Last night’s performance was a vast improvement on the horrible displays against Legia and gave us our second insight (after United) into how Ronny Deila is changing the way Celtic play football.
Key to the performance was the movement of his two Norwegians, Stefan Johansen and Jo Inge Berget, Callum McGregor and Beram Kayal. Johansen, who closed down space high up the field, pressurising defenders, played his best game for Celtic. Less said about his clearance of a Virgil van Dijk header the better.
Watching Kayal was like meeting an old friend again. The player, who in 2011 kept Victor Wanyama out of the team, has been a shadow of his former self since returning from injury two years ago. He is another player who enjoys closing space.
I’m an acknowledged cynic when it comes to even remotely hyped young players breaking through the ranks, but Callum McGregor has now delivered repeatedly. There is a long hard season ahead of him, and let’s remember, form fluctuates, but he has looked like one of the best players in the team so far. I doubt any Celtic player has opened the scoring in three consecutive European away games.
The first 35 minutes saw Maribor sit deep, which allowed Celtic to build patiently. Movement was good during this period, players in possession always had options, so we were able to switch play, force opponents to chase the ball, and penetrate with purpose.
Play was bound to change when Maribor started to close down higher up field, but Celtic reacted by playing low-percentage balls forward, which invariably resulted in possession being lost. I would like to see us look for less-ambitious passes more often.
There were several concerns, not least of all at the back. A defence which was impregnable for much of last season is now being cut open with regularity. I don’t subscribe to the view that players suddenly lose instinct and awareness over the summer, so it’s likely that a change in the midfield shape is exposing frailties in defence.
Maribor players found themselves clean through on a couple of occasions last night, echoing what happened in Warsaw and at Murrayfield. Ronny needs to find a fix.
Despite clearly being the better team, there is still a big job ahead for Celtic next week, better teams don’t always win, but a disciplined performance, no red cards, no mistakes at the back, should see us through.
Take no chances at Inverness on Saturday, make sure players are rested and fit.
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Good Morning Timland.
On a quick read back I see the NEG fella is not for coming
out to play any more,shame really,if yer lurking I’m missing
you already.
hurrybackneganonyaflouncerCSC.
Jobo
A stunningly bright but nippy cold morning in dunblane. A day fit to honour a fair maiden like your young bride.
Jobo, it feels to me like we’re about 2-3 weeks further into autumn than we should be.
Could you do a ‘prescient weather observation’ and tell us all if a cold winter awaits?
Need to know for Ronny. Just think, when a Norwegian tells you at the end of a glorious summer that it can be wet, windy and dreich at lennoxtown….! and we wonder why wee izzie looks out of sorts at times!!
HH jamesgang
Petec,
Hadn’t heard that, interesting because I think Griffiths is one of the best finishers I’ve ever seen and he’s our most mobile striker just now. Hope he steps up.
Wouldn’t mind seeing a wee skinhead on the lad too, for aerodynamics of course
.
So Ronny has been here what 2 months and he has Already seen Lennoxtown as a Problem.. I have been saying this for Years.. Wait till he see it Dec/Jan/Feb.. Not just the Conditions at Lennoxtown the Drive home for a Professional athlete cannot be good for legs..
Get Barrowfield Back..
Summa
phoneless in G3… numpty…
quick look back before work…
We want a striker and a Lubo II
Peter wants his bonus.
Dermot wants his dividend.
Then along comes Ronny and says, ‘hawd yar reindeer, it’s a new roof we need.’
ImpasseCSC
(With apologies for crass generalisation and racial stereotyping.)
Will the GB respond with a Ronny needs a Roof tifo on Tuesday?
Will House n Eck convene a special summit to discuss how Ronny’s Roof Request has caused theft of lead from Presbyterian churches across Scotland for almost 10 years now.
Will an RRR Act follow (follow)?
Reads like a plot from a Daz advert.
