Celtic frittered away another two points at Kilmarnock this afternoon after a performance which ultimately showed depths of determination but was marked by shockingly bad organisation.
Kilmarnock’s opener in 25 minutes could not have been simpler. An 80 yard high ball was collected on the edge of the Celtic penalty area by Heffernan, who turned and picked out the onrushing Dean Sheils, who was initially being marked by Beram Kayal but the Israeli failed to match Sheils run, allowing the Killie player time to pick his spot and score.
The home team were encouraged by the opening goal and continued to press forward. Fraser Forster did well to turn over a blistering shot from Kelly which was destined for the top corner. Kilmarnock’s pressure was rewarded on 40 minutes when Kayal and James Forrest stood off a ball conceding possession. Sheils crossed for the offside Heffernan to score but the assistant referee didn’t flag so the goal stood.
Seconds before half time Charlie Mulgrew was short with a back pass and James Fowler chipped Forster to give Killie and three goal half time lead.
The first 28 minutes of the second half were miserable for Celtic as the team appeared resigned to a fate similar to the Celtic team which visited St Mirren Park in March 2010 but Anthony Stokes had other ideas. Stokes missed what was surely the worst chance of his career early in the first half when the scores were still level, and saw a good penalty claim denied on 71 minutes, but instead of hiding he stepped forward.
James Forrest, who also stood up to be counted throughout, ran at the Killie midfield and was fouled 25 yards out. Stokes struck the resultant free kick perfectly into the top left corner.
Two minutes later Stokes collected the ball from Ki 28 yards from goal in what seemed like a safe position but his swift turn and inch-perfect shot beat Jaakkola in the Kilmarnock goal.
Kilmarnock were now rattled and Celtic were level on 79 minutes. Daniel Majstorovic got on the end of a long free kick at the back post and squared for Charlie Mulgrew who headed home.
Having scored three times within seven minutes and with over 10 minutes of the game remaining the Celtic support had reason to feel confident their team could collect all the points but it was Kilmarnock would should have tied up the win in the final minutes when Heffernan found himself unmarked inside the Celtic six yard box but headed over, however, the home team will be happy to have collected their first point in four games.
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notthebus
I am speculating but I believe Phil MacGiollabhain. Not because I merely want to because I hate the board – I don’t know any of them personally so I cannot hate them but I don’t like the way the run our club. Phil sounds livid at the treatment of the manager. Do you think he is making it up? He has stated he knows for a fact that Bangura was not signed or seen by Neil Lennon and he wouldn’t say it if it were lies and we know deep down that Phil loves Celtic and wouldn’t lie to us. If you don’t like hearing it I’m afraid you’re going to hear a LOT more of it in the coming weeks.
If you look at it rationally what we will both agree on something isn’t right within the club either in the relationship between manager and CEO OR between players and manager.
The same players who are capable of sweeping all aside as we have seen haven’t played anywhere near as well as they did last season from January to May. I think that is obvious. It cannot simply be down to tactics and poor systems and injuries.
To one and all – it has nothing to do with the board. Neil sets the team up he picks the team he trains the team the tactics are all Neil’s. He is being beaten by the St johnston manage (our players are better than St johnstone) same applies to Hearts Kilmarnock Rangers. Do not blame the board for not beating Kilmarnock
bournes receipe
7 or 8 centre halves at CP and not one them is fit for purpose
how or why did we arrive at this position
how much wages do we currently spend on these 8 center halves
do you think with the benefit of hindsight the wages would be better spent on say 4 better quality centre halves instead
and we can use this argument in most areas of the park
Eyes wide open
Not that surprising as Neil had lunch with Levein on friday and they discussed the revolutionary and forward tactic of loading your squad with defenders and hoping opponents don’t score.
The second phase of this has still to be worked out as there is no strategy to get goal back if opponent actually scores
67 european cup winners
i dont particularly blame the board for the 3-3 draw at killie
but i do believe that a change of strategy is required. Survival? was mentioned as a strategy. It sound liuke we are relying on if rangers going bust with the tax issue
i really hope they do go bust. but i feeel that deep down they wont. Many clubs have gone into admin, but many have survived it.
if the huns do survive admin, and are sitting on 4 in a row, i wonder if we will continue to be happy being second best as long as we have no debt
The bench yesterday was questionable to say the least. No attacking options – is Paddy injured?
