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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A long time ago
Rid Jean rose
And decided
You with him
And you with him
And it was thus
And they enforced
And the bible was missing
Hail Hail
Well
Your turn
Well
Aye
Your right
Well
What
You. You promised
Aye ok
Coming aunty
Hail Hail
No No, No No, No Nomad Dave King?
I think it was the Queen her self that warned about Dark forces at Work.
I
was
here
then
suddenly
in
full melancholia
I wizny.
Noticed a swear word got through the extra security earlier after Kitalba’s yellow.
Peter, oh Pedro……
Matthew, Mark and Luke……… confirmed.
How many times to be denied?
This Celtic Board are not Supporting the Support.
Dermot Desmond may well think he is in the Big Club but he isn’t. Even he is being used, like everyone is, if they think they are better than others.
Game Over
Mags
Aye snap
Cos your the light o the blog
Hail Hail
Aye all I’m a sad bastard with low iq on a blog in the middle of the night. What does that say about you with your supremacy intellect
Hail Hail
TravellerBhoy
I’m always intrigued to see what you have to say when I see your name pop up on the blog, and I know I’m not the only one. Your words are powerful.
Hail Hail,
KevinBhoy.
PL and RD still have to go. Of course CG must go now too.
MACJAY
I hope you and the rest of the Sydney CSC are having a whale of a time,bud.
Try not to get too sunburnt…
Morning to all
Latest from Tony’s Huddle – staying cool under pressure and saving 154 lives.
An unsullied tale with some videos..
http://wp.me/p6DYht-qV
No One Walks Alone
TravellerBhoy your prose is mighty powerful. I am sure Mags copy was a compliment. Oz bhoys in Sydney enjoy the barbie and the vb’s. Hail hail
Macjay. Are you at the bbq ? I left about 30mins ago
3 points from 18 in the 2nd tier of Europe…not good enough.
It’s hard , on reflection to find any justification for continuing with whatever philosophy/ strategy that is at play.
Lawwell’s big plan is CL every 2nd year and buy low sell high. Well I don’t see the sell high materialising unless there is CL on a regular basis. Getting pumped out of Europe by Christmas won’t increase player value.
Something has to change…
SYDNEYTIM
Poor timing,bud-MACJAY was just about to kick-off a wee rebel sesh!
CULTSBHOY
How about we try something radical?
Like…
Get rid of Lawwell and try a new strategy?
RWE
Incredible skills and decision-making by the pilot.
Choices-crash it into buildings or try to find out if it can float. Balls of steel…
SIDNEYTIM at 06:17
Is that your 1st post that does not mention Peter Lawell, LOL. Guess he’s not invited to the bbq, enjoy the beer and rebs
HH
Fess19 perhaps PL was invited to the BBQ that’s why ST left!! Well spotted. H H Hebcelt
Chris Sutton Ar La……
…..laters…..
Apologies to the blog for my post on Thursday of impending movement Out on Friday. I have been offline since.
It looks like my source does not always get it right
Cat man
Did a draw in Istanbul change minds?
Cat mhan
Without divulging your source – give us an idea of what was supposed to happen?
Sometimes things take a wee bit longer. My belief now is RD is finished but it may take a month or 2
Gooooood Morning CQN
Excellent post last night from AAFG, matches my sentiments
AAFG on 12TH DECEMBER 2015 12:02 AM
We are currently on a long train to nowhere. Players are as they are – some are more talented than others, but I choose to believe that they all try as best they can under two provisos :
What are they capable of?
What does the manager demand of them?
Is there any alignment there?
RD’s vision is to see any team playing to his designs and matching his dreams.
I don’t want to see my Celtic playing to match RD’s dream
I want to see my Celtic cucceed by being adaptable, competent and, hopefully, entertaining.
4-2-3-1 or however you choose to permutate is too rigid (and extremely boring and inneffective)
SPL, SFA cup, League Cup and matches in Europe.
One size fits all – in your dreams!
It’s not just how you want to play, it’s also who you are playing against and in which Competition
One man up front at home in any domestic competition? Get real and learn how to win games comfortably.
Play in Europe? Do as they do to us . Study them, analyze them and then think of tactics.
Advancing from Norwegian football was certainly a move up for you, possibly even a dream.
Your dream is not our dream.
Too many poor signings who have been a waste of money.
You can’t sort out the defence
You can’t sort out the attack (LG can’t score in every match)
So you overload the midfield?
Most are worth a chance, some appear to be very good, but several will never get a fair crack of the whip.
Why?
Stop dreaming.
Get real.
Or, go away.
Learn, very quickly, how to play football in the big boys regime or leave with some dignitiy
As usual, with no Apologies
Alex
So, they haven’t paid the £5m…… that, in itself, is contempt of court, a glib and shameless lie ……the cheating goes on…..and….the breach of contract confidentiality contempt case has been postponed ……. are the legal people just ‘milking the cow’, or are ALL these delays a constructive / connived effort to get sevco ‘over SB money line’ next year …..whatever is going on it stinks to the high heavens …… CONTEMPTIBLE …..I’m beginning to wonder if truth and justice WILL prevail…..
