Did you notice during last night’s game the most important goal-type we’ve scored all season? Nir Bitton headed the ball forward to John Guidetti, who could have knocked it on, but instead was shoved off the ball, resulting in the ball progressing anyway. This scenario created the most valuable commodity in football: space.
There is an enormous amount of misunderstanding when teams line-up with ‘only’ one striker. Especially when this striker plays as a false 9 dropping deeper than a conventional striker would. Intuitively this sounds lacking in attacking edge, but it you have three whippet-like midfielders in support you create space for them to dart into, just as Stefan Johansen did to such effect at Firhill.
Whenever I see criticisms of this strategy I think back to Ireland’s victory over Louis van Gaal’s Netherlands in a must-win World Cup qualifier in 2001. Netherland’s started with van Nisterlrooy and Kluivert as strikers, before adding Hasselbaink and our own van Hooijdonk (replacing a midfielder and defender respectively), but they failed to beat Shay Given.
The game was a textbook lesson in how to deny your own strikers that most valuable commodity, the Dutch went out of the World Cup that afternoon.
Ronny still has plenty of work to do, but you can see his plans mature by the week.
I’m enjoying the many comments on the English TV deal, and our paucity. Without getting too philosophical, money often determines your sense of self. Our comparative lack of money will temper our ambitions for Celtic. Three years ago, losing a player to Southampton would have seemed an affront. In future, this might look like an objective.
It’s not all doom and gloom. We have a place in the football world, and in the Champions League, but we should talk about it, as well as future TV deals. Pick up on it tomorrow or next week.
Thanks for everyone who got in touch yesterday about CQN11 St Patrick’s Dinner on Friday 13 March. We’ve almost got the line-up confirmed, and it’s a cracker. Email me for booking information, celticquicknews@gmail.com
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iBhoy
How can you be sure it’s a guy?
MWd said AYE
the red telephone
13:39 on 12 February, 2015
Elbows 2 game suspension stands. Hibs to appeal.
————————————————–
Ban on all Accident and emergency leave has been lifted
I remember Charlie hit the bar from about 25 yards moments after coming on as sub in his first ever appearance for CFC. Don’t know if Jimmy Sanderson christened him the Cannonball Kid that very day
Gordon j ‘I’ve never seen a 6 footer who is such a poor header of the ball’
I can’t believe you’ve never seen efe Ambrose header the ball?!
has anyone gone for ol’ willie garner?
My friends in Celtic,
How to depart with dignity
.https://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/football-lambert-sacked-ailing-villa-232515863–sow.html
HH.
Did WITS post a tip?
!!Bada Bing!!
Yip
GARY 4:35 Thurles
2 game 1 Suspendedtill end of season.
Punishment for 53 breaches of betting laws,
Make it up on the hoof SFA are a laughing stock, yet still they tak a wage and laugh at us:((
leftclicktic-ta
JOE BERNSTEIN
I first saw a Jose Mourinho team live in 2003. Porto cheated Celtic out of a UEFA Cup final in Seville with an unprecedented amount of feigning injury and other time-wasting tactics in the final 10 minutes. I couldn’t believe Mourinho got away with it then, and I still can’t believe he gets away with it now.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2950417/Jose-Mourinho-won-does-touchline-tantrums-far-Sportsmail-experts-discuss-Chelsea-boss-good-Premier-League.html
Emdae else hear Mc Cann refer to the ref as Crawzzy last night?? Wonder where that friendship blossomed?
Wits,
I’ve just took the bairns lunch money off old time melody and onto Gary. :)
001 Bhoy..
We have a great wee offer at http://www.cqnbookstore.com on at the moment which has been very popular since we put it up at the weekend.
You get the Seville book, Road to Seville DVD (2 discs – one featuring entire match,Liverpool away, the excellent Celtic 3IAR DVD and the 2015 CQN Annual – all for £15 inc P&P for UK and Ireland. Bit more for rest of the world.
There’s also a wee surprise added which has gone down well with those who have received it so far…
Offer available at http://www.cqnbookstore.com for a few more days…
“Crawzzy” !????
………………………..No “Crawfordy”
….or “Allany”?
“but I’ve never seen a six footer who is such a poor header of the ball.”
I nominate Jamesgang 0:-)
JJ
I would have nominated myself but I am not six feet and I am a good header of a ball. Or `headerer` as we used to say 0:-))
geordie munro
13:41 on 12 February, 2015Gents,The ban is only increased if it was deemed a frivolous appeal just to enable the player to play next game
if that wisnae a frivolous appeal…….:)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=AEs7xvafkFk
This was one crazy April Fools night in Paradise
5-0 including ‘that’ Cadete goal
HH
Whimsy (Trivia is such a cliché).
Our record in domestic cup competition this season is, played 5, won 5, goals for 17, goals against …ehhh…what’s one of those then?
Hmmm! | “Rangers keeper Steve Simonsen’s let off lightly over SFA betting charge because he didn’t know the rules”
Record Sport understands he told a disciplinary hearing at Hampden he believed the SFA followed the same rules as their counterparts in England when he moved north in 2013.
In England, players were only forbidden from betting on matches involving their own teams and competitions in which they were involved.
—-
Simonsen signed on 13th Sept 2013
Regan made the following comments on 23rd Sep 2013
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/431651/SFA-will-not-relax-clear-betting-rules-after-Rangers-star-Ian-Black-banned …
no excuse!!