I think Joe Ledley is our best midfielder and is best utilised in the centre, not as effective on the left and I think as a team, we are more balanced with him in centre. I also think, for all his faults, Scott Brown is missed.
Not the biggest fan of James Forrest but credit to him for a fine 15 minute spell that got us the point.
I’m Neil Lennon (tamrabam) says:
16 October, 2011 at 14:41
He may have but would they have come and how good would they have been…we all want the best for our Team and you make a good point – we have concentrated on quantity rather than quality but still not sure the true quality will come. The fact that money has been given shows there is backing there but not sure a front loaded strategy would do the trick as our game is on its uppers and no Board are going to do that.
Thoughts are stick with Lennon so long as he does not make the same errors he is making now – changing the team week in week out and that he sorts whatever is going on in the heids of some of our players…..give the new Chairman a chance too. He has a good background so hope that he will see how disenfranchised a large element of the support has become
The thing that scares me is THE HORRIBLES winning TEN in a row. We need root and branch change at Celtic Park
all this nonesense about the away strip ,its the lousy players that put them on is the problem.big dan mulgrew remember motherwell last season .cha,loovens ,kelvin wilson. bangura,rogne,everyone of them not good enough.and what does the manager of southampton see in hoovield that lennon cant .no im sure if your face dosent fit with lennon then your time is up at our club.
Good afternoon.
A word in the defence of our much maligned central defenders, and in particular Dan Majstorovic (who always gives 100%).
Celtic are leaking goals, and hence lacking in confidence all over the park, as a result of a complete lack of protection for our defence from the midfield.
Last season our defensive stats were impressive and a result of being able to field the excellent Joe Ledley, a motivated Beram Kayal and a tireless Scott Brown in midfield. This season, as a result of injuries and it would seem some unknown factors, our central midfield has consisted of a talented footballer in Ki and an off-the-boil Kayal. As talented as he is on the ball, Ki is like a man down when we don’t have possession. This fully exposes our central defence who are not at their best retreating when opposition players are allowed the freedom of having a run at them. Frankly, there’s not a central defence in this country which would do well in these circumstances.
Don’t get me wrong; Dan and Charlie have issues with balls over the top, but the lack of midfield support is usually the reason the goal is eventually lost. Ki and Kayal were guilty yesterday of allowing midfield runners to run beyond them unchecked regularly. It was lamentable and the reason I may have staved the big toe on my right foot.
I would suggest that Celtic need to return to a 3-5-2. Charlie is a natural sweeper. Dan with either Wilson would be my other two. (Loovens should never play!) Wanyama and Ledley protecting Ki in the central midfield. Brown wide right, Izzy wide left. Stokes and a.n.other up front. Matthews and Forrest would provide alternatives for the wide positions. We might have to change it against the bosh (as MON discovered when they played 3 up), but it would certainly work in most SPL games.
Incidentally, Paddy McCourt slows our momentum down. This is why he doesn’t play. (In case anyone thought I’d forgotten about him!)
RPM
tamrabam
Nearly every manager inherits another managers players, Hooiveld, Thompson, O’Dea, Rogne, and Loovens are not NL’s choice.
He can’t escape blame, because Majstorovic *who is arguably the worst* was his signing.
We arrived in this position because of the misjudgement of two successive managers, WGS then TM.
How do we get out of it? – sign two class Centre Backs and start again without the Celtic charge of the light brigade.
i get frustrated when i read post from good celtic men who think that debt is evil
i often wonder if they have a mortgage or if they just saved up enough money for a house/ car before they bought it outright
67 European Cup Winners
Exactly.
Neil has done an awful job with players at his disposal compared to his counterparts at other spl clubs.
The board are guilty of many things and i offer no defense for their lack of interest on the playing side.
