When I saw the lineup, with Celtic going three at the back, I concluded that Wilfried Nancy’s concerns after watching Celtic struggle at home to Dundee on Wednesday were as acute as my own. In a well-operating side, changing formation is an unnecessary risk. In a team which for long periods recently against Dundee, Hibs and St Mirren looked as fragile as a bubble, change is what the new manager was brought in to do.
It started so well. Hearts were unable to take possession inside the Celtic half. Celtic’s extra man in midfield made them look like a pack, hunting and winning the ball within seconds of being dispossessed. The visitors only progress up-field relied on errors from the home side. Poor defending led to both goals, but while Celtic were in control of the game until the opening goal two minutes before the break, there were worrying signs for Nancy.
Daizen Maeda is not a centre forward. His purple patch in that position last season was a small sample size, the legacy effects of which linger. Twice he could have put Celtic ahead in the early stages of the game. Sebastian Tounekti can do little more to earn an assist than take a 50-yard pass on his chest and roll it in front of a striker who is clean through.
Daizen is our most valuable asset and is suited to play the position when Celtic are forced to defend against top sides in Europe, but is a poor fit there domestically. Play Daizen on the right and Johnny Kenny through the middle. Kelechi Iheanacho will soon be available for consideration to add options.
I am sure Celtic will persist with the back three, but there is an obvious modification required. As well as his normal left-back roll, Kieran Tierney has played wingback, left wing and right-back. He is significantly more suited to playing on the right of a back three than Auston Trusty. Trusty is not a player to forage down either wing, he should play in the middle. That would allow Liam Scales – who has played left-back – to play on the left.
Despite the lacklustre performance, had Kenny’s header or the resultant shot from Reo Hatate gone in, Celtic would not have lost the game. The manager has a week (and a lesser-important Europa League game) to fine-tune the system before Sunday’s vastly-important League Cup Final.
You and I have discussed new Celtic managers here when they started with defeats to Hearts (2021) and Lincoln Red Imps (2016). Thankfully we were not around to record our thoughts after defeats to Hibernian and Dunfermline in 1997. Results like these have been a consistent marker of growth.
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Happy Monday all.
Was all Brendans fault so it wiz.
We could do with some of Wilfried Nancy’s nuances at board level.
Yep Paul – 70% possession and 5 shots to 2 on target in favour of the good ghuys.
IMO it was a big punt by Nancy in changing a stable and productive formation, but the dearth of composure in a striking sense also cost us dear yesterday. Daizen’s two then Engels and Reo (as well as a few other wayward shots) would have been converted by more cliniccal types.
Still; we will come good – tho not guaranteeing it will be this week.
PS: I think it was Arne’s header not Kenny’s .
Nobody sclaffs it half as good as Daizen
Carly Simon CSC
Daizen out left and either Kenny or KI upfront makes us a much better team in the short term.
So it’s growing pains so it is, Aye,this was a not lose but making all these changes in personnel and tactics caused theloss, it was Engels who hit the goalkeeper from 5 yards, Scales at left back is a cart horse, Iheanacho has not been fit with the same issue for 2 years, Forrest takes every Winter off, Tounekti looks worse than both Palma and Johnston, we dont have a Centre Forward at the club, the midfield is dire with only Callum McG showing drive and determination, who would trust Tisdale with any money or recommendations for signings?
The best way to break down packed defences (which is what we have to do most games) is to create overloads in the wide areas. That’s why the 4-3-3 worked so well for so long – until we reduced the quality of player (for some completely unknown reason!) and then it didn’t work so well (funnily enough!).
Seems strange therefore to switch to a system that gives you FEWER players in the wide areas. Hopefully the new approach becomes clear in the weeks ahead.
And with a group of Ferraris to work with (and with Gavin Strachan still around) there’s no reason for the transition not to be quick and seamless.
So everything very much in our favour at the moment.
Watching the duration of any team’s belief in a new system is fascinating.
The shorter the time to consume it, the shorter their duration of trusting it unquestionably in-game.
