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.
1,280 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 22
- 23
- 24
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- ...
- 34
- »
Gerryfae
Was referring to our spend back then…..
Would Ronny have picked John, Chris or the Kok ? :-)
Fernabache had 10 men for last 15 minutes or so, with Ciftci upfront a cruel man could say we played with 10 for the 90 minutes. Anyhow I’m sure the blog is tired of our verbal tennis, so I’ll shut up and do a killer sudoku to pass my time and just have a wee lurk now and then..
SFTB….Really…So where will we be in 2 months time..o predictive one…Dont Be Evasive…Get it out There NOW…
TGM
Alan Partridge is helping Delia at Norwich. Maybe he could help Deila at Celtic? :-)
SFTB
We were the 3rd place seeds and the fourth place seeds won the group, at some stages in this EL campaign we have played good stuff, 2-0 up and cruising against Fenerbache, then leading twice in Amsterdam, then running all over Ajax at 1-1, by the way am still to be convinced that Leigh Griffiths goal was onside, new rules, after the goalie touched it was a different set of play (I might have just made that up) but it was onside to me, I was brought up with us not even scoring in Europe never mind taking the lead in nearly every game
CorkCelt…Good Idea…Go sudoko Yourself….Sure you will Feel Better Bless..
GFTB
Roy Croppie is my favourite Tim on here. Fred Quimby is my favourite hun on here.
DD
Maybe we could even get Delia to replace Deila.
It looks nearly the same:)
Hopefully nobody will notice….and surely the food at the kiosks will improve.
Cant be bad:)
HH
BGX
“SFTB….Really…So where will we be in 2 months time..o predictive one…Dont Be Evasive…Get it out There NOW… ”
Read it again- my predictions are all there.
As if you’ve never made a prediction, eh?
Big Cup Winners
The KOK would be a dream for Ronny, he is a front 3 himself……
Wee Leigh is the nearest we have (not ability wise) but both determined, Sutton & Hartson are yesterday footballers, no way they could even attempt to play up front themselves, big Chris best passes were with his chest, watched him today on BT and didn’t have a bad word too say about Norwich, maybe he loved them more than us
FFS
Battle of the porn stars again
RELAX
The strategy of getting rid of our best player or players on an annual basis is now proven to be a flop.
The transfer fees are fools gold.
Wipe out by the loss of Champions League money.
It time to try something different. Get rid of the worst players and look to improve what we have.
Do that and you see your turnover soar.
Assuming we did lose £10m pa from the death of Rangers, that money should return next year if the new club survives long enough to win promotion.
We have plenty of good young players. Our experienced players who haven’t contributed much under RONNY can walk away. Bring in some experienced, quality and forget selling them on. Let them help the boys.
Did you read the feature on CQN tonight on Liam Brady? I was at that game with my dad, who is no longer with us. Never heard him so angry roaring in frustration at what Celtic had become.
If you’d have offered the support our current position that night we’d have bitten your hand off.
Yip my Da was spot on
TGM
The stovies and lentil soup in the Jock Stein Stand are braw in this weather. :)
BGX
No call for the venom….lighten up, the lads are cracking gags.
Corkcelt is one of the good guys.
HH
Gerryfae
Sutton is only doing what many Tims are doing just now.
Peterbhoy,
Thanks for the contact on Youtube.
Rebus
TET
I’m stone cold sober.
Thank God:)
Still mental though:)
HH
SFTB…you said we would be in a better position in 3 months time..Prediction…May i ask you to Elaborate…
Auldheid on 12th December 2015 7:12 pm
Parkheadcumsalford on 12th December 2015 6:56 pm
The Guardian have expressed an interest and AT has the case too but is waiting for the court cases to clear.
*almost finished Nick Davies book Hack Attack and was thinking how could we no get someone like that on the zombie ebt trail.
BTW how any Celtic supporter, naw make that anyone with hauf a brain can read any of Murdoch’s publications or watch BskyB is beyond me.
Delaneys Dunky
It turns out that Mr Croppie and a really good friend of mine (they met at CQN11) grew up together, sometimes CQN is worldwide but then it’s on your own doorstep, 99% all good Celtic fans, I wouldn’t comment on others more fool them, I try to think everybody that posts is of a Celtic persuasion it makes it easier to disagree, if they are from the dark side no point even interacting about Celtic
The Holy Goalie is the best Celtic goalie I have seen. Still playing well.
I don’t think we have much say in selling our top players, have any of them wanted to stay with us? Maybe I’m wrong and a pay rise, of less money they’d get else where, would change their mind.
The Green Man…Cirk celt and i Disagree as A Given..Where was the Venom on my Part..i didnt call him a bad name..didnt diss him…i disagree with him..Aint No Thing..
BGX
No worries.
We are all Celts here.
HH
GFTB
Since I started posting here, I have realised that I knew a dozen or more CQN contributors from childhood. You know two of them. Dallas and Art of War. Knightswood Republicans all three of us. :)
Big Cup Winners
I loved big Sutton on the park, which in my opinion he wasn’t on the park enough, picking up far bigger wages than Ronny Delia ever will, sitting on the treatment table, just now it’s a cheap dig at the club, and more importantly the fans at every given opportunity, maybe he is just earning a crust but to me it’s pretty crass, but if he wants to pay the bills that way fair enough, he will not be remembered too fondly by many, and yet again am sure that will not bother him
BGX
“SFTB…you said we would be in a better position in 3 months time..Prediction…May i ask you to Elaborate…”
From my original post-
we are likely to stay well enough clear in the league and to get to the latter stages of both cups (we are already in the semi-final of one).
We will probably lose again this season, somewhere- sometime (hopefully not in either Cup).
We will certainly drop points again but I expect we will be good odds for a domestic double and reasonably priced to land a treble
Could I have been any more specific? In 2 months time I expect us to be 6 to 10 points clear in the league, in the final of the LC and into the next rounds of the SC.
Now, about your prediction that Rangers will be, what was it?- 8 points clear in next year’s SPFL? You standing by that?
The Green Man..Bless.
TGM
I am also stone cold sober, but just about to remedy that :-)
HH
Delaneys Dunky
I speak to both daily, two of the best in very different ways, it’s a small world
Dallas is a fountain of knowledge about games from 1970s-1987 and AoW is just a fountain of useless knowledge…….. AoW you know am I kidding
Gerryfae
We all see things differently…..I watched Sutton’s reaction after the Ajax defeat with some incredulity.
Thing is,I took his commentary ad someone who was raging and emotional about whether is watching.
His opinions are echoed on here everyday and amongst many in our wider support.
An interesting Dublin band:
http://youtu.be/s9Igc_XzBhM
SFTB….Show Me Where i Said Sevco would be 8pts Clear in the SPFL…Show Me..
I Will Wait….Coz I NEVER SAID IT im LAUGHING MY ASS OFF AT YOU SFTB..
.You Shoudnt Play With ME Sftb…
Im Just a Bit Tooo Good…Bless..LMFAO..
Soal
Sitting at a table full of orangies. My smoke breaks are getting more frequent the more drink goes doon them.
UTLR
GFTB
AOW went to Saint Bams wi me. Dallas went to Saint Als in his Celtic blazer. Both great schools in totally different ways of education. :)
TET
Have a good one.
I’m nicely mellow and mild.
Multi-tasking, and cracking a few gags.
Its good for the soul.
HH
Third Lanark were founded on 12/12/1872. In Scottish media terms, we’d like to wish them a great 143rd birthday.