Jablonec are not a great team, but we faced a few who fall into that category since our last away win in February without scoring four goals and creating enough chances to easily double that. Ange Postecoglou continues to learn about his squad and unlike away to Mitjylland a week earlier, we were well prepared.
Yesterday I asked to “see more of [Liel Abada’s] timed runs into the box”. The evidence continues to arrive; Liel is a player who will score and create goals at a rate we have missed in recent seasons. This knack of arriving in the box and the right time, in the right place, before a cross arrives is golden. Think Alan Thompson at his lethal best.
Kyogo Furuhashi made the most of his full debut. The movement of the front three caused Joblonec problems and it was Kyogo’s movement that created the goal opportunity. Nir Bitton picked him out with a 30-yard pass, a pristine first touch and the deftest dink did the rest. As I heard from a teenager at the time, “That goal is a solid 9 out of 10”.
As anyone who watched the game, or caught John Hartson’s remarkable reaction, will know, the defence is still not right. We lost two dreadful goals. You will have noticed Carl Starfelt was the closest defender to both goalscorers when the ball went into the net. He did not start that way when the key forward passes were made.
For the first, Bitton was on his heels, body shape was wrong and Starfelt was left the impossible task of making up ground. The second goal was more of a structural problem.
Starfelt and Bitton were both marking strikers in the middle of the field and the full backs were in advanced positions when Celtic lost the ball. Ismaila Soro has covering duties but he was ball watching when the scorer made a run from deep.
We cannot leave two at the back against two attackers or we will see a lot more damage from similar deep runs. Although we can blame Soro for ball watching, we need to shape the team to accommodate what will inevitably happen during a game. Ismaila’s starting position was all wrong, he cannot get drawn into the role of supporting the player in possession at the cost of loitering deep.
It was great to see Joe Hart between the sticks and John Hartson was right, if a little hysterical, we still need defenders. Perhaps a few.
Would we have won so comfortably if Odsonne Edouard started? I’m not convinced.
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Good Morning David 66. Hope all is well. Bit worrying that Big Jimmy has not been posting recently.
HH
Just scrolled back and find some of the criticisms of Hartson and Sutton incredible.
Spend a bit of time in England and listen to the ignorance and criticism towards our team and our league – from the media, the public, phone-ins etc.
Sutton has always stuck up for Celtic and more importantly, Scottish football as a whole. He says it how it is – he thought we were crap under Delia, great under Rodgers, and crap last year. This year he says Ange needs time. Don’t know of many fans that would disagree with that.
You might not agree with every point but there is no doubt he sees himself as one of us. He spent nine years laughing at Sevco and will still have a cheeky pop (constantly reminding them they weren’t truly invincible).
As for Hartson, I’d agree that he went a bit over the top with his rant and it was a bit out of character but again, he refers to Celtic as “we” and “us” and there’s no doubting his love for our club. Maybe he was a bit frustrated that we won 2-4 in a game that maybe should’ve been five or six – nil.
These are club legends in my eyes and deserve more respect. What would we give for those two in their prime right now….
WISHAW TIM on 6TH AUGUST 2021 11:30 PM
As a matter of interest, where did you watch the Celtic game in Malta?
403JUSTRIGHTFORMEDONTNEEDNOHOSPITALITY on 7TH AUGUST 2021 5:16 AM
On the other hand, I’m hoping this is where Dom McKay comes in, and actually realises the value of treating a devoted support with respect…… could it be???…..please let me know
Hes certainly not off to a good start by charging for the Thursday nights game. As a ST holder wheres my free ticket for the 1st euro game, i didnt get the midgyland one so wheres mine for Thursday!
Morning GEEBEE , the Dubliner St Jullianes bay ! thanks
How many?
So as predicted
Southampton now interested in Odsonne
Just what ndering if we have identified a 5’7″ striker
Furuhashiis weer than wee Jamesie 🤣
FOURSTONECOPPI
I had the same problem that I had no offer for the
midgyland game so e mailed the club liaison officer
although no word back. Maybe bombarding him with
same issue we might get an answer
jptaylor@celticfc.co.uk
He does have an issue answering difficult questions
though which this is and is prone to a lie or two
403DONTNEEDNOHOSPITALITY on 7TH AUGUST 2021 7:05 AM
Well said that man.
Criticism of the board/Lawwell/Lennon/Kennedy/Desmond can be seen by a few on here as being a hun.
Quite the opposite I would say…. welcome aboard.
CELTICFOREVER on 7TH AUGUST 2021 9:17 AM
cheers i’m on it!
FOURSTONECOPPI on 7TH AUGUST 2021 9:02 AM
I agree
Dom has passed up an open goal to show some goodwill to the support.
Net cost of giving Thursday’s game free to all STH would have been circa £500k.
Thursdays attendance will suffer as a result.
On the face of it, Southampton would seem a better choice for Eddie being the more established EPL side and with a few former teammates already down there.
If a move is imminent, I’d imagine Eddie will not be in the squad tomorrow.
There’s also a large discrepancy with some reports saying PSG are entitled to a 40% cut of the fee while others are saying they’re entitled to 40% of the profit.
A 40% cut of the fee seems extraordinarily high and if true certainly won’t represent Lawwell’s best negotiations.
If 40% of the fee is going to Paris, Celtic may be better served asking for a lower transfer fee but larger sell on percentage.
Off topic
See that the big dumpling Goldson hasn’t actually resigned …. Sending out a message …. I don’t rate the big tube … but him and McGregor are key to the Hun … be very happy to see him head back down south
CELTICFOREVER on 7TH AUGUST 2021 9:17 AM
Done….won’t hold my breath tho’
AN DÚN on 7TH AUGUST 2021 9:31 AM
It’s 40% of the profit. If we sell him for £20m PSG gets £4.8m of that.
