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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This is our sixth play off which is a record according to UEFA. The mathematician part of me will also like the symmetry if we go through – it will be three times out of six which has a nice balance. sad – I know.
I have a bad feeling about the Bulgarians and Zagreb so they are the two to avoid.
pity Aberdeen won’t help us with the coefficient. they were the better team even with ten men. ridiculous decision by Mcinnes to send a donkey on for a “big guy” in the air. Euro refs just don’t like it. the sending off wasn’t predicted but the fouls were.
QF on 5TH AUGUST 2016 8:27 AM
Aberdeen were cheated Maribor goalkeeper caught Rooney on his achiles heel with a studs up lunging challenge, despite new changes it was a red card, referee was abysmal,UEFA should be getting bombarded by the SFA and the Scottish MSM today in reference to a refereeing performance which makes a mockery of EUFA fair play policy
Had never saw Donnie Brasco before and so sat n watched it last night.
Had a wee look back at CQN this morning and Leftclick is now officially callin himself Lefty.
Spooky or what? :)
FBI CSC
While waiting for my coffee I had a quick look at the DR, they are still claiming that Rangers players and staff were attacked during the cup final.
Seems we are not the only club which doesn’t challenge the rubbish this rags produces.
TAURANGABHOY
No preference other than…
I’d prefer Dundalk if only for the chance to fill The Arriva again… Good memories of that stadium,an oasis in a Good Friday desert!
That Kenny Miller thing is brilliant btw.
It’s like Sergio Ramos getting asked who will be Real’s main competitors for the Champions League and answering Atletico. Then Jamie Vardy getting upset at him not saying Leicester, even though they have never been in it!
THECELT45
I’ll mail you my number,bud. Enjoy yer stay.
Try and get a trip to Cardiff,some place.
Or maybe aul peanut heid is just a bit miffed that Scott can give his own opinion on things and not have to get everything scripted by fat Jim!
Is Andrew Smith’s article in today’s Scotsman as close as to the truth as any of the Scottish MSM is likely to get, on the Ibrox fiasco?
On recent evidence, I would say yes; however he does flag-up the possible ramifications of the Supreme Court verdict.
I have always thought, and written here on numerous occasions, that it is of vasyly more significant than Res12.
I know there are distinctions between the two matters, however the real difference is that the whole basis of all the tripe surrounding ‘Rangers’ and the SFA, could be challenged on a firm legal footing, assuming the appeal is dismissed.
Illegal registration, side-letters, illegal payment of wages, systematic tax evasion and stripping of honours, will all be on the table – the matter of allowing Rangers to play a couple of Euro-ties, albeit at Celtic’s expense, is ‘small beer’ in comparison.
West Brom Chairman Jeremy Peace to resign after selling club to Chinese Investment Group
Chinese continue the brummie takeover…………………………………………………………..Are there any English clubs still owned by the English ?
Big day for Celtic, C/L draw at 11am……………………………Dundalk for me best route to group stages
Dundalk would be best.
If they knocked us out at least there would be an Irish team in the CL
Wee BGFC getting ready for his trip to see Brendan & the Bhoys out at Lennoxtown.
A tad excited, as you can imagine.
Everyone keep your eye out for him on Celtic TV – I believe televised interviews may be on the cards…
For my own part – I won’t miss the MSM when I see them.
HH
BGFC
THELURKINTIM on 5TH AUGUST 2016 2:09 AM
WEE bgfc….
ask Brendan Rodgers…..how many have we got injured defensively…..mid…..up front
Any Colts….step up
FTSFA
H.H.
—————–
Will do
“I’d prefer Dundalk if only for the chance to fill The Arriva again…”
————————————–
is it a double decker Arriva?
:-)
BIG GEORGES FAN CLUB
I hope you and yer BHOY make the most of a very special occasion.
HH
Celtic or any other Scottish football club will not mount a football or legal challenge to the SFA on any matter concerning oldco, the supreme court verdict will not matter a jot, our CEO and board have and will continue to let the best chance to dismantle the SFA in the clubs lifetime pass them by
Glasstwothirdsfull
With all the while Leicester saying how they are looking forward to adding to their record haul of Champions League titles.
You Can’t afford to Live without Christ as Your King.
MATS NILLOC
The article is indeed pretty good. And states the possible ramifications of a Supreme Cpurt hearing-if those who have been fraudulently denied sporting success have the inclination to follow it up.
That,however,is not the purpose of Res 12. It’s only concern with Rangers,then or now,is in how the SFA dealt with the whole issue.
It is about governance,or lack thereof. It is the SFA who are in the crosshairs.
my Liverpool contact informed me once that Brendan’s pet hate is fans coming up to him and trying to scrounge tickets from him
apparantly he takes it as a personal insult
just saying like
LIONROARS
Bang on the button,bud!
Bob Kelly and Fergus would have ripped them apart by now.
BEATBHOY on 5TH AUGUST 2016 8:10 AM
TD67
I know you don’t like to generalise, but Brummies are the people most likely to send you a card out of the blue.
And more generous than the denizens of your home town, apparently!
Info by order of The Peaky Blinders!
http://indy100.independent.co.uk/article/these-are-the-most-generous-cities-in-britain–lkKjFboMDg
Tra forra bit.
