick News comparing two of Scotland’s greatest ever managers. These debates are, of course, subjective, but the article provides a few objective points for consideration. Archie has a totally unique range to deal with this question and is in no doubt as to who the master was. Look out for the article next week, you’ll enjoy it – no guessing now.
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Bada Bing
How could they not teach their charges at Lincoln or Landskronna these things.
You cannot teach by osmosis. You cannot learn to be a good player by standing near and watching a good player. I saw Henrik hunners of times at CP and I’m still crap at football.
Brian Clough was a Centre Forward renowned for his strong defences when managing. Jock Stein was a centre back with no flair at all and produced the best attacking side I have seen.
Name me a striker coach of note in Senior Pro football.
Football is not a compartmentalised game like Rugby and NFL where you can and should coach defence & attack, pack & forwards on separate drills that need no cross over.
Our football is a fluid game of movement where defenders and midfielders are in positions to score. Every player bar Forster and Zaluska should be, and are, getting shooting practice.
BMCUWP
There was. Sir Simon Rattle I believe. Has the man no’ got enough honours.
Back to work bud!
Jimbo67 supporting Oscar Knox
Sftb
I believe chris was sacked at lincoln city when they were in div2 -they are now in non league
setting free the bears supports Res. 12 & Oscar Knox
15:23 on
3 January, 2014
Does Scott Brown actually practise that??
Turkeybhoy
We played the diamond formation iin the first half vs Hearts resulting in 0:0.
Neil brought wingers on in 45 and 70 minutes and we won 2:0.
Formations do not guarantee flowing football.
We have far, far too many players already, and probably too many coaches as well.
Before we think of signing more we should have a good ole clearout; what ole Dr Larrey would have called ‘triage’.
THe ole Deadwood Stage is long overdue.
jimbo67,
Yes I think you’re right – although no one seems to have been added to the list this time around despite there being a vacancy.
celt 55
Not only do they all practice it at training, you will see them all practising it pre match if you get in early enough.
You cannot make everyone great at it through practice but you can make them better. Imagine how bad they would be without practice.
charles kickham
13:57 on 3 January, 2014
We will no for sure come February the 1st HH
My son’s pub team play a diamond formation and get humped most weeks -it’s the qualty of the players and their ability to deliver the formation. Not forgetting the opposition.
Of coarse that should have read ‘double diamond’ formation – one for the oldies
setting free the bears supports Res. 12 & Oscar Knox
15:28 on
3 January, 2014
‘Imagine how bad they would be without practice.’
Aye, that’s quite a frightening thought.:)
To play Ker!plunk the Tosh McKinlay way…
And he’s good at Othello, Buckaroo! and Jenga
Mouse Trap, Frustration and Mon op oly
…
2013 memories ahhh
https://twitter.com/stevendoyle75/status/419127756140453889/photo/1
SFTB-“You cannot learn to be a good player by standing near and watching a good player. ”
Disagree Maloney learned from Lubo.Beckham learned from Cantona.Ferdinand is a coach at Spurs.If young guys have the work ethic and brains to take in coaching,they can become better players.HH
setting free the bears supports res. 12 & oscar knox
15:23 on 3 January, 2014
Can’t think of one but can think of one in the making, Ole at Cardiff…I’ll get my Coat…:)
I need to get back to work…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Some people are never happy
Moan,moan,moan we need a striker we need to spend £5m+ on a striker…
Roll on January and we get LINKED with a striker for £6m and he’s not good enough injury prone ( as was hartson) to old waste of money……
What do you want ?
traditionalist88 @ 15.18 hrs,
Totally agree regarding age. 20 years old should not need to be a project.
Providing of course he is good enough.
e.g. Man Utd ( Ure ) are reportedly looking for a striker, but right now Adnan Januzaj who is 18 is leading the line.
Ability should be the defining factor not age.
HH.
gene’s a bhoy’s name-I spoke to Chris Sutton at his tribute dinner,he resigned due to the travelling to Lincoln.His Chairman at Lincoln was his guest at the dinner.HH
A clearout of deadwood is required to free up wage potential for new signings but given they very rarely get a game with us, that may prove to be a challenging proposition.
