Let’s get the negatives out of the way. Lou Macari is one of the greatest human beings to pull on a football jersey, but for a while he carried a heavy load. He was left on the end of a wall for a free kick in Argentina 1978. Cubillas struck, ex-Celt Luigi winced, and future-Celt Alan Rough didn’t get across his goal. Lou was blamed, relentlessly.
Martin O’Neill’s halftime analysis of the Feyenoord opening goal was correct. It was the Macari incident all over again. The wall was wrongly setup, with Kyogo on the end that the kicker was bound to aim for. Kyogo turned his back. Go watch some primary school football and you will hear the chorus “Don’t turn your back” when inevitably a kid does likewise. Honestly, Kyogo!
The kick was fully 30 yards. Even without a wall it should have taken an exceptional effort to beat Joe Hart. It was not an exceptional effort. The ball bounced before reaching the goal, which made it difficult for Joe to read, but he was slow to get across.
Gustaf Lagerbielke put his arm across an attacker inside the box. The attacker fell ‘wounded by a sniper style’, resulting in a second yellow for Gus and a penalty, saved by Hart. Sure, it was harsh, but it was an unnecessary risk. Learn from it, Gus.
There is plenty to admire in Odin Holm, a 20-year-old with talent and without fear of consequence. Consequences of his actions finished Celtic last night as a correct straight red reduced us to nine men.
With the game still there to be won, I was frustrated at the number of misplaced passes in the middle of the park. Misplaced passes should happen in the final third, when you take risks to create a goalscoring opportunity. If they regularly happen during the transition phase, they drain momentum. We could have been more patient in the build-up.
Short of that, across the spectrum of Champions League defeats, this one was different. There is a clear feeling that points were left on the table. Celtic were a match for Feyenoord for 46 minutes.
Alongside Maik Nawrocki at Kilmarnock, then partnering Liam Scales at Ibrox, Lagerbielke looked like the junior partner. This was not the case last night. Until his dismissal, he was comfortable at this level, perhaps our best defender. Liam Scales again grew in stature. It is difficult to imagine he is the same player who struggled against St Johnstone last month.
Reo Hatate’s return to the starting line-up had a lot to do with how comfortable Celtic were on the ball in the opening period. He took possession, always with at least one defender, often with two and on occasion, with three, in close proximity. This allowed space to open for Celtic to build out of defence and was crucial to our play.
The same player made the wrong decision at Celtic’s best chance. Kyogo had space and was flying towards goal on his right, when Reo hit a shot against the defender in front of him. Our other great chance saw Daizen Maeda withstand a last-defender-assault to force a good save from the keeper. A Feyenoord striker would have collapsed instead, and perhaps Celtic would have had a man advantage.
Opportunities to pick up points in this group will be rare, so that was definitely one we let slip. Still, I expect Celtic to win the return game on Match Day 6.
206 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- »
The old school still going on about the Lisbon Lions 56 years later and the no school going on about marquee signings at 12m. Give yourselves a shake bhoys,
Inexperienced young guys make mistakes, the team played well last night and plan Brendan has worked.
KLV
we got lucky in the second half , saving a pen and 2 disallowed by VAR would have put a different reflection on last nights performance and scoreline.
RC great observation mate,
If my granny had baws……….
Flip it, Reo makes the right pass and Kyogo doesn’t move? What happens.
KLV
SFTB,
was delighted with win at Ibrox, however we faced a very poor team. For the record the league is not done yet as we are a poor imitation of last season.
We have regressed and I highlighted failure of recruitment specifically an inexperienced Head of Recruitment. Last night proved the case.
Also highlighted the lack of ambition and the nepotism at play in management appointments. Many Celtic fans agree.
i have purchased CL tickets for my sons but will not attend they can give mine to their friends. Celtic fans are being cheated by the Board—- it is shocking the state of that team last night. Callum McGregor is carrying that team on his back — hence his sub par performance.
If you see that as progress , good luck to you.
We were unlucky that the penalty was given resulting in our player being sent off.
There will be plenty of that type of challenge which won’t be called a foul.
lucky cody
“….with close to £100 million in the bank…”
Year end cash net – £72.3 million
I’m guessing Arithmetic is not one of you strongpoints……
did we know Tillio would be out until Oct when we signed him.
There’s nothing lucky about the offside var decisions, they were correct!
“BIG WAVY on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 3:40 PM
HOT SMOKED on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 3:27 PM
Let’s be hearing from you. Do you have an opinion ?”
Only when I have sufficient information to make that opinion worthwhile.
Otherwise, I see them as pretty pointless.
Celtic Mac,
70 mil does incl sales , Cl revenue , ST etc post financial year close. Hence circa 100 mil at a conservative estimate.
Inexperienced young guys make mistakes, the team played well last night and plan Brendan has worked.
easily pleased.
CELTIC MAC on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 4:14 PM
Don`t be so picky. What`s 27.7 million to a team in Scotland?
