Before this Europa League group got underway the trips to Istanbul and Amsterdam looked daunting. Those games produced two credible draws, but things went wildly wrong elsewhere.
Our goal last night was a peach. Dedryck Boyata split the Fenerbahce defence to open up space for Mikael Lustig to cross for Kris Commons, who peeled off his marker to create the space to head home. Unfortunately only one point was collected as we lost another Keystone Cops goal.
Craig Gordon seems to be struck by a lack of conviction this season. His was not the only failing at our repeated corner kick fiascos but letting a ball trickle through his legs as he appeared caught in two minds is indicative of a player who is doubting himself.
You know Kris Commons scores and creates huge goals for Celtic, we’ve discussed it often enough here. Despite his veteran status and apparent ill-fitting to our system he remains by far our most effective player.
For Ronny, it didn’t go wrong in Europe this season against Fenerbahce or Ajax (I’m absolving him of blame for Efe’s error or a last minute breakaway goal at Celtic Park), it went wrong home and away to Molde and Malmo. We appeared to underestimate both. Did the manager have something to prove against fellow Norwegian managers?
Celtic dominated possession stats in all four games against Molde and Malmo but the Scandinavians exploited the acres of space which simply didn’t exist in our games against Ajax, Fenerbahce or Qarabag, for that matter. Ajax, Fenerbahce and Qarabag got the respect they deserved, not so Molde and Malmo.
The failure is, of course, more complicated than that. Jozo missed the bulk of the campaign, while Dedryck is only just beginning to look like a footballer (lovely pass for the goal last night). Scott Allan looks promising, but we’ve not seen enough of him either due to injury.
Curiously, Ronny’s big 2015 No. 1 striker target, Nadir, looks less like a Ronny Deila player than anyone we’ve bought in years. Knowing we were interested in him, I watched his performances against Celtic last season, and made the same observation at the time.
What happens if your keeper’s form falls off a cliff, one of your new defenders doesn’t settle quickly, two other new players miss months through injury, and your new striker doesn’t morph into a different player? You finish bottom of the Europa League group.
Celtic must now consider their strategy for January. Successive transfer windows have left us weaker, not stronger. Identify the reasons, remediate and we can build on the away performances which bookended this Europa League campaign.
Check out the CQNBookstore. There’s 15 great Celtic books and 10 DVDs, you’ll love them.
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CRC
Tell Jobo he is CQNs version of his Mexican weather girl, so if we wake up to the EK weather report some more might enter LMS, by the way Almore has been a very good replacement but Dublin will never be EK (thank goodness for that)
Will someone tell Ronny that Allan is a brilliant corner taker. He doesnt seem to realise that yet and he seemed to stop him taking them against the Turks. Likewise with freekicks that need be hit into the box.This guy flights the ball with pace and accuracy . Maybe hes doing what he did with Efe who can do really long throw-ins . He has never used it since Deila moved in.
Eddie..,
Should Effe be dropped when off form ?
Should Johansen be dropped when off form ?
I’ve always advocated, if a player is off form they should be dropped any player including goalkeepers, there is no excuse for keeping liabilities in the team when we are continually told we have a great squad.
Are we to believe the squad is no as good as we’ve been told ?
If so why are we being lied to ?
No favourites, earn your place, it’s the only fair way.
If players don’t get their chance that’s not going to make them want to be part of the team.
CRC
Is that after the home Motherwell match?
Have a charity quiz live post match in the Kerrydale
voguepunter, your right I actually remember the Tam Cowan colum in the Record from the day . He had to eat humble pie the next week
DD,
You mean
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wUL65ddSbk0
DD Chrismas ?
Monica, where are you?
-I’m going back home, honey. Will be there soon.
Monica!!!!
-Yes. What happened, honey?
Monica!!!! You went to Tesco with me!
Cowiebhoy,
I watched him a couply years back when the initial buzz about him started and I thought him OK but too rash.
He appears to have eliminated that from his game. And he looks taller too :)
Our next broony?
HH
Cowie
The 3 McGinn brothers have been the talk of Clydebank for years. All Celtic men. Jack’s grandsons. One is destined to wear the hoops.
EDDIEINKIRKMICHAEL on 11TH DECEMBER 2015 10:57 PM
voguepunter, your right
———————————–
Eddie,that’s a first :O)
Eddie
Logan Bailley, Has 8 caps for Belguim , no rookie Bhud
Hail Hail and Nytol
Fed up with all this talk of football matters, can’t we just slag each other off and talk shite politics?
Ronny,
Allan is a brilliant corner taker, there that’s him told
Geordie Munro
Great minds eh? :-)
Yeah, getting on a bit now, but probably still the right side of 35.
You’re maybe only looking at 20-30 games a season. Would really suit us for Europe.
Was such a key player in the Harry Redknapp Tottenham side. Had the discipline to stay back and let Bale, Modric and Van der Vaart go forward, also the full-backs.
Would like a young (ideally Scottish, ideally home-grown) player, but might take a couple of years for someone like that to develop.
Yeah – Bridcutt could be a shout. Where’s he at these days?
GM
Left half for me :-))
Now off oooot
Would that be the shite politics that going to lead us into the next world war and end Celtic for good ?
Great idea, let’s pretend nothing is happening that could possibly affect us outside the goldfish bowl.
Stupid tims
Glass2/3s
20-30 games is more than some manage. :)
He’s got all the monies but How many metals does he have?
There’s dozens out there but Bridgecutt was someone I thought ticks a few boxes. He’s on loan to Leeds till January. Weewhistlesmiley.
HH
Said before,
I remember being in a zoo in India, in the reptile section.
A trussed up chicken in the python house pecking awa just pecking awa
Cowiebhoy,
Ye took me too literally neebs ;)
Enjoy
HH
Canamalar
Only the second coming will save us.
Come Kingdom come!
Cowiebhoy, did he concede 4 goals in his last appearance for his national team?
DD,
That’s the kind of abdication of reonsibility satan wants, sloth I think it’s called.
Pesponsibility even
Anyone going to watch the U-19s v Liverpool tomorrow in Chester?
I’m buying.
Responsibility, sometimes risdexlyia can be annoying
Canamalar
In my case, a stoned sloth just now.
The baby Jesus is not going to save anyone who simply accepts the devil has won
Canalamar
Some say the devil is dead…….
Good night and God bless CQN
and buried in Killarney.
SOAL 10.38
“When life is shit, turn to music. When life is scrape it off the walls shit, turn to Steven Patrick Morrissey”
https://youtu.be/rueyzOCNKHM
HH
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YiCjUNI1GC0
Not long in.Thought I would put this up.
Babe.
HH
Some say he rose again,
And joined the British army.
Turn your back on the suffering is condoning the cruelty.
But I suppose the politics of turning your back on the suffering is no really politics eh, a bit like Celtic eh.
Throw a can on the food bank sate your conscience, talk about Celtic and ignore the suffering
Minutes silence for Paris, nothing for Lebanon or the Russian jet, only Paris. Aye politics that suit your lack of empathy are no politics, right.
Dermot Desmond is the number one Celtic representative, his money is being made supporting terrorist states, but let’s no talk about that, cause its politics, and we really don’t care how that works.
Obsessed with truth, nightmare.
GFTB,
No need to go to church on a Sunday then
Time for bawbaws
Sleep well timdom
DixieDeans….Now thats What The Site Needs MORE of…Salma Hayak..
…DixieDeans…My Man.
COYBIG…
Canamalar
Canny get my head round how one death is worse than another.
War! What is it good for???
Dixiedeans 11.30
Hot as a monkeys arm pit, although the next scene is great..