The most worrying of many worrying aspects of last night’s performance was how drastically heads dropped after Ferencvaros took the lead. Until then, Celtic were well on top and regularly carved openings. After that, cohesion disappeared, we looked like a team of strangers.
Liam Scales was unlucky to deflect the first goal into the net. His errant pass into the Ferencvaros half led to a counter-attack which Celtic were woefully equipped to deal with, leading to the final goal. I have never before seen Callum McGregor stand still while an opponent ran from behind him to collect the ball, but that’s what led to the second goal on the cusp of halftime.
Again, Colby Donovan took responsibility. He covered much of the pitch, with and without the ball, attempting to compensate for the lack of movement in front of him. Benjamin Nygren’s attitude when he came on in the second half stood out in contrast to what was going on elsewhere. He was always available and looking to get on the ball. He is our MVP.
Luke McCowan did the simple things: received the ball, turned and moved into space with it. This was an upgrade on what went before, but by then it was all too late.
A lack of confidence? Definitely. Players not knowing what to do? Almost certainly. Players not good enough? Perhaps. But even if the last point is true, poor players can be better organised than Celtic right now. When over the last year have we seen Falkirk as wide open as Celtic currently are?
Going back six months, Celtic have won all of their last 13 league games. So often last season they looked dead in the water, but every time, they found leadership and battled back. They have an unblemished league record in six games this term, so there is resource and talent in this squad.
I can read the background music as well as you, but we are not the only side with problems in Scotland and you and I have a part to play in how this league is settled. This title is worth fighting for and I’m up for it.
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Refused
Stop playing 4 3 3
Paul writes:
‘Players not good enough? Perhaps. But even if the last point is true, poor players can be better organised than Celtic right now. When over the last year have we seen Falkirk as wide open as Celtic currently are?’
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Does DD have John McGlynn’s moby on the ole Rolodex or speed-dial ?
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Aside, I think Callum is possibly temporarily tuckered out – phytsically and mentally.
As opposed to the narrative that suggests he’s totally spent as a player, period.
Scratch beneath the surface of the iconic Martin O’Neill and you find a team of guys totally out of their depth. The only one with any high-profile coaching experience has failed elsewhere. The other two wouldn’t look out of place in the Morton backroom team. In a worldwide market of football coaches, we’ve picked three guys who live 10 minutes from Celtic Park, with zero credentials for a job of this magnitude.
MON’s charisma and the spark of £30m worth of talent , now departed ,got us over the line last year. What we needed was major surgery and a complete reset. We’ve done neither.MON is a Celtic icon. How I wish he’d ridden off into the sunset in the summer.
Not to worry – there’s always an old firm occasion around the corner. Win that one and this will be quickly forgotten. City bragging rights restored and all will be well in the world again. Heck, we don’t even need to win – even with a draw we’ll be able to celebrate “the gap”!
Meanwhile, the mystery of why there’s no ambition continues, still unsolved…….
Lots of criticism of LS’s passing.
Fair enough but …
Lenny pointed out that LS had more touches than any other Celtic player last night.
Why? LM is a decent defender, as we saw last season. He is not a playmaker!
Let him defend in a 3 5 2 system. Let Calmac and Baur build our attacks.
I feel there’s a hubris among some at Celtic that believe football management is easy. That they’re the real reason why Celtic have enjoyed so much success. It was mere coincidence the trebles started landing after Brendan arrived…
P67 took great satisfaction laying the boot into BR when MoN came in and got some results last season. Akin to a passenger on board an aeroplane taking great satisfaction that the plane was still magically flying despite the engines losing power. – Eventually gravity will do its thing.
I hope P67 and those like him are now more aware of the benefits of top level football managers.
We’ve gone from wanting to build from Munich 18 months ago to writing off the Europa in September.
Sinisalo was to blame for the 2nd goal,just got back in the game 45 seconds till half time, we get a goal kick and he rushes to play it across the box to a marked man,stupid naive play.Take your time and see it through till HT
Steve Clarke sitting by the phone……
Oh for the days of Sutton, Larsson, Hartson, Balde, Mjalby etc..
When Celtic were ambitous and fans watched real men dictate games with skill and physicality.
At one stage last night we were playing 4-2-4.
Our best signing in sometime looked average because of lack of decent ball supply.
Everyone on this blog, every fan I know, all agree on one thing. Our midfield is non existant when defending.
The huns smell blood. We have three days to organise.
Unfortunately Liam Scales is now somewhat synonymous with the ‘errant pass’ .
Defensively adequate at CB (not LB) his instructions should be not to carry the ball into the opponents half . Not blaming him for our current woes , but it would at least ease one of our problems in presenting the opposition with a free gift turnover while leaving a gap at the back
I think, more than anything, I was hoping for a reaction last night. For a very short time, I thought we had it.
However, midfield is simply too weak in number, strength and ability
When up against anything but Scottish also rans, we’re fairly easy to beat
Trusty for Scales on Sunday
Trusty for Scales?
A bit part player who played for us twice in 2 years absolutely ragdolled CCV for their third goal last night !
We have a rizla thin spirit & players who we need to shrink the jersey for.
We look not coached rather than badly coached.
We have no obvious playing style.
And we’re so easy to play against.
But…
Old Firmism returns this weekend to drag us down to that parochial mediocre freak show & remind us what really matters – leading the mulyins of cups in Scotland chase. Europe’s for fools.
So deflating.
