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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Is Murray Park still called Murray Park ?
Has big Mick Ashley changed its name when the unwashed weren’t looking ?
I’m not a big fan of Rope Holding!
MWD said AYE
WIS
13:18
” the greatest act of stupidity since that infamous coward General Percival surrendered Signapore to the Japanese in 1942 despite the fact that his forces outnumbered theirs”
He of the Essex regiment, Cork circa 1920’s
Not a nice man
http://www.eveningexpress.co.uk/sport/football/the-dons/celtic-decline-dons-request-for-extra-tickets-1.838175
I am hoping this is just a little horse-trading going on. IE celtic saying we cant give you more for celtic park unless you up our allocation for pittodrie.
because there is a very real possibility we could be going up there to win the league that day.
and if something additional could be agreed, i would give them all of the bannered off sections and below at celtic park, for that one of game.
you know, like 7,000 seats we used to give that other team that used to come , that were our in town rivals, for the life of me i cant remember whatthey were called , its that loing ago.
Gordon_J
re your last point…
Tell that to Brandy Syphon…………………..
as kevin bridges says,
a ghostie
a false number 2 ?
Panda Hands 13.04
Stefan Johansen was as always, very industrious last night and one can only admire his energy and movement. However, I could not help but note he made more than his fair share of some pretty poor unharassed passes. I cannot quite grasp why because , as was seen by his chip to Guidetti late in the game, he really is quite capable of making the most exquisite passes. Strange how he throws up an eclectic mix.
Seen on twitter
#Sevco goalie Steve Simonsen is banned for 1 minute 38 seconds for each breach of #SFA illegal betting rules.
That will solve #matchfixing
Good to see the Celtic Foundation working with the poor and disadvantaged in London’s East-End (Poplar.) Our founder would be happy:
“In 1893 Walfrid was sent by his religious superiors to London’s East End. Here he continued his work, organizing football matches for the barefoot children in the districts of Bethnal Green and Bow. The charity established by Br Walfrid was named ‘The Poor Children’s Dinner Table.” (Celtic Wiki)
http://static.ow.ly/photos/normal/8CeT6.jpg
Stivs,
I agree about the banner area but there’s a lot of our lot bellow it.
I wouldn’t fancy putting them lovely dandy dons above our support
HH
Hasn’t ole Elbows suffered enough?
Re big lads heading the ba’, think Didier Agathe was probably the worst I’ve seen, couldn’t jump to save his life.
YNWA
Ole Philatelic McCulloch got off lightly as expected.
Geordie Munro
15:41 on
12 February, 2015
Stivs,
I agree about the banner area but there’s a lot of our lot bellow it.
I wouldn’t fancy putting them lovely dandy dons above our support
HH
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a one off relocation could work.
i am sure if our fans knew 7000 dons were coming donw, then we could pck out the other 53,000, and a new rivalry could begin.
i would if i was peter.
make up some for themissing £10m shite he come away with.
too happy on here,
lol
Celtic players will only be the players they can be if we move to a better league, where weekly they will be pitted against teams who will extend the. They don’t get that level of opposition in Scotland often enough, if at all.
Playing in Europe is too often too massive a step up in class. SoT’s old mate had it right about Thistle (and the same goes for just about every Scottish team).
Jeromek67 love Stefan to bits but made the same observation. If he could correct that part of his game he would be almost the complete player. Hail Hail Hebcelt
Give aberdeen extra tickets if they demolish the beach end, pop up the old benched stand and gee us it back. Them wur ra days.
MWD said AYE
new article posted.