After exploiting the inadequacies of Aberdeen and Newco with 10 men in consecutive league games, it was all a bit ineffective against 10-man Motherwell yesterday. This game encapsulated so much of the football we watch: how to generate clear scoring chances against defences that stick to task and do not make mistakes.
The one gilt-edged chance we made was a late counterattack, when Motherwell had the audacity to try to win the game. The script was written for Scott Sinclair, whose first touch was sublime, but his shot fell victim to a lunging defensive block. The lesson, surely, when facing Celtic, is not to venture too far up the park.
Brendan should reflect on this when next we face tier-one Champions League opponents. If Motherwell can stop Celtic, Celtic can do likewise to the PSGs of this world. How to unlock a packed defence is another story.
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Bullseye
Didn’t see the point in keeping three centre backs on the field when up against 10 men. Paddy should have cam on earlier and Forrest should have stayed on giving us the width to get in behind them. Also found it frustrating that we play two big powerful centre forwards and pass the ball side to side at the back instead of trying to get it forward quickly (especially in first half when it was 11 v 11) like we did at Ibrox and v Hearts at CP.
A list of all the teams have managed to stop Celtic scoring this season in Scotland:
Hearts
Killie
Rangers
St Johnstone
Motherwell
Motherwell played well, for them and their targets.
I hope they don’t make the top 6.
Top 10
Gary67
My words to my son yesterday were identical to your post. Except I said we should take Scott Bain off for Patrick Roberts. :)
Surely if Brendan says we train for the eventuality of us going down to 10 men then I would suggest we practice against 10 men behind the ball.
Good Afternoon.
A couple of new pieces in case of interest(!):
“How Alex McLeish Became ‘Miss World’” https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2018/03/18/how-alex-mcleish-became-miss-world/
“A Day Out In Glasgow” https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2018/03/18/a-day-out-in-glasgow/
Gene
I am sure we do. Brendan prepares for every on pitch scenario.
Watched the Celtic for a long time ?
Yesterday, a game after a win we had been more focussed on is not unusual. After the first ten minutes, Motherwell had the better of things, at least until the red-card.
Thereafter, they defended and did that very well. We should have given them the ball more.
The sight of my favourite Celtic player Stuart Armstrong and our most skillful player Patrick Roberts on the pitch yesterday, gives me confidence in winning a Double Treble.
DD
Whatever the tactics are it failed to create many chances yesterday
I thought we were a single, simple, final pass away from scoring 3 yesterday but too many players were shooting from a worse position than a team mate.
QB
QUADBHOY
I though Tom was particularly guilty in the first half
Gene
i think they would prepare for playing against ten men, but, we can only do it with our defenders, maybe thats why it works in training and not against hammer throwers
Keep doing the same thing, keep getting the same result.
Too slow moving the ball. Not enough movement. Not enough width. No counter-attack. No variety.
Everything one-paced and narrow, making us so easy to defend against.
Would love to see what we do in training. Do we practice playing against packed defences?
We are making things so much harder for ourselves than need be.
Can see Sevco going ultra defensive in the semi-final and taking their chances on a penalties win.
If we don’t try doing something different we are risking a defeat.
Re yesterday’s game…
Our conversion of chances to goals has lots of room for improvement, fundamental to that is the ability and want to pick out a team mate when they are in a much better scoring position.
Wee Larsson was a master at this and we benefited greatly from it.
We have very good attacking players in our squad who could do worse than watch some Larsson assists from his time here. In a lot of them he had a scoring chance but always passed to a team mate who had a better angle.
The kok was a great team player IMO
GENE
Didn’t want to name names but yeah, he was foremost in my thoughts. Still best player on the park yesterday but.
Its great to be confident but especially in tight games where chances are a premium we have to play the percentages.
Is tonight’s programme on BBC2 Scotland ‘The secrets of the Masons’ a recruitment advert?
Stonemason or Freemason show?
GlassTwoThirdsFull
How long have you been nursing that pint ?
Gene
I agree, but booting the shit out of our players will probably not be practised at Lennoxtown.
Dbhoy
Your opening paragraph is bang on.
Henrik, missed a lot, honest mate he did.
It’s a strange phenomenon, our forwards as far back as I can recall have always, missed a plethora: Nicholas, McClair, McAvennie etc etc
You’ll have watched the games, just the passage of time blurs the details.
It’s in contrast to the “diddy” teams forwards. Or so it seems.
To move away from the dissection of yesterday game, I was looking up the value of a Framed Card Set of the Lisbon Lions, to discover that Amazon value it at £21.00. By contrast, a Henrik Larsson’s Last Game Framed Picture was worth £24.99. Interesting indeed.
BCW
Hooper scored more chances than he missed I remember. John Hartson similarly. BBJ or GH would have got us 3 points yesterday I think.
Tempo tempo tempo is the key to our success, too slow and ponderous results in nothing much, we have better players so we need to play at a better (faster) tempo
Big Cup Winners
I’m pretty much a happy clapper. Generally really pleased about where we are right now. I just can’t understand why we do the same things when they haven’t worked before.
