Although Celtic created the overwhelming majority of chances last night, they were punished for unforced errors. This is why Malmo are still in the tie.
Lots of positives were evident. Malmo could only foul James Forrest. He is fit and simply unstoppable. Celtic’s least effective periods of the game coincided with when they failed to get James on the ball. When he did get the ball, he often attracted three defenders, which curtailed his options but opened up space for others.
Next week James should find more space. Malmo’s main concern for the return leg will be how to cope with him.
Leigh Griffiths is on fire. He had no right to score his second goal, it was never his ball. The timing of his leap, combined with his reach and finish, were first class. He’ll fancy himself for a goal out there.
Our passing early on was as good as it has been all season but something went wrong, I think Scott Brown and Stefan Johansen’s roles changed. Scott bossed the opening 20 minutes but towards the end of the first half, a tension had crept in.
When our defenders had the ball at their feet, the options they had earlier simply weren’t there. Think back to the early moments when Scott dropped deeper than the two central defenders to give them options in possession. There was one occasion when Brown dropped to collect a forward pass from Boyata, before passing onto Forrest and then Armstrong, who carved an opening, all achieved without resistance. Our movement made Malmo look pedestrian. We lost our way when those options dried up.
We know what we will get from Forrest and Griffiths but the key three Celtic players next week will be Brown, Bitton and Johansen. Hareide criticised Celtic’s fitness, it’s certainly clear that the early pace we set was not maintained, although it could be argued that pace was impossible to maintain. If Brown, Bitton and Johansen have the stamina to cover the acreage they did for parts of the game last night, we will be comfortable in Sweden.
The major concern is the likely absence of Mikael Lustig. Efe and Dedryck both need immediately-available options in possession. It will be absolutely critical that they are not left to play long clearing balls forward. If this happens, we will invariably lose possession and Malmo will be able to build sustained attacks.
Ronny may decide to deploy Saidy Janko instead of Efe. Efe got the nod for the bench last night as we needed cover for both central defence and right back (he’s also convered left on occasion). None of us have enough information on Saidy to offer an informed opinion on this option yet, but he may be asked to step forward.
Malmo got as much out of last night’s game as was possible. They scored two goals and didn’t pass up a good chance. We have the lead and there’s nothing too worrying in what we saw from the visitors. They will play a different game at home, have more possession and create more chances, but Celtic will create lots of chances of their own.
There’s a hard 90 minutes ahead, but it’s in our own hands, and Ronny’s right, we can win out there. This tie has a Blackburn feel about it.
One for the golfers…….
Taggsybhoy is raffling a Round of Golf for 4 at the magnificent Aberdour Golf Course, where our annual CQN Golf Open takes place, to support his Great Scottish Run campaign in aid of the Celtic Foundation. The auction ends next week and you can bid on it here on ebay. Check it out, and check out what YOUR Foundation does as well.
This is a brilliant way to get involved and achieve something significant, well done to Taggsy for taking the initiative.
Thanks to everyone who donated as part of yesterday’s competition to win a Celtic Euro shirt, courtesy of Magners. Special thanks to the winner, Glasgowdave, for allowing us to auction the shirt at a later date. You’re not a bad lot.
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Tofiq Bahramov
You have made your point on Efe. Move on.
No need to totally disrespect the man.
LB
SPFL Transfer News
Just now ·
We have been told that Virgil VanDyk has an agreement in principle to move to Southampton for a fee of just over £10million.
The move will be announced after Celtic have their Champions league showdown away to Malmö.
Like Comment
SPFL Transfer News
2h2 hours ago
SPFL Transfer News @SPFLTransfer
Celtic are rumoured to be scouting West Brom defender Sébastien Pocognoli.
Izzy cost us the points v Killie Turned inside then gave the MIB the easy penalty decision to make!!!
It’s being reported in the Portuguese press that Celtic are eyeing up a move for Maritimo’s Mali international forward Moussa Marega.
The Hoops have enquired about the valuation of the 24-year-old having sent a scout to watch him in the Portuguese league match against Uniao de Madeira last weekend.
French-born Marega, who only joined the Madeira-based club a year ago from Tunisian side Esperance de Tunis, set up Martimo’s goal in their 2-1 defeat.
Maritimo president Carlos Pereira says that Sporting Lisbon have first option on the player, who has a €5m buy-out clause in his contract, but they have not exercised that option so far.
Celtic face competition from Porto who are also reported to be interested in the striker, and it is reported that the Hoops are planning on taking a further look at Marega in Saturday’s game against Porto.
If we had scored with the last kick of the ball to salvage a 2-2 draw last night,i think this place might have been more positive.We are a goal up against an average team IMO,if we can defend with the same purpose and discipline we showed v Quarabag,we have enough to score over there.
My wee grandson really enjoy his first C L game Tipped L G to score first goal and 2 nil.One outta 2 aint bad???