Blakey
“That well used truism on every Celtic blog about keeping ourselves just ahead of Sevco has become evident again. It seems odd to me that the very club we dominate in almost every department, came within a Frankfurt centre half’s knee cap of winning a trophy in the very arena we have an inferiority complex in.”
———————————
Are we just ahead of Sevco?
Since they reappeared in the league we have won 10 out of 11 leagues, 6 out of 11 SC’s and 7 out of 11 LC’s. We have won 6 of our 8 historic trebles. Meanwhile the team that is staying just behind us has won…. 1 League title and one Scottish Cup final.
You sure we are just ahead. I cannot remember ever being so far ahead.
Yes, Sevco nearly won a Europa final. That was a tremendous inexplicable achievement but, ultimately a failure. There is not one Sevco fan, deluded enough (and that’s a large group), who would swop their achievement for ours. Not one.
Yes, every close season and early season, until the points gap produces their usual Seasonal Depression Disorder, they might think this is the year they come back and overtake us but they haven’t. After Covid, they were convinced the Future Belonged to Them and our fans were full of “it’s gonna take a 2 or 3 year rebuild before we start winning again. Neither of these things happened.
They could have but they didn’t.
They could have been just behind us but they aren’t.
My reality is not your truism.
Turd polishing a go-go this afternoon. Blinding….
Peter must have sent up the ole bat signal…
:)
HH
CELTIC40ME
Yes, but his problem was he’s Greg Taylor and not the ’ pure Kwality we need ‘ If he had a different name and a bigger price tag they’d be saying he was sh@y hot.
LUCKY CODY on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 4:10 PM
SFTB,
was delighted with win at Ibrox, however we faced a very poor team. For the record the league is not done yet as we are a poor imitation of last season.
*wtf is we
Regarding their free kick,Brendan said the players took the decision to changed the lineup.I would think that had to be the captain,.I think they expected the right footed player to take the kick not the left footed one .
Either way Harts position was poor HH
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 4:29 PM
CELTIC40ME
Yes, but his problem was he’s Greg Taylor and not the ’ pure Kwality we need..
—
On that, we can all agree.
Thumbs up.
HH
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 4:29 PM
For half an hour.
FAO DAVID66….
My Favourite Flat Jockey is having a great day so far at Yarmouth with FOUR WINNERS, outta Five mounts. ALL for his MAIN Stable.
Early Prices that I took were 15/2, 9/2, 7/2 and 9/4. He also had One loser, and a NON Runner.
He has TWO more Runners to go, although both of those Horses are NOT with his MAIN Stable.
NO Matter what happens with his last Two Horses, I have made a VERY healthy Profit Today.
YA DANCER !
HH Mate.
Lucky Cody
“I was delighted with win at Ibrox, however we faced a very poor team. For the record the league is not done yet as we are a poor imitation of last season.
We have regressed and I highlighted failure of recruitment specifically an inexperienced Head of Recruitment. Last night proved the case.”
———————————–
I am glad that you enjoyed our well deserved Ibrox win. I did too but that was not the question.
You were claiming before the game that you’ll be back on here to give it up to all of us who were delusional enough to think that things were not as bad as you thought they are, immediately after the game and that you wouldn’t miss the targets on here.
Yet you didn’t get back here until we suffered a loss last night, which , again, you claim, proves you right. Posters have called this out as Lighthouse Thinking-
We win- we’re great
we lose- we’re rubbish
even though the team had the exact same personnel.
I think it’s closer to Catastrophic thinking.
We win 8 matches in a row- it doesn’t matter
We lose one – the roof is gonna fall in on us.
But only one season in the past 12 has been called right by the catastrophic thinkers. The rest of the time we’ve earned our happy clapping and we should enjoy it as you did when your prediction went tit’s up last week (BTW- I thought we might lose too- I’ve seen enough Ibrox games to know that’s as strong possibility, even when we are a better league winning team than them)
And as for me thinking this is progress??? You must be skipping by my posts- (can’t blame you, really). I am notoriously negative about our European prospects and I have been for the past decade or more, since the impact of the big leagues and unearned TV and sponsorship model has almost eliminated any chance of us closing the gap.
Of course we can do better.
Last night was one such occasion when we should have done better- no excuses- that Celtic squad, for as you consider it to be, was more than managing, without even playing at our best, before the roof genuinely did fall in on us with some bad reffing judgements.
P.S.- I don’t want to create the appearance that I am not happy to see you back but……. it’s alright to come back when you say you are coming back, after having made as “arse out the wind” prediction and getting it wrong.
The rest of us do it all the time. I predicted Hatate would play well last night
Burnley 78
Only my view , but they didn’t look as good as Shaktar, albeit they were a one man team, or Borussia neither of whom are up to much.
On TV, the hostile atmosphere which I had expected didn’t come across at all, although I wondered if the commentary team were in a studio in Glasgow?
