Trending
Celtic News Now
Celtic Quick News on News Now
Celtic Quick News
You are at:»»Partnerships, tactics and players

Partnerships, tactics and players

162
By on CQN BLOG & Comments

I remember an old debate about what was more important: players or tactics?  Current consensus is that tactics rule, but that’s because we live in an era of tactical innovation.  In the decades when tactics never deviated from 4-4-2, success in the game was about players.

There’s another element: partnerships.  Good players can be tactically right for a side, but still underachieve because their team-mates don’t move that fraction of a second before a defender reacts to the danger (or an opposing striker steals a yard).

You may be able to identify our strongest starting 11, but with so many changes to the line-up this season, you will struggle to name partnerships that have impressed you.  Until Saturday.  As Nicolas Kuhn cut inside and looked into the St Johnstone box, Kyogo did a 360° spin, creating space at the moment required to meet the subsequent cross, which our Japanese hero converted.

The opening moments of the second half saw a mirror image of this, resulting in the second goal.  Kyogo’s first touch took him wider, but Kuhn understood what would happen next, and made a run into the box.  The goal, against a packed defence, looked easy.

Over the years, you and I have seen what happens when players successfully feed off each other.  In possession, they look out for the other, the target player takes a cue to move when his partner is on the ball.  Confidence builds and soon everything works better.  With so many injuries and new faces to integrate, a lack of effective partnerships has been one of our major drags this season.

We learned on Saturday that Nicolas arrived at Celtic in January around 7kg (over a stone in old money) underweight; around 10% of his bodyweight.  He would have been weak, but there was no hiding.  Now fully fit, his trajectory is impressive.  Add him to the lengthy list of ‘written off too soon’ targets, season 2023-24.

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

162 Comments
  1. Pages:
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5

  1. Majestic Hartson on

    BORGO67 on 18TH MARCH 2024 4:39 PM

     

    Tactics or players? Who knows. What I do know is we are a better team when CCV plays than when he’s injured

     

     

    —

     

    Great shout. 👍

  3. BelmontBrian on

    Evening all .

     

     

    A wee trio of tunes from a brilliant Philadelphia band ( I think) I give you.

     

     

    The O’Jays

     

     

    The O’Jays – Back Stabbers

     

    https://youtu.be/UCY6flzgfA4?si=tRr1kEmAmwWMLeDq

     

     

    The O’Jays – Love Train

     

    https://youtu.be/_BlkTSKqE_8?si=VR8DmwEPAthDWWCW

     

     

    The O’Jays – I Love Music

     

    https://youtu.be/TuOnb4rAIgk?si=Oq295DDinR0D8AIY

     

     

    Nite y’all

     

     

    Stay classy.

     

     

    Tell your friends, they’ like it.

     

     

    It’s good to be a Tim.

     

     

    HH

     

     

    Brian.

  10. BelmontBrian on

    MAJESTIC HARTSON on 18TH MARCH 2024 9:46 PM

     

    BelmontBrian,

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Think they’re from Ohio – great tunes though 👍

     

    ————————————————————————–

     

     

    MH, you are indeed correct.

     

     

    A quick Google, New Philadelphia, Ohio.

     

     

    HH

  11. Majestic Hartson on

    BIGRAILROADBLUES on 18TH MARCH 2024 9:48 PM

     

    Majestic Hartson

     

     

    Who asked you anyway?

     

    —

     

     

    Ram it!

     

     

    😀

  12. Greenpinata on

    AIPPLE on 18TH MARCH 2024 9:31 PM

     

    Hmmmm.

     

     

    Police make an arrest after alleged tragedy chanting during FA Cup game.

     

     

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/68593745

     

    Manure vs Liverpool game

     

    ——–

     

     

    There is no doubt big brother is watching. Such chants are despicable, in that I agree.

     

     

    In Scotland we have a new Hate Crime law being introduced on the 1st of April.

     

     

    If someone is offended by our song book then the door will be eide open.

     

     

    HH.

  13. An Tearmann on

    Majestic Hartdon 9pm

     

     

    BigWavy, Neustadtbraw (I think), Deniabhoy, and more occasional poster Truth, hope, and freedom (or similar)

     

     

     

    MH i agree with you and hope the other posters you mention do come back

     

     

    Sorry to inform you Neustadt Braw passed away 🙏 in the last couple of years.His braw catchline sorely missed.Rip NeustadtBraw.

     

     

    Hail Hail

  23. setting free the bears for Res. 12 & Oscar Knox on

    Superbru Round 30 Interim Update

     

     

    With the cancellation of Sevco’s due defeat at Dens Park, we won’t have a final update for a few weeks.

     

     

    So this is the week 30 position with 5 of 6 matches played.

     

     

     

    Our top performers this week are:-

     

     

    1. Hot Smoked- 6 pts

     

    2= Jobo Baldie, Gary Postecoglou, Tirconnell & the class of 67 – 5.5 pts

     

     

    Eight punters managed to secure a mere two points through practised inadequacy. They were:-

     

     

    Aipple, BelmontBrian63, A thing of beauty, sammybhoy67, kelvinbhoy, Celtic Mac, TheLurkinTim & Paddy’s Maw.

     

     

    With one match to play, our Leaderboard looks like this:-

     

     

    1. One Malloy- 193.5 pts (we could see the 200 points barrier broken next time)

     

    2. Billy Bhoy- 188.5 pts

     

    3. BC Milan- 188 pts

     

     

    & our bottom 3 who hit the target as regularly as our back up goalkeeper are:-

     

     

    1. Friesdorfer- 93 pts

     

    2. Aipple- 106 pts

     

    3. Chalmersbhoy- 107 pts

     

     

    The International break means the next deadline is the 30th March at 3pm when Sevco have to face the high scoring Hibs attack but also get to play the high conceding Hibs defence with the aid of a high pen-awarding set of SFA referees.