Ps Lovs them pizzas too!!!
wanyama wanted by spurs.
sell on fee for us. ?
livibhoy spirited defence of james.
i still cant buy it.
when we say the defenders were terrified of him, how many times did he get by them, that once for the corner, when else ?
och its all about oponions
Yes Effe has made mistakes & yes he should have done far better in the lead up to their corner but in his defence it’s never easy to come on from the cold. Also it wasn’t just him, all our substitutes struggled last night. GMS looked like a little boy lost, while Ciftci couldn’t keep the ball to save his life. Easy to make Effe the scapegoat but if we had kept posession better as a team in those closing minutes the game would have finished 3-1. When Griffiths made it 3-1 our fullbacks should have been told to play like fullbacks instead of to continue to bomb forward. No idea why Lustig was breaking his neck to get down the line at that stage of the game. Likewise, why was Izzy our furthest forward attacker in the dying minutes? RD is a positive manager which is great to watch but there are times when you need to shut up shop & at 3-1 that was the time. GMS should have been told to sit back down & Mulgrew should have come on instead.
The good thing is Malmo are no better than Aberdeen & we are more than capable of beating them home & away. Though we need to be far more disciplined in our decision making and that doesn’t just mean the players.
Bada,
I agree
HH
Árd Macha, if you are back from the gym.
***thomthethim for Oscar OK, While you’re point about fitness and injuries is well taken, you can’t blame fans for celebrating when we scored our third. They weren’t proclaiming the game or even the tie was won, rather just a natural outpouring of joy. Professional players who take their cue from fans singing and dancing? Not in my opinion CSC Árd Macha
*****
It is perhaps a small point, but I feel it adds a bit of perspective to the “fans urging the team on to victory” mantra.
If that is so, then the partying that took place in the stands, after the third goal, was an indication that they thought the job was done.
There wasn’t the same “outpouring” of joy after the first or second goal.
Why the dancing and mass of backs turned to the pitch, when we were not even at half time in the tie?
If, as stated, you believe that a crowd can drive a team on with their passion, then a crowd in laid back celebratory mode CAN have an adverse effect on the performance.
Having said that, the Injuries to Lustig, Armstrong and a struggling Bitton, certainly contributed to the late on sag….together with the higher stamina levels of our opponents.
I believe that Scott’s headed aberration was caused by fatigue, similar to his lapse on Neymar.
EFe was not to blame for any of the goals OK??????
Hunderbirds,
Not awbdy on here dogged our Norwegian samurai :))
HH
I’ve decided that I am going to take heart from Celtic’s good record against gobby opponents who proclaim that they are the better team:
(in no particular order)
Helsingborgs (Age Hareide)
Blackburn Rovers (Souness, Flitcroft etc)
Aw the rest of them
That’s all I’ve got…
Siesta time zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Geordie Munro
Exemption card played……. And accepted ;-)
HAILHAIL
Davidopoulos
David Murray, First Rangers? :-)))
HAIL HAIL
Hunderbirds are Gone
Aye, well, didn’t want to speak ill of the undead…
Like many others I thought James Forrest both offensively & defensively was terrific. His work rate & overall contribution could not be faulted, he just needs to add some confidence to his play in the final third. Great to see the wee man getting back to something his best.
We should have asked the league to cancel Saturday’s game against DU,I don’t think they would have,but it would be interesting to hear the reasons.I would not play any player we will start with next Tuesday.
Uefa stats are a great time filler for a Sado like me.
Boyata attempted 72 passes and completed 62. More passes than anyone else on the park.Of those he tried 8 short passes and completed 5. To think I remember one of those 3 short passes that missed their target. If we are calling Boyata a bombscare at this moment in time it’s important to look at the facts. It might be 1 short pass from the back that causes the heart attacks but he has the speed to recover.
Interesting that Boyata was given responsibility to distribute from the back rather than Virgil.
Interesting also that Izzy only misplaced 2 passes from 30. Our lowest pass stat a were for Armstrong and Lustig. I have to say I didn’t notice Armstrong losing the ball on 9 occasions or Lustig the same.
In all the posession stats tell me that Celtic were superior to Malmo.
Testing the theory that Malmo were fitter, the only stat that I can find to demonstrate that is distance covered. Malmos 11 covered 170m more than Celtics On average per man. On this occasion that can only be translated as them chasing Celticas they had more possession. I don’t see the distance per player though so no further info to tell us anything.
Most of their play went through Lewicki their centre mid though the left full back had most passes. Interesting that the tiny right full back was next in terms of passes. I’d need to watch the game again to fully understand the full backs involvement as they weren’t getting the ball from their keeper. The keepers distribution is shocking and that is down to straight kick outs rather than passes or throws to full backs.
The stats say Celtic gifted them two goals. Sort out the defence and we should stick a hose down their throat.
mullet and co 2
Stats are useful, particularly pass completion stats, they do not however distinguish between forced and unforced errors.
That is the crux of the matter and a recurring theme with defenders of ours who I do not need to identify.
HH
Just watched the highlights and goals a short time ago. The goals that we lost came about as a result of basic schoolboy defending. At the first goal we have three guys looking after one Malmo attacker while Berget stands alone waiting for a crumb. The second, unless I’m mistaken, Boyata heads the ball backwards to Berget, almost on the goal line. Get the basics right and we will win these games easily.
