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.
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TURKEYBHOY on 14TH AUGUST 2021 11:15 AM
Agreed and with that in mind, I wonder whether we should consider lowering our price demands for Eddie.
I know that’d be an unpopular decision with some but let’s look at the bigger picture. Clubs aren’t banging the door down for him at £20m; he can sign a pre-contract in a few months and go for free in the summer.
If knocking a few million off his price tag allows us to bring in the five players mentioned, it’d be for the greater good.
Por Cierto,
Sadly it came from the Polish Media last night.Thats why I put it on.He said the deal was not over yet,so still hope.
AN TEARMANN on 14TH AUGUST 2021 11:19 AM
I would say that in the main they’re better at creating an atmosphere at a Celtic match, yes.
They tend to younger and wilder and more exuberant.
Hardly a controversial point, but no doubt the usual subjects will take offence.
GEEBEE1978 on 14TH AUGUST 2021 11:30 AM
TURKEYBHOY on 14TH AUGUST 2021 11:15 AM
Agree,but we have a way to go In the window yet.Arsenal looking to offload strikers,maybe others.A couple of bad results like theirs last night,soon makes 18-20 million seem cheap.Its a gamble I don’t think we can afford,but how low do we go.( That sounds like a game show )
Who would win a fight between Antonio Ralstonetti and Liamo De Scalesio
TURKEYBHOY on 14TH AUGUST 2021 11:36 AM
You’re probably right but the brinkmanship scares me.
If we sold him for £16m, PSG get £2.8m leaving us with just over £13m.
It’s not the megasums we were hoping for and it’s a drop from £20m but it guarantees us a few signings that we desperately need.
The idea of him being stuck after the window and us not having the money to reinvest doesn’t suit anybody.
Perfectly justifiable to be critical of Greg Taylor’s vertical attributes and his head-the-ball deficiencies (plenty of heid-the-baws on here lest we ever go short!)
Meanwhile in Brentford, another LB showed his own vertical deficiencies being easily out-jumped for the Bees second goal. He had the same issues in a green shirt, but his fallibilities were rarely mentioned.
No player’s perfect but our current FBs give it nothing less than 100% everytime the take to the field.
Yes, bring in reinforcements to compete but credit where credit’s due and watch Ange’s alchemy go to work.
And re poss incomings, these deals are dogged by allegations, competing interests, media spin and BS.
We’ll get who we get and it may not always be our fault – Toney, for eg, looked okay last night – but he is no Furahashi ;)
WHAT IS THE STARS on 14TH AUGUST 2021 11:44 AM
Neither of them would beat Gregor Tajlorvic..
GEEBEE1978 on 14TH AUGUST 2021 11:44 AM
TURKEYBHOY on 14TH AUGUST 2021 11:36 AM
You’re probably right but the brinkmanship scares me.
Me as well mate.But you know our lot.Astonishes me sometimes.We always live in hope.
WHAT IS THE STARS on 14TH AUGUST 2021 11:44 AM
Who would win a fight between Antonio Ralstonetti and Liamo De Scalesio
H,mm,tough one.The winner fights,Gregori Taylorovich.Would sell out the stadium.
In this bad old world we live in,sometimes you need a rock to cling onto.Something that is a constant,never let’s you down.
Daily Record talking up AZ Alkmaar today.
Well off to watch the game,no idea whose playing,some English chaps,against some other English chaps,with no doubt,a dose of Johnny Foreigner,thrown in.
Tally Ho.
TURKEYBHOY on 14TH AUGUST 2021 10:12 AM
Anybody remember “Wolfie Smith”.
………….
Leader of the Tooting Popular Front. Who could forget Foxy?
If we’re pi$$ing about with transfers yet again, I wouldn’t be surprised if AP walks if he doesn’t get the backing, he walked out on Australia, after getting them to the World Cup.
TURKEYBHOY@ 12.07
It’s a well used tactic with that shower any time we are due to meet a European side . Dig up an interview with their manager or a player /ex player telling the world what they’re going to do to us .
Better still if they have a manager or player who has beaten us /scored against us in a previous encounter or with another club .
Transparent and pathetic .
FIELDOFDRAMS on 14TH AUGUST 2021 10:25 AM
Does anyone know if the main stand is open tomorrow or are we three quarters full again?
…………
Main stand is open. I’ve got my own seat back. Same for Wednesday against AZ.
Tony Ralston is doing well, that much is true and at this juncture there’s little option to play him, personally I think he’s hit his ceiling and is def worth keeping in the short term, who knows if we’ll keep him beyond the year, I think we should have the best player we can afford in every position so I doubt he’s the long term answer, getting a loan RB isn’t either but we’ll see how this pans out, hopefully 4 more players this window potentially more if we can punt Boli and Eddie
!!BADA BING!! on 14TH AUGUST 2021 12:13 PM
What?
Speculation on transfers…..which are never as straight forward as you think.
Speculation on transfers you have zero, zero information on now have the manager walking?
Who needs the msm? 🙄
I agree that both Tony Ralston and Greg Taylor have proved
siginificantly under Ange and also with getting a continued
run of matches
But
A back up player for both positions is a good idea as it keeps
players on their toes and dont let standards drop then its up
to all 4 players to battle it out for each other for the 2 positions
A good example is James Forrest upping his game when having
direct competition from Paddy Roberts
Risk averse celtic is what we are watching here, we need a centreback, rightback, leftback and left winger at a minimum. you would be hard pushed to disagree. A forward will also be needed if eddie goes.
