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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Foxy….accepted…..liquid below the span….guid mhan
FTSFA
H.H.
Well done Foxy. Your posts last night riled me but you have my immense respect for your post tonight.
——-
We all know on CQN that Hugh Dallas handpicks the referees for Celtic games in Europe.
Last night the referee was a homer.
Or did Ludogorets prefer to play Celtic in the next round rather than Astana?
Discuss.
P.s. after Celtic my favourite hobby is starting a fight in an empty room.
PRAECEPTA
Good news indeed:))
FOXY
do yourself, yourself alone
a favour
take a night off from CQN,
close the tab, leave it alone, close it down.
give yourself a break.
CQN is full of old eejits, aussie mentalists, religious bible quoters. idiots from the port.
give yourself a break from an all night shift.
nobody clicks all the links
keep it lit
So let’s talk about Eoghan O’Connell.
Can anyone quickly tell me how many top team clean sheets Eoghan has contributed to Celtic? Not expecting a quick answer from anyone.
Don’t believe the hype, Eoghan, you haven’t earned your stripes yet.
Can anyone remember the last time we got two penalties in one game?
CQN is full of old eejits, aussie mentalists, religious bible quoters. idiots from the port.
Which one are you Stivs….or do you prefer not to be pigeonholed…..;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
I was in the Buchanan Galleries earlier today.
Walked past a young bhoy wearing our new third strip.
He had Dembele 10 on the back.
if saint stivs is not known as an eejit from the port then i missed my target audience
GUYFAWKESAFOREVERHERO on 4TH AUGUST 2016 10:34 PM
Young promising players need the right amount of positive affirmation and an equal amount of
steadying reality.
Brendan Rodgers seems to be handling Eoghan’s development very well at the moment and I’m sure the young man will not get carried away.
Prestonpans, we got three at Pittodrie in one game about 18 years ago . We missed two of them.
We also got two there around 1986 or 1987. We missed the first then in the goal mouth scramble which followed, McKimmie handled on the line, and got a second penalty . We scored the second one to draw the game 1 each.
Good night all.
HH
PRESTONPANS BHOYS
I think we were awarded three penalties in a league game a few years ago when we scored nine.
Bluemoon CSC
GuyFawkesaforeverhero,
Eoghan can only do his bit….as part of a collective defense….however…..as inexperienced as he is he has helped us qualify for European fitbaw till at least Crimbo…..and can only improve ;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
………………Against the sheep
Sorry Stivs……thawt ye were a Bankie ;-p
Yer target audience? Is that a clique ;-p
FTSFA
H.H.
Dallas,
Thanks for that. I do recall being at a game many moons ago but couldn’t remember where. Rings a bell being in sheep land, in those days too pished to fully remember!
anyways,
to the tims of west lothian, quiet brillaint programme on bbc4 tonight/
i owe an apology of previous rubbish i posted about it all being huns region
scotlands first oil rush,
link to follow
really good , interesting about the irish, and the building of addiewell chapel
Bobbymurdoch, if you are on later and like me , really enjoyed the 1976/77 season, Celtic Underground has an article about Alfie Conn’s first full game for us , against Thistle.
It brought back good memories of one of my favourite chants from the Jungle, he used to be a hun but he’s alright now.
……. Alfie, Alfie :))
St Stivs
3 pens ( 2 missed), a Regi OG and a bonus dispute. MIB: Willie Young
———————————————————-
Aberdeen cash in as Celtic surrender another win bonus
The Scotsman 17/08/1998
AS Aberdeen scaled the summit of the Premier League, Celtic discovered the height of embarrassment by missing two penalties as the reputation of the champions was gutted by a passionate Pittodrie performance.
Goals from the unlikely source of Mark Perry, the head of the hapless Regi Blinker and then a sweet finish from Craig Hignett saw Aberdeen take a three goal lead before Henrik Larsson pulled one goal back after 69 minutes.
But another significant trio, in helping Aberdeen to a first win over Celtic in three years, was that of penalty attempts awarded to the Parkhead side.
