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Kolo influence, Moussa’s delay, squeezing the pips

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

As we discussed a few days ago, the margins between success and failure at this level are tight. Two rash tackles inside the box was enough to see Celtic into the playoff round. On another day, the story could have been different.

For me, Kolo Toure’s 30 minutes was eye-opening. His touch was assured, which gave him time on the ball. He was confident enough to hold possession while being closed down, and can carry the ball out of defence.

He talked throughout, often while gesticulating to team-mates to calm down or to push out in a line. It’s not that we had problems in central defence before he arrived, we didn’t, but he gave the entire team an authority we’ve missed. Without him, the game may have ended differently.

This is what a top player looks like in a Celtic shirt.

Craig Gordon had a big decision to make: come out of his box to head the ball, or stay and allow Kieran Tierney to manage the situation. Yes, it was a good finish, but the keeper made the wrong decision. If you head the ball while 25 yards off your line it needs to go safe or you shouldn’t there.

Did you notice Moussa Dembele’s penalty technique? There were two important elements: the pause and the number of steps.

Most players take a penalty as soon as the referee blows his whistle. Moussa didn’t. He waited. Players who wait until a moment of their choosing score a higher percentage of times than players who move on the whistle.

The delay empowers them. They are in charge, they decide when things start. The two step run up further denies the goalkeeper reaction time: “I’m the boss, you don’t know when we start and you’ll have no time to throw yourself about”.

Squeezing the pips

None of the 11 starters were Brendan Rodgers’ players, four joined until Ronny, while seven have been at the club since Neil Lennon’s days. It’s remarkable that we managed to eliminate a team who qualified for last season’s Champions League with players who were caught so short in Europe in recent seasons.

Last night we squeezed the last pips out of the squad. The addition of Kolo and the return of Erik and Jozo will give the defence a formidable look, but we are not right in central midfield, and I know every one of you held your breath when Leigh went down injured.

I left the ground feeling Brendan got a break in getting that squad past Astana (you could argue Ronny could have done with a couple of rash challenges inside the box in similar circumstances). Sometimes you need the breaks to achieve great things.

Oh, and if football was like that every time, every other leisure industry would close. I’m pretty sure no one in the North Stand knew two Astana players were sent off, such was the Festival of Drama.

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  1. TheLurkinTim on

    WEE bgfc….

     

     

    ask Brendan Rodgers…..how many have we got injured defensively…..mid…..up front

     

     

    Any Colts….step up

     

     

    FTSFA

     

     

    H.H.

  2. Barney67 on

    Gotcha lurkintim.;-) HH

     

    Now at the risk of being labeled a happy clappers (no arsed anyway) I think we are about to have a very special season. I know it’s early days but I think Brendan will turn some of our talented but underperforming players into hero’s, as well as bringing some youth to the team. I just feel it.

     

    UnabashedhappyclapperCFC.

  3. Bobby Murdochs Ankle supportin Oscar Knox on

    BMCUWP,

     

     

    Favourite every Celtic player, and had the pleasure of meeting him in the investors lounge on the night we played Croatia Zagreb ’98. He said that night we shoud’ve locked the doors and not let them leave until Proseniscki had signed for us….that boy must’ve been a player.

     

     

    Bma

  4. petec on

    Yo CQN,

     

     

    A long day on Wednesday, Superb ending, I never ask much of the Almighty because I am so Lucky, I was just so Happy that we didn’t go to Extra Time. I joked with the wee guy that we could be looking at it going to Penalties. :))

     

     

    His Mum, Brother and other Granda were elsewhere at Celtic Paradise and we were to meet them @ the Superstore after the game. Time is Timeless.

     

     

    It was amazing walking out @ 105 as it felt like you were walking on to the pitch.

     

     

    I ain’t interested in ever getting a seat there again.

     

     

    I always got to the middle of the Jungle, well, as close as I could, a feat in itself.

     

     

    A massive game and all the dudes around wanted to berate the players. The wee guy is not even 16 yet but it was definitely an eye opener for him.

     

     

    Back in the newly acquired ST’s seats with the worst seats in the house. The support is there.

     

     

    Brilliant performance by so many players that want it. Those that don’t want it enough will go. As Ever they will go with Many Thanks. It is not easy to play well when a Support is not Supporting you.

  5. petec on

    I tell you what. Big Kolo is just what Celtic needed @ that Time – irrespective of us losing that goal Right after him joining the game and totally changing the whole backline.