Both culpable.
terrible first half the second better but still not good enough if we are not good enough to beat kilmarnock, rangers, st johnstone, udinese, braga, etc. i think we need a new manager as much as i hate to say it i think we are missing scott brown, we need a player with agression and he is the closest we have to a player like that. does anyone know how long he is out for? is hooper injured? and whats the story with mcfadden?
RPMcMurphy
Its not a bad shout re 3 5 2 – i dont think Forrest is equipped defensively to do wing back role, his positional play is the weakest part of his game although I appreciate hes a young man learning his trade.
Good afternoon CQN
I feel quite down today. Yes I’m disappointed with our performances over the past few weeks, yes I’m worried about our team going into the next few games and how the rest of the season unfolds, yes I’m worried for Neil Lennon the man, he wasn’t himself on Friday at the AGM.
But none of these things have got me down, because I have hope that Lenny can turn things around, I have hope we can still go on and win the league, albeit I appear to be a dreamer and unrealistic optimist as far as this is concerned.
What has got me down is the Celtic family. On here last night and at a number of games (mainly home) this season it is quite obvious there is a large number of Celtic “fans” who at the slightest sign of adversity, who when faced with a challenge, who when see that the team isn’t good enough – simply just collapse and their immediate reaction is to sack people. Sack Neil Lennon, sack the board, boycott games – we can all see the problems, they don’t need highlighted for most of us, what we need are solutions, unfortunately there’s been too few of these, boycotting a game, sacking the board or Lenny aren’t solutions, they solve nothing.
I feel down, not because of my team, but because of the number of posters on here who seem to have lost their backbone. Unfortunately CQN isn’t unique in this respect. Celtic Park has also become a stadium where visiting teams know that the crowd will get on the home team’s back very quickly – do you know any other stadium in Glasgow where this is the case.
I really always thought our fans were different, we had imagination, humour and a different kind of passion for our team, our club, our family – more than passion, a real love for Our club. I have seen very little evidence of that on here in the past 24 hrs. It seems for many it is lust and at the first sign of difficulties it is get rid and start anew!
When you look in the mirror and don’t like what you see, do you blame the mirror? Every Celtic fan who is attending a game this season needs to look in the mirror and ask am I there to support or hurl abuse? At a game earlier this season at CP, I witnessed Celtic fans booing a player as he came on the pitch – before he had touched the ball! I would expect that kind of behaviour elsewhere in Glasgow.
Now is not the time to sack a manager or anyone else. Now is the time to grow a pair and help our team, our manager, our family. Now is a time to decide if you have what it takes, if you have enough love to see by the weaknesses our team has collectively and as individuals to give them your 100% support every game. I witnessed yesterday (& was luckily enough to be part of) a support that lifted a team and help them in a remarkable comeback.
Yes we may be papering over cracks, but this is exactly what we should be doing for the next few games start to build a bit of momentum. I keep hearing from friends and family, “I’m desperate for Lenny to succeed, but…..” but nothing, if this is the case, give him every chance – SUPPORT him and his players. I understand there are many questions to be asked of our major shareholders, our board and manager, will forcing the issue now benefit Celtic this season – I don’t believe so!
I am simply asking you to look at what you contribute to the success/failure of our team.
Like the mirror when you look at the team, think first of your contribution, if you have done enough before calling for people to be sacked, before boycotting. HAVE YOU DONE ENOUGH?
I know, irrespective what happens, I have and will continue to give my support to the team, can you look in the mirror and say that? The time for change may be as much with the support as the team, are you part of the solution or part of the problem?
I apologise for the long post
Hail Hail
bjmac
Ah see that Matt McGlone and Phil.. are daeing a Fine joab oaf
UNDERMINING the CLUB.
Their utter nonsensical suggestions that Lenny is Hamstrung by the Board, is definitely ..
Bad Medicine!!
They have determined that Lenny is Not the Man in Charge at Parkheid oan the Clyde.
And..
Mr. Desmond, is some kind of SIMON LEGREE.. who hovers in the Background.. making Untraceable Midnight Calls from his Refuge in the Hinterland
Whit Hinterland?
Noo.. That wid be TELLIN’!
Normally, Ah widnae make any comment regarding whit Ah think aboot either Matt or Phil.
but, fur once..
Allow Me.