I get that sometimes these things drag on a bit but ffs 7 months we have known about these needs with no evidence anything being actioned.
Point is none of the issues are new or have come as a surprise. Having done little to improve these areas is just dumbfounding to the ordinary punter. Ange has been in for about 2 months. plenty of time to assess the squad, identify talent and get then over the line.
Get you finger out celtic, get the players we need in asap and please, please, please try to learn from previous mistakes cause it’s not clear you do.
HH
!!bada bing!!
I’m guessing that there is no way we can strengthen the team before we play the Dutchmen on Wednesday, so looks like we will have to go with what we have. Not to say our players haven’t been doing well in recent games, they have, but if Ange thinks we need to bring players in, then that has got to be the club’s absolute priority. Think it was yourself that highlighted the Czech right back from the other night, looked like he knew what he was doing. Think you might think differently but getting into the EL now would really give us a helluva boost given the timescale Ange has had to work to.
GEEBEE1978
Even if Celtic have said Eddy’s sale price is £20m it doesn’t stop any interested clubs coming in with a lower offer, in order to create a platform for potential negotiation.
At this point in time, I don’t think any club has shown any concrete interest.
Lots of crap from the smsm but no offers.
If he’s made his mind up he’s running down his contract, I hope the club make him train with the kids and exclude him from all first team activities.
We’ll see.
M1980- keep smelling the roses….
Celtic Mac- absolutely, any interview with AP ,he’s said we can’t keep playing the same core of players every game, same players tomorrow and Wednesday…..I think we can all agree, this guy is nobody’s patsy, and won’t get messed about.
Is most transfer business, by all clubs, not usually done very early or very late?
There’s still a couple of weeks left in the window, I can see a bid for Eddie still to come.
Bada – I think AP will be open and honest with us – and he’ll be straight with the the Support in a way that we havent seen for a while.
What we need is clear and I think he’ll sort it in a way that works.
Anybody else suspicious that foreign media are reporting 2 high bids from other clubs for 2 players who both “want to go to Celtic”?
Agents playing games again.
ERNIE LYNCH on 14TH AUGUST 2021 11:12 AM
Would it be impolite to suggest that those responsible for creating the atmosphere would be more likely to be posters on the Huddleboard, Celtic Minded etc rather than CQN?
===============
or no posters at all.
I attend with 3 relatives, 75, 40 and 10. None of them post on celtic blogs, I do on here.
we all seem to support and sing at the sametime.
If Jullien is due back in weeks, surely CB is now considered covered with Starfelt, Jullien, Welsh, Murray and Bitton all ‘available’
Rather we focus on a FB who can play either right or left side.
Bada…not to worry…I’ll be the 1st to suggest that if he does…we’ll have GS waiting in the wings lol
GREENPINATA on 14TH AUGUST 2021 10:56 AM
——
Agree 100% on Ralston. Whether he’s the long-term answer I don’t know – time will tell. He, Taylor & Welsh are in the same category and all are moving in the right direction at the moment. I have an open mind.
Add Murray, Montgomery, Dembele, Shaw & Urhoguide – if a couple of those can also ‘step-up, we will be doing well.
Man united bring on their 73 million pound player.
You. Could buy all of Celtic lock stock and barrel with that money.
I think this has been answered before but I’ll raise it again for a friend: if you’re on the Home Ticket scheme is the money taken off your account for the Hearts game?
No.
You need to buy your ticket online.
Timescales don’t allow for the HCTS for this game.
MORAVCIK
HCTS did operate for Hearts game. It was the Jablonec game that was time barred.
Tom,
That’s what I thought. Thanks.
P67 — “watch us grow” …
Interesting turn of phrase given PL’s repeated failure to grow the club.
17 years in a position of power and the T/O figures is now less than when he started.
Given the global growth of football over this time — to be that bad takes some doing.
As for the game on Thursday we played some good stuff but the defensive side of our game needs a huge amount of work — good foundation in place with JH in goals but we still need a lot of work and new personnel to bring us up to the standards that we will need to win stuff this season where stuff can be plaudits / new fans / silverware / support engagement.
Thursday was probably just a bit heavy on emotion and not enough focus on the basics.
AR — not a natural but starting to understand his position and what he needs to do when the game does not directly affect him.
GT — he does understand the game but he does appear tp be able to control his feet.
Two good pieces of play followed by a cross that looked as if he was using his weaker foot while wearing pit boots — absolutely brutal and it happens time after time.
SW — bit rusty / bit ropey — he needs some work but he is making progress.
CS — he must have been a player scouted by the previous regime after one bender too many. I cannot believe we have paid over £4mill for him to play in a AP team. Stalingrad style defending and he would make a great partner for SD but at the moment with the ball at his feet and space opening up in front of him he looks like Bambi on ice. I hope I am wrong as he is a significant investment for us but he looks to be a PL favour to an agent rather than the defensive pillar we need.
CMcG — poor game on Thursday night defensively. He cannot keep weans out a close and any back 4 relying on him to shape the game to their advantage are always going to be disappointed.
IS — Still struggles for 10 minutes as his legs get up to speed.
Consequently we need new players in and playing if we are going to make it to the EuL groups and the SPL title — JMcC will be a good start but we need others ASAP. We need to lose our glass jaw and we cannot rely on JH for everything.