HH jamesgang
jamesgang –
As you (should) know I don’t do ‘prescient weather observations’ but simply REPORT the current local conditions. I suggest you have a word with Judith as she knows much more about the ole cold and indeed warm fronts.
Off to work….
Where did all these dummies on the floor come from?
Chill out . It’s a blog . We can agree to disagree . My take on last nights blog is that many people don’t do irony. If you dish it out get ready for some back. Neganon I rarely, if ever, see the World the way you do, must be in the dumbed down numpties mob, but keep on posting mate. Plenty of company for you on here, tell it as you see it.
Not scrolled back yet but by all accounts Neganon is seriously thinking of giving up on the blog. I for one would miss his contributions and insightful posts.
Don’t give up, it’s guys like you that make our club so special.
Blantyretim.
What day is the euro game 22-23.Trying to find a hotel in the George square area.
Dear neganon
This blog is my blog
This blog is your blog
With chat and bluster
The best we can muster
From the Bhoys down under
To the weather in Free East Kilbride
This blog was made for you and me!
NotRabbieBurnsCSC
HH jamesgang
oldtim67
08:09 on 22 August, 2014
Blantyretim.
What day is the euro game 22-23.Trying to find a hotel in the George square area.
Tues 26th is next game
Hail Hail
.
Well that’s Sammi stuffed He needs the Wind for his Flowing Locks.. If he Trained indoors he would have a Straight Bob..
He wouldn’t be as Affective..
Samson and Delia..
Summa
My wee laddie knows the Fifa game inside out and his knowledge of players is pretty amazing.
He says that Wakaso can play LW, LB or CM, he also says, that he is very powerful, and has very good pace.
Ronny, if what the wee guy is saying, is correct, wants flexible players in initially.
As PJBhoy was saying, the Times are changing very quickly now.
I reckon Ronny was earmarked for the job well before he was announced, Stefan certainly gives the impression it was arranged earlier, despite all the ones in the know, saying this and that.
One thing I know about Neil Lennon, he is the Ultimate Team player, he wants Celtic to go from Strength to Strength. I reckon we will.
There will not be a BRAVER Celtic Manager than Neil.
What an incredible job Neil has done for Celtic.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-g1ePpGBYM
Cowiebhoy.
I thought it was 26th had a look at a couple of hotels already and they’re fully booked.
Thanks for your help.
sheik Yerbouti- Just want to tell you I have put my back out laughing at that Charlie Nic compilation, it’s maybe not everyone’s idea of humour but it’s certainly mine.
I’m sure some of our creative Bhoys could do “Gordon Dalziel- At this moment in time”. Would only need 1 show to get enough material
IbuprofenCSC
I hope neganon buys me that beer before be hangs up his tutu.
If you’re lurking neg, a pass out has been been rubber stamped by mrs acgr for me for next wednesday.
Off to sort oot my sclaff bats for a hot day on the sclaffbaw track with mr TET and his boy.
Cooking hot here in fuente alamo.
HH
So Ronny wants a bigger indoor training facility – tell Peter Lawwell that I’ve got a big tent I can loan him till the end of the season…
Ronny bringing up the almost literal corner cutting of the previous era with the request to build a full size pitch. Tommy Burns was raging he never got that. Of course those saying we can’t afford a striker will be fizzing at the request for capital investment.
I completely agree we should have a full size pitch or two but the fact we can afford it just shows up the people not willing to question our recruitment, maximum transfer fees, or wage ceiling.
It is patently clap trap to suggest Celtic are skintight or should avoid spending more than 2 or 3 million on a transfer.
Just seen PL in the camping dept at Decathlon.
Mibbee the signing from a French source isn’t to be Kalou, it’s a grande tente instead!
HH jamesgang
Briefest of visits before Golf. Sounds like the blog was scary last night, don’t think I’ll scroll back. Has NegAnon flounced or is he just threatening to flounce. I have my disagreements with him but he is an integral part of the blog. If you are lurking or scroll back, NegAnon from a sometimes foe/sometimes friend, stay and fight your corner. HH.
kdc
07:51 on 22 August, 2014
Petec,
Hadn’t heard that, interesting because I think Griffiths is one of the best finishers I’ve ever seen and he’s our most mobile striker just now. Hope he steps up.
