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Points left on the table in Rotterdam

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

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.

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  1. Blakey on

    SFTB

     

     

    Before they became the worst ever champions league team last season, Sevco reached a European final and went deep a couple of years previous if I remember right. Our domination at home will be well noted abroad but let’s be honest, yearly European performances will attract even more attention, good or bad.

  2. bournesouprecipe on

    If only we’d listened to the experts all summer we wouldn’t be in this position

     

     

     

    As ever csc

  3. Timforlife on

    To paraphrase Kenny Rodgers

     

    There will be time enough to count them when the season’s done (trophies)

     

    HH

  4. hankray on

    Before the wheels fell off the Celtic challenge last night as i watched this much vaunted Feynoord with many misplaced passes and many ending up over the touchline and floating harmlessly wide of the goals, with Celtic looking comfortably in control, I sat back and said to myself these guys are not so hot afterall. Then the free kick and if memory serves me correctly, a Feynoord player also left the wall as kyogo turned leaving an even bigger gap for the Dutch player to shoot through. Dreadful.

     

     

    No problem with the red card decisions, showing up the inexperience of Holm and Lager the latter had been playing very well up to that point. Liam Scales played hard but sensibly in the other central defensive position and now has placed himself high up the pecking order for one of those berths.

     

     

    Reo is a shadow of the player when he came to Celtic Park and I hope it’s due to his fitness level after recent injury. He no longer has that piece of magic with his low center of gravity he could hold posession, roll a defender and make for goal. Mat was terrific and took on a huge workload, Marathon Man Maeda did ok. The new lad down the left carried the ball well at times in the first half but obviously needs more game time with his new teamates.

     

     

    On last night’s evidence Celtic should beat this Feynoord side in Celtic Park.

  5. the_huddle on

    Watching the Real Madrid game now, they’ve put in 2 shocking tackles which have resulted in free kicks but only 1 yelllow card.

     

     

    Wish we’d had this ref last night.

  8. Greenpinata on

    My friends in Celtic,

     

     

    In the cold light of day.

     

     

    Our business model is well documented and has reaped financial stability.

     

     

    We are recruiting inexperienced players, playing inexperienced players and substituting inexperienced players.

     

    Occasionally we need to break the model and recruit players like CCV.

     

     

    I think we need to look a bit deeper with a long term viewpoint . Subsequently I welcome the focus of the development of Barrowfield.

     

     

    Seemingly we have ” world class” facilities at Lennoxtown, but we are not achieving anywhere near our aspiration. How can we not develop and PLAY some promising young players rather than recruit prospects from all over the world.

     

     

    Play promising youngsters, eventually sell them on and buy some experienced first team ready players.

     

    It can be done.

     

     

    To say it cannot be done questions the viability of Lennoxtown.

     

     

    What use is ” world class” development facilities when our Seemingly entrenched policy is to recruit youngsters from all over the world.

     

    Long term view I know but this dilemma must be seriously looked at.

     

     

    Anyway in Brendan we trust.

     

     

    HH., the journey continues.

  9. the_huddle on

    I wouldn’t class CCV as beng that different to our usual punt/project model.

     

     

    I don’t think he’d played many if any top league games until he came to us on loan??

  12. the_huddle on

    Yes, but not top league.

     

     

    I assume when people talk about buying in more experienced players they are meaning ones that have played a higher level, including europe.

  14. celtic40me on

    HOT SMOKED on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 5:30 PM

     

     

    “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.”

     

     

    I think you’re underestimating the importance of reasonable voices like yours. Individual opinions might not always receive the acknowledgment they deserve but that doesn’t mean they don’t have an impact, especially collectively

     

     

    I think the last few months online has been absolutely crazy, I think it won’t be long before it has an impact on the club, if it hasn’t already.

     

     

    Personally I’m finding it increasingly difficult to support Celtic online which is all I have most of the time, so I have a personal interest in keeping people like you posting

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

    Blakey

     

     

    “but let’s be honest, yearly European performances will attract even more attention, good or bad.”

     

    —————————–

     

     

    Did they win the Attention Cup?

     

     

    Do you think the foreign football fan rates Sevco as a better club?

     

     

    I am not sure what the attention-seeking brings them.

  18. celtic40me on

    Celtics biggest sales, except for Moussa have been after a season in the Europa.

     

     

    I don’t think OE, Kris Ajer or Frimpers even played in the CL

  19. mmccartney on

    Talking of project youngsters, are some of the wingers brought into the club in the summer any better than Rudi Vata. I’ve only seen the lad once in the flesh and a few times on the telly but I don’t think some of the projects are any better than him. Maybe some people who have seen him more than me can tell me if I’m talking rubbish or not.

