There is a decent possibility that Celtic’s apparent malaise over the six games since the win at Fir Park has something to do with opposition teams closing space our midfielders used to so much effect against Newco at the start of February.
That game was such a platform for our midfield to demonstrate their ability to find and exploit space. Sure, form slips, but opponents watch and learn. Consequentially, Celtic must continue to change the script.
Through this period, Callum McGregor has continued to dominate his area as teams fall deeper, but the two more advanced midfielders, paired from Matt O’Riley, Tom Rogic and Reo Hatate, have been denied the acres available to them against Newco and Motherwell.
We cycled through Rogic-Hatate, O’Riley-Hatate and O’Riley-Rogic combinations during this period, to little effect. The latter combo looked the least effective, but that was against Bodo/Glimt, by far the better opponents.
Meanwhile, Yosuke Ideguchi waits in the dugout. We don’t know enough about Yosuke to make a proper judgement. He made his debut as a late substitute against Hibs in January before being injured at Alloa on his next outing. His only subsequent game time was again as a late sub against Raith.
When played, Yosuke has filled the deep-lying role. Nir Bitton can play here too. I cannot offer any great recommendation for either player, but I would like to see Callum McGregor higher up the field against St Mirren tomorrow, with Yosuke or Nir behind him.
For all the disappointments in Norway last week, Celtic improved when Callum came on to play in front of Bitton. When he steps into the final third, he brings a presence no one else in the squad has. I’m not going to tell you this should be a regular gig for him, but we need to change this area of the park for tomorrow and Sunday. We have options, let’s use them.
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TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 2ND MARCH 2022 10:20 AM
MARTIM1980
Regarding the tour in OZ could we not have played in Melbourne against the two Aussie teams and Panathinaikos instead
It’s an invitational tournament. Celtic don’t get to choose venues and opposition.
Yes but we could have knocked it back and made our own tour, that was my point.
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 2ND MARCH 2022 10:20 AM
Yeah and there will have been no prior communings between the two Old Firm clubs prior to the invitations being issued.
Imagine the surprise when they each opened the invites and found out which other clubs were involved!!!!!!!!
JHB…do you write the absolute guff on the spotlight site??…..everyone can sense your excitement….American courts….l hear……huge pay outs …..toungue dragging along the floor!!!
ERNIE LYNCH
There is no Old Firm.
Haw, Dermot, You’re never going to believe this but you know that tournament we’re going to in Australia?
Well, you’ll never guess who we’re playing.
Aye, that’s right. Our Old Firm pals.
I know, amazing, isn’t it?
Whit a coincidence. I mean whit are the odds on that happening?
ernie lynch on 2nd March 2022 10:28 am
Exactly, another wee jolly for the tory bhoys CSC paid for by Celtic supporters.
Do you think even DD will go? A wee antipodean business opportunity?
Imagine being stuck on a plane for 24hrs with that shite Bankier.
He’ll be the first to get tore into the Celtic support if there are any issues.
My son is heading out to Australia tomorrow for a 12m stint ( will probably get extended), maybe I should go and get a seat next to my pal Ian I’m sure we’ll have hours of fun discussing Celtic teams of the past.
You have a choice when you get up in the morning to be angry or not.
Choose life 😉
The BBC Who EMPLOYED JIMMY SAVILLE and who definitely DID have a duty of care to victims ….ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY VICTIMS RECEIVED 33.000K each …….there is NO multi million pound law suit coming celtics way……it is an absolute nonsense!!!!
ERNIE LYNCH
I didn’t say Celtic were not aware of who they were playing. I responded to someone suggesting Celtic go to Melbourne instead and play teams there. I said it’s invitational and Celtic don’t get to decide who the other 3 teams are. What part of that says Celtic didn’t know the identity of the 3 other teams?
Once again this board of directors show how out of touch they are with the supporters.
Keeping their pals across the city close to them is the objective.
Bankier and his cahoots should be chased out of Paradise.
The Celtic board even manage to get Ernie and I on the same side.
Miracle workers. Or maybe just Kants.
Once Celtic were told that they would be playing Sevco, they could easily have said – Count us out then. But no. It’s all about the money.
In fact, if Celtic had said no, who knows? They might have withdrawn their invitation to Sevco.
Hail cesar…Hail Hail Big Tam
What’s the betting they will share the same plane and hotels ,
Oh ! I forgot we stand alone .
Disgusted.
The new article will be up at 12:00.
Squirrel on the way?
TIMMY7_NOTED on 2ND MARCH 2022 10:33 AM
Imagine being stuck on a plane for 24hrs with that shite Bankier.
——————————————————————————————
Would rather choke on my own vomit. But, it’s not likely to happen. Bankier will head through the curtain on the left when he enters the plane, the punters will turn right.
FANANDPATRIOT
What’s the betting they will share the same plane and hotels
That’s not as crazy as it sounds. The tour organisers will be paying for the flights. Why would they pay for two flights from Glasgow when one flight does the job?
An T @ 10:41pm last night.
Cheers.
Brilliant links to the 2 St Mirren games.
I remember them well.
Very unhappy with decision to play Sevco in Australia.
They’re simply riding on our coattails.
I assume we are getting a bigger slice than them for participating.
