It was such a jar to the senses. Twice a striker was clean through on the keeper inside the box. For 12 months, this only led to one outcome. Last night we saw Joe Hart make two saves we have not seen since his former England squad team mate was in goal.
Playing out from the back, as we do, takes nerves and practice. The key players are the goalkeeper, the central defenders and the two deepest central mids. The latter two need to be comfortable controlling a pass facing their own goal with an opponent on their shoulder. Callum McGregor and David Tunbull have this.
You can expect a few bumps on the road; McGregor’s nightmare back pass being an example, but we will improve as the season progresses. Developing this attribute will inevitably cost goals, but you see the speed and effectiveness of the transition into attack. Gone are the days of circulating the ball endlessly in a horseshoe pattern, or worse, the long ball.
I also liked our new player, Tom Rogic – another who has the ability to bring the ball under instant control with an opponent (or two, as it often was last night) breathing down on him. Kenny Dalglish would use his body to keep an opponent from getting a toe on the ball, Tom brought it all back last night. For me, this is an unexpected sunset performance. Tom is a throwback, without an engine for the modern game, so these treats will remain a cameo.
How are you feeling about the direction of travel?
Last night’s starting 11 had three new signings, eight players who were here last season, seven of whom are Scottish. Three signings and, of course, a manager we traveled the world to bring to Glasgow! There are certainly no guarantees against AZ, but the recovery has been swift and impressive. You are not going to hear this from too many sources, but the fundamentals at the club remain very good; watch how we grow.
568 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
- 13
- 14
- 15
- »
staffelt is being played out of position and both he and Welsh will benefit from a dominant center half. Starfelt has shown he has great tackling ability, although with the ball at his feet he looks awkward (do did Johan Mjalby).
The Celtic board still have not delivered on the defenders we need – IF we are to have a good season it is absolutely vital they deliver on 2-3 defenders – preferably with physicality about them. Otherwise we can anticipate the same goals lost from cross balls as ever.
Ange has done his bit but he needs help ASAP!!
AN TEARMAN,
I doubt anything will come of it. They are rapeepil, including the Etablishment. Hope I’m wrong.
Kenny, Danny McGrain, George Connelly,Vic Davidson, Lou Macari……what a team we would have had, if they had all stayed together.
SAINT STIVS
Not me ,i’m in Toronto but will listen to the podcast tonight.
He is a couple of years younger than me.😩
Grab Rioja
Open and pour
Click link
Relax
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwZgMH5qAnE
AN TEARMANN on 14TH AUGUST 2021 7:22 PM
https://twitter.com/rangerstaxcase/status/1426587842277302282?s=19
asking for a public enquiry
re malicious
###
That’s what is needed.
So it won’t happen.
It will be interesting if James Doleman drops any more hints. He seems to have some of the background info on what happened and why.
It will also be interesting to see whether any of the innocent victims, having received their compensation, will also be demanding a public inquiry.
Madmitch…
Some of what you say makes a lot of sense but really, it’s a blog about Celtic not a quiz word site.
SAINT STIVS,
You say you could by Celtic lock stock and barrel for 75 million.
Please explain
Spare a prayer for the people and women, in particular, of Afghanistan bhoys; the hunnest of scumbags are going to destroy them
Eddy to Nice is the rumour
PARKHEADCUMSALFORD on 14TH AUGUST 2021 7:34 PM
Kenny, Danny McGrain, George Connelly,Vic Davidson, Lou Macari……what a team we would have had, if they had all stayed together.
____
If only. Plus that other big hitter, Davie Hay. I don’t think it’s ridiculous to speculate, that if our board ever had any ambition, we would surely have added to our tally of European achievement.
TFFT BD; OE needs to get back to expressing himself and having a good ging
Kenny, Danny McGrain, George Connelly. World class trio who would have walked into any team.
Jackie mac
You’ll be aware that, like Iran, the women of Afghanistan will suffer at the hands of islamic zealots.
Very sad to observe.
Others may blame those who are no longer providing oversight. The truth is far more obvious
Scary Uncle Jimmy
You ok Almore ? Maigh Eo finally did it ; 9 years up de dubs
Celtic PLC – market capital
Mkt cap 104.81M
Bada,
Come on you, first of all you’re telling us Ange will go in a huff if we don’t bring in players.
Now your saying Eddie is too nice!!
Cannae win!
😀
If you haven’t done so, click An Tearm ann’s link @ 7.22.
‘Rangers Tax Case’ hits the nail firmly on the head.
Ernie,
I’ve been thinking the same way – maybe the best way to get some truths out there would be to interview the wrongly accused.
I’d like to hear what they have to say the reasons for arrest were and what their thoughts on it are – they must have gone through possibly hundreds of administration/insolvency cases and they get arrested for this one!
Maybe Phil Mac Giolla Brain or James Doleman could interview them
Given how much a public inquiry will cost and the benefits to the taxpayer it would bring, is it a good use of public money?
MAJESTIC HARTSON on 14TH AUGUST 2021 8:38 PM
You’re assuming they’d cooperate.
Would they be prepared to discuss the evidence that was deemed inadmissible because it had been illegally obtained?
Ernie,
Perhaps naively, I can’t see Duff and Phelps having done anything illegal in their role.
They must have decades of experience between the 2 of them and would know what’s right and what’s wrong – especially in such a high profile job.