It was clear the instruction was the ball to be fed to Scales to start the build and draw the press. What does that say about CCVs ability to do this job.
Madra Rua.
Organise,correct.
Thats what we need.alas I fear a breakdown if we lose a goal.we seem to dissolve.
HH
the Bada Bing
That’s a sobering thought.
Hobson’s choice.
Paul 67,
Celtic do not seem to be able to perform when we are outwith our comfort zone.
We have spent good money on players and I am not convinced that more spending is the answer.
We are getting beaten by teams whose player value is much less than ours.
That is not the directors fault.
Not for the first time I say we need psychological motivational assistance.
HH.
heaven help us if we go a goal down on Sunday in the Glasgow derby.
Don’t trust the management & don’t trust those players.
3 big games…we’ve been clueless and bottled it in all 3.
I wouldn’t be too quick to praise Nygren on last night’s display. He did ok but game state is huge.
He came in when we’re 1-3 down and Ferencvaros are in game management mode.
stop Mika from taking the corners hasn’t the power to clear the front post or get any decent height , thought KT was much better when he took them.
When over the last year have we seen Falkirk as wide open as Celtic currently are?
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Hmm I thought,
I was a great admirer of Falkirks style of play last season, but was sure they fell off a cliff after the split. Also, thought they were the one team who couldnt beat 2nd Rangers.
So checks back. Their results were even worse than I could remember.
Wide open doesnt cover it.
The last 6 league games they won only 1, losing 5, Conceding 20 goals, 11 alone to 2nd Rangers.
I like McGlynn, but he couldnt stem the flow , if he is sitting by the phone it will be for the Hibs job.
Very poor comparisons.
or is that our new set piece coach who decides who takes free kicks.
Some players never seem to be criticised. CCV is painfully slow. Home game v LASK we could have been two down in five minutes because he couldn’t track back. Scales taking flak but playing with Trusty last season we had a good pairing. Defence is not the main issue, it’s shape, midfield strength and overall confidence. But if we are talking about the defence, for me it’s CCV more than Scales who is the weak link.
Glasgowsmilesbetter
@theoldgovanarm1
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4h
In a nutshell.
Celtic need:
1. A genuinely independent board with meaningful renewal, not the current sycophants.
2. A credible football executive (we had one, he seen the light and bolted) with authority over recruitment, succession planning and squad construction.
3. A modern head coach selected through a serious process, not nostalgia or convenience.
4. A technically strong coaching team with demonstrable first-team and European expertise; no more jobs for the boys.
5. A multi-window recruitment plan that identifies replacements before players are sold.
6. A clear financial policy explaining how much cash the club genuinely needs and how the remainder will strengthen football operations.
I don’t disagree with any of that but what you get is a plc first and always ,Celtic FC is not a serious football club because its all about shareholder value. Football needs are a distant second
CCV may have recovered medically from his injury , but he is not the same player as he was and I’m not confident he ever will be . CCV was the rock at the heart of defence but of the 4 CB’s we have , not one can provide that commanding role CCV used to .
Hope time proves me wrong but I have my doubts.
https://x.com/Heavidor/status/2100900073794150772?s=20
More background info in this post on our two new NEDs
Significantly no football experience or knowledge apart from being fans, very disappointing
So “The Owner” won’t be challenged in any significant way on how the football dept operates
Lots of corporate, retail and communication chat………Ho Hum
CCV isnt well suited to a system that leaves 2 centre backs exposed by full backs bombing forward, neither is Scales. Trusty is better but cant move the ball forward with any conviction. Scales is better but not much.
Unfortunately we don’t seem to be able to defend in a conventional back 4 either at the moment. KTs form and confidence has disappeared, Donovan is willing but he’s learning a very difficult position against diffetent against diffetent opponents pretty much every week
Of course its all about opinions
CCV and Scales getting pelters
Tierney main culprit for me on first two goals
He got roasted last night, turned inside out, got his defensive distances all wrong
Yusuf was to quick, technically superior and more physical, there wasn’t one metric in which Keiran came out on top defensively over Yusuf
Baur and Nygren looked like the only two players who belonged last night.
Our tactics, what there in the first half seemed to be to get the ball wide and throw the ball in to a striker who doesnt head the ball against teo centre backs. The only time we passed through the lines we scored
Second half we played two in the middle, still went wide and didnt best the first man
I don’t think we’re run as a PLC. PLCs don’t have a minority shareholder appointing execs and controlling the board.
Desmond has a controlling share of Celtic based in 25% of fans shares holdings effectively defunct and non voting.
We’re controlled by an accountable clique whose ambitions for the club fall far short of what many fans want.
We played a team who passed through the lines quickly and with purpose, found space but still scored all their goals because of their wide men.
Arzani and their other Nigerian winger arent world class but they contributed effectively to the team and offered real quality.
4-2-3-1 done properly.
If we play 4-4-2 on Sunday, with two central Mids and two wingers the Huns will do what they want with us.
This board demonstrated their disdain for shareholders when the AGM was shut down last year without a single question being put in front of them.
lionroars67
A bit of misfortune with the first goal IMO , Sinisalo was saving it If Scales hadn’t touched the ball . The second goal was comedic to a neutral but infuriating to a Celtic fan . Tierney , McGregor ,Scales and Carter Vickers all had a chance to prevent the goal , all failed miserably .
The son of a major shareholder has now been appointed to the board which will no doubt see a quid pro quo later on as the chairman position is filled.