GEEBEE1978 on 7TH AUGUST 2021 8:59 AM.
########
Got to agree with you on that one pal . I think it is out Of order the time its taking before we rectify the two full back areas , this has been a problem since the loss of lustik and KT . The club have had Plenty time to get those areas covered , but still I see reports of interest in an Argentinian right back of all 5ft 5 inch of him . Possibly click bate surely we wouldn’t consider a guy like that . But this is Celtic every chance .
Sloleybhoy- thanks for your very kind offer sir,I’m currently laid up after an operation, should be ok in a couple of weeks, thanks again HH
We didn’t sign off on Starfelt until Ajer was out the door. That suggested to me that we were reluctant to spend without a transfer fee coming in. I get the feeling McKay is under pressure to balance up the books and has decided against making Thursday’s game free to STHs as a result.
While it’s true many people are in financial hardship right now, many people at the same time have never had as much savings having worked through the pandemic.
£19 seems very reasonable to me.
GEEBEE1978
Yeah that seems much more realistic.
If you have not seen Micheal Conlons walk out in the Falls Road,get it on You Tube.Sensational.
AN DÚN on 7TH AUGUST 2021 10:05 AM
Unfortunately, I think you’re right about the Ajer money but then we did sell Frimpong, Hendry, Klimala and Bayo.
Maybe we’re waiting on Eddie to go before we finally address the full-back areas. That would be slightly concerning.
We all know how the master of the dark arts,regards transfer deals worked.Anyone really think,after paying 9 million,he would OK 40% of a sell on fee.
BADA BING!! on 7TH AUGUST 2021 9:51 AM
Sloleybhoy- thanks for your very kind offer sir,I’m currently laid up after an operation, should be ok in a couple of weeks, thanks again HH
Sorry to hear that Bada. Getmis Olsun from Turkey.
2 Hours for Cosy Corner Bhoy and Knoxy to get their Predictor scores in, if they want to catch all 5 SPFL games, 4 hours if they only want 5 predictions this week. The last two to the Party
TB- thanks HH
NORRIEM,
The great Barca team, Alba,Alves Iniesta,Xavi ,Messi,Neymar,Mascherano,Suarez.Not a big guy amongst them.
Don’t have to be big to be good.
Even our Hunskelpers, Forrest ,Commons,Mc Donald,Naka,Mc Gregor,Izzy,Hooper,more than held their own against the cloggers in the SPFL,and especially against the Huns.
Big guys are rubbish,LOL.
Get better soon, Bada.
I see the Celtic Women are doing a carbon copy of the men.Just before they play in the CL,they have lost their best striker,and Women’s POTY last season,their own version of Broony,Lisa Robertson from midfield.
H,mmmm.
The politics of free mince — Sunday Scot style circa 1991.
The moon howling regarding the need to buy a ticket for next Thursday’s game.
At best astroturf pot stirring / at worst paper inspired Pavlov’s dog stuff — not good.
At some point it will sink in that we are struggling to rebuild the squad and need all the funds we can generate.
Thursday’s game = £300K / £500K in additional revenue.
Hopefully DMcK / AP use it wisely and it helps to buy a top quality FB.
Times are tough and a one season turnaround will not come cheap or easy.
If PL was on the case he could give up some of his recent bonus payments and make it free.
BADA BING!! on 7TH AUGUST 2021 10:29 AM
TB- thanks HH
Cheer yourself up a bit,by watching Micheal Conlan walking on before his fight in,Falls Rd.On You Tube.
BadaBing
take it easy BB 😊👍
hh
!!BADA BING!!
Get well soon!
TURKEYBHOY on 6TH AUGUST 2021 9:32 PM
FAIRHILL BHOY,
‘I love Hartson’
######
‘TURKEYBHOY on 5TH AUGUST 2021 9:36 PM
Greenpinta,
Missing the point about Hartson.We all know the defence is poor,100% of us know it.It will get sorted.He knows that,but to slabber on,red faced with anger was just grandstanding.
Do you think for a minute,any scum pundit would have acted that way.Staff at the BBC high fiving each other over that rant.Think about it,
Celtic have to improve at the back.Need players in.There you go.A sentence that every Celtic fan has said,over and over.Manager knows it.All of a sudden Hartson is being applauded for saying it.Foaming at the mouth saying it.
Numpty tonight.’
####
Seems to me Hartson is being criticised for not behaving like a hun.
It’s a funny old world.
The OE contract / transfer in 2018 — PL at his second rate / property bean counter worst?
So many to choose from so I wouldn’t make that assertion just yet.
However the OE transfer has a few question marks attached.
However it is not looking good unless we can get the headline number up to £30mill
CQN / Big Bet No.1 — 2021/22 — who will pay better in the SPL: SB vs JMcC?
Stx2 — hurry up and back your Sheepy / Salt n’ Sauce guy.
CQN / Big Bet No.2 — 2021/22 — who would would score the most goals in the EPL: OE / if he gets there vs DI / now of AV?
My money would be on OE and his transfer value should reflect this potential.
403straightformedontneednohospitality,
I’d far rather talk about players, they are the people who make things happen.
Could have fekin fooled me.
Eh?
Lynch,
Go away.You are an Arse.Sad,pathetic,creature,who has only one aim on here.To be a shitstirrer and a snidey runt.Glad more are seeing through you.Mr No Mates.
TURKEYBHOY
You are better than that.
Scroll by him.