On the road this week so today’s blog is by author Stephen O’Donnell:
Pick the bones out of that! I didn’t see Legia against St. Patrick’s Athletic in the previous qualifying round, but by all accounts they were fairly unimpressive, even in winning 5 – 0 in Dublin. I was even tempted to have a wee bet on Celtic to win by more than one goal on Wednesday night, and by the time my hastily arranged subscription to Premier Sports had come through things were looking good after Callum McGregor’s early strike.
Sadly, it didn’t last. It’s a measure of how poorly Celtic played on the night that they were lucky to escape from Warsaw with a 4 – 1 defeat because, let’s face it, but for Fraser Forster and some wayward penalty taking, it could have been worse.
As expected, it didn’t take long for the Celtic Newsnow stream to start filling up with tales of anguish and pontification from the mainstream media. From AEK Athens to Maribor, the list of European failures at certain other clubs (including one that is now defunct) is long and distinguished, but nothing gets the SMSM in full gloating mode like a painful Celtic defeat on the Continent.
On Wednesday we were reminded about Artmedia Bratislava, Utrecht, Karagandy etc., I even heard Neuchatel Xamax being mentioned at one point. The key of course is that there is no context and analysis provided when these previous losses are dragged up, Celtic supporters simply have to suffer such painful reminders.
This lack of constructive analysis is a pity because there are comparisons and parallels that can be usefully drawn with previous chastening experiences in Europe. It seems that new Celtic managers are particularly vulnerable to them; Tony Mowbray initially enjoyed a successful preseason, including winning the Wembley Cup, but his first competitive game was a 1 – 0 home defeat to Dynamo Moscow. Neil Lennon had Utrecht and Braga, and of course Gordon Strachan had Artmedia.
It’s what happened in Bratislava that I think has most relevance to Wednesday night – a new manager in post, replacing a club legend, trying to introduce a more cerebral approach, a squad clearly divided amongst those who are still pining for the previous incumbent and those who want to move on and embrace the new manager’s methods… the parallels in fact are numerous and really quite striking. Hopefully this is a sign that Ronny, like WGS before him, will turn this early setback around and grow into the role of Celtic manager.
One of the most important aspects of managerial success is the chemistry between the boss and his players. This lack of a connection in the dressing-room and on the training field is the reason John Collins failed at Hibs; it’s why Mowbray didn’t last out a season at Celtic. If the chemistry isn’t right then the team will lack focus, motivation and game intelligence at crucial times in the season, and these traits were all conspicuous by their absence in both Warsaw and Bratislava.
But chemistry takes time, it didn’t come immediately to either Lennon or Strachan, and Ronny Deila still has the opportunity to get his progressive ideas across and win the respect and admiration of his squad. If that happens then, like Lenny and WGS before him, he will go on to lead Celtic to domestic and European success.
In the meantime, there is the second leg still to come. If the parallels with Artmedia and Karagandy are to be heard in the media again then Legia could yet be in for a tough night next week. The tie is most certainly not over and it will slowly be dawning on the players who let themselves down on Wednesday that there is only one way to make up for what happened.
Pride and defiance have to come to the fore again, and the situation is still retrievable. All the ingredients are there for a potentially famous night at Murrayfield next Wednesday.
Follow Stephen O’Donnell on twitter @stephenodauthor
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Ole Trigger’s Broom goes in the 6.15 @ Hamilton :))
MARGARET McGILL 0116
Your suggestion to TSD is bang outa order,mate.
You should have said it to his dad all those years ago instead.
clunks
09:03 on
2 August, 2014
Came across this site after someone here posted it yesterday,
This tells you all you need to know about football.
Interesting wee article in their about celtic and DD as well.
http://footballisfixed.blogspot.co.uk/
Get it read people
————————————-
Interesting but completely without foundation. They talk of developing ‘propriety software’ for analysing match fixing. That sounds like garbage. Betfair do it yes, a blog, no. They simply don’t have the access to information.
What they have probably developed is a spread sheet that analyses odds movements or odds that are out of kilter with their consensus, flagging up games which may be affected by corruption. What it fails to take into account accurately is say, when the CFC team was announced on Wednesday, immediately the odds on CFC would have drifted as everyone could see Delia had picked a nonsense of a team.
There have been a couple of internet nonsense whispers about insider trading on the game. Complete rubbish. No proof. There was a reason for the odds movements (if there indeed was, I didn’t bet on game)- Delia’s team selection.
Clashcitybhoy, bada, cheers
PF AYR. 1034
In about twelve hours time,definitely.
We’ll raise a glass to absent friends and drink their beer for them!
Maybe the solution to the Israel/Palestine problem is to relocate the state of Israel to the USA.
I’d suggest carving out a new country from parts of Arizona, Nevada and California.
There’d be deserts and coastlines and mountains and friendly neighbours.
The present locals could be relocated to the retained parts of their respective states.
Everyone’s a winner.
Except maybe the arms industry.
For those of you who use Twitter you will know it can lead you of on some tangents when having a wee browse. Came across this by the indefatigable Bill Maloney.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lq6lJsBz9UY
Good morning all
For sale 1 pair of used to be lucky football socks :))
Trials for my new ones start today.
Hail Hail and have a great day all
PF
Apparently Big Jim Goldie fancies Classy Anne. 715 Ham tonight now that the rain has come, I’ve had a wee single at 4s
Corkcelt
Std/kojos support of the Israeli Defence Force should come as no surprise, the Israeli actions fit right into his political fit, leave him to it guys a clown
Think I went the wrong way round the M25 last night and ended up in Delhi. It’s a monsoon out there.
