I thought the penalty had to be a dive. There’s no way Efe would clatter into the player like that, I was sure! The error wasn’t even schoolboy stuff. Ambrose and Mikael Lustig were caught square-on, the latter not goal-side of his man, and therefore unable to see the run. The incident is symptomatic of an error-prone season for the defence.
Referee Craig Thomson got that one right but missed Craig Gordon being held at County’s second goal. Unlike Efe’s split-second intervention, this was a clear and persistent infringement and should have been spotted. County can also consider themselves unfortunate to concede a penalty for an awkward hand ball, and Stefan Johansen should have received a red card for his late lunge at an opponent.
Notwithstanding the foul for County’s second, they then got two free headers within 8 yards of our goal at a corner kick. The man-to-man system is in no way better than our zonal system if your players cannot follow the flight of the ball.
I’ve said often enough before that teams can steamroller straight through the middle of us – when we play so expansively, we need real authority to control things in the middle of the park. The authority coefficient visibly increased when Scott Brown arrived but not sufficiently so.
Erik Sviatchenko looked the part when he came on. Always available for a pass, keen to take a touch, and regularly played 30-yard forward balls. It is no great stretch to suggest he could be our best defender.
What did we learn from yesterday? Primarily that we’re not good enough in many positions:
Kieran Tierney continues to shine as an 18-year-old left back. Sviatchenko and Simunovic may establish a solid central defensive partnership, but we have little more to boast about in defence.
When we are up against a disorganised Hamilton Accies, our nippy wee guys will do a lot of damage, but not every game suits nippy wee guys. The qualifiers won’t.
This is not the time to ask questions about the manager. I don’t know who it was in the media who first suggested he needed to win the treble to keep his job, but it’s absurd.
We’ve won the treble 3 times in the 70 seasons it’s been available. The league title is a vastly easier competition post Rangers liquidation, but very few times in those 67 seasons we didn’t win the treble did Rangers deny us both cups. This result is no worse than our previous two exists in this competition to Morton and St Mirren, or countless before them.
The first thing you do when you get rid of your manager is attempt to recruit a better talent. Can you imagine who would be interested in a job where you had to win the club’s fourth treble in your first two seasons or face the sack? It’s no way to run a club and would guarantee a downward spiral.
The manager’s strategic job right now is to improve the squad this month, build a defensive unit as sold as we had last season, and identify targets for the summer to prepare for the Champions League qualifiers. None of this would improve by lurching off plan right now.
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Ellboy@9.32 Good post but there is not a chance in he’ll of Efe s card being rescinded. Aberdeen penalty to be scored Wednesday 10/1 Brother Mc Lean. Dirty money but some might avail. HH
Belfastbhoy0
Also think there are questions over Lustig – he looks very frustrated – and at 29 i’d question if he is going to get any better. I agree.
Calumn Paterson of Hearts is I think a decent right back.
GROUNDHOG DAY?
Posted 20/04/15 (v ICT): Did we have a contingency plan?
Much as I have admired where RD has got us to this season – there is a weakness about this team when things are not quite going right. The ‘high-pressing’ game just doesn’t work when reduced to 10 men (4-4-1 or any other combination) – we conceded 40% of the pitch for large parts of the game today. It would be unfair to single anyone out for individual blame – but there was a clear collective factor (front to mid) – we were not at our best!
LG covers great tracts of ground – but he lacks the ‘physicality’ to take it into feet and hold-it/hold-it till the cavalry arrives. KC might have the brains and guile to turn a game but lacks the ‘physicality’ to swap the slippers for the pit-boots. JF has the pace but lacks ‘physicality’ (and probably should have stayed on rather than KC) but – could never be described as offering midfield defensive cover.
See what I did there? Lack of midfield physicality is prevalent throughout the team. Add-in SJ/NR – both built like 5000m runners – neither could be described as being in the V67 mould. I wonder (if fit) whether Wakaso would have shored up things today rather than Tonev? When it’s all said and done – we are being manhandled and outmuscled too often for my liking by lesser teams.
Yesterday post-match I found myself posting in similar vein:
As for today – yet again poor on-field game management throughout the Team (except Griff’s lay-off for GMS). Why invite a red card opportunity so early in the game? Back to 1-1 there was more than enough time to win the game with 11 men.
As for RD – no idea what his game-plan is/was and why and when his choice of subs. Great when we’re in freeflow – tactically inept when we struggle or are under the cosh. Too often out-thought by managers and teams with less resources than us.
We’ve a squad of; nice/pretty lightweight players, most with the potential to go on to better things. Unfortunately, we lack muscle, a defensive midfield hardness and a gritty creativity to put opponents to the sword when things are not going our way.
On today’s showing – this has not got the makings of a squad and management team good enough to get us through the CL qualifiers.
______________
This is not as a consequence of downsizing – this is REGRESSION!
At some stage (soon) the Board & Management need to make a radical change in football direction – otherwise we will end up a busted flush as far as any European aspirations (basic qualification) are concerned.