Swedish striker Larsson succeeded where Craig Burley and Simon Donnelly earlier failed by scoring the visitors’ second goal four minutes into injury time.
Adding to the drama in this second Scottish Sunday thriller for the Sky Sports cameras were two red cards – for Darren Jackson and David Rowson, who shared four bookable offences between them.
Two bookings in the opening seconds hinted that a tempestuous contest was to follow. Paul Lambert and Eoin Jess formed an unlikely combination for a petty scuffle in the centre circle. Showing some early understanding and simply warning the duo to cool down is not the style of referee Willie Young, and two unnecessary yellow cards were handed out.
With Celtic fielding an adventurous formation for an away fixture – Venglos finding room for Jackson, Larsson and Donnelly – it was no surprise to see them go closest to an opening goal.
Jackie McNamara teed up Blinker from 20 yards out and his low, curling effort should not have caused Jim Leighton too many jitters.
Somehow the ball slithered from his grasp straight to the feet of unmarked Larsson but it was the Swede who had the reddest face with an inexplicable miss from just eight yards.
Blinker, who had been frustrated by good tackles from Russell Anderson twice before, then found room on the left to provide Darren Jackson with an intelligent cutback to catch the Aberdeen defence on the wrong foot. His chance was not as gilt-edged as that of Larsson but Jackson too failed to force his international team-mate into a save.
At this stage, Blinker had been enjoying his honeymoon period at Celtic fully one year on from his signing. The compliment to his first half performance yesterday was that Jess found himself pulled back from midfield to provide Anderson with cover in marking the Dutchman.
That’s not the job which Alex Miller wanted to see supposedly his most creative player carry out and as a result, summer capture Craig Hignett and Billy Dodds were a strike partnership strangled of service for most of the half.
Still, goals can come from the most unusual places and there are few more bizarre in scoring terms than the right boot of defender Perry. More educated feet will struggle to better the sweetly struck shot which gave Aberdeen a 39th minute lead.
Gary Smith’s cross was tamely nodded away by Marc Rieper and Perry allowed the ball to take one bounce before lobbing a perfect effort over Jonathan Gould and high into the net from fully 30 yards.
Perry seemed unsure of how to react to these events and held his face in disbelief, but the unorthodox celebrations were soon mugged as he was buried under his delirious team-mates.
Jackson was booked for dissent as Celtic’s frustrations increased and Aberdeen knew only too well that the visitors were rattled.
Hignett, the free signing from Middlesbrough, was the bright spark of the game, bustling to and from either wing to exhibit the type of work ethic that makes manager Miller proud.
In contrast, there was an edginess about the Celtic attack and that was demonstrated five minutes after the interval when another chance was scorned.
Anderson handled from a Blinker corner kick and Young had the Celtic bench on their feet in premature celebration by pointing to the penalty spot.
Craig Burley, who scored a winner for Celtic from the spot last season, joined the taker Donnelly in complaining that Leighton was not standing on his line.
The delay might well have had a part in unsettling Donnelly, for he succeeded only in bashing his shot off the base of the post and red jerseys were quick to clear. He was to pay for the miss, replaced soon after by Harald Brattbakk.
Celtic’s own mistakes left them chasing the game after those missed opportunities and their panic increased after 56 minutes.
Gary Smith launched a free kick 50 yards upfield but as Gould came to collect, Blinker tried to nod the ball back to where he believed his goalkeeper to be.
Imagine his horror, and Aberdeen’s joy, when the ball soared over the despairing Gould and into the net.
There had been a feeling that Blinker remained an accident waiting to happen despite beginning to show promising form in the early part of the season and his return to favour with the Celtic fans did not last long.
Instead, he became an embarrassed idol of the Pittodrie fans after that gaffe, to the extent that his every touch was cheered and afforded the ‘We’re not worthy’ routine when taking corner kicks.
If that goal belonged in Sky Sports’ comic cuts, the third should feature in the pick of the week. Perry and Jess combined to open up the Celtic defence for Hignett, who sprang clear of Blinker, rounded Gould and finished coolly from a tight angle.