Plus, the opposition make tactical tweaks to counter our new system (particularly if they’ve done their homework)
When the players stop instinctively believing in the new system …
… they revert to type (the old muscle memory) BUT with a lingering thought – that must be hellish for players – that they really should be following the new system
(which hasn’t had time to fuse in their cortices)
Yesterday, IMHO, the Celtic team collectively believed in the new system for c.10 minutes.
Tin hat on.
I genuinely think that is good going after 2 days
Realistically, the trick is to get them to keep that belief for 25 minutes next time out.
… then 35 minutes
… then 45
… then 60
… then 75
… then 90
… then 90+ minutes
… then 90+ minutes every time we go out.
It’ll be bumpy.
surprised we only made 2 subs yesterday considering the conditions and score but then again who on the bench would have made any difference to the result.
Good Afternoon Celts…
Guess those “must win”, UEL games were for Managers when the bar was set a bit higher….
Martin departs and we head for the “slow lane”…
Aff oot
Hail Hail
Playing 3 at the back when you only have two established centre halfs is an interesting approach.
Ditching fullbacks from a winning team and changing the midfield shape in your first match as manager when you’ve had just 2 training sessions with a team you’ve never met before in a country you’ve never visited is the kind of thing that’s apt to make you look a bit silly.
Not least when the match was lost on the concession of two very cheap goals.
Wilfried has not made things easy for himself. He’s now having to claw back credibility needlessly squandered.
Oh, and the whole Connect 4 thing on the touchline needs to end. It’s as bad a look as the Director of Football falling asleep on the job.
Dr Snoozeball
Ive had it with Daizen, if the rumoured transfer in January is true then let him go.
he has fluffed his lines in every must win game stretching back to the cup final. these are bread and butter chances any half decent striker would score.
Hearts were chasing shadows for 30 mins, had we have taken the lead at that stage, n comfortable win looked likely.
Take the cash
from the coaching manual aka AI
A successful three-at-the-back formation has specific requirements, primarily demanding specialized player profiles and excellent tactical coordination and communication. The formation’s success hinges on player versatility and a high level of physical fitness, especially for the wing-backs.
Player Requirements
The system requires players with specific skill sets for each role:
Central Defenders (3): All three must be comfortable and capable on the ball, with strong passing abilities to start attacks from the back. The wider centre-backs need to be comfortable defending in wide areas during transitions, while the central one often acts as a “sweeper” or “libero”, reading the game and covering space behind the others. They must have good positional awareness and be able to defend in 1v1 situations.
No matter who was appointed, the squad is really poor,we are producing nothing from the wings,
PLB- I thought Wilf got a great reception from the crowd yesterday HH
To repeat my comment of yesterday, in order to play his system he brought in 2 players that MON effectively dropped from the starting 11. Unfortunately neither of them covered themselves in glory.
I very much liked the look of what he is/was trying to do, so hopefully it will come together with more time on the training pitch.
Daizen is as wasted on the right as he is through the middle. Until he unfortunately leaves in January he should play on the left.
Trusty looked every inch a 6 million quid player in a back 4 lately….he looked terrified yesterday…scales not much better…back 3s scare me mainly because at set pieces you only have 3 defenders
Coming away yesterday I felt deflated not just because of the torrential rain possibly because I can sense where this is going I had a quick double check on my phone to confirm…..ONLY TWO SUBS USED IN THOSE CONDITIONS.. .struck me a recipe for disaster….and ultimately made me think ….we’re fkd
A really, really poor start. He’s already in deficit with the fans who haven’t been lifted at all by his appointment. That being a reflection on those doing the appointing rather than him.
Still, no excuses now lads. You own whatever happens from here on in. Hopefully you are vindicated, but one way or another you are owning it.
It’s been another season in shambles for our much loved custodians and a lot being made of January. Here’s a prediction, like all but the 2021 January window it will be a non-event and we’ll labour on with the mince Paul Spivdale has bestowed upon us already. Where did we get this barrow boy, down some cockney market? Dearie me, talk about a poor fit for a club.
Can’t see Wilfried’s ‘brave’ tactics achieving much against Roma but that’s largely irrelevant given our current level. However, he’ll really feel the heat if his tinkering loses the game against St Mirren.
Welcome to the shambles Wilfried.
BB
I thought the whole atmos yesterday was very downbeat. The weather didn’t help of course.
