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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Criticism of John Paul Taylor surprises me. He’s never been anything other than helpful or very responsive to any questions I’ve had fit him.
If you’d ever met him, you would know he’s a charming, helpful, and realistic individual who’s a mad mental Celtic daft supporter living the dream.
if you would like to see a messi goal or 2
barca tv tonight 11.15- 4.30.
hh
oops link
https://twitter.com/Lionel10Team/status/1423691809948065792?s=19
hh
I do not believe we have our target back 4. Defensively, we are shocking.
No concerns with Hartson saying similar.
To criticise John for stating the obvious seems unnecessarily contrived.
I’ve mentioned before, our opinions need to be more than ‘the opposite of whatever the media say ‘. That seems an odd argument to me
Ang has made some good signings. I would prefer that we had afforded him a more powerful back room team / DoF, though that ship has sailed.
He needs financial backing, supporter patience and luck
TURKEYBHOY on 7TH AUGUST 2021 10:57 AM
I’m merely pointing out that you criticised BBJ for not behaving the way a hun pundit would behave.
That’s a strange attitude for someone who claims to be a Celtic supporter.
There again it’s not like you don’t have previous on that score.
Whatever, stay classy.
I believe Hartson and Sutton were both cowardly in their defence of Lennon last season.
However they are usually fairly good in their appraisal of the team and in no way are they in the same league as Walker, Nicholas, Bonnar etc…
Big John
To describe our defence as Sunday league on national telly is a disgrace pure and simple… at least the guys were fit and in shape to turn out and play for 90 minutes …. which if you cast your memory back is more than what could be said about the big fella in his last season at the club …. Sunday league may cover his application
Still it proves the rule to be critical of Celtic is more than acceptable in the media and will guarantee future gig …. It’s all about the money
403@ 7.05
“SFTB, I think there must be an insignificant, pedantic point in there you can labour on for hours while the main point is lost.”
————————————-
Hiya Kev- Did you get fed up goading on SC and decided to try and get a bit of traction on here?
Nae Luck, Bhoy!
the cruise ship is coming doon the water just now for anyone with a view of the river,
Stx2 @ 11.32
Stop staring oot the windae and get too it with the Big Bet.
This season / the better player — SB vs JMcC.
Name your wager and your criteria.
Your reputation is on the line.
Like a few people on here I had zero tickets out of 4 ballots. It has nothing to do with geographical location as one poster suggested. My mate and his father and nephew got tickets for Sunday, their one and only ballot success, and like me, they are Edinburgh based.
Whether we agree with it or not, the TO decided to run 2 separate ballots – one for friendlies (2) and another for competitive games (2). The crowd limit for the Midtjylland tie was 9,000 while there is a limit of 24,500 v Dundee tomorrow. You don’t require a Maths degree to work out the odds against being successful in either ballot.
The 9,000 who got a ticket for the Midtjylland game were excluded from the Dundee ballot. That means 40,000+ were in the ballot for the 24,500 tickets. That explains to me why I didn’t get a Dundee ticket. Also, I have never thought of writing to the National Lottery demanding an explanation as to why I hitherto have not won the jackpot.
It’s the luck of the draw.
I’m sure JPT has better things to do than respond to such frivolous queries.
BADA – hope your recuperation is swift and painless.
You not tempted to change the monicker to ABADA BING, in tribute to our young wing wizard Liel??
HH
Bada
Gute Besserung.
HH
EKBHOY on 7TH AUGUST 2021 11:29 AM
Hyperbole: a rhetorical device that involves using exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally in order to make a point more emphatically.
Hope this helps.
I wasn’t angry at John Hartson for his post-match outburst. I was more disappointed because knowing how these things work, the BBC producer would certainly have prompted and coached the outburst from him.
Nothing surer.
MM,
£30 big ones for OE. Are you having a giraffe?
What do base this figure on ? Purely potential he demonstrated 2 seasons ago or playing as an overage player for the French under 21’s.
It should also be remembered that although his behaviour with us has been exemplary, he came with a difficult reputation.
However I will remember him fondly, the player with the best song in football.
HH.
Quad- he’s really shaping up, I wouldn’t want to jinx him this early, but come February/March🤞🤞
Bhoys, thanks for the best wishes, very much appreciated HH
Butcher Dundee United red card, 33/1,bet responsibility
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 7TH AUGUST 2021 11:49 AM
I wasn’t angry at John Hartson for his post-match outburst. I was more disappointed because knowing how these things work, the BBC producer would certainly have prompted and coached the outburst from him.
