Referee Mallenco scouted ahead of Celtic game

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The Guardian did an excellent piece on Wednesday on how referees in various European territories would view the penalty box wrestling of the Juventus players.  In short, there is a variance in how these offences are punished.  Who knew?

Juventus knew.  I hear they watched four videos of referee Alberto Undiano Mallenco ahead of the Celtic game.

You have to admire their thoroughness.  They had a plan to combat Celtic and needed to know if the referee would let them away with it.  Gone are the days when someone at Juve would simply pick up the phone and ‘ask’.  The danger from Celtic was known, illegal holding would nullify this danger and watching a few videos established what players would get away with.

It’s no longer sufficient to scout your opponents, if you want an edge in this game, scout the referee too.

Every day’s a school day.

I hear from a good contact that a journalist who recently departed the media for a job in the lower leagues once wanted to be a bit of a Jungle Jim. Apparently he was keen to ditch his industry for a job at Celtic back in the 90s. What an escape!

On Friday 1 March the Lisbon Lions will be at the Kerrydale Suite providing commentary and answering questions on their magnificent European Cup final win in 1967. This has never happened in 46 years since that game, to say it is a unique opportunity fails to tell the whole story.

The event is part of our 125 4 125 campaign – central to reinvigorating the charitable spirit which is part of the club we love. It will be a family occasions, tickets are available at £10 for adults and £5 for children. The night has been organised by several fans working in conjunction with the people at Celtic Charity, so please do your best to support this great occasion. Individual tickets or tables are available, details here.
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1,081 Comments

  1. I like Glenn Gibbons, but couldn’t disagree more about the Spartak home win – thought that was the best we’d played in Europe this season.

  2. T B & F

     

     

    It was just a jest.

     

     

    But the serious point was that no blog will interest you with 100% of its topics and whims. If you found stuff of interest in the 50% whose topic you liked, is that not more worthy of comment than complaining that there was 50% of stuff you did not like?

  3. HT

     

    Up and over the goal

     

     

    Totally agree…just pointing out the booking sending off aspect…as for in play, why did nobody point out to Stuart Dougal the ball was in play in most of the incidents!

     

    Don’t know why Charlie didn’t take the corners!

  4. SFTB

     

     

    Don’t agree with Gibbon’s dismissive summary at all : “a Celtic team who did enough to merit a less demoralising defeat. But, whatever team Lennon fielded, the deficit between the home side and their tormentors looked insurmountable”.

     

     

    Celtic played very well on Tuesday. The only thing that was missing was a goal, if it had come at 0-1………..well if your auntie had, and all that.

     

     

    To write that there was an insurmountable difference in the two teams is nonsense. Just my opinion from watching the game, of course.

     

     

    Anyway, enjoy the game today.

     

     

    For anyone swithering whether to go or not: try and come along, give the team a cheer for what has been a remarkable Champions League campaign.

  5. up over goal

     

     

    I thought our play in the Spartak home game was more nervous and less convincing than the Juve game. I thought we edged the Spartak game but were less intense than we were in the Juve match.

     

     

    Comments on that Spartak match from the BBC site:-

     

     

    “It was, at times, a nervous encounter against Spartak and the visitors settled quicker, knowing they had a lot less riding on the outcome than their hosts, who began tentatively. ”

     

     

    “Spartak continued to play some nice football, Emmanuel Emenike looking menacing, but for all that, Forster was having a comfortable evening. ”

     

     

    “However, Spartak were less composed during the second period and Celtic, sensing they had the initiative, went close through Commons and Efe Ambrose.”

     

     

    Spartak had 60% of possession. Shots on/off target were 10/7 for Celtic and 9/4 for Spartak. We did mollicate them 11:1 on corners so, if you are Craig Brown, you can take comfort in that.

  6. Looking forward to Paradise today and a stunning Celtic performance to get us all over Tuesday night. We’ll have more space to play unless wee Jackie adopts the Juve WWF tactics; somehow I don’t think he will.

     

     

    Being from the ‘Always look on the Bright side of life’ generation there have been many days of defiance at CP and returning from ‘big’ defeats. Something stirs deep within our support on days like this-I hope the team feel the same way.