     

    In this early part of the season I’m trying hard not to be too critical of the players. They’ll need our support over the next 6 weeks where we’re away to Livi, Motherwell, Hearts and Hibs whilst playing two Champion’s League games and Killie at home.

     

    Some of our fans seem to think the League is a given this season, I’m not so sure, it would look to me that we are relying on our main rivals being Pxss poor rather than us being consistently good. I do feel as the season goes on we’ll get better.

     

    I still think we can get 6 points in the CL group from the 3 home games at Celtic Park, this would surely keep us in Europe after Christmas. I think that in our Group these teams will take points off each other.

  21. Greenpinata on

    Guys,

     

     

    We evaluated CCV and realised potential was there as a fit for Celtic.

     

    We tested our theory with an initial loan signing.

     

     

    HH.

  22. Cloud9 on

    Gene 6:50

     

     

    The English fourth-tier & the Vanarama are higher standards than 10 out of the 12 clubs in the Premiership – that’s where they get many of their players – either that, or, EPL youth teams.

     

     

    How can we gear-up for European standards when we play against this ‘dig-in’ ‘in your face’ dross 34 times per season in the so-called Scottish Premiership – Premier in name only.

     

     

    I know Rangers got to Europa Final – that is a conundrum.

     

     

    Their is no progression in Scotland, just head to heads with Ibrox.

     

     

    We should embrace our domestic dominance for the vast majority of this century – it’s maybe the only show in town for the foreseeable future and of course allows us to dabble in the riches of European competition…..albeit fleetingly.

  23. celtic40me on

    BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 7:09 PM

     

    If only we’d signed Daniel Podence who ended up at Olympiakos on loan.

     

     

    Or Tete who started on the bench for Galatasaray tonight who are getting beat 2-0 by Copenhagen. Mo Elyonousso on the scoresheet

     

     

    Gala must have some wage bill – Icardi, Ndombele, Zaha

  26. fourstonecoppi on

    THE EXILED TIM on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2023 5:04 PM

     

    You really have to wonder why Brendan came back, cos for the life of me I don’t understand it.

     

     

    Been saying this for ages wtf…why why why?

  29. Gene on

    Brendan needs to rebuild his reputation having been sacked by Leicester.

     

    I think he needs to have progress in Europe to achieve this. Which brings us to the question of recruitment and whether he’s happy with the recent transfer window.

  35. lets all do the huddle on

    losing a stupid goal in europe in a game you are expected to lose but have played well in up until the stupid goal deflates the life out the team and fans and you end up losing more goals

     

     

    we have done it so many times

     

     

    and it is happening to man u just now

  36. Burnley78 on

    Celtic40me / Hot smoked

     

     

    To be honest when all the armchair quarter back geniuses on here appear trying to justify their negative garbage, after any kind of reversal, it simply makes me remember why psychiatrist is such a high growth profession.

     

     

    I really do wonder at the joy folks get out of Celtic losing. I guess it is to ‘prove to themselves’ , rather than anyone in the real world, how clever they are.

     

     

    It’s not a new phenomenon. We had the Vic Davidson, Tommy Callaghan haters and many more. The way the clever old men outside the chapel on a Sunday spoke about Celtic in the early 70s made me wonder if I had actually watched the same game the previous day.

     

     

    These guys were real experts who had never kicked a ball at a level above amateur but they seemed to speak like they knew every mistake Celtic had made. Weirdly they mentioned none of the good stuff unless we had won a euro tie or beat rangers.

     

     

    Kicking a successful Celtic was a thing then and of course now it is highlighted by social media, hunterlopers on blogs and folk whose only contribution to society is moaning or decrying those who maybe successful.

     

     

    I had a beer in my hotel with a scout from Stuttgart last night after the long wait to get out of the stadium. He worked with Klopp at Mainz and Dortmund for 10 years. He watches Celtic a couple of times a year. He said that was the best and bravest technical football he had seen us ‘try’ to play in the past 20 years although we lacked physically in key areas. He was impressed that we tried and persisted to play properly. He was surprised at the ref and how weak he was. He thought Brendan to be a coach showing he is capable of evolving. He thought Johnston and O’Riley would walk into any Bundesliga team apart from Bayern. He had hoped to see Hatate and Kyogo but felt he hadn’t really done that but they appeared to need bulking up a bit….. His parting comment was that there were 7 other Bundesliga scouts at the match and that is normal. I didn’t asked him but my sense is that they shop at a slightly higher price bracket than we do and do focus more on development and adding value to their capability.

     

     

    Chat like that with someone who has earned his living for 25 years after graduating with a degree and masters in football related subjects is worth a year of hearing the experts and hunterlopers on here.

  42. lets all do the huddle on

    i’ve said plenty of times

     

     

    VAR has plenty of positives

     

     

    but it has turned the offside and handball decisions into a joke

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