Get the ball forward a bit quicker. Get some crosses in. Get Dembele going out wide, taking a defender with him and leaving space for Rogic or Armstrong to attack.
Glass one third empty :-)
Dbhoy (12:24pm), according to the BBC Celtic has 22 shots at goal to Motherwell’s 12, yet the game ended without a goal. For comparison, Real Madrid and Girona each had two fewer shots at goal, registering 20 and 10 respectively. Their result?… 6-3 to Real Madrid!
Clearly Spanish defenders and ‘keepers are rubbish.
Connaire
What are your views on Cardinal Keith O’Brien rip? He baptised my son Ryan, but unfortunately my son is no longer a practising Catholic because of O”Brien, sad to say. I still attend mass but we have lost the younger generation, due to his scandalous behaviour. Sadly
How do I get him back to our faith?
God bless you.
In other news…
Whilst the quality of player at the respective clubs is clear to see, the gap between Celtic and Sevco is a lot smaller than it should be. Had the two matches at Ipox been home wins, Sevco would now be sitting proud at the top of the SPL. A couple of honest mistakes could be enough to turn the whole thing on its head next season!
“Brendan should reflect on this when next we face tier-one Champions League opponents. If Motherwell can stop Celtic, Celtic can do likewise to the PSGs of this world.”
Emmm – Not if he continues to play Boyata. There I said it.
BRTH
Reading back and saw your post re the Catholic Church. ( as an aside O’Brien confirmed me )
Something I’ve never discussed openly before on here but I’ve mentioned in private conversations with family members)
My mum and my late dad were both Catholic and therefore my 3 brothers and I were naturally born into that religion. Undoubtedly my mum was the more religious of us all. For me, as a kid, all that being a Catholic meant to me was I went to a Catholic school, ( fantastic school btw), didn’t see a lot of my pals including my best pal until after school, and had my games of football with my pals interrupted on a Sunday in order that I had to go to mass. Hated every second of going to mass. I tried to go to the 9-30am mass as that one was the one I felt least interfered with the rest of my day.
My elder brother seemed to enjoy it more than me (or maybe just hated it less) and he became an altar boy. That was his choosing. I later became one but from memory I was press ganged into it !
My brother at a young age ( i’d say he was 13, maybe 14,) then chose to go to college to become a priest. Asked at school if anyone wanted to go and he volunteered. Before I knew it he’d gone off to St Francis Xavier college in Coatbridge.
This made my mum very happy. We went to visit him. I still recall what to me seemed like the most dismal place in the world. I hated the place. Miserable, dark and uninviting. I liked seeing my brother but hated him being there.
One summer, he was allowed home for a few weeks. He’s now 14 or 15 years old. He goes out in our village and gets involved in the things we all did at that age. He’s also very popular with the local girls. I guess in that few weeks he learned a few things about himself, and I still recall the day and hour he told my mum and dad he didn’t want to go back to the priest college.
My mum was gutted but my dad , I sensed, was relieved.
Later in life as the scandal of the Catholic Church became public, I thought back to my brothers time in Coatbridge and reflected on what might have become of him had he not came home that summer. My opinion, and nothing will ever make me alter it, is that there is absolutely no way any child , and that’s what he was, should be making such decisions at an age when they’ve not even reached puberty. How on earth can a child make such a choice? Yes of course the parents needed to approve the decision but nevertheless that doesn’t make it any more right.
I reflected not only on my brother, but on the kids who didn’t come home, but stayed with priesthood. How many were left suppressing feelings they didn’t have when they joined? They didn’t know their true sexuality, and I’d venture in a high number of cases, ended up were left feeling confused and unhappy?
I’ve no doubt that a very high percentage of those later caught up in the scandal were once kids like my brother who were initially innocents and later acted through the indoctrination into priesthood as children.
For absolute clarity, I am not excusing the behaviour, it was vile and ruined the lives of many innocents. I’m merely suggesting that there may be reasons that at least explain some of the behaviour.
Finally, of course, there are many many fantastic priests, Archbishop’s etc who give so much to the Catholic Church and bring peace and joy to millions across the world.
My mum remains a devout Catholic. It gives her comfort. No small percentage of offenders will ever break her belief, and neither should it.
TNT and BRTH.
Very good posts gents.
HH jamesgang
Delaneys Dunkey. You are leading by being a good example to your son also prayer will help and just answer any questions he may have.We have to remember that the clergy are only human and subject to the same attacks by the Devil as you and I are. There are no perfect religions in the world as they are all led by men who all have human weakness.We can only be the best we can and hope the Good Lord blesses us with eternal life. H.H.
DELANYS DUNKY.
Being protected from proper punishment these Rapists were placated by the Church .
In my view absolutely disgraceful .
Yes , there will be folk who might not forget but can find it within themselves to forgive , what about the familys and poor souls who never recover .
I know i’ll get dogs abuse ,but , for me i cant forgive anyone who rapes , abuses a child .
John james latest what doesn’t that mean for the sevvies
Any body read that arrestment article on john james?
embdy read JOHNJAMES SITE today. oh dearie dearie me.