     

     

    COYBIG.

  7. Hamiltontim

     

     

    kayal, commons and ledley to name but a few have sat on the bench while charlie is on the pitch. i have no problem with him, think he’s decent and adaptable which is good, but he’s in the team more when he should not be. i have lost count of the amount of times he’s ran himself to a standstill, others are more harshly critisised

     

     

    agree about rogne and paddy, but rogne has rejected contract offer and paddy has not been offered anything, they have no future at celtic, nfl’s job is to look after veltics future so its better to give our most promising players a few games than either of them

     

     

    hail hail

  8. BCW

     

     

    I did not agree with all of GG’s article either but felt it was fair and balnced compared to some of the CQN reactions (a minority) from the night.

     

     

    The quote you highlight, I am interpreting as saying that Juve have a fairly expensively assembled squad and were always likely to win, regardless of individual selection choices like picking or dropping Efe.

     

     

    I do not believe he is seriously saying we had no chance of winning.

  9. sixtaeseven - 4 fouls 4 cards & penalty, a day in the life on

    leftclicktic

     

     

    “hunchbacks” ha ha – love it!

     

     

    I think we have finally found the definitive term for the Govan lot.

     

     

    The Hunchbacks from Govan can’t lift their heads for the shame of their match fixing and cheating and there isn’t an Esmarelda in sight.

  10. Truth_Beauty_and_Freedom on

    SFTB.

     

     

    You have a point and I have the flu. My very occasional posts are usually much more positive; apologies. I of course love the diversity of this blog and will continue to read and occasionally contribute.

     

     

    Yours in Celtic,

     

     

    TB&F.

  11. stephbhoy

     

     

     

    12:07 on

     

     

    16 February, 2013

     

     

    The 3 players you mention are generally considered to be midfielders, though Commons has also been utilised in a more advanced roll in a number of games.

     

     

    Granted Ledley has on occasion filled in at left back but has rarely looked comfortable there.

     

     

    Mulgrew has frequently been used at left back and centre half, not positions that would be filled by the 3 you highlighted.

     

     

    I too would like to see some of our rising stars given more prominent rolls and expect that to be a feature in the coming months.

  12. Shameless repost sine the topic has been raised again…

     

     

    supersutton

     

     

    12:58 on 14 February, 2013

     

    As one who has studied the laws of the game, i totally understand that a penalty,cannot be awarded if the ball is not in play.

     

     

    However, did EVERY Juve player release the Celtic player he had a hold of as soon as the ball was kicked?

     

     

    Also, I would offer the following amendment to the laws:

     

     

    The ball shall be considered “in play” as soon as the referee has blown the whistle to indicate the start or restart of the game. This includes any time when the ball has gone out of play r the game has been stopped for any reason, e.g. injury, corners, free kicks , throw ins, goal kicks.

  13. Footnote: I find Charles Green quite a likeable character. He is determined, reasonably honest, colourful, and there is a modicum of daftness about him which makes him all the more engaging.

     

     

    from GRAHAM SPIERS today.”REASONABLY HONEST” talking about CHARLIE GREEN.you shure GRAHAM you shoor yir shoor.do you think all those who bought shares will get a REASONABLE amount of their money back.

  14. Not a problem T B & F.

     

     

    But you will have to plough through some more Sevco stuff because they are not yet definitively dead.

     

     

    Not until thy are all shot by a silver bullet and followed up with a stake through the heart, buried in a lead lined coffin and shot in a rocket through the red hot heart of a Sun, near the 9th circle of hell,which doubles as an intergalactic Eternity Prison for habitual recidivists where Eternity means Eternity.

     

     

    Not too much to ask, is it?

  15. As a point of order –

     

     

    The ball is deemed ‘in play’ from the moment the ref blows his whistle.

     

     

    A corner or free kick does not necessarily have to have been taken for a foul to be awarded.

