Celtic responded to consecutive league defeats last month in decisive fashion, with authoritative wins against Livingston, Dundee, Newco, St Mirren and Buckie Thistle. The record books will show another win on Saturday against Ross County, but the champions lacked even modest authority.
After their capitulation at home to Partick Thistle in the Scottish Cup a week earlier, I assumed Ross County had “chucked it” and would bring minimum resistance to Celtic Park. There’s a reason I don’t bet. Refreshingly, County pressed Celtic throughout and were denied a point by the width of the crossbar and an added time save by Joe Hart.
After taking the lead in the opening minute through a fortuitous Alistair Johnston deflection, the champions should have finished the game off in some style, but by halftime it was clear a spark was missing. By then, County keeper George Wickens had a few of us reading his bio (on loan from Fulham). He had not only saved a Luis Palma penalty, he did so twice, after an encroaching defender cleared the first rebound before Luis could latch onto it.
Palma and Alexandro Bernabei were involved in the move which led to the goal, but as the opening half closed, both looked short of confidence; Alexandro has surely been pondering his place at the club in recent weeks, Palma with penalties on his mind.
The midfield pairing of Matt O’Riley and Paulo Bernardo, which has been so important in Celtic’s winning run, failed to cope with the game. Maybe Matt’s week, full of distraction, didn’t help, maybe the Celtic Park pitch, which has was in its worst condition in years, interrupted their quick passing game. It was certainly a day for an industrial, as opposed to cultural, midfield.
Palma and Liel Abada were replaced during the second half by Nicolas Kuhn and Mikey Johnston. I worried for the debutant, it is always easier to introduce players to a team that is playing well, instead of hoping a new face will turn the tide. As it was, the changes made little difference.
As we left the ground it struck me how physically light we were. There was not a bruiser in any midfield or forward position. In defence, Cameron Carter-Vickers has width, but Alexandro Bernabei is almost adolescent-looking. On a wintery pitch, these things are noticeable.
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Test
Some on here would rather have £100 million plus in the bank rather than £75 million, with a new,LB,MF and a striker, parsimonious types,which was taught at chapel back in the day,I was there
CONEYBHOY@7.57
Enjoyable read.
BRRB@7.27
good evening to you.
I always like reading James Forrest’s thoughts on here.
Passion is not always uniformly identical across the board.
HH.
Time for home. I’ll roll in like a bag of laundry and get walloped by the small doll. Ain’t love grand. 😁
It’s maybe been posted .
OWEN BECK !! Back on loan to Dundee 🤔
Bada,
Same question.Who drops out of our midfield?.Does the striker replace Kyogo?Does this LB replace Greg Taylor?.We have tried that RD many times.
All right mouthing off,nobody thinks about the outcome.
£ 100 million now.?Only club or business in the world with no outgoings.Only incoming cash.
Genius that Peter Law well.
We still have a post at 7.24pm that Follow Follow would disown.
BOONDOCK SAINT
Great post earlier 👏👏
Thank goodness. James is back.
Gets madder by the minute on here.James Forrest ,sometimes terrific,sometimes shit blogger,now trying to blame Celtic for Owen Beck going back on loan to Dundee !!!!!!!!!!!!,being lauded for his article.
Couple of things wrong with it,
Owen Beck is a Liverpool player,and they can loan him out to whoever they like.The fact Dundee was the only club he could have gone back to,made no difference to Mr Forrest.We feked up and embarrassed ourselves.
” We should have made,Phone Calls” .What,to tell the club,who had already said,Not For Sale now,off.
Apart from anything else,Liverpool will want the boy playing every week.Klopp leaving,new manager will want to see all his talent.
But its Celtics fault.FFS.Gie me a break.
This is the last time I post on here.
Bitches
Lawwell pet McGowan reporting the plan is loan deals from England for a forward and left back. Prepare to be underwhelmed.
After 2 years of Ange being in charge we’re back to last minute Lawwell loans. I’d rather we didn’t bother. A couple of Championship or League 1 rejects aren’t going to improve our prospects. Will probably undermine them. Better to keep faith with what we have.
The stench of panic is stinking the place out and this won’t placate anyone anyway. Just leave it Pedro, cheers. 👍
Dearie me.
Seriously. You believe peter lawell dictates Celtic plc policy.
The grifter and its acolytes are that anonymous,multimonikered and plentiful they now constitute the collective and soiled “we”,on cqn.
I went to the fridge there.
A microwave pizza or one of those rustler burgers.
The stench of panic.
Just read back and see Mr Forrest had a go at my post earlier,saying it was daft.Unlike on his Blog where likes to itemize and slughter,the likes of Keevan’s,etc,he never replied to the questions asked,which seem very valid to me,we spend big money on these players,we should be bringing in to take the place of our own best players,midfield and striker.Miovski might sit on the bench,unlike James favourite,Gio,,maybe.Theres the problem,no one will address.How do keep them all happy.