Matt, is a Thorn in the Side of The Celtic Administration.. always wiz.. and Always wull be..
He has a Bealing Wound that refuses to Heal.. It iis located in his Ego.
Phil..is a Fine Journalist.
Howevahhhhhh..
Keep it in Mind that as a Journalist.. Phil hiz tae.. well.. “Journal”!
And the Big “C” is the Meat and the Potatatoes of Journalism.
Controversy, is a vital component.
And dinnae furget.. every Journalist worth his supply of Ink..
Needs a Cause Celebre… and the Celebre the Bettah!
Phil is a wee bit stymied the Noo, in regards tae his
Crusade agin the G.A.
That is awe Ah hiv tae say oan this subject.
Kojo
What the hell is Arshavin thinking about ..?……..blessing himself (Russian Orthodox, or not) coming onto the park……..doesn’t he relise that this is OFFENSIVE to so many peepil in this country (football fraternity)…..shame on him…..he really does need to understand ‘the sensitivities of the bigot’ ……..LOL…!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RPMcMurphy
Paddy McCourt may slow the play down though his appearances have been so fleeting i can’t tell.
Ki though seems to be praised yet i’ve never seen him make anything but sideways and backwards passes.He does more to disrupt our momentum than any opponent ever could.
McCourt at least forces opponents to work.
bournes recipe
absolutely, if we dont have any cash why are we looking at Faddy (probably on a few quid) when we are screaming out for two centre halves.
IMO at every transfer window we should not be buying around 6 players at a cost of 10 million quid, but instead we should buy a maximum of 1 or maybe two genuine first teamers at every window
we must end the thinking about team 1 team 2 team team 3 etc and begin to buy quality and build (from the back) until we have a few genuine players.
we are back at the days when you the kids would struggle to decide which players name to go the back of the jerseys
no genuine quality.
i bet the huns would get more than 4 million for the jelavic fullah if they sold him, so if you do buy genuine quality it may be a future sellable asset and not always a drain
currently our club is choc a bloc full to the gunnels of guys who we cant sell, because we brought them as potential and they never lived up to that, they have virtually no sell on value. this is a result of our diamond in the midgie policy where we buy 10 cheap players and hope that they become better
it doesnt seem to have worked very well in my opinion
Kojo….started to read your post….stopped after the first comment……..what are you on today !!!!?
it is strange that when phil mac, comes out with bits about rangers there is no real disputing it,
but when he says he knows for a fact that certain players were not neils, some will say how would he know,
well if we believe his work on uncovering ongoings at ibrox, then is it not possible that he is uncovering things at
celtic park?
bjmac
Nice one.
I believe.
Reading a lot of the posts today various people are saying that Lenny must learn what players he can trust, play players in their natural positions,stop tinkering with the first XI(especially with the back four) etc
But have we not been saying these same things after Sion at home, St Johnstone at home, Huns away,Hearts away, and now Kilmarnock away?
Imo, he is not learning whatsoever from his previous mistakes and needs replaced as manager asap. The only way we will win this league is when the Huns are deducted 10 points and then they possibly sell 1 or 2 key players in January. The squad Lenny has at his disposal is more than good enough to win the SPL. To be 3rd in the league and 10 points behind the Huns in mid October is a horrendous position to be in with the players we have. The EL games are something we could do without, so it would make sense to play our fringe players in Rennes and keep the key players back for Sunday against Aberdeen
With the Huns having 2 tricky away games coming up, we really have to win every league game prior to playing them in December, but unfortunately every other team in the SPL is no longer scared of playing us, and believe they can get a result against Celtic whether at home or away
Does anybody really have confidence that we can go on a 7 or 8 game winning SPL run?
Michael Laudrup for Head Coach,done very well in La Liga with smaller teams on a low budget.
Bjmac-I seriously admire your post there mate,we all want Neil to be a success for very obvious reasons but hes not got it IMO.PL and the players also have to ask themselves, can they do more? Of course they can. Neil looked a beaten man in that dug out yesterday, if we did lose or St Mirren didnt equalise, he would be cutting a severance deal today.IMO it os onla a matter of time when we draw or lose another game, he will go.