Nothing surer.
###
Yeah BBJ is usually such a quiet, placid sort of a guy. He would obviously need to be led by the nose to say anything passionate.
The producer was probably standing behind the camera throwing £50 notes at him to egg him on.
Trust me. I know how these things work.
GP @ 11.50
If you don’t ask then you don’t get.
I fear that you have a bad case of the Scottish Cringe.
There is money moving around the EPL and we should make sure we get our share.
KA @ £12mill / initial figure in the Grauniad = Daylight robbery.
ERNIE LYNCH on 7TH AUGUST 2021 11:49 AM
EKBHOY on 7TH AUGUST 2021 11:29 AM
Hyperbole: a rhetorical device that involves using exaggerated statements or claims not meant to be taken literally in order to make a point more emphatically.
Hope this helps.
….
Nope suggest you look up pedantic or Philadelphia lawyer
Robin Bhoy – I agree with your appraisal of JPT’s character.
He’s a decent bloke who tries to help.
But the earlier comment about his dealing with difficult queries has, IMHO, some merit.
I suspect it comes from the fact that he – JPT – is not sufficiently empowered in his role to handle certain things.
Tom McL – I hear your luck of the draw argument and it’s not unreasonable.
My issue though – and I have contacted the club on it – is fairness.
Fact : after tomorrow’s match finishes some season ticket holders will have seen Celtic in the flesh TWICE while, for others it is ZERO.
Fact : some season ticket holders have had the chance to see Celtic in the flesh in a European match at no additional cost. Others haven’t and won’t.
We knew attendance ramp ups would happen and we had some notice of when they would happen.
We also had reasonable notice of our early home match schedule.
Tough ask to keep everyone happy. Understood.
But could have been thought out better?
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 7TH AUGUST 2021 11:58 AM
‘But could have been thought out better?’
###
They could have had a weighted ballot so that those who were successful in the friendly ballot would have been entered for the competitive ballot but subject to a handicapping system.
Think of the fun and camaraderie that would have ensued.
MADMITCH on 7TH AUGUST 2021 10:42 AM
Does that include the PLC giving up some of their dividends for the good of the squad rebuilding too?
Back to Basics –
Agreed. There should have been one ballot for each game, regardless of status, with those who were successfull in any of the previous ballots being excluded. That would have ensured every ST holder would have got 1 ticket.
Ernie –
You mean like when the BBC prompted Nevingate?
MM,
Once the fee has been established we can resume this conversation.
HH.
PS : What the f@ck is the Scottish cringe that I have a bad dose of, do I need to see a doctor pronto.?
My mate just back from Parkhead fuming. Online it shows the TO open today.
Reality is, its not.
Bada Bing Bada Bhoy……………..
Get well soon matey.
Keep It Lit.
Protests have their role but it’s important to be resolute.
https://sentinelcelts.com/2021/08/05/the-importance-of-being-resolute/
The 9,000 who got a ticket for the Midtjylland game were excluded from the Dundee ballot. That means 40,000+ were in the ballot for the 24,500 tickets.
—
there wouldnt have been anywhere near 24500 tickets in the ballot for those 40000+ folk
thousands would have been filtered away to fat cats, players, staff and sponsors. you would be lucky if half that number of tickets were available in the ballot
but we will never know because celtic keep the specifics of ticket allocations a secret because coming out with the truth would expose how much us normal fans get shafted and how far down the pecking order we actually are
Tom McL – cheers.
Ernie Lynch – I hear you. This could get Monty Python level silly quickly.
Maybe something here about choosing our battles and priorities.
Thing is though, every Season ticket holder I know is absolutely desperate to get back into Paradise after a 1½ year absence.
Looks like the tubby Colombian went straight into the Undead lineup. Bit surprised at that, considering the time he has been away, erm…., unsupervised.
BB- ta HH
Hartson being a bit emotional?
If I were him I would be to.
He was speaking as a forward who knows how hard it is to score goals and was speaking imo from the frustration of going into the lead and the throwng way of the psychological advantage the forwards (like himself) had worked hard to achieve.
He was spot on that Celtic will not win anything with that defensive set up and was speaking as a fan and ex player who has experienced the frustration of losing preventable goals, the best defences do that, and not as a balanced commentator, of which there are not many.
Ott a bit , but with good reason.
Charlie Mulgrew getting on the end of a lot of corners and free kicks. Goldson booked for cynical foul on United player. Tannadice team looking comfortable so far.
Sign Mulgrew. Yellow card to prevent a goal scoring opportunity without getting sent off.