Wouldn’t mind seeing a wee skinhead on the lad too, for aerodynamics of course
____________________________________________________________________
I think Ronny is testing all the players, he is testing them if they want to Rock and Roll with his Vision, I don’t doubt that they ALL want to, unfortunately, it is probably too late for a good few of them.
I actually think Ronny wasn’t very bothered about getting into Europe this season, he spoke Strongly about definitely making it through the Qualifiers next season.
When he is saying in a couple of months the fans will be excited, this guy, he really does have it.
I am forever wrong and I interpret many things wrongly but when Scottie Broon came out and said that Ronny Deila was ‘outrageously good’ I thought he is having a Dig at someone or taking the piss, especially when the Legia game at Murrayfield was coming up.
I think Ronny is very strong.
oldtim
next Tuesday 26th…
see cowiebhoy put you right…
What academic qualifications are required to post
on cqn?
Should we have separate threads, one for the high-brow,and one
for the uneducated???
Maybe we could split cqn on economic status,or even religious
beliefs.
allinclusivemaybenotCSC.
Corkcelt
It really wasn’t (scary).
If it was a ‘filum’ I’d gave it as a 12A. Not a 15 – not enough sex and violence tho claudia schiffer made a memorable appearance about midnight.
Deffo not an 18!
HH jamesgang
How anybody could take this place seriously is beyond me. A bunch of Middle Aged fellas with silly monikers typing out all sorts of guff. No policy will ever change as a result of it and probably no mind will either too.
It’s just a laugh at the end of a day as Father Dougal would say.
Flouncing has to be the most embarrassing of activities on here.
If you’re getting overly frustrated or your tribe aren’t there to back you up take the next day or two out and remind yourself of the purpose of the place in the big scheme of things in life.
Anyway Nike Friday ?
corkcelt
08:32 on 22 August, 2014
Briefest of visits before Golf. Sounds like the blog was scary last night, don’t think I’ll scroll back. Has NegAnon flounced or is he just threatening to flounce. I have my disagreements with him but he is an integral part of the blog. If you are lurking or scroll back, NegAnon from a sometimes foe/sometimes friend, stay and fight your corner. HH.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I’ve not even read the comment by Neganon, I knew when PJ was commenting that it was serious.
A link to Negs comment would be good.
Nye Bevans’ rebel soldier
08:38 on 22 August, 2014
What academic qualifications are required to post
on cqn?
Should we have separate threads, one for the high-brow,and one
for the uneducated???
Maybe we could split cqn on economic status,or even religious
beliefs.
allinclusivemaybenotCSC.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
That would never work but, for what it is worth, put me in with the most despicable and Worthless CQNers, Every Time.
Match of the Day celebrating it’s 50th Birthday and has been discussed most of the morning on BBC1, and Barry Davies just being interviewed now.
One thing that sticks with me regards Mr Davies, is when I listened to an English, (as in BBC England as opposed to Rob Maclean on BBC Scotland) commentary from Seville, he stated that he had been covering football matches all over the world for almost 40 years, and he swore he had never seen a support such as that we had in the stadium that night.
Always held him in high regard since.
barrydaviescsc
petec….God bless, you’ll not be alone my fhriend,
Off oot tae enjoy the day, be nice!!!
Good Morning.
I read this morning that Paul Gascoigne once again does not have his troubles to seek, and yet again those troubles are aired publicly with very little reporting of what help, if any, Gascoigne is receiving.
This is a football blog and Paul Gascoigne was a professional footballer.
However, one of the best — if not the best — feature of this blog has always been its compassion and its intelligence in seeing past the agenda of sensationalism of the red tops.
On a morning when there is discussion on whether the blog and its contributors have changed over the years ( and by means of sheer evolution that is in many respects inevitable ) I want to repost a link to something I wrote concerning Gascoigne just about a year and a half ago.