Snake Plissken
The debate about the poor team performance is not really what I have a problem with.Its an entirely different argument.
Last night I challenged a number of posters who made the same claims as you.None of then could offer any tangible evidence.
Now if that’s your opinion or informed guess then fair enough.However this is now being regularly posted as fact when it clearly isn’t.
Last night we had a list of names being suggested Arthur Boruc, Nakamura, Cha Du rei ,Juarez to name but a few who had been brought to the club without the managers knowledge.
And yet with all of this seemingly positive undermining of managers on team selections spanning 3 managers and several years by persons unknown or unnamed , there has not been one quote attributed to the people who are being supposedly undermined namely Gordon Strachan,Tony Mowbray and Neil Lennon.
GS and particularly TM have no allegiances to the current board. Why have they not comment on this ?
I find these rumors insulting to the office of the Celtic manager.
Did I tell you about my dream the other day? I dreamt I was at Ibrox, there had been 2 goals and the St Mirren fans were singing and dancing. I thought it said 2-0, but must have been 1-1. :-)
My dear,dear,dear,dear,friend.. 67th Heaven
Pal.. If ye didnae complete reading wit a wrote ..well..
How kin we possibly..
Discuss ,my ultimate Submission?
Whit ur you oan?
Kojo
yer pal..who likes ye aloater
Time for.a post of Director of Football. Responsible for the football operations at CP. Buying and selling players with the team manager.
Approves the employment of coaches.
Aiming to keep continuity in coaching staff below the manager. That way if the manager leaves the rest of the coaching staff stay.
If Lenny can work with such a position. Why not he works with.similar or greater input from PL.
I am sure PL would welcome a buffer from critism.
Must be a football man.
Possibilities Roy Aitken, Trappatoni, Niall Quinn.
67 European Cup Winners………don’t you know, the Board gets blamed for everything….!!!!……….why can’t some of our players at least TRY to emulate the attitude of players like Henrik, Van Persie…….just go out there and give 100% and criticism will not follow….that’s all we ask…….do your job….feckin at least TRY……
BJMac
I do my best in a limited capacity as i live overseas.
Have prem67 which ranges from poor to average at the cost of a few hundred dollars.I buy merchandise for family and always proud to tell people i’m a Celtic supporter.
Do the custodians ,coaches and players do their best for Celtic?
bournesouperecipe
There is a major gulf between the abilities of Messrs Matthews and Wilson, believe me, and it does not favour the Scot.
Your point about cross balls to the back post rings true, however, although I find it difficult to believe he was responsible for any of the goals in the Sion 1-3, where Cha and Wilson played RB and LB. The only goal Matthews has been culpable for so far was in the Hearts game, where he failed to react in time to stop (insert Jambo’s name) getting his shot away.
Cha is not a fullback – agree.
If I had to name our best CB partnership, it would be Rogne/Majstorovic (13 games played, 0.23 goals conceded per game), although I don’t say that with much confidence.
Kojo…….am oan my erse on a lovely comfy seat……..it jist takes too long to unravel the point……LOL………AND PHIL IS THE MHAN…..!!!!……HOEEVA, I STLL LUV YOU A LOATER ASLO
BlantyreKev says:
16 October, 2011 at 15:11
Aye, few a few folk are homeless today, putting their house on St Mirren on the back of your dream ;-)
hh
bjmac
BJMAC, I think your timing is a wee bit out Bud, I think the Celtic support won us a point yesterday, they were outstanding and I doff my cap to every one of them.
BK – lol get that crystal ball polished !!
TTTT
fan-a-tic says:
16 October, 2011 at 15:04
RPMcMurphy
Paddy McCourt may slow the play down though his appearances have been so fleeting i can’t tell.
Ki though seems to be praised yet i’ve never seen him make anything but sideways and backwards passes.He does more to disrupt our momentum than any opponent ever could.
McCourt at least forces opponents to work.
well said fan-a-tic
HH
donegalbhoy67
Blantyre Kev……..you really do need to see a doctor about those nightmares………the day I start dreaming about ipox, I’ll top myself……LLLOOOLLL…!!!