     

     

    I look to my own Son now for Guidance about so much about fitba, I didn’t agree with the choice at the Time, I said it to him as well, he reckons Kolo will be the Celtic Captain by the end of the Season.

  11. petec on

    End Times for Sure.

     

     

    KEVJ – the most Privileged spot has been taken over by Moaning Minnies, Seriously Disapppointed about the 105 seats.

     

     

    I couldnae even go to a 2nd verse.

     

     

    Brendan has a big Job ahead of him.

  22. jimthetim53 on

    Petec, Watched a few utube videos of the Safe Standing area at the game. Those are very happy Bhoys. Praise the Lord.

  23. Taurangabhoy on

    Friday avo for me troops. Settled in with a few ales looking forward to the draw. Happy to get any of the other non seeded teams but would really like to see us play Dundalk or Copenhagen. If we get beer Sheba it is in the middle of the Negev desert , free beer, honest it is called nether which translated to eagles piss. Home game for Nir Bitton. Another couple of weeks to prepare for the biggest games of the season. Opened up the yoofa site to see Dembele and the hoops front page. Champions League us where we want to be. Hail hail.

  24. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    TAURANGABHOY

     

     

    Eagles piss? Got to be better than McEwans!

  27. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    TONYDONNELLY

     

     

    Seems it’s a strain,not a tear. Might be fit for Motherwell.

  29. scullybhoy on

    ALAN Curbishley has asked Celtic supporters to temper their expectations of Wednesday night’s Champions League goal hero Moussa Dembele. The former Charlton Athletic and West Ham manager was technical director at Fulham as the Frenchman took his first tentative steps into British football and feels the player would have benefited from another season in the low key surroundings of Craven Cottage this summer instead of making his big move to Parkhead. The 20-year-old, who scored 17 goals for Fulham last year, is off and running as a Celtic player after the composed injury-time spot kick which completed a 3-2 aggregate win against Kazakh champions Astana and clinched the club’s place in the Champions League play-off round but the 58-year-old feels he still has plenty to learn.

     

     

    “He is very quick and strong but I think he needed to do another year at Fulham before he moved onto a club like Celtic,” said Curbishley, speaking to publicise the launch of his new book, Game Changers. “At Celtic he has to produce right away and it is quickly forgotten that he is still just a youngster. I think he would have been given the benefit of the doubt a bit more if he stayed at Fulham but sometimes the move comes along and you have to take it. While he had a fantastic season last year he is still learning the game and I think that has to be remembered.

     

     

    “Dembele is a goal scorer and I think he will do well but people have to understand that he is not the finished article by far,” Curbishley added. “He can go missing in games a little bit like most young players do. He will score goals but for his all round game I think he possibly needed to stay at Fulham a little bit longer. For now he still just has to get used to what it means to be a Celtic player. That is one thing Sir Alex Ferguson used to say – it is one thing being a good player but can you be a Manchester United player? The same goes for big clubs like Celtic

  30. Jobo Baldie on

    Good morning friends and a Big Happy Friday from a calm, dry and bright-ish East Kilbride.

     

     

    Quite excited about the start of the domestic season this weekend and I have a wee feeling it’s going to be a lot of fun. Saw something on Twitter last night along the lines of –

     

    “Tell all the huns you know that it’s gonna be 6 in a row; you missed the first 5 cos you wurnie alive and that’s why we call you Sevco….”

  31. BOBBY MURDOCH'S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on

    SCULLYBHOY

     

     

    Sensible points. I can think of one or two former Celtic players who could have done wi a bit longer with us before moving on.

     

     

    Let’s hope Mouassa proves him wrong!

  33. Taurangabhoy on

    BMCUWP anything is better than mcewans except maybe bud. Who do you want in the draw mate. Any preferences.

  34. Thecelt45 on

    HH BMCW!

     

    In your neck of the woods for a few weeks.

     

    Will drop ye a note to see if we can arrange a wee refreshment

     

    TC45

  40. lionroars67 on

    Good morning CQN

     

     

    Aston Villa

     

     

    sole owner Dr Tony Xia Chinese

     

    Manager Roberto di Matteo Italian

     

    Assisant manager Steve Clarke Scottish

     

    Ceo Keith Wyness Scottish businessman

     

     

    See they Scots, Italian and Chinese that run Aston Villa…………………………………………..

  41. TheLurkinTim on

    Bears 1…..that’s factually pish…. .phonetically it’ss worser

     

     

    FTSFAH.H.

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