…and I thought the sniggering McCulloch had nowhere to put his foot. I can’t understand that; Young and Wilson are never wrong, are they?
HH
Bada,
Lol.
But he only stamped with one foot :)
I’m still hoping for the day when an opposing player takes one for the team on him.
Geordie Munro
But but but
Kyle Hutton defends Rangers skipper Lee McCulloch’s physical style: “He’s not overly aggressive – he’s just aggressive. Aggressive and fair”
GM As we have seen again today,when it comes to the rules and Sevco,the rules are always wrong HH
I take it the Compliance officer was locked away in a padded SFA cell after the League Cup semi-final until deadlines were passed.
The irony is suspending ‘Elbows’ probably improves them.
HH
ziggydoc1
13:00 on
12 February, 2015
I’d agree completely. Things have improved dramatically at Celtic in the last couple of months and at the moment the team are winning with a swagger.
Ronny has clearly learned from some of the disasterous early season performances and the squad seem happier now to jump aboard his voyage.
Gone is the 4-3-3 which led to us being hoplessly exposed and with the players looking utterly bewildered at what they were being asked to do.
Gone is his persistence with McGregor who was getting a starting berth regardless of performances.
Without a doubt Ronny is learning on the job and at the moment it’s a joy going to watch Celtic.
Yet, I still have concerns.
I don’t buy into the mantra that he’ll earn his corn against the likes of Inter. Let’s be realistic, he’ll earn his corn against anyone that we’re up against, whether it’s domestically or in Europe. However, I think it’s realistic to use the two ties against the Italians as a measure of his improvement.
I still have real worries about how exposed our system leaves us defensively. I commented after the recent game at Kilmarnock that often Ambrose was being left on a 1-1 situation at the back. This is nothing new and even as recently as last night I looked the length of the park to see similar scenarios but with Efe replaced by another hooped hero.
In Ronny’s system there are no wingers as such. The width and creativity from the wide areas is the responsibility of the two attacking full backs, or the 2 wide men in the back 4 if you prefer.
It’s inevitable that Izzy and Matthews/Lustig are going to be caught out of position on occasion because of their continued forays into opposition territory. My worry is that against better opposition who are more tactically astute and with increased quality, a simple but accurate ball into huge spaces in our defence will see us punished severely.
As you say a rigid back 4 against Inter would be a must for me too.
roy croppie
The joy is ,he is being paid allegedly over £15k a week by sevco, I spoke to a sevconion this morning who hoped he would get banned for the rest of the season :)))
Till later all
How the hell can SImonson possibly claim he was unaware of the rules? He signed for The Rangers on 13/09/13 – the day after Ian Black was found guilty of exactly the same offence.
And anyway, isn’t it a basic principle that ignorance of the law is no defence?
GMS workrate on workingback to help out the full back,caught my eye,
Ps I expect there will be a few more young uns ,asking to be took to the game because of the likes of GMS.
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon
I once tried that with a judge
Didnae workCSC
More whimsy, re Simonsen.
Once upon a time, in a faraway land, I got stopped for speeding.
The burly policeman asked me if I knew the speed limit for the road I was on. I didn’t. (Didn’t know what speed I was doing either, but I didn’t tell him that). Still got done, and rightly so. Ignorance is never an excuse.
Watched the highlights last night and was hugely impressed by the whirlwind start.
Under Jock Steins Celtic, the first 10 minutes of any Celtic game at CP was like the Alamo where we used to lay siege to the opponents penalty box for the first 10 minutes. One or two goals in that period (and that happened a lot) could lead to an avalanche.
Maybe we can get back to those days under Ronny?
One thing that I have noticed more recently with our “pressing game” is that our lads go after the opposition in twos or threes whenever we lose possession, rather than just one guy on his own looking like a headless chicken. Makes a hell of a difference if we win possession back.
I really cant see the problem with a player having a bet on a odd match, as long as it’s say not the league he’s playing in.
How they get caught is just plain stupid though, they could set the account up in the wife’s/G/F’s name. There must be a thousand ways to get round being caught.
How did Barca get on playing a false 9 at CP a few years ago?
Hmmm
Fraser Wishart will be all over another gambling breach,and blatant disregard for the rules,telling us the rules are wrong.
The 15th July 2014
Callum McGregor 84min v Kr reykjavik
Competitive debut for celtic
Orc : Awe ah didnae know ra rules..
SFA.. Awe awright then oan ye go..
Orc : Ta very much..
SFA : Tell Kenny ah wis asking fur him..
Orc : Awe right then..
I’m not a big fan of the treble talk, at this point we’ve won nothing. The team are playing good football up till 2 0 then seem to take the foot of the gas. I can understand this to an extent, but you’re not always home and dry at 2 nil. If a team gets one back the momentum can swing back in their favour. It’s ok saying we’re playing in 2nd gear, but i’m fearful that this will bite us on the arse at some point. I’d rather we stayed focused and went for 3 or 4 then play it out…
Good use of subs last night, I like to see the young bhoys coming on, especially away from home as the away support are more tolerant of mistakes than the home support.
ps When we eventually get back to Celtic park, will Ronny come out and do his usual celebration at the end or is this only for away games ? Will there be many left in the stadium to see it ??
pps. I know we won 3 0 but chucked it at 2 IMHO…