     

     

     

     

    cv

  16. Hamiltontim

     

     

    i respect you, your possibly right. i agree he’s better than ledley at lb, inho his strongest position is cb, but he’s no better than the first picks there. we have lots of midfielders who are better than him and for that reason he should be nowhere near the midfield while other better players are on the bench. anyway hope you have a good day mate

     

     

    off out

  17. Slightly concerned with Broonie and Vic67 out of midfield.

     

    IMO we must play Kayal and Joe16 in there as Forrest will probably play wide against a decent Dundee United midfield.

     

     

    Lenny will go with Efe, Kelvin and Muldini as a back 3.

     

    Adam and Izzy? Dylan and Rogic?

     

    Hoops, Stokes, Lassad, Kris,Tony Watt???

     

     

    Glad to be going to watch the team that Lenny picks.

     

     

    EC67

  18. SFTB

     

     

    Spot on! The margins between winning and losing at the top level are very thin and there are often over reactions on both sides. I think anyone who watched the whole game knew that 0-3 didn’t tell half of the story. We shouldn’t get hung up about it, we need to move on quickly and achieve a domestic double!

  19. jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ on

    Watched the game again and thers one bit where the ball hits Hooper and goes out for a B K. Oh and the juve guy was giving Hooper a big hugg!! Hope Garys wive didnt see it!!

  20. Just hearing that ManUre and Bayern Munich are interested in Arturo Vidal the Rubentus midfielder who hails from Chile, and who played on Tuesday.

     

     

    A fee of €30 million has been mentioned.

     

     

    How much is Victor worth then?

     

     

    HH!!

  21. CQN Saturday Naps Competition – Week 25-28 Standings

     

     

    +£13.35 green T (9)

     

    +£11.00 Rockon Neil Lennon (9)

     

    +£ 5.50 What is the Stars (5)

     

    +£ 4.00 voguepunter (3)

     

    +£ 2.50 Che (3)

     

    +£ 2.41 Bada Bing (4)

     

    +£ 1.50 BULL67 (6)

     

    +£ 1.50 Magnificentseven (6)

     

    -£ 2.88 Sixteen roads to Golgotha (4)

     

    -£ 5.09 Valentine’s Day (4)

     

    -£ 8.50 fleagle1888 (3)

     

    -£ 9.50 MHARK67 (4)

     

    -£14.00 Cathal (2)

     

    -£15.38 leftclicktic (3)

     

    -£15.75.00 Glen (3)

     

    -£17.50 Som mes que un club (2)

     

    -£18.80 TheBarcaMole (2)

     

    -£19.00 tommytwisttommyturns (2)

     

    -£19.97 hunza rugli (2)

     

    -£20.00 bobbymurdoch’s winklepickers (2)

     

    -£23.00 gerry_bhoy (1)

     

    -£28.00 gourockbhoy

     

    -£28.00 Raymac

     

     

    *No selections (wk 25) – gerry_bhoy, gourockbhoy, Raymac, Sixteen roads to Golgotha, TheBarcaMole

     

    *No selections (wk 26) – Raymac, Sixteen roads to Golgotha, TheBarcaMole

     

    *No selections (wk 27) – hunza rugli, Raymac, TheBarcaMole

     

    *No selections (wk 28) – gourockbhoy, Raymac, TheBarcaMole

     

     

    Cheers, fleagle1888

  22. Off to the game, enjoy your day bhoy…..just a wee thought…all those who were clambering for tickets for Juve wonder if they’ll make it today….

  23. Tallybhoy

     

     

    I think Vic is a £20m+ player but i think we would struggle to get that for him due to playing in the SPL.

     

     

    However, he has now proved himself against Barcelona and Juventus (2 of the top 5 teams in Europe) so I would be bitterly disappointed if he left for anything less than £15m. The £10m repeatedly mentioned by the media seriously vexes me!!!!!

  24. Big Georges Fan Club on

    Valentine’s Day

     

    12:32 on

     

    16 February, 2013

     

    Hoping Celtic give me a wee lift……..still on a

     

    downer, and off the drink for lent.

     

    ———————————–

     

     

    …suffering exactly the same fate – on a right downer the past few days – possibly predates the Juve game, though :-(

  25. kikinthenakas

     

     

    I saw hundreds of those “supporters” leave before FF had taken the ball out of the net after the 2nd goal on Tuesday night

     

     

    Martin42.