ConundrumCSC
Well if cotton eyed Lawell wasn’t up for pamping out 1.5m on Fletcher all them moons ago, I can’t see him upping the ante now.
I side with DBBIA on this one – get Bale in. If not him then I’m sure Suarez has a release clause just waiting on the right number…
I feel a wee bit more complete now having caught Zulu on the ole Channel 4 – cracking copy it is too…
!!bada bing!!
15:32 on 3 January, 2014
I disagree mate, you have to have the ability in the first place, then you can enhance the ability by learning from others. Cantona a better player than Beckham in my opinion as was Lubo compared to Shaun. Whilst Ferdinand was a class act, Spurs Strikers not doing that well lately.
Yes, you can learn from masters how to better and harness your ability but you need to have it in the first place.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Ex forward Alex Ferguson did OK.
Uly- thanks for your support.
And we could always bring in wee Lionel Messi [ also not a striker] for the CL games, goin’ with the Bale/ C Ronaldo /Bangura axis for the bread and butter games of the SPL.
Allyhuntersgloves 14:14 on 3 January, 2014
Also, who likes the look of Thistle left back Sinclair Smith?
I understand we offered money but not enough……….
We were watching him on Saturday.
Consensus was that he played well.
Didn’t see much of him in an attacking role though.
~SPF~
DBBIA
Agree.
We need to be more specific in all areas.
More bodies would just confuse.
We have an abundance of defensive coaches.
Uly..
Ole zhivago is on 5..
Bada
i stand corrected -this from wiki
Sutton resigned in September 2010, citing personal reasons. However, he later revealed it was due to disagreements over spending with the clubs board.
oldtim67
I’m sure it’s our lady’s blue
HH
lennybhoy-i agree mate and was taking that as a given………oh no wait……:)
Bada Bing
“Disagree Maloney learned from Lubo.Beckham learned from Cantona.Ferdinand is a coach at Spurs.If young guys have the work ethic and brains to take in coaching,they can become better players.HH”
That is no disagreement with the original point. We were not trying to say that you learn nothing from your fellow players. Of course you do. But to earn the right to be a coach you have to be a good deal more than a good player willing to help others.
Sean was already a good free kick taker and became better by working with Lubo but for every 15 minutes that Sean spent in one to one with Lubo, he spent 6 hours with a trained coach and will have worked more often on dead ball kicking with them than he did with Lubo. Not sure what Beckham learned from Cantona; I cannot see any crossover in their gameplay styles. And yes, Les Ferdinand, a former striker, may work with Spurs, who despite his help, have the 10th best scoring record in the PL. I also doubt he is confined to working with forwards or that Villas BOas or Sherwood tell him “You take Soldado and Adebayor away from the rest of the squad to do shooting practice. I’ll work with the rest and we’ll meet up on Saturday.”
Yes, forwards can coach (Clough, Cruyff, Ferguson??) so can midfielders, defenders and goalies. It does not mean they can only coach their own kind nor that they do it by osmosis.
How good were the forwards at Landskrona and Lincoln?
Lennybhoy 3.21
Good! :)
Greenpinata 3.33
Exactly, a base level of ability is required then we can work on the rest. However, its very hard to change a players game, one footed players at 20 will always be one footed, those weak in the air may improve but to no great extent etc – from now on if we are presented with a project we should demand to see a detailed plan/schedule for this project and the justification for it being prioritised ahead of signing young players who are more developed but may cost slightly more(eg. James McCarthy, Steven Fletcher, Johnny Russell…)
HH
Are we still seeing Johnny Russell as a success that got away?
On what basis?
setting free the bears (15:14)…
¥
(…that’s 190)
It’s the official SI unit denomination for sarcasm.
What is it with modern footballers
Southampton complain about mark clattenburg and his crime …….
He told the Southampton player he had changed since getting an England cap ……unbelievable
Can someone on here answer this question!.
Why do goalkeeping coaches sit on the their respective team benches during games with goalkeeping gloves on????.
Happy new year all.
hail hail.
big sean.
sean thornton
15:50 on 3 January, 2014
Because it’s cold :-) HH