Ask yourself this …
If Sevco were part of the planning of a mini tournament run by Feyenoord …
… leveraging GVB’s historical contacts
…. Do you think we would get an invite?
My friends in Celtic,
When Dominic Mckay was “headhunted ” , his remit was to explore new revenue streams. ( Did a 4 year deal for James Mccarthy hasten his departure)
Michael Nicholson took over the mantle with the same focus.
How do we optimise our income when our TV deal is so poor.
We still require class players on high salaries.
We still require a competitive management team.
We still require a large squad ( Circa 31 players with circa 13 on loan )
We still require to maintain our academy.
We still require to maintain and upgrade our large,owned stadium.
We still require to have the finest medical facilities.
We still require to advertise our brand.
We still require to have cash reserves for ” unexpected ” circumstances.
We still require revenue to compensate against European failure.
We still require to keep our sponsors sweet.
We want to upgrade Barrowfield and play our part in the East End community.
We want to remember our origins and charitable ethos in partnership with the Celtic Foundation.
All of this takes money in the backdrop of a huge cost of living crisis and a higher tax threshold in Scotland.
Playing the huns in a money spinner when the league is on hold will give us much needed finance and grow our brand.
Even arch enemies Real Madrid and Barcelona competed down under.
It may be unpalatable, but it is pragmatic.
And to reiterate, if there is no demand it will not happen.
HH to all, the journey amplifies.
MARTIM1980 on 2ND MARCH 2022 10:13 AM
I wonder if they trying to sway Aussie fans away from watching the Eng premiership.
Increase league profile, getting better TV deal for Scottish football.
———-
Don’t think that’s the case.
Honestly, it’s prob more of a (forgive the phrase) freakshow for some Aussie fans – to say they went to a Celtic/Rangers game once.
Like seeing a two-faced cat, or four-legged Myrtle Corbin or the once celebrated Cheng and Eng…
The OF’s longstanding bile and socio-political overlays travels more than either mob’s reputation for primo quality soccer – this is what makes it such a rubbernecking spectacle.
Not that I’m a shoo-in to go, but I wonder which broadcaster will nab the TV rights; Paramount or Stan mibby.
HH
if the mountain will not come to Muhammed…kinda thing)
PS; this is presuming WE even meet them in a 3-games in 3 day tourney.
Prob us V Sydney and THEMS v West Syd Wanderers with the winners playing in a ‘grand final’ final.
Backers will be packing it if the two local sides make the final for sure ;))
Wonder how they’ll price the briefs?
How did the recent Celtic v Huns game go down in Australia and New Zealand.?
I follow some clubs in both countries and the answer is ecstatically. I would imagine Adidas et al were also delighted.
HH.
TIMMY7_NOTED
Have you just discovered that they are a disgrace.
This is the same board, who gave Lennon the job in the showers and then when he was found out, wouldn’t sack him.
They ouldn’t even source a new manager when he eventually went .
They are a group of charlatans.
QUADROPHENIAN on 2ND MARCH 2022 11:10 AM
Its reported we play them in the opening game.
Probably saves on acts of violence and destruction.
MARSPAPA – thanks for that info.
New article at noon…… Any odds someone beating Aipple to a podium 😄
May I respectfully suggest that you go on to some of the NZ an Oz clubs websites.
They are excitedly making plans as we speak.
It is these faithful supporters that are foremost in my thoughts when discussing the pros and cons.
HH to the global Celtic family.
No way will the Glasgow teams be separated in the first round. They want to ensure that the final is between a Scottish and an Aussie team.
Also, if they were kept apart and both lost, there goes the money-spinning clash.
Guys
The tournament is set to begin on November 16 at Sydney’s Accor Stadium and will involve three matches in total, beginning with Celtic vs Rangers
This is part of a report in a newspaper
st tams on 2nd March 2022 11:13 am
If you think I have not been critical of the board you ain’t been paying attention.
I did not renew my season ticket this year having been there every year since the early 80’s.
I don’t need to be lectured about the performance of our board.
Greenpinata on 2nd March 2022 11:22 am
Welcome to the freak show, bearded ladies, half man half gorilla, snake man and the show highlight the “old firm”.
Surprise surprise The Board of Celtic plc are Old Firmists, what surprises anyone about this, it also extends beyond the Board to the players and elements of the support, the question is who is in the majority and what will they do about it if they are?
Chelsea still in the EPL and Everton have links to Usmanov why are they not removed from the league until their ownership is free of Russian oligarchs?
Once again the pathetic excuse for a board fully embrace the “Old Firm” brand.
They pay lip service to the “not half of anything” crap in the same way as their pals across the city kid on they are not a sectarian club.
The supporters should make a stand in the same way as they did over the possible appointment of Higgins.
We should at least make it clear that we do not want any part of their shady dealings.
JHB on 2ND MARCH 2022 6:26 AM
This is a very serious situation for Celtic – it is pointless for some to be ‘burying heads in the sand’ and pretending it will all go away – it won’t.
There are troubling times ahead.
______________________________________________________________________
only worry about events you can influence
ROCK TREE BHOY on 2ND MARCH 2022 11:39 AM
only worry about events you can influence
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Exactly.