Would they have anything to hide?
What’s your take on it all?
MAJESTIC HARTSON on 14TH AUGUST 2021 9:00 PM
I’d rather not say.
But your assumptions about Duff and Phelps could be applied equally to the Crown Office.
IS WINNING EVERYTHING?
There appears to be so much angst between a good number of those who support the club directed at those who run the club. What is justified and what is not, is unclear. Rightly, or, wrongly, supporters are not party to the inner workings of the club and therefore some criticism may be unjustified – of course some may be ‘right on the money’.
I would like Paul to dedicate an article and a subsequent discussion, much like he did with the recent ‘state of the club’ piece, to the subject of ‘Is Winning Everything?”.
We have only one real opponent in Scotland, but the difference in philosophy, strategy and operation between us and ‘them’ is a yawning chasm.
*How would our ‘family’ feel and react if we employed the Ibrox ‘win at all costs’ model?
* Are those who run our club really selfish, devious and incompetent?
* Is there a sub-agenda at Celtic Park that seeks to ensure that Ibrox remains a strong & relevant challenger to us?
*If running our club in a proper manner, living within our means, practising and maintaining financial probity, means that sometimes we may fail, is this acceptable to the vast majority of the support?
*How important is building up records e.g. trebles, 10iar…etc, just to laud it over those at Ibrox.
* Is it time, in this crazy billionaire-driven football world, that we should re-appraise where we stand and what is realistically within our reach?
* Is it defeatist to suggest that we should re-define what success now represents for Celtic?
* We will been seen as one of the clubs who have managed the Covid catastrophe well. The club is still strong and in no financial strife. How important is that to our support and where does the credit lie?
* Is winning everything, or, is having a club to be proud of through ‘thick & thin’ the real Celtic way?
AZ Alkmaar midfielder Teun Koopmeiners has revealed contact with Atalanta and AS Roma.
The Dutchman admits a move to Italy is now likely.
“I thought everything would go smoother,” the midfielder said. “In my head, there’s a lot to do.
“This situation brings stress because, in the end, you think about it every day. If the transfer doesn’t take place before the start of the season, I will just have to play well and put as many minutes as possible in my legs.
“The talks are in full swing.
Koopmeiners did not play in AZ’s away defeat (1~0) to Waalwijk in their first game of the season.
MJ- 😁
Ernie,
Fair point.
In normal circumstances I would give them the benefit of the doubt but there’s “something” about this case that has me suspicious…
JHB on 14TH AUGUST 2021 9:18 PM
“I would like Paul to dedicate an article and a subsequent discussion, much like he did with the recent ‘state of the club’ piece, to the subject of ‘Is Winning Everything?”.”
You just did that yourself, effectively.
I love the idea of someone in the comments section telling Paul67 what he should put in one of his articles.
ST Stives ,Did you know Alex Raes dad Sonny ,and could I ask were did the bus leave from,I was brought up in the same street as Sonny Mordaunt Street ,The Plaza Bar back in the day was a mixed pub ,The Celtic Bus was run by John Leitch and wee Tommy Mullen from lily street,went on it many times ,Sonny Rae I can’t remember him being on that bus,Sonny like a lot of us back in the day we were pretty good at playing football.
SA – I believe there was a couple of players dropped because their mind isn’t on AZ.
Could work in our favour 👍🏼
saint stivs et al
Fifty years ago today? As the late great Sandy Denny once asked, far better than I ever could, who knows where the time goes? In fact that game was part of a trilogy, due to work at the old, new, old stand I think, two League Cup games, (nae Caribous back then) and one League game. Won them all.
In betwixt and in between, the only decade when we were not relatively successful, was the 1990s, ( and I am not playing down the Scottish Cup of 1995 or the double in 1998) and the main reason for that?
The Bank of Scotland
ONIL,
Stop yawning,waken up,remember who I said could be hiding under your bed.Check quick.
Although our Celtic FB’s are playing very well, we definitely need the best possible players to augment Ange’s Celtic.
Celtic usually play 3 games every week so he needs a squad that consists of at least 2 Good players for every position.
Bought our Tickets for AZ today – they have done really well for a good few years now and are obviously a very well run Club. I’m really looking forward to the morras game, the atmosphere will be most excellent but the AZ game could be really Special, IMO.
Back Ange and we are right on the road again.
JHB on 14TH AUGUST 2021 9:18PM
*How would our ‘family’ feel and react if we employed the Ibrox ‘win at all costs’ model?
——————————————————————
Like fair and square and on the level? ;-))
Wouldn’t be our club anymore
H.H.
We’ve won…..
They went bust – full-on Woolworths…….
Deid.
The currant pantomime is for scoddland’s benefit
( Oh Yes it is…)
In Scotland our opponents are everywhere, united by one thing.
While not about winning solely, the thing that unites us is a strong shared culture and a cause.
Regarding the rebuilding of the team after the LL’s — the ones that got away plus those that didn’t come.
PW
Fat Pat / PMcL
Super Sub / VicD
Plus the ones we missed out on …
DJ aka BFDJ
KB from just over the border.
Then you had the players who were born a few years later.
Starting with BMcG then TB and then RA and GMcL.
I will leave out RMcD as I always thought that of all the big CB’s coming through in the 70’s he was at the back of the talent queue — good career but we missed out on some players.
Wtf?