The bigger question than why Celtic were so poor on Sunday is how to reshape the team or squad to address the issue? There is a clear deficit. We have three full backs at the club, two went off injured, leaving Anthony Ralston, a more than suitable backup at right back, playing on the left, while Stephen Welsh parachuted in from relative obscurity to try-out as a right back.
With Boli Bolingoli no longer part of the plans, we only have one left back: Greg Taylor. Greg has suffered numerous absences this season, forcing Josip Juranovic to the left, where he never played before making his Celtic debut there.
Liam Scales, primarily a central defender, has covered on the left, but did not even make the 11-man bench. A left back on the bench would have allowed Ralston to remain on the right and prevented Welsh being thrown into a position he has never played on such a major occasion.
Even with Taylor and Juranovic on the field, Celtic did not have the ability to pass from defence to midfield without regularly giving up possession. We looked easy to mark up against. Think back two weeks to Ibrox, when Daizan Maeda dropped deep to give his midfield an option (or cover in defence).
That vision of perpetual motion was absent on Sunday. It is not Tom Rogic’s game and neither Jota nor Liel Abada looked to have the energy to put in a similar shift. Both were noticable fatiged later in the game. On the few occasions when Celtic were able to quickly transition, they looked dangerous, but just as we did against Bodo/Glimt, we were unable to find the space to pass confidently out of defence.
Notwithstanding the fact that Giorgos Giakoumakis was absent, Celtic are a comparatively small side. The days of tall full backs being able to dominate high balls out of defence are gone. We are assembling a squad on its ability to find space, pass and move. What happens when a central defender makes a forward pass against an opponent marking man-to- man in the middle of the park determines the outcome of Celtic games. The inquest into Sunday should focus on little else.
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GFTB on 19TH APRIL 2022 1:15 PM
Let’s hope that on May 1st we can see a repeat of the last home game against them. But this time we need to not take the foot off the gas at half time. A 6-0 statement win would be lovely!
Bitton was suspended, I’m sure.
Sunday was a sore one but you need to take the very next opportunity to show that you’re good at your game. Roll on Dingwall.
Quad 12.47pm
Maybe I was bit selective when I mentioned Joe Hart, I didn’t think Callum had a good game, thought him & Reo were overrun at times …. Probably down to Madden letting Lundstram & Jack do whatever they wanted …. We all probably look at each game differently … nothing against Welsh or Ralston but if they were coming on for the Huns I would be delighted
As long as we kick on from here Sunday will soon be forgotten … by the way I like both Welsh & Ralstons attitude I just dont think either are good enough to play with Celtic …
Barry Anderson
@BarryAnderson_
· 41m
VAR approved in Scotland. SPFL clubs voted today to implement the technology next season. It will be installed at Premiership grounds and will be used from midway through the season after the World Cup break.
Video
Assist
Rangers
To start in SPFL December
Bigchipsuk 1.22pm
That sounds good too me :-)
I might put a wee quid on 6-0 now
Yes try and pass the ball out ,when we can,if we can’t get it up the park, we have Maeda’s pace and GG height and strength to hit,a GK actually passing the ball back to a player from a GK is ridiculous, and invariably we lose possession.
GFTB,
Even the best can’t win every game. How we react in defeat tells much about us.
I agree with Turkeybhoy, I think our manager got it wrong. It happens and we move on.
Downbeat? only for a nano second. Our expectations have been exceeded and the biggest prize in domestic football is within our grasp.
Now who would of though that at the beginning of the season. And remember, the journey is only beginning
Cheers and HH.
Paul , you are telling something that has been evident all season. Only Juranuvic of the back 5 is comfortable with the ball at his feet.
The bigger question was why were Rogic and Hatate kept on the park so long, as they both were anonymous.
Mccarthy should have been on before halftime and Mcgregor pushed further forward.
The manager needs to step up.
“SAINT STIVS on 19TH APRIL 2022 1:21 PM
you could have the bear, keano, broony and barry robson in the midfiled and the outcome would have been the same,
the referee did it.”
The outcome/result might have been the same but with that midfield we might have had the pleasure of watching one of them putting Madhun in his place which would be well worth the resultant red card in my book :)
QB
With the news that VAR is approved; what chance that each team can have representation in the VAR office so that we can avoid the Madhuns or Cheatin Beatons of this world spending 2 mins looking for any reason to give a penalty in once box and “accidently” missing incidents in the other box…
If the VAR refs are as unaccountable as the other officials and the media continue to only highlight things that benefit us or go against “Rangers” then this could just give the refs even more power to influence a game.
QB
Glasgow Cup semi v Old Firm FC,2 pm ko
https://youtu.be/HPT2mK0XZeI
‘ ….and today’s Video Assistant referee is,Willie Young/Craig Thompshun/Stuart Dougal……etc,etc’
Couldn’t agree more
A DM wouldn’t have made any difference to a team that couldn’t pass through their opponents.
Playing long was a waste of time with our front 3
Our players lacked the energy and the will to find space, and the confidence and in some cases the ability to accept the ball under pressure.
We didn’t do what we do well on Sunday. The solution isn’t to do something different, it’s to get back to doing what we do well again. That wee team has been the better side on the previous 3 games, they were better on Sunday but still took 120 minutes to beat a seriously underperforming Celtic
We came into that game in the back of excellent form and results. The game wasn’t a sign of some greater malaise.
