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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The VW sized hole in the team- a Polo or a Touareg?
I guess once tonev and Wakaso are integrated into things, I’d say we’re definately stronger than we were 12 months ago…
I think the 6-1 drubbing of Dundee Utd, will be a shoreline we see replicated throughout the season…
Unlike Lennons team last season that secured a lot of lackluster 1 nil and 2-1 wins.
Excluding the hearts & Motherwell games
MadMitch
“Any numpty can sell something of value.
The talent is replacing them and here we still have a VW sized hole in the team.”
True.
But, in mitigation, when you make 5 or 6 buys, and one turns out to be very good, should your benchmark become your best ever buy.
Most athletes do not improve their Personal Best year on year, after they have reached maturity. I think bettering your average would be good (and last year’s buys were very weak) but constant improvement is not something I could live up to. What about you??
Tony Watt isn’t lost.
He’s in Belgium.
Honest Mistake
Heart breaking news about Evie.
Ah wid Sell Virgil.. the Morra..
Fur.. A Loata Dough..
Starting at..
TWELVE M ILLION…
Yes..that wid be Ma Selling Price..
Twelve Million.. Nice Even Numbah.
He is Not a GREAT C.B…
He is a Capable wan.. but..he has a Long way tae go.. afore Ah wid Rate Him,as
INDISPENSIBLE..
Noo… Big Billy .. Wiz Indispensible… as an example of whit kinda Player ..
Who a Wid rate.. as..
Indispensible.. n Therefore..
NOT FUR SALE.. at ANY PRICE.
Yes, Virginia.. In the Kojo Lexicon o’ Woids tae Live By..
The woid….Indispensible..is Inter- Changeable .. wi.. Kojo’s term…
UN- Saleable…
Get whit Ah am Meaning.. ??
Guid..
So..
Like Ah said ,at the Beginnin of Ma Tale..
“Ah Wid Sell Big Virgil, the Morra.. the the Drap o’ a
Bundle o’… TWELVE MILLION POUND NOTES oan Peter’s Desk!
When Tonev and Wakaso are integrated into things we’ll have wings like an ole condor.
Livi Bhoy @15.39
See! That is what happens to me when I try to make a clever point. :-)
I am now reading the cookery books looking for a recipe for humble pie.
LiviBhoy but we didn’t have Watt last season either.
I also forgot to list The Cat on the incoming side of the balance sheet….
SFTB,
Agreed, however it is often said that people make their own luck.
Maybe PL is just very, very, very lucky and on that basis alone he is worth his competitive remuneration.
HH
2weeks ago, Lokeren in Belgium were supposedly preparing a 1 million bid for Amido…
Anybody herd anything further? Big man needs to go.
So were after a STRIKER from Sporting Gijon
I’m a little ‘sceptical’ about this
:-p
TD67
Agree about LFC and Balotelli.
Obviously too quite and serene in the locker room with Jaws gone.
Surely better options.
Kojo, I’d sell VVD for 10m, and I actually rate him…
Did we sign Mubarak Wagaso or is it still in negotiations stage?
I take it WGS will be looking at Mc Gregor?? Hope no!!
Not read back and nothing on newsnow CSC
Siesta time zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
ruggyman
“Unlike Lennons team last season that secured a lot of lackluster 1 nil and 2-1 wins.”
Let’s wait until Ronny D has actually had a run of league results over a grinding season, before we proclaim him as already superior to NFL.
Two short weeks ago RD was a disgrace, a numpty and heading for the door. Let’s wait and see where we are in two and three weeks time. I usually wait till mid-October to be sure since there have been too many false dawns (Mowbray & Barnes) such that I have learned to be patient and not rush to extremes.
Final word for tonight — Pudong time.
KC and the his possible sale.
If we are offered £4mill then it is hard nose time.
Love the guy, love his contributions to the team but I would take the money.
However better for him to go out on a high and have a couple of good years in the EPL than hang about with 20 minutes of the bench now and again.