As I said I’m only going by my experience with them, strange people.
How come Hearts and Aberdeen are not up in arms about being written off by Miller? Can you imagine the angle the press would take if it was the other way around.
“brown disrespects the whole east of Scotland by implying their teams are no better than pub teams”
Much criticism of the Lennoxtown youth system under the guidance of Chris McCart
Wednesday night C/L match saw Forrest, Mcgregor, O’Connell and Tierney all graduates who started the match
Mats Nilloc
The improper registration of players has already been established, with the discovery of the concealed side-letters.
No need to wait on any appeal outcome of the EBT case to act on this, in the way the ‘authorities’ have just done with Dundee United last season, who appeared briefly on the SPFL website with an asterisk against their name in the final standings league table,denoting the points deduction for fielding an improperly registered player last season.
One player. . .one time, not tens of players dozens of times, over 10 years.
And yet, deafening silence on this from our club and all the others,including the discriminated-against Dundee United.
Of course, if the SPFL/SFA had been forced to explain that their inaction is due to the cheats no longer being in existence, so no point, then happy days.
And I’d get to watch more than just Euro games we’re in this season, as we count down the 27 hours and 20 minutes till the bell sounds for round 1 and the Farce begins.
Get out of Debt. ASAP.
I am sure we can all agree that Celtic have signed some terrible strikers in recent years. Carlton Cole was a lazy no-hoper and Colin Kazim Richards was a troublemaker.
What’s worse is the ones we signed who never even looked like professional football players. I think we all knew after we watched Bangura and Balde a couple of times that they couldn’t even control the ball.
There have been some who haven’t had a fair go or just didn’t suit the rough and tumble of Scottish football. Miku, Rasmussen and Pukki are all good football players but it just didn’t work out for them.
It’s not an easy place to fit in. The expectations at Celtic are high.
petec on 5th August 2016 9:10 am
Get out of Debt. ASAP.
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naw, if you say the End Times are almost upon us, then let’s all get down to the banks and get into as much debt as possible, cos the crooked bassas won’t have a chance to get it back off us and we can go to the after-life with pockets full of drinkin vouchers
BEATBHOY
hard to put an asterisk in front of the new club, they haven’t done anything wrong YET!
Morning Celts
Karamoko Dembele…..13 years old.
Fecking hell is that bhoy good.
Check him out.
Still shaking my head in disbelief.
Wow.
HH
BMCUWP@8:57
The SFA were indeed “in the crosshairs”, as you rightly say, however any victory was only ever going to be phyrric in nature – the wrongdoing was never going to be reversed and both UEFA and the SFA gave different reasons why not.
In the case of a positive SC decision, I believe that the wrongdoing of Rangers and the maladministration of the SFA in dealing with it, can be tackled with the full force of the law brought to bear.
BBC gossip, up ti yersell?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/36984025
I like this brummie, hes not strange is he ? he likes us
http://videocelts.com/2014/12/blogs/latest-news/stan-collymore-switched-sides-celtic-fans-youre-my-closest-friends/
Mats Nilloc
“the wrongdoing was never going to be reversed and both UEFA and the SFA gave different reasons why not. ”
That’s not what UEFA said (and the SFA just blustered with no conviction).
Your term “wrongdoings” is, I think, deliberately vague and undefined.
Res. 12 was a targeted operation. Once that target was achieved, other actions may or may not follow but criticising it for failing to do what it never intended or claimed to do, is just an attempt to belittle a worthwhile exercise.
Aff oot- will catch replies later.
BUICK MAKANE on 4TH AUGUST 2016 10:15 PM
Emeraldbee
Your ST will be activated
Buick, had to go off line last evening so belated thanks.
This is a new one! Lotsa Celtic stories after you read the article, not bad at al.
http://www.eatsleepsport.com/celtic/celtic-reignite-striker-interest-2127541.html#/.V6RM9Fd4WrU
*all
Mats Nilloc on 5th August 2016 9:18 am
BMCUWP@8:57
The SFA were indeed “in the crosshairs”, as you rightly say, however any victory was only ever going to be phyrric in nature – the wrongdoing was never going to be reversed and both UEFA and the SFA gave different reasons why not.
In the case of a positive SC decision, I believe that the wrongdoing of Rangers and the maladministration of the SFA in dealing with it, can be tackled with the full force of the law brought to bear.
_______________________________________________________________
I think you have hit nail bang on the head! If (or when) the Supreme Court rules against Rangers (IL) (not Sevco) then the can of worms has well and truly been opened. The “no sporting advantage” myth is over; the SFA and SPFL mis-management of this whole debacle will come to the fore, especially the non-payment of the £250K which will see the current Ibrox incarnation in deep trouble. I can also see a sea-change in the continuity myth from down Govan way as the new entity tries to distance itself from the old entity for financial reasons. It will be interesting to observe.
Also the Scotsman article shows a softening of the continuity myth by labelling it as a “spiritually connected” (sic) relationship between the old and the new. That allows for the truth to be admitted in public at last. They will then argue they are “spriritually” still the peepil and have a connection to the good parts of the history and able to dislodge the baggage of all the wrongdoing of the past.