I may be being optimistic, but with a rub of the green, I think we can win all our home games, but key to that will be getting Philips fit for next game, and hopefully CCV for Madrid home & Feyenoord home.
“that Celtic squad, poor as you consider it to be”
BOGNORBHOY on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 3:39 PM
What’s the law/rule regarding an opposition player lining up in the defensive wall ?
Glad you asked, it’s not just me that’s confused. I’m pretty sure last year (or perhaps earlier) the rule changed such that opposition players could not be within a few yards of the defensive wall. Yesterday, and in other games recently, I’ve seen players disrupt the wall. Has the rule changed back, or did I dream the whole thing?
HOT SMOKED on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 4:19 PM
I would hope you don’t think posting your positive opinions about Celtic is pointless no matter how much information they are informed by
These days it’s more important than ever
We have now lost 43/73 games played in CL.
That’s a record to be proud of.
But we do have £72 m in the bank.
FAO DAVID66…
OOOPS my mistake, my Favourite Jockey has NOT had a loser and/or a non runner Today.
He has had FOUR Mounts and FOUR Winners so far at Yarmouth.
The ” Loser and Non Runner” are from the same Stable but at SANDOWN with a different Jockey.
I am hoping that he has at least One more winner from his last Two horses at Yarmouth.
But no matter IF BOTH get beat as Ive had a VERY good day so far with his Four Winners outta Four Rides.
HH Mate.
You really have to wonder why Brendan came back, cos for the life of me I don’t understand it.
SFTB
Of course every one of that mob would swap places with us. My point is, we are never that far ahead of them on the park since the new club got over some bad hidings against Rodgers teams first round. A cup final next week would see tight odds.
obviously disappointed with the result last night and personally found it a hard watch from 40 mins onwards
Feyernood were ok but no big shakes still they possessed more of a cutting edge than us
Callmac apart from his great performance against the hun seems to be struggling 2 bookings at pittodrie and rugby park caussed by being left exposed same last night
up front Kyogo was not involved and Maeda was his usual self all effort and little end product
sure its early days regarding the new Bhoys but we bought a job lot used to do it in Europe now Asia
SONSOFERIN
LAW 13: FREE KICKS
IFAB Laws of the Game 2023-24
Where three or more defending team players form a ‘wall’, all attacking team players must remain at least 1 m (1 yd) from the ‘wall’ until the ball is in play.
If, when a free kick is taken, an attacking team player is less than 1 m (1 yd) from a ‘wall’ formed by three or more defending team players, an indirect free kick is awarded.
In my opinion the attacking player was less than the required distance , but could be wrong .
😜
At least give the players a reasonable number of games before damning them as rubbish.
CELTIC40ME
One or two games wat tool long for the experts on here, some of them are trashed before they get to the Lennoxtown
BLAKEY on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 5:10 PM
How much further ahead would you like us to be
17 vs 2 trophies out of 21
5 vs 1 out of 6 trophies
We beat them at home with our 3rd and 5th choice center halves and our best creative midfielder out injured
Our makeshift team with 9 men lost 2-0 to the team that won the Dutch league, their fully fit first team was humiliated by the team that finished a distant second
We’re absolutely miles ahead of them by any measure, and by design
See above ☝️
Blakey
The odds in a one off match are always tight.
The odds will be wider on who will collect the league title once we are beyond the pre-season and early season stages where large gaps are not possible after a handful of games. Their hopes have not yet been quashed but their early confidence in Mickey Beale has turned to wanting him sacked after 4 league games.
The point remains, even if you add what if’s about this year, the Ibrox club has won 1 league and one cup in the past 11 seasons. Our record is not close to that or just ahead of it. We are enjoying a greater domestic dominance than we had with our original 9iar when old Rangers were a damn good team, than they were during their 9 war period when we were lucky to get 2nd most years.
I have never known a happier domestic time, even though our Euro resurgence of the early 21st century has long since stalled. We were a European elite team between 66 and 74. We were a Strong second tier Euro team between 2001 and 2010 but in all those years before, between and after, we were clearly a minnows team.
“CELTIC40ME on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 4:51 PM
HOT SMOKED on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 4:19 PM
I would hope you don’t think posting your positive opinions about Celtic is pointless no matter how much information they are informed by
These days it’s more important than ever”
I think volumes of negativity can have an adverse effect even if the actual opinions are worthless. ( Which is why the MSSM do what they do)
Likewise, I feel volumes of positivity can have a positive effect even if etc. ( Which is why the MSSM do what they do)
So , in that case, I would say my `pointless` comment has little weight but when considering individual opinions, I would say my point has valididty.
Anyway, you don`t need to worry. I enjoy and nearly always agree with the content of your posts :-))
Nothing dulls the pain of another hard luck, Euro defeat than the warm comforting return to the land of Sky TV’s eternal punch and judy show, where the flat track bully beats the basket case, until it doesn’t (source: Peter Lawell).
Thanks Blakey.
HH