Get back to what we do well and we’ll win all the reasoning games
GP 1.39pm
Can’t disagree with any of that …
School run beckons … in the cold light of day that’s Gios first draw against Ange
We move on … hope the players are wanting this out if their system … so far this season they have responded and am confident we will leave Dingwall 3pts closer to the title
For Monday morning quarterbacks see Tuesday morning quarterbacks
hugh dallas, ian paisley junior, mark hately and kris boyd
Previous 3 games against them I meant to say
With better strikers, with actual strikers, not guys who’ll make do, we’ll be far better able to play how Ange wants us to
And no giving up on playing it out from the back. It hasn’t cost us goals but not doing it just does t work, ad gifts the ball straight back to the opposition
It was one game on Sunday after a sensational run domestically. We need to, collectively, hold our nerve and trust in who and what has got us to where we are now
I know one person who will be doing just that at Lennoxtown today
Season 22/23 var arrives in December , that gives 16 rounds of fixtures without var .
The interesting exercise would be , before var , and after var stats …😜
I’m sorry to say that I am not surprised at the Maloney outcome. I like him and he seems a very decent guy – but managerial material he is not. His media duties were an utter disaster, both in content and manner of speaking….the ‘Neighbours’ AQI parlance much in evidence. He who appointed him should be the butt of the ire of Hibs fans. I wonder who thought it a good idea to sack Jack Ross, and why. Glass at Aberdeen was another puzzler – not unlike Maloney. Is it just a coincidence that both clubs are in the hands of American owners?
I assume big Malky will be in demand – perhaps Hibs fans should now demand a big ‘malky’ for their owner.
The real reason we lost the game on Sunday was because of sevco twelfth man,Madhun he controlled the tempo of the game
https://twitter.com/Stephen4_2/status/1514872857939132418/photo/1
QUADBHOY on 19TH APRIL 2022 1:16 PM
“QUADROPHENIAN on 19TH APRIL 2022 12:26 PM
With 11 subs you’d like to think we could have 2 FBs on it and Liam Scales for me would have been a better option than playing 2 players out of position or having Julien as a 2nd CB option. Either that or we could have gone 3-5-2 and brought on Julien as he has decent distribution.
——
Great Quads think alike – I was also wondering what’da happened if AP had gone Cameron, Chris and Carl along a backline and stiffened up our flaccid mids with some tougher nuts.
Boaby would still have been at the pochle tho, no matter who we fielded.
——
GFTB – I think Tony R can become a great Celt. Welshy; a decent Dundee United stalwart. HH
No inquest required, we lost to a side we have beaten twice and lost to twice this season. There is not much between the two teams.
If Ange is the intelligent bloke that I think he is , he will pick the right team and formation for Dingwall. He will have read the room.
We only require a few periods of genuine quality to win the game, we should have more than enough. The first 20 minutes will reveal the collective mindset.
On the Maloney thing, Ron Gordon , and Dave Cormack at Aberdeen, are arrogant and clueless about football management. Both clubs where they deserve to be. Malky Mackay and Kevin Thomson will both be in the frame, maybe even Broony as part of the coaching team. But Gordon could make another nonsense appointment.
Craig Gordon to lift the Scottish Cup. Again.
A celt I have never heard of.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FQokjHMXoAoKPCU?format=jpg&name=small
Spurious rumours that Bitton was dropped on Sunday because he fell out with Anje over a trip to Manchester to watch City v Liverpool.
My source is very unreliable, so might be utter gash .
Why is big Julien out to pasture ?
TT
Why is big Julien out to pasture ?
He is playing in the Glasgow cup match against old firm now ( as is m. j.)
Tic one up Mikey scored
TB
We have not won the League yet…..a lot of work to do starting Sunday i hope Ange gets it right.
https://twitter.com/i/status/1515945326292738050
SAINT STIVS@1:21
I disagree,we would have walked over them with that midfield we are way to light…..no grit.
I hope we don’t become Leeds in the last five games it’s now up to the coach.
Quadraphenian
I hope your right … I want every Celt to be a success and I love Tony Ralstons attitude … in my opinion. he is a massive step down from Juranovic and Josip wouldn’t have let Arfield free reign for his goal ….
I hope my posts don’t seem as if am running Tony down his winning goal in our last visit to Dingwall is still one of my highlights of the season
SAINT STIVS @2:05pm
Nice wee handshake.😩
Wanwan
I mentioned on Sunday experienced heads would be my preference to get us over the line.
I’d play Bitton, Rogic and McGregor in the same midfield.
Ralston would run through brick walls for Celtic and I’d play him at right back and Jura on the left.
Jota has failed to impress me in any of the 3 derbies this year. I gave him the benefit of doubt after the 3-0 win thinking he was trying too hard. I’m now of the view there’s too much of the Ryan “Shop Window” Christie’s about him to be trusted. Hopefully Jacko and Kyogo can get fit so Maeda can play on the left.
I wouldn’t pay £6m for Jota.
I don’t watch Hibs unless they’re playing us so I’ve no idea about their performances but the recent results don’t look like those if a team in freefall and you would have hoped that the owners would have taken the loss of their best players – Boyle and Nesbit – to the team into consideration. It’s not like they’re any worse off than they were with both players in the team under Ross.
Maloney is a decent, intelligent thoughtful guy and a Celtic man as well. Hopefully he’s able to rebuild his career in a more stable environment. Maybe a year on the coaching staff at Celtic with other like-minded people could be a good move for everyone. Celtic and football need guys like him around.
Dembele getting booted all over the park Sevco commentator thinks it’s ok to say they’ve obviously been watching John Lundstrom.
Half time 1-1