I always support a manager who wants to freshen the team up and keep his squad motivated, as Neil Lennon did last night. Some of you will remember how Martin O’Neill steadfastly refused to utilise his squad, sticking to the tried and tested 13-or-so players. Patryk Klimala needed to start a game and last night was as good a time as any. We saw good things from Hatem Elhamed last season, enough to suggest this term’s performances can be improved upon.
Better to try things when you have options on the bench against St Mirren, than when you are out of alternatives and need a performance, so I have no complaints about the line-up.
The St Mirren goal was another dark moment defensively. Shaughnessy lost his fellow Irish central defender, Shane Duffy. Shaughnessy’s near-post header fell at the feet of Erwin, whose attempt to trap the ball ended in the net. Including the keeper, Celtic had a 7 v 4 player overload, but still lost the first and second balls.
This is an ominous sign. Three of the four non-penalty goals we have conceded this season have been from set-pieces into the box, on each occasion we lost the first and second balls. We are out of the Champions League as a consequence and will continue to pay a price until this is sorted.
You can expect every team in the Premiership to play for free kicks and corners until this is resolved.
Attacking set-pieces, we look as imperious as we look weak defending. You could be forgiven for concluding that we attack the ball more effectively than we block opponents, so should therefore consider a zonal strategy….. Just a thought.
Shane Duffy saw off the challenge from St Mirren’s other Irish central defender, McCarthy, before heading his second goal in consecutive matches. This could be the season of set-pieces. If so, we had better improve penalty kick taking. Odsonne Edouard’s effort was underpowered and nowhere near the post. It is another area for the practice fields.
While James Forrest rightly gets credit for his excellent headed goal, the game was won on the back of two Ryan Christie crosses that fell between defenders and the goalkeeper. Neither Duffy nor Forrest needed to jump to make connection with an inch-perfect ball. If delivery from our wide players was as good, we would be significantly more effective. But it’s not….
Happy, though I was, to see the starting line-up shuffled, I was crying out for Jeremie Frimpong to come on well before his 80th minute appearance. Frimpong is alone in his ability in this squad to run at people. This tribute is not crucial to every game, but when he came on, he turned the St Mirren defenders, often resulting in a free kick high up the field.
Lots to ponder in the three weeks ahead.
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Top of the pile on Saturday hopefully 🤞
Have we signed a left wing back yet?
Absolutely necessary purchase.
Greg Taylor. Dear oh dear 😔
I can’t remember who raised it today but its regularly raised so not important who and no offense intended, its the old Ajer for midfield chestnut. Sorry no way for me.
He is clumsy, slow on the turn, can’t tackle one on one and is unaware of what is going on around him. His main strengths are his ability to run with the ball and his physical size which he doesn’t use to his advantage often enough. I really can’t think of anything that Ajer brings that would suggest he could play in the middle.
I’m a huge Brown fan but at the same time realise we need to start resting him at times and I think games where we will have 70+% possession are the games we should try this out. I think the pressure of 10IAR unfortunately will not allow this, Neil know he’ll get slaughtered if he drops Broonie and we lose.
I’d try a midfield change on Saturday, Livi will probably spend 80% of the game in their own half.
For these games my wish would be to come out the traps flying and try to get an early goal but the lack or creativity is a worry for these games. Start Turnbull or Soro, my choice would be Turnbull he has a goal in him.
Not averse to seeing Turnbull – more for his set-up passes, which look good (admittedly, I haven’t seen a huge amount of him – never been able to notice opposition players too much). From what little I’ve seen for Luca Connell, he has similar virtues – unusual, imaginative pass through or over a tight defense.
Worry – always – is that we lack another player who can reliably break up opposition play – that’s why Broonie is viewed as vital.
HH
BGFC
Soro might be the guy.
However, although he runs about a lot, haven’t seen enough of him to know whether it is effective or Gravesen.
HH
BGFC
DENIABHOY on 16TH SEPTEMBER 2020 10:50 PM
You’d think by now some of our players would have the balls to tell Christie to jog on when it comes to free kicks and corners. They are consistently poor, bordering on atrocious.
How feckin hard is it to float a ball into the box somewhere in the vicinity of three 6ft 6 teammates?
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And yet two of his deliveries resulted in goals.
We don’t appear good enough to man mark so zonal marking could be the answer
31003
Men on the posts might help – looks like it
would have stopped last night’s goal
GENE on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2020 12:45 PM
I was just in the middle of typing that …….
We Won.
Banana skin game.
We obviously…… Obviously can do better.
Oddsone hitting such a poor penalty kick?
What are the odds?
P67
freshen the team up?
you are having a laugh arent you?
forrest mcgregor brown christie
those serial euro failures in the engine room of the team yet again
get away with it with most of the scottish teams
any higher level and they are woefully short
theres the issue that needs addressed
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HWGTIAR
It was another poor performance last night. We look disjointed and we have only introduced a Goalie and a centre back. Paddy is a newbie albeit he was signed in January. I can only hope time will give some improvement.