     

     

    Anything could happen but I’m going for the short-odds double of Penalty to Rangers & Red Card to Hibs.

     

     

    Enjoy the break!

  24. Chairbhoy on

    Good Morning Celts – We’re On The Top Of The League Looking Down On The Sevcovians

     

     

    Interesting that after the latest Match Official scandal, that Crawford Allen head of refereeing is the fall guy.

     

     

    The last one that Brendan Rodgers was involved in was over five years ago…

     

     

    “Referees going full-time is a big one for me,” he said. “Where the money comes from I don’t know, but for me it is one of the areas I would look at, them being professional.

     

     

    “If you are refereeing a game at the weekend – and I think they do their best – then you come together on a Monday because it is your job. Then you can analyse and you can look at areas where you were really good in the game, areas where you could be better.

     

     

    “Then you are mentored in that situation and can exchange ideas with other referees and then that preparation will give you confidence. When you go into your next games that confidence makes you better. You are better prepared then to deal with pressure and pressurised situations.

     

     

    “They are not only officiating here. They are asked to go into European games with high stakes and high pressure. I respect some of the guys have good jobs, but I do think there is a need for that and there is also a need to protect players.

     

     

    “If you have refereed a game at the weekend and you have got to get to your work on a Monday and focus on your job ‘til 5pm or 3pm or whenever it is, then your full concentration isn’t on the (refereeing) job.

     

     

    “These guys are going into high pressure situations and asked to deal with that type of pressure. If you are prepared and working hard at your game then the more you put into it then it gives you confidence. It doesn’t guarantee anything, but you should succeed at a better level.”

     

     

    Rodgers also asked for clarity about the disciplinary process that prevented SFA compliance officer Clare Whyte from issuing a notice of complaint against Rangers striker Alfredo Morelos after a league game against Celtic at Ibrox last month despite three separate incidents being flagged up.*

     

     

    “You can be in a game and watching it, but when you go back and analyse it, it’s never as bad, or as good, as you think at the time,” he said.

     

     

    “Sometimes these referees are in the game and make their report, but when they come away after a couple of days and analyse it, things may look different. But under the current structure here, they can’t change it. It’s about looking at the whole process really.

     

     

    “I just think there’s some really poor decisions. It’s been consistent. It’s maybe highlighted more now a bit, but it’s about trying to ensure the game doesn’t become reckless.

     

     

    “I’ve been saying it since I came here, when Kieran Tierney suffered a bad tackle (in a game against Motherwell in 2017). The safety of players is the main thing.

     

     

    “We all make mistakes, referees, managers, players, every one of us. You have to be able to make mistakes but it’s about not making as many of them. It’s important to have a structure that supports referees.

     

     

    “It’s about getting the right decisions for the greater good of the game, other than just protecting referees. It’s a very difficult job, we all recognise that, but it’s about getting consistency. They just need a bit of help, but it’s also about how they can help themselves. Having that professional attitude on a day to day basis would help them improve.”

     

     

    https://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/17366804.celtic-manager-brendan-rodgers-tells-referee-summit-officials-turn-full-time-cut-mistakes/

     

     

    Of course the follow on summit did little officially, although unofficially Andrew Dallas was the fall guy on that occasion- demoted from the elite list and gave a GIRUY by giving R2ngers four penalties in one game.

     

     

    Of course, Andrew Dallas is now Scotland’s top VAR official with a full-time job at the SFA.

     

     

    We are in a very interesting era, an era when Refereeing decisions can cost Clubs access to competitions that enables them to earn £60 mn +.

     

     

    Stupid sectarian fun & games Scottish Football stylee, might blow up in the SFA’s face as they are taken to court for eye-watering sums.

     

     

    Hopefully Celtic are briefing their Brief’s…

     

     

    * Of course John Beaton the Referee

     

     

    Hail Hail

  25. David66 on

    Good morning all from a rain soaked 6 degree Garngad.

     

     

    Regarding the audio etc of Hearts game, if we are indeed paying for VAR then we should expect it to work, to then be told its not working properly or we have lost something to do with it, then we are paying for something that is not fit for purpose. RETURN IT Celtic.

     

     

    I hope we go for the jugular here.

     

     

    Have a nice day.

     

     

    D. :)

  26. Big Jimmy on

    BELMONTBRIAN on 18TH MARCH 2024 9:36 PM

     

    …………………

     

     

    Another FAB Song was/is ” MISS GRACE” by THE TYMES in 1974.

     

     

    This song has ONE of the BEST ” INTRO’S” ever imho.

     

    I was 18…going on 19 when this Song came out and I loved it straight away

     

     

    Sorry but I can’t do any LInks.

     

     

    HH Mate.

  30. Bhoyjoebelfast on

    Big Jimmy

     

    Re The Tymes.

     

    ‘so much in love’ and a cover of the Johnny Mathis hit ‘Wonderful’ Wonderful’.Remember them from early ’60s.

     

    Hope you and all CQN Celts have a good day.

  40. Majestic Hartson on

    “There may be no team as fun to watch right now, no one faster, nor more insistent; no stadium in which what happens on the pitch feels so linked to what happens in the stands, noisy and relentless.”

     

     

    https://www.theguardian.com/football/2024/mar/18/ernesto-valverde-athletic-club-2024-la-liga

     

     

    A decent article about Athletico Bilbao 👍

     

     

    Hopefully we can provide similar support to the team for the rest of the season – and the team have to play their part too.

  41. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Good morning CQN.

     

     

    The latest CQN report “£15m Mikey” is fanciful.

     

     

    I get the comparison with Oliver Burke but times have changed.

     

     

    I can see us getting £9m for him. But no more.

  1. Pages:
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5