It is about alcoholism, my experience of it, how I believe it should be looked at, and how I was absolutely inspired by a post on this blog which was made a few years ago by someone who has since become a good friend.
It is football related, but it is not football related — to be honest it is far more important than football in many ways.
It is the lesson I received from the BIG BOSS MAN — many many years ago now.
http://wp.me/p1G95H-e2
Lastly, I have not read back but if this blog is to lose a poster such as Neganon – or anyone else who takes a critical view of the PLC board — then we are all the losers for that and are much worse off.
In any business, club, organisation there will always be — should always be — room for those who have an alternative view, a critical view, a view that is different to and questions the corporate stance.
Such criticism will not always be correct, will not always be agreed with, but it is valid and perhaps essential to keep any group of people focused on having to consider what is best.
The blog is at its best when there is a whole range of opinion, and the day we have no room for someone else’s opinion is the day we have lost our soul.
Som mes que un club
08:45 on 22 August, 2014
We are generally better thought of south of the border than we are up here.
With the huns it’s probably the other way around.
petec
Page 16 @ 22.58
HH
I love the statement attributed to Ronny that VVD should be patient and that a big club – and that doesn’t include Newcastle United – will eventually come in for him.
His comment just works on so many levels.
I think Ronny is a master of the ole psychology….
Som mes que un club
I remember an English commentator doing the Partizan Belgrade game the night Jackie scored four, saying he’d never experienced such an atmosphere. Think it may have been John Motson. Coleman the best for me but Wolstenholme, Davies, Moore and Motson excellent too.
Interesting comments from Ronny about the training facilities.
I am impressed that he doesn;t trot out the usual tripe from managers ‘Geez money to buy players’
It would appear that his analysis of all things Celtic is now complete. He knows what he has, what he needs and what and who needs improved.
This guy is as ruthless as he is meticulous. I like him.
He now seems to be more relaxed and I think at ease speaking to the media. The good results help but the Celtic job is probably one of the most high pressure jobs in European football. You have to win every game and you have to score rakes of goals and play great football at the same time.
Ronny is not afraid to make big calls. I dubt he will not have a blip but it is his team now. We can se a change in style and personnel. I am delighted he has looked into more than just bringing new players in. Improving the day to day training and squeezing that extra 5%-10% was something I mentioned the other day. That can vital to win personal battles and gain an advantage. When we look at European football especially against the big guns I have always said that Celtic need every player playing out of their skin and hope the other team have an off day just to have a fighting chance. Ronny looks to increase those odds by improving our training facilities. That is smart thinking.
Just a note on Big Fecks comments. 2 lines actually indicate what he is in the paper for. He is promoting a book about the success Ferguson had at Aberdeen. The whole article is about poor Sevco struggling to catch Celtic. No wonder other teams dispise the Glasgow clubs with media like ours. Feck should have refused to discuss that and speak about the sheep but didn’t. He knows that talking about the team from Ibrox keeps him in the media.
I predict a cracking game tomorrow and plenty goals. I am going for a 4-1 victory for the Hoops and another display to send the fans home happy.
LB
Summa of Sammi….
07:52 on 22 August, 2014
.
So Ronny has been here what 2 months and he has Already seen Lennoxtown as a Problem.. I have been saying this for Years.. Wait till he see it Dec/Jan/Feb.. Not just the Conditions at Lennoxtown the Drive home for a Professional athlete cannot be good for legs..
Get Barrowfield Back..
Summa
_________________________________________
The wee guy was playing against the Celtic u14s 2 weeks ago at BARROWFIELD.
It was an amazing game because of the almost perfect Grass pitch, scunnered he will be going back to the Bobblefest Argyll park crap when the Season starts.
I loved it when the Barrowfield caretaker was shouting at everyone to get off the pitch, after the game was complete, He was scathing about those high heels.
Brilliant.
Scotland needs to get pitches that are worth playing on, all around the Country.