RD has set up his team where we are a compact 3 in the MF.
And we need top quality wingers who can either play it conventionally and provide width or who can play the support striker by working the channels when the other wing is providing the width.
MF’s who can play it tight in a 3 man MF are mainstream — we even had a couple on the sidelines to help out over the past month.
Wingers who are flexible and know when to come inside and support — and even better can deliver when they arrive — are a much more valuable and rare commodity.
KC can play most of that role and he can also play more — the SN type wide lying playmaker — but that is not the way RD seems to want to play it.
I see DBBIA has beaten me to the punchline re MadMitch’s post.
I was too busy trying to figure out what size of hole a VW would make in our midfield.
That said, Maribor drove a coach and horses through our centre backs last night for their goal, and let’s face it, a coach plus all those horses has got to be bigger than a VW. Surely?
mike bhoyle
15:06 on 21 August, 2014
It’s a bad day when honest,constructive criticism is compared to “a hunnish trait”….
Dear oh dear oh dear.
You don’t post,just troll?
If you do lurk here regularly,you will see some guys want certain players sold or shot ,sometimes both ,after a bad game.Constructive comments are always welcome,and generate discussion.My point was IMO,CM,Izzy have earned a wee bit of support while going thru a bad patch.
GM-HH
MM what is “the SN type wide lying playmaker”
I’d take 4m for Kris – but I’d much rather he stayed.
Warning, warning Tony Watt lost in Space.
HH and taxi for Zachary Smith and I.
Depends on the size of the horses and the model of VW
http://designyoutrust.com/2012/08/einstein-the-worlds-smallest-horse/
https://volkswagen-vans.co.uk/range/crafter/
RWE
Did we sign Mubarak Wagaso or is it still in negotiations stage?
———————————————————————————————————————-
The last I read hew was going for a medical in Moscow. Then since he wasn’t going to be signed in time for Maribor the news on him just stopped. Does anyone have an update?
b2k
I predict a Nike Friday.
I predict that every Friday in the transfer window so don’t read anything into that!
LB
B2k and RWE
Have u’s ever done business through compare the meerkat . Com
Well Wakaso is hitching a lift with Oleg, and will reach our shores in about 5 weeks
The Brazilian centre forward who played last night for Maribor…..
The tenuous link between him and Frank Maloney is????
If CL qualification is secured it’d be hugely disappointing if big Virgil were to be sold.
Totally send out the wrong message. He has the potential to grow in stature/value much further this season.
He can be sold next summer or the year after to support the continued development of RD’s Celtic.
We’ve already sold Forster and have 2 years CL money and guaranteed Europa league this season minimum, so can we at least show some ambition and tell the prying eyes to keep away for now?
Tom Molach
Small beer considering we recently got one of those new Scandinavian Coaches, a Deila-bus if I recall. Should just have parked it in front of the goal I suppose.
B2k
Thanks
ruggyman
I am laughing but I don’t know why.
RWE……. See the Chris Bonington story re his 80th birthday adventure; amazing…
Regards & Hail Hail
TBM
He go with Oleg and travel United Kingdoms shortly
Sftb @ 2.02
I thought that was hilarious in a stunningly understated way. Def worth a prize…..
…….as was this……..
dontbrattbakkinanger
15:10 on 21 August, 2014
What do the Euro rankings show?
THey show that Bert Kassie is not the messiah, he’s a very naughty boy.
———
HH jamesgang
TheBarcaMole
I was embarrassed – for myself.
“Need to exercise more, need to exercise more, need to exercise more.”
Oh what’s that in the television…
Tomorrow for the exercise it is then…
:o)
ruggygman
16:09 on
21 August, 2014
He go with Oleg and travel United Kingdoms shortly
=====================
Who’s this, Wakaso?
Does him and his pal get a vote in the referendum?
Lets hope not!
HH
Has Ronny Deila been linked with any English clubs yet?