We live in hope – H!H!
Paul67
Clatter!
You sure it wasn’t absolutely minimal contact.
Better than the BBC who said Efe hauled him to the ground after he made a suicide run
You were right the first time it was a dive.
Paul, I admire your ability to stick to a strategy and to suggest we get through this uneasy time – how do we improve the quality we get in – how do we deal with the quality of the spine of the team if we find quality and get rid of it – how do we deal with improving Ronnie’s weaknesses –
We are on the edge of the ole Abyss of Mediocrtity [agane…]
WEEMINGER on 1ST FEBRUARY 2016 11:33 AM
My worry regarding Kazim-Richards is his off field antics. He’s certainly got ability.
My girlfriend had to serve him at a restaurant in Manchester. She told me he was a bit arrogant and unpleasant.
I am not over the moon either but I hope that playing at a lower level and with a bit of coaching, he might do something for us.
LIONROARS67 on 1ST FEBRUARY 2016 11:34 AM
I wasn’t suggesting we’d get to the final. I was making the point that sometimes it takes time for progress to come to fruition. Klopp wasn’t an instant hit but people at Dortmund could see value in his work and had patience.
I don’t see Celtic’s problems as unfixable.
This is Celtic, no more no less.
We have punched above our weight a few ties in our history, but by and large this is what supporting Celtic is.
There was a time a Double under big Billy in the centenary year was celebrated like a European cup win.
SOUKOUS on 1ST FEBRUARY 2016 11:43 AM
Belfastbhoy0
Also think there are questions over Lustig – he looks very frustrated – and at 29 i’d question if he is going to get any better. I agree.
Calumn Paterson of Hearts is I think a decent right back.
___________________________________________________________
Nail on head….well said – Hail Hail
Btw…I think that Calumn Paterson has the makings of a young Roy Aitken.
But….not with Ronny in charge…he isny devious enough to be a Celtic manager…imho.
HH
Where is Ian Bankier and Lord Livinston now.
Cant hear them…can you.
Or what about DD….surely he will be along soon to remind us how much he loves Sevco.
PL….will be hiding…as per usual.
Lining up his next cheap project.
Chancers.
The quicker everybody realises…the better.
HH
If he’s that good would he not have more caps?
Like every other Celtic Supporter its personal when the team gets beaten, especially as we can guarantee mibbery will reveal itself in all its glory, I actually thought our sending off would come in the Aberdeen game on Wednesday
However can anyone of the bedwetters clique remind me what year (s) it was when we beat every team we played by at least 6 goals and would have tanked Brasil’s 1970 World Cup winning team by four goals and with 9 men.
There are obviously issues at the club, but the reactions to adverse results is as someone else may have mentioned, is verging on hunnery.
Posters spot on regarding Lustig.Another passenger.Positional sense non-existent,weak as a kitten in the tackle and crossing abysmal.Awful.
….so sad…
….bed time zzzzzzzzzzzz….
Edge of The Abyss
Tricoloured Ribbon
____________________
God to see ye posting fella, I hope yer well.
Hail Hail
THE GREEN MAN on 1ST FEBRUARY 2016 11:32 AM
TD67
You might think its ok to get humped by Ross County…thats what you think, fair enough.
I think it was bs.
We should be beating Ross County.
No excuses.
What we have become…quite obviously…is a team that is not good enough.
You disagree…no problem.
HH
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/not-good-enough-lurching-off-plan/#sthash.2wEsxhNM.dpuf
The green man, easy on the spin there mate, where in my post did I say it was ok to get humped ?
People are just to anxious to have a run at me this morning, I was merely pointing out that it’s happened longgggggg before RD and PL where on board, read the post, then reply, the blog works better and no one losses the plot :)
…bed time noo zzzzzz…..
GO TELL THE SPARTIM
Or conversely, this attitude of everything will be fine.
Is promoting a culture of failure, which on the whole, Celtic supporters dont like.
As for your crack about ‘verging on hunnery’
Ask DD about that.
Tricoloured Ribbon
He’s been given the benefit of the doubt for far too long. There’s a couple of bhoys out on loan just now (Henderson & Fisher) that would have made a better impact on proceedings yesterday in my opinion
HH
This Kazim-Richards business looks like it’s on right enough.Another non-scoring so called striker to join the ranks of Bangura,Pukki,Rasmussen etc.I truly despair.Think I need a stiff drink to blank this out..
Green man,
Hope yer well pal.
timaloy29
It’s not an overreaction to remove the person Who thought Ciftci would be a successful signing?
Yes lots of players don’t work out for one reason or another but there was no excuse with this one. He wasn’t an unknown quantity or came out of left field quite the opposite in fact. Anyone who made him their “number 1” target clearly has no place scouting or judging players.
gearoid1998
You’re right, there’s no chance of it being recinded but I’d like to see Celtic appeal it anyway. As a club we should be seen to stand up for our players. I think Efe deserves the clubs backing here.
HH!
TD67
I got your point.