Spend money by all means,but a Keeper,even £ 15 million,seems a lot more sensible.
All this angst over a poor performance.Fekin madness.
PLB,
Now your seeing sense.Couple of decent loans is just what we need.I always said PL was clever.
Or did I misconstrue?.
Roll on Pittodrie,Hibees.6 points will do nicely Bhoys.
Just home from work and reading back. Seems I missed a few cracking posts.
Lawwell pet McGowan reporting the plan is loan deals from England for a forward and left back. Prepare to be underwhelmed.
After 2 years of Ange being in charge we’re back to last minute Lawwell loans.
—
I said this last week. The complete lack of any news about our targets this month indicated strongly to me that we were not making enquiries/bids to Clubs and that we were waiting to see what loan deals opened up as the window closed.
Had we been making formal enquiries about players, it would have been leaked – just like Atletico’s bid for Matta and our bid for Kuhn.
All the doubters and naysayers,don’t think your getting off with your guff.I’m making a list,and like Santa,checking it twice,and the day we are lifting the League Trophy,your cards will be marked,and names,shamed.
Amnesty will be granted to those posting pics,resplendent in T- Shirts,featuring,the Lawwel father and son,with the words”Fek me,they were right”.
There ye are.
Breaking news on CQN,like 90% of the teams,Celtic will wait till the madness of the January window has abated,and will look at what’s available.Where did that CCV appear from??????????
Ourselves a loan again
Naturally
BR – Mark, who have you identified for me this window ?
Mark Lawwell – Well, Brendan. I was just going to wait and see who is available on the last day of the window…
BOONDOCK
Heck of a post. A fine wee read over a post Monday workday Laphroaig. Thank you. Proper good stuff.
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418
I’d do time for you. Happy to meet to discuss further. I’m your huckleberry.
——————
James Wood For The Trees
You get more hits today?
——————–
I’d like a few more in. Not arguing with anyone on that. January is a tough month though as regularly stated on here and elsewhere. Part of me is glad no plethora of signings as that screams desperation. Thems are doing it.
I didn’t want Brendan Rodgers back, wish we maybe spent a little more, football aint the same this year etc. Still think this summer may be a good one for us. That’s my view.
I don’t scream at others and tell them they are dumb for having different views.
CQN is 20 years old this year. Toddlers now welcome.
Still a step ahead, a balance sheet ahead and most importantly points ahead. That and “one club” for the lurkers.
They were never going to be allowed to die.
Thats business.
Thats the SFA.
And that is sadly, the route our board chose, albeit with a few wee checks and balances put in place.
We are the club, not any board or CEO or chair and will always be.
Just dug out an old Not The View (my dad would buy and send when I moved here) and smiled at seeing AuldHeid’s name.
Loovul lover needs help with her work laptop. 3 days in a row if being in the good books if I help. That’s officially a streak.
“Dundee swoop while Celtic dither”
🤦
Only 23 hours of this foolishness to go.
Aipple at 12:18 am – cheers.
Always nice to sign off having read either some facts or sense or perspective or humour.
You provided all four.
Night all
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL
It’s a funny old world.
Good night all.
BRRB
“I’m having a dry February”
An old Para Handy trick as it’s the shortest month of the year.
BUT as Dougie the mate pointed out ” it’s the worse time of the year. The New Years no right finished and the Glesga Fair is right upon us”
You’ve been warned :-)))
Is there anyone out there???
Good morning all from a -1 degree Garngad, icy, scrapey stuff.
Reading back there deary me can other posters not accept another posters opinion.
For goodness sake it’s like school kids.
Oh who will play in that position or this, oh Liewell doesn’t do this or that.
Get a grip guys it’s only opinions.
For instance I have an agenda against the Liewells they are Liars and incompetents in my opinion, but I know a lot of people.e disagree with me, great it’s called healthy debate.
But the arrogance and pettiness coming through on some posts who are unwilling to accept other posters opinions is crazy.
Now play nice or sit in the corner.
Oh and remember we do all want the same thing a Celtic that wins trophy and in style.
HH
D. :)
Late night post from me.
I also was unimpressed with Saturdays performance but I’m not sure our problem is that big.
We have the players to raise their game at Pittodrie and I think they will; we are making this harder than it should be but have enough in the tank to win this league.
.
5.23 & 7.24
Unrelated i think not..The hillbillys at grifter central are here with their racism.
Peter Lidl and son,currently trawling through Championship Squads, looking for a LB and a striker who aren’t getting a game…….embarrassing
Got my transfer window dates wrong last night.
Thought today was the day. Whoops.
More foolishness to follow tomorrow.
🤯🤯🤯🤯