I notice on the newsfeed on Newsnow that there are articles every day listing Celtic fans on twitter who are criticising our Players. This is being used to undermine our club and fans should watch what they say. Sportslens and This is football are among the culprits. Dont click
Does anyone know why Dembele is not making the matchday squads?
Paul67
Awe_naw_no_you_anaw_noo
Return of the Sieve and top of the league by Saturday CSC
SFTB- St Mirren pitch is a hybrid like ours,I’m sure
Pingback: Ominous sign despite the win Paul67 - Celtic FC News Aggregation
Good article Paul, my feeling is that the Celtic pool of players are extremely important this year as opposed to the “best 11”. With 2 and even 3 games per week ahead of us and some other teams, then the quality on the bench and the best use of them, will be not only be match winning but a league winning strategy.
Onwards to 10iar HH
Nice and warm out on the decking overlooking the Clyde, wondering whether to cycle up to the Hills, or over to the gym or crack open a bottle of prosecco, being retired is awfy complicated 🚴♀️🍾😎
El Hamed, is a bit of a worry with his last couple of displays. I did like the fact that Duffy was in the middle where he belongs. I couldn’t understand Julien in the middle and Duffy on the right in the last game other than Lennny not wanting to upset big Chris.
St. Mirren played quite well last night, and at least were moving forward. We have loads of talent so why not concentrate on long balls and balls into the box when teams put up the wall?, at least we can hope for that early goal and force teams out of the defensive stance
GSU
When zonal marking fails, it makes the players look really bad but the numbers have been crunched. Last time I saw a serious discussion, zonal was a much more effective strategy than man marking. Do you go for looking good or being good?
Vinny,
have a drink and relax.
the sun only shines some days,
up the hills can wait.
cheers.
Connaire
You look after yourself my friend.hope all goes well with your appointments
hh
I had totally forgotten about having 2 guys on the posts at corner kicks, anyone know when we last did this? por cierto
UPERSUTTON on 17TH SEPTEMBER 2020 12:39 PM
DENIABHOY on 16TH SEPTEMBER 2020 10:50 PM
You’d think by now some of our players would have the balls to tell Christie to jog on when it comes to free kicks and corners. They are consistently poor, bordering on atrocious.
How feckin hard is it to float a ball into the box somewhere in the vicinity of three 6ft 6 teammates?
—————
And yet two of his deliveries resulted in goals.
———————————————————
I stand by my statement. His corner and free kick deliveries are not of the standard required. He put two straight out the park last night from about 25 yards out. This is not a new thing. Our lack of goals from corners has been well noted on here for at least the last couple of seasons. Griff being the last player who seemed to regularly put it into the danger zone.
I also said last night Christie was one of the only players in the first half that I thought played well.
Because he plays well and creates two goals does not mean he is above criticism for something that he should be able to do with his eyes closed.
Best wishes to Connaire 12. Hope all goes well with you consultation.
HH
Deniabhoy
I took a corner with my eyes closed once
ended up in a field…..
Coneybhoy – very good. You know what I mean.
I said last night I like Forrest. He has been a major player for us over the years. He signed a lucrative contract last season which most think he merited. He has not been at his best of late but still gets vital goals time and time again. Should he be a certain starter week in week out though?
I also said last night I think Frimpong is a class above him which someone found hilarious. Fair enough, it is about opinions. Frimpong, in my opinion, is, after Edouard, the best talent we have on our books. He is still raw, like Eddy when he was back up to ,Dembele, but he has more talent, speed, trickery and guile than our other wide players. He will be a star.
less reminders going forwards as I can no longer easily access CQN on my phone (harrrumph!!!) so just on PC. Your 3 top player nominations by 10pm tonight please to CQNPOTY@GMAIL.COM
Thanks in anticipation ;-)
They look rank rotten. No tactics…..no composure.. just a hopeful punt up the park every time….and the Red Imps don’t look much better. 🤣
BBC Scotland site has a clip of Duffy speaking about scoring headers and they have subtitles on
how patronising. Scots go mad when the English BBC do that
Performances in 352 have been mixed
We should revert to the Ross County team for the weekend
Not getting too upset about last night. I agree that having men on the posts is Page 1 line 1 of the defensive manual but there were significant changes made to the line up last night and I like to see that.
Nothing worse than playing the same people in every game. If someone gets injured in a key
position you are in trouble. At least Ross and St Mirren were coming forward. I believe that our biggest danger comes against stonewall defending so if teams feel they have a chance then good, come ahead
and we will show you what we can do. Mon the Imps.
huns 1 up. Tavernier free kick
“he’s going to grow and grow and grow and get better,better and better”. Rangers TV on Kamara.
“he’s going to shrink and shrink and shrink and get worse, worse and worse”. CQN on (enter a player’s name)
Roofe off injured in first half.
Fat Sally will be on shortly