Agree with much of today’s leader except…
“ The manager has a week (and a lesser-important Europa League game) to fine-tune the system before Sunday’s vastly-important League Cup Final”
I rate the game against the Serie A leaders the more important of the two. I guess it’s where you benchmark against. Domestic competition or European competition, If as Ross Desmond believes, Europe is unbridgeable then we will forever be downgraded to the levels of Scottish domestic football.
If only we could convert those chances….ah well.Said yesterday we will win the league….as for Europe not so sure.
Paul 67
Scalesy lack of pace rules him out for the left hand berth that’s why Wilf played him in the middle.
Agree re Daizen , previous runners Harald and Kenny M couldn’t cut it.
HH
What happens when AJ is fit?
He’ll be sold
Tounekti doesn’t even flatter to deceive anymore
Balikwisha needs to get some game time otherwise we’ve torched another 10m on these 2
PLB- I Thought the crowd was lively first 20 minutes, then it got a bit quiet,if Maeda scores then it could have been a different day HH
A cup that can be won in 4 games, with our resources compared to the oppos, is more important than Europe?
What a paucity of ambition. Those in charge of lowering our sights to domestic baubles over progress in Europe, where the real football gets played, should be commended for their mediocrity.
They’ve achieved jersey shrinking with some of the players we’ve signed.
Old Firmism is a growth inhibitor.
BABASONICOS71 on 8TH DECEMBER 2025 12:56 PM
A cup that can be won in 4 games, with our resources compared to the oppos, is more important than Europe?
———————————
It’s Desmond speak
PETERLATCHFORDSBELLY on 8TH DECEMBER 2025 12:29 PM
Re your comment re spivery. and Paul Tisdale , the more I think about the summer transfer window and the manner of Brendan’s departure; it feels as though any spivery should be directed at Brendan. DDs exocet at Brendan hadn’t been triggered by a few references to Hondas , can it ?
Can’t help feeling we’re being treated like mushrooms and DD has well and truly marked Brendan’s card hence the total silence.
At least Tisdale doesn’t haven’t any kids in the football industry
HH
Paul67
“ Daizen Maeda is not a centre forward “
said Brendan Rodgers last January
Hoop Hoop Horay
We play the team currently sitting 4th in Serie A on Thursday not top.
I assume Paul means because it is less important as we can afford to lose on Thursday and still qualify if we win either of our last 2 games.
The CUP FINAL is just that. Therefore more important. It is for a trophy and could set up the season and make our guy a winner.
January transfer windows are seldom transformative no matter how great the need . Our needs are pretty great at the moment . Take 3\4 first picks out of an average team , play without a player capable of turning chances into goals , and the system you play becomes a side issue .
The first half hour yesterday showed the system can work and hopefully Wilf’s team selections and player familiarity with it will improve . Still won’t win us games without quality strikers though .
GLENDALYSTONSILS on 8TH DECEMBER 2025 1:06 PM
That’s all we need a difficult transfer window 🤣🤣🤣
I hope no one got too carried away with that win in Holland less than two weeks ago, it appears we’re back to writing off Europe, so Rotterdam meant absolutely nothing.
The new formation worked right up until Hearts figured out how to play it – it worked for 25 mins. If only Maeda had scored it would have been different.
Yeah, I remember P67 writing that after Maeda missed when clean through at Ibrox last season. And the Cup Final miss. And the Kairat miss…
No wait, he didn’t write that. He just blamed the manager.
bournesouprecipe on 8th December 2025 1:03 pm
Paul67
“ Daizen Maeda is not a centre forward “
said Brendan Rodgers last January
____
But, he’s Kyogo’s replacement?
‘lesser-important’ isn’t complicated language, but let’s simplify it:
Wilfried Nancy cannot afford to lose v St Mirren on Sunday,
If he loses v St Mirren he’s toast irrespective of what happens v Roma. There’s no obvious way back from that.
LifeComesAtYouFastCSC
AN DÚN on 8TH DECEMBER 2025 1:12 PM
FWIW – Kyogo changed his agent in the summer prior with a view to a move, he got it and we did well to get Jota out if a 30yr old want away.
The mistake which we still suffer as recently as yesterday was not buying a striker this summer.
HH