I thought Malmo stood off Boyata,as they thought he would give them the ball in dangerous areas.
St Stivs – I went out for lunch.
Team Stats
Forrest received 5 of the 13 recorded fouls against us – 38%
Overall he ran at them, contributed to our attacking threat and didn’t give the ball away too much. A decent shift.
That UEFA stats page is good.
So far this campaign, JF’S contribution.
182 minutes played.
No goals
No assists
1 yellow card.
Last night,
3 fouls commited, 5 fouls received.
and thats brilliant ?
thomthethim for Oscar OK,
I’m not buying it, but I’ll let you buy me a pint in Sharkey’s at the bank holiday weekend in a bid to persuade me.
I have defended Efe Ambrose on twitter for a long time. However, he did lose out in tackle on the far touchline for the second goal, which enabled the Malmo player to cross, which VvD swung a leg out to concede a corner.
Árd Macha
of the players that played 90 minutes.
JF had the least number of attempted passes at 27.
Boyata had 72.
Manchester City sign Argentina defender Nicolas Otamendi from Spanish club Valencia on a five-year deal worth £32m. Get on phone Celtic Denayer is waiting on your call.
Hail Hail.
Forrest had a chance to score and instead passed to a marked man.
Again.
read for yourselfs, sorry but the bhoy was ineffectual, not aggresive or direct enough, and failed to pass the ball when obvious passes were on.
brilliant he was not.
anyways floggin a dead horse.
http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2016/matches/round=2000633/match=2015647/postmatch/statistics/index.html#1/2016/2000633/2015647/pitch-view
does anyone have any stats on how long a deid horse should be flooged for ?
offski,
still bloody smartin at the position we put ourselves in.
Maybe Paul67 is James Forrest’s dad?
Armstrong only completed 64% of passes. Had a missed shot and 2 offsides. Unless he made a lot of tackles, I think that was a poor game.
I think our inexperienced lads were poor last night. Boyata and the Dundee United 3.
Saint Stivs,
Sorry to get involved but if you can’t see the difference between the contributions of Forrest and Boyatta last night, and are relying on passing statistics to prove your case, you couldn’t have been watching the same game as the rest of us. James Forrest played very well last night, imo. Boyatta was never confident at any time during the game, again imo.
Bitton headed the ball back to Berget after VVD clashing into him
Oh for the days when people could think for themselves instead of resorting to default position.
Efe concedes a corner, fair enough, we’ve got a whole team to defend the corner, they get the break of the ball and score, shit happens.
Im not a Forrest fan in any shape or form, but i thought he had a really good game, they looked scared anytime he got the ball, setting up the chance for Johannson who couldnt control it, so theres one for St Stivs (default Forrest hater) and the rest of the time he was a good team player, winning tackles and chasing back. Ciftci (squad player at best) couldnt get up to speed nor trap a bag of cement. Imagine you turned up for your work and before you even get in the door you get treated like a pariah, before youve even had the chance to do anything, from whom exactly, those in default position who cant think for themselves or dont pay attention to the current game that is taking place, thats our Efe – judge him on what he does in each game not on what he’s done previously.
My main angst this morning, and its not worrying about Malmo (as they are not a good team at all), it is this, if our signings are dependent on which competition we are in, then if its not the champions league, we will witness the same gamble to qualify as we have done since qualifiers began, if we end up in the Europa League (personally i think that is unlikely) then the players we will be buying, with the £10m for VVD, arent really gonna improve our chances of qualifying next year, why not, just for a change, go for our top targets (surely there purchase or our attractiveness to them is based on Champions League) and in the unlikely event we dont qualify for the Champions League we have the necessary quality (QED) to attack the qualifiers next year?
TET, your points were more eloquent than mine, but nonetheless nail on head was hit. No desire to make us the best football team we can be, bean counting league is their focus.
NOT ADVOCATING SPENDING WHAT WE DONT HAVE JUST WHAT WE HAVE AND THAT INCLUDES NOT PAYING DIVIDENDS
Don’t know if anyone else heard Michael Owen talking about the CL ball during the Man U game.
Said it’s much lighter than the balls in the EPL (presumably SPL too) which, begs the question, why doesn’t every league use the same ball?
I can remember the Bundesliga played a whole season with the World Cup ball prior to the tournament and, while every country struggled with it, the Germans won the WC, planning eh!
Our first touch and reading of the bounce last night was terrible (apart from LG), seems to be a constant in Euro games.
MouldmasterCSC
Boyata bating isnt based on any of last nights facts, he was no more guilty of stray passes in semi dangerous positions than anyone else, not by a long shot, but because he did so against ICT he’s now judged for life.
Some should just watch the game instead of looking for scapegoats, Browns lack of awareness or savvy caused the first conceded goal, there’s your scapegoat, if your looking for one
A mate of mine has suggested that another season of Europa League might do us good, I think he is talking rubbish for the following reasons:
1) If Champs League is where we want to be long-term, Ronny and his team need to be learning at the Champs League level, not Europa League;
2) I can’t take another season of that rubbish music they play before the Europa League matches. I jut can’t take it – it’s cruel and unusual punishment!