Dinners sorted anyway.
Morning all
Got my ticket for wed in this morning, it states the cost as £0.00. Does this mean its on the season book. For the first game my bhoy who has the £50 ticket also got a ticket but not this time ?..
HH
blantyretim.
Back on line, phone wise.
AYRSHIRTIM
Don’t wanna say too much,but you brought the same bloody weather with you to the South-East on Monday…..
ernie lynch 10:48
Great idea.
Extra first aid required for the Mexicans though.
Has anyone got a different seat from first leg at Murrayfield?
coolmore mafia
10:43 on 2 August, 2014
Yes I thought that too
I had actually thought of laying Legia (I know…..). I hadn’t been on Betfair and would have assumed – on the basis the bookies generally had them at 13/8 – 7/4 I could lay them at around 3.
Checked the team on soccerway on way to Kelly’s and decided otherwise. Taking it one step further, had I been a cold heartless punter I would have laid Celtic with that lineup, but I never back against us.
Do you have the numbers as to how Deila’s selection affected the price??
Oldtim
call you later, good to hear that
Zbyszek will call you this evening.
Simon Cowell the “britains got talent” guy makes big finanical donations to the IDF killers.
Was off line all day yesterday, but now caught up.
Good article Stephen O’D, and my reading, there is issues between Management and Players ? Which would help explain part of Wednesday result, although Team picked and Structure played lies firmly with Ronny.
Those questioning tickets for Murrayfield, if on home cup scheme, your ticket will have come through as £0 but you will be charged £20, I am not on cup scheme, as I refuse to attend any SFA sponsored games, so went over and bought 4 last week.
Only my opinion, we have a team of players as being selected ( signed) predominately by John Park, and now reaping what we sow, desperately needing a change in that position, he Hun is destroying us from within.
On Commonwealth Games, you can all get behind Chris O’Hare tonight in the 1500m, his dad is an ex ( cause he’s moved) Bannockburn Bhoy, so Good Luck young mhan :-)
So COYBIG
VP My seat has been changed also,same area 2rows behind, still great viewing, hope for the result.
Awerabest PJ
gourockemeraldbhoy
10:52 on 2 August, 2014
Morning all
Got my ticket for wed in this morning, it states the cost as £0.00. Does this mean its on the season book. For the first game my bhoy who has the £50 ticket also got a ticket but not this time ?..
HH
——————-
Hi mate. I got mines and the two weans’ tickets in on Wednesday, all marked as £0.00, and we were all at the first game too. Both games included in the ST.
HH
BGFC
Cheers Cowiebhoy….
HH
Oh yes – with regards location, we are in different seats this time – nice to try a different view.
HH
BGFC
big georges fan club – hail, hail, wee oscar
11:17 on 2 August, 2014
gourockemeraldbhoy
My bhoys not on the hcts and as Cowiebhoy said above its £20, that’ll be why he hasn’t got one.
HH
BGFC
A few people I know who have season tickets have had their bank accounts raided for a score each for the match on Wednesday.
Voguepunter.
My first ticket was in South section 12 and for Wednesday it is section 9 in the lower tier. It is handy being on the home ticket scheme but I see this one as an additional £20 charge on my season ticket.
Big Nan
10.29
“resistance to occupation is a right under international law” ……… unless, of course, you’re Irish ….. !!!! ……. The hypocrisy is truly astounding……
Big George check your bank acc, 30th July I have paid for mine although it has 00cost on ticket.
Awerabest Pj
voguepunter
11:01 on 2 August, 2014
I have got same seat mate.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
ianinascoli
Cheers mate.
Legia home tickets
£20 out of my bank account dated 30/7/2014
Price on ticket £0.00
Squire- wish I had witnessed the odds movements but didn’t. Laying Legia at 3.0? Dodged a bullet!
Sometimes when the pressure of a game is too much, I bet small stakes against CFC to mitigate against the pain of losing.
Lennybhoy
Same seat….you must be in the clique :O)hh
My ticket shows £0.00 but £20 taken on 29th July as per official website notice.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Voguepunter ,
me and my kids tickets have been changed too though we’re still in the West Stand , lower section. This time i’ve read the ticket correctly as the last game i took us to the upper section and in to someone else’s seats. View was great but kept expecting a steward to turf us out so walked round to the East Stand at half time. Great stadium.
voguepunter
11:32 on 2 August, 2014
Your not surprised are you…:)!
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Been out of circulation for a few weeks .
It seems to me that Deila has this vision of how a modern team should play football.
High tempo ,pressing all over the park. A game suited to strapping young athletic vikings but not to the current Celtic first-team squad.They have other qualties.
Last seasons team was not too shabby . Weve plenty of reasonable players who are internationals.We had a strong settled defence ,an ok mid-field and an attack boosted by the signing of Griffith.I would say a team that was in line with our financial position . But it seems the new-broom approach has upset the apple-cart. Can we afford a big clear-out of players to bring in a bunch of runners? The only game Ive seen so far was the Rapid one and I was not impressed. Players seemed unsure how to play the new system . Stokes stood out as being the player who could take and hold the ball under pressure but he dosent get on the park against Legia . One other thing is post world-cup syndrone. WC players often take time to re-adjust in the new season so please go easy Efe. He was often a top player for us last season.
voguepunter
11:01 on
2 August, 2014
Has anyone got a different seat from first leg at Murrayfield?
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We have 3 in the same seats and one moved to row adjacent but 20 seats way.??