Within nine minutes, Celtic were back in the game. Blinker partly atoned for his error by collecting a ball from Burley and crossing to Larsson, who spun away from his marker and headed past Leighton.
The Scotland goalkeeper was to gain his revenge in the most spectacular fashion for the rest of the match. Celtic were awarded a second penalty after Lambert was tripped by Derek Whyte, but Burley gave Leighton a good chance of saving with a shot at the ideal height for a goalkeeper.
The danger was not cleared, however, until Leighton produced a brilliant reflex stop from a thunderous drive by McNamara, and then gathered the ball. Minutes later, the veteran repeated his remarkable save from Roberto Carlos against Brazil with a blinding parry from Larsson.
The thrills continued well into the final minutes in which Jackson’s sarcastic applause of a refereeing decision and Rowson’s tackle on McNamara saw the pair ordered off.
Gould thrust out a foot to deny a cheeky near post effort from Hignett and Dodds missed by a yard after good work from Kiriakov, but Celtic’s humiliation on the field after a week of embarrassment off it was already complete.
——————————
HH
CRC
glendalystonsils on 4th August 2016 10:41 pm
TheLurkinTim on 4th August 2016 10:44 pm
Fair play you stick up for one of our own. I wish all our bhoys well.
We can’t have kids come into the top team and play boy’s football. When they get the chance they have to stand their ground, hit hard and go off with no goals against. Anything less is a fail.
Prestonpans Bhoy, being pished at Pittodrie was expected when we were younger.
Leave on the bus about 8am, get to Aberdeen before 11am (after all the bypasses round the towns like Forfar and Stonehaven were built) , go into Daisy’s bar to about half two, go over the big sand dune , get into Pittodrie , sing our hearts out, leave Aberdeen about half five, get back into the town then start all over again.
Relying on the unreliable…..my memory…..awarded 3 penalties…..missed 1…..against who…..?
FTSFA
H.H.
Van was certainty the man tonight . Two great nights on the trot .
Two great venues celtic and kelvingrove parks .
Away to catch up . on page 2…. is it worth it ?
http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07cb31r/scotlands-first-oil-rush
CRC ruins a vague memory with facts….;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
I used to go to Aberdeen games by “Football Special” train…..
Cannae ‘member a thing :)
..
Has the 10th of September 3pm been changed for TV..?
Trying to find out as it may clash with a Melbourne Hoops do..
TIA
Summa
Thanks to All who passed on there condolences to my earlier post
bognorbhoy on 4th August 2016 10:58 pm
Van was certainty the man tonight
……………………………..
Were you out hunting vampires…..;-p
FTSFA
H.H
..
3pm Game..
Hunderbirds, before I joined a supporters bus, my pals and I went on the fotball specials.
The oldest, mankiest and coldest train carriages British Rail could find , were used to get us to Dundee , Aberdeen etc.
We all eighteen and nothing , even the above conditions , could stop us going to see our team.
Good night all and sleep well
Prestonpans bhoys
We missed 3 penalties (including a retake) in a game at Bayview in 72/73.
Sinners were Murdoch, Hood and Dalglish.
Final score was 2-2 as Deans got us a late equaliser.
Source: Pat Woods, The Glory and the Dream. Page 271.
Summa, my apologies for not posting earleir to offer my condolences to the Carmichael family on their loss of Tommy.
May his soul rest in peace.
DALLAS
They were pants.
Saved about 40p on the full fare. Took about five hours to get home.
HH
Suma
Saturday 10th September 2016
12:00
CelticvRangers
Dallas,
I remember those journey’s well, in my case leave Killie at 7 and pished by noon, happy days.
Anyway CRC nope not that one and hrvatski too early, perhaps I dreamt the number of penalties at a game….
Just watched the clips of young Dembele in Dublin.
Some talent in an U-16 team,but a bit on the small side.
But…
Seems he was playing a few years ahead of himself,he qualifies at U-13!
http://www.celticfc.net/news/10617