I was only saying, that i didnt think it was good enough getting humped by Ross County.
Surely to feck we should be better than that.
BTW..no disrespect to Ross County, ..they deserved to win.
But…that the problem.
And its not as if, it was the first time we have failed this season.
HH
Kazim-Richards signing looks like a favour to our favourite agent. He needs to get him out of Holland asap after his altercation with journalist and he is using his relationship with our de facto directors of football to move him for a few months.
We did the same with Rami Gershon a couple of years ago
Another first for Celtic as a crowd gather in the car park to protest about signing a striker.
Referees have been the same since I was a boy, and my father, and grandfather, ( in Scotland anyway) they referee the game to the instructions they are given, and not the rules, prove me wrong? You can’t, tell them it wasent a penalty when they give one,?tell them it was a penalty when they don’t give one? YOU CANT!
Now you tell me what’s wrong with that system? They don’t care, it’s they’r rules.
TCR
IM good bud….Hope you are well.
Just mystified that we allow PL to run Celtic, as if he owned us.
The people that fund the club should own it.
Or is it just millionaire bs artists that are allowed to own Celtic?
HH
FFS Time to move on,well done Ross County.Move on ,get fed up with all the conspiracy mob that come on here,We all know were the problems lie,and at times its not the Refs
timaloy29 on 1st February 2016 11:47 am
It was a nonsensical analogy sorry
Your quite entitled to your opinion and belief that RD has a plan and tat plan given time will bring success
I have witnessed enough big games which RD has overseen that IMO he is not the man for Celtic
e,g, 3 Domestic semi finals under RD, won 1 against Scotlands newest club, a championship club, lost the other two S/F against decent SPL sides with the team conceding 6 goals over the two games, this is the problem…………………………. defensive frailties
TRICOLOURED RIBBON on 1ST FEBRUARY 2016 11:56 AM
Rasmussen has always scored goals. Including for us. I’d have him now.
Enjoy your day CQN
The Green Man
I wouldent go as far as to say RC deserved to win, what they did do was play the 11 against 10 well, as most teams do, but then again they did have help, so make it 12
Gary67
There wasn’t much wrong with Rami Gershon, he’s gone on to be a big success at Gent.
the penalty kick lee took was an absolute disgrace – and I had no confidence in us scoring it beforehand given past experience – he basically did nothing right apart from not miss – he didnt put it into the sides or through the middle – he didnt look to where the keeper was going – he basically put it in an area where anyone would have a 50%+ chance of saving it…. theres no bottle in the team
That awkward moment when you remember when Craig Thomson made an important decision, in an important game, in favour of Celtic.
No? – Neither do I.
Gary67 on 1st February 2016 11:59 am
Kazim-Richards signing looks like a favour to our favourite agent. He needs to get him out of Holland asap after his altercation with journalist and he is using his relationship with our de facto directors of football to move him for a few months.
=====================
Talk is its a 2.5 year deal,
HH
EYESWIDEOPEN
About 9 months ago,I was discussing Darnell Fisher with his youth coach at Reading. Big big fella,I listened,he talked!
I said that he wasn’t a full-back,he was a defensive mid. Charles agreed. But added that the problem was that he wasn’t a training-ground player,he was a gym and pitch man.
He built himself up,and performed where it mattered. That doesn’t suit RD’s way of rewarding excellence.
I’d have DF back in a heartbeat. Teams need a player who does what it says on the tin,destroys the breaks,wins the ball,passes it a few yards to a creative team-mate.
Instead we play wi two central mids and three attacking mids,all of whom burst forward at the same time as our full-backs!
Insanity. Especially when their bursts are checked because their spatial awareness and lack of ability causes them to check.
It’s f…..g soul-destroying to watch. Even my happyclapping Dad is pissed off.
He’s started muttering about The Five Sorrowful Mysteries!
P67
Another article that reads like Lawwell sounds..
We are now not only downsizing season upon season but we are downsizing expectation in season. There was a clear expectation in the absence of anything like a competitor ( financially) that we would win the treble following our dismal European showing. To suggest this was media manufactured is disingenuous .
This Manager doesn’t win under pressure. This team he has assembled is by your own admission not good enough. More worryingly recruitment over the last few transfer windows offers very little hope that the next window will sort the team out.
Yesterday may have appeared unexpected in the context of the 4 games that preceded it but in the context of the season as a whole and indeed the Deila era it was not a shocker by any means.
Moneyball only works when you recruit cheap and improve players via EUROPE and sell on. We are recruiting cheaply but no longer offer the prospect of improving as our chances of improving via EUROPE are eroding. There will be from the current squad who will command more than we paid for them.
Questions must be asked of our Manager, of whoever appointed him and where the team are heading. Frankly Id rather the Board re calibrated the fans expectation by stating that the football budget will be halved but will still be 3 times our nearest competitors budget. At least that would be transparent.
Why is out CEO taking £20k a week out of the club in the face of such failure?
Come on Paul67… Let’s talk strategy honestly if we are going to talk strategy….?