67heaven
Have they actually paid anything back ?
Where is the £4.5m, super GaSL allegedly raised ?
The fine they owe the FTSFA ?
Don’t think big Mike is finished yet :-))))
Aboooot time the plug was pulled on this 3 year old embarrassment to Scottish football
It did happen to another club who operated with the same attitudes 3 years ago
Hail Hail and good morning
The SFA and the SPFL need to be held to account for the way they run the game here, all clubs need to demand answers from them about football governance, I have no idea if any club is holding them to account, I recently sent a letter to Mr Lawwell he replied and I paraphrase our primary concern is and always will be to protect the interests of Celtic Football Club and Scottish football at all times. I hope others are of the same mindset and its not left to a few Aberdeen fans to stand outside Hampden with a banner to highlight the failure of football and its administration in this country.
Budge the other day had something to say then appeared to button her lip
Cowiebhoy AAFG – we’re averaging 2.5 goals per game from passing football. There’s back heels, clever flicks, no look passes and trickery. I’m entertained and more tellingly my Fifa obsessed boy is too. I do question this idea that it’s not entertaining.
As for the defence was it not record breaking in his 1st season? Now that we’re getting a settled 4 what bets on getting close to that again.
Have you ordered your copy of The Winds of Change from CQNBookstore.com yet?
America and Canada based Bhoys have until 15 December to order for Christmas delivery.
All orders today for Winds of Change will receive a free copy of the TOTAL LARSSON 2x disc DVD.
I am looking forward to a wee trip to Perth tomorrow. It’s the ground where Liam Brady came a cropper as Celtic manager. For RONNY it’s the start of his post honeymoon period as Celtic manager.
Delivering domestically is barely enough. We need to see progress so we are ready for July. Every game counts now, every team selection and formation. This is Celtic RONNY – time to deliver.
67Heaven .. CHALLENGING THE LIE ..I am wee Oscar…… Ipox belongs to the creditors on 12th December 2015 9:02 am
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Morning fellow eejit:)…Hail Hail.
Well now….for how long has this correspondent fae the Jungle been telling ye that, there is only one force who will bring ultimate and, hip-hip-hooray-justice to the cheating-hun-orcs….and, that force is….a Celtic FC, driven by a board ‘packed’ full of rebellious Celtic supporters who ‘wont’ kowtow to a hun-establishment.
The key to realizing that solution is….the sacking of the present Celtic board who, not only do they kowtow like meek little spineless sheep…to the hun-establishment….they offer up, Celtic fan victims for sacrifice by, grassing them up to focus.
I’d say that, any Celtic supporter who still disny get that their being ‘had’ by the Celtic hierarchy….will probably need a few hun-mibbery-assisted-robbery’s rammed intae them….maybe then, maybe then….they’ll realize that they have been paying to be used as mere pawns in the devils compendium of Tim-crushing-evil-hun-hate-filled-games.
Specific enough ?
If not,….more later….bye….
When a team is in decline, young players are often overpraised by a frustrated support.
The lauding of Kieran Tierney reminds me of Paul McGowan’s popularity towards the end of Mowbray’s stint.
Off topic but one for cyclists everywhere (and even those that don’t ike cyclists). Ouch!
https://uk.screen.yahoo.com/near-misses-close-calls/polish-cyclist-shockingly-drives-path-065236717.html
Weeminger
Darn Stats :-))
Did I not read earlier this week that our defensive record is on a par with last season record breaking stats ?
Still not enjoying watching us play, poor in possession, poor movement, huge gaps as we are hit on break etc, fed up watching us play players out of position, could go on
Can’t keep the Faith in Ronny to resolve :-)
Hail Hail
Cowiebhoy ….. HAIL HAIL, and a very good morning to you too ….. :) …… There isn’t an honest man among them, and some Celtic supporters actually want to see sevco reach the SPFL …..well, let me tell them, they will regret it ……. If they think oldco were a hate-filled bunch of bigots, wait ’til you see this lot ……. I still think money dictates all things football, and they simply don’t have enough to sustain them ……. Thank God they’re deed, and I won’t have enter any stadium they are contaminating again ……looking forward to 29 January charity night….!!!!!!!!
Kevjungle …… Rant on, fellow eejit, but remember …. ipox STILL belongs to the creditors…… Haha
Off for my wee daily swim ….sounds fishy …
12th December – orange walk on westmuir st heading to parkhead cross
These huns are hurting bad
Dessy…,
What do they think is in the interests of Scottish football ?
I have my doubts they think the same as us on this, keeping the hun support paying into the game sounds about right for the feral capitalists on our board,