Last night’s win didn’t look on the cards until the opening goal; Astra were passing the ball better and creating as many chances as Celtic. It looked like the game we expected – without Commons or Guidetti. However, we find ourselves top of the group with 7 points from 9 at the halfway point, having recorded a draw away to top seed Salzburg.
There’s still a lot of work to do, a win away at Astra next time out in no way guarantees qualification, but we stand an excellent chance of progressing and a decent chance of topping the group.
Having thumped Ross County at the weekend there was a notion we’d turned a corner, which fed some of the frustration last night, despite the result. What we saw was very poor passing from a disjointed team. Players were receiving the ball in too little space, where options were already closed. This impacted the effectiveness on Callum McGregor and Mikael Lustig in particular, but it seemed when every Celtic player looked up there wasn’t a good pass on.
This is all a consequence of change. We look disjointed because we are disjointed. We’re disjointed because we’re rebuilding.
The relevant questions are:
Do we need to rebuild?
Are we making progress?
Yes, we need to rebuild. The squad, tactics, training and other processes are all going through change. For so long we watched Celtic squads remain constant and grow old (under Martin O’Neill), or out tactics become rigid (under Martin and Gordon Strachan), to the point that we were crying out for some experimentation.
The above is seldom disputed but the question of progress is more important. Right now Celtic need results. They need to survive in the Europa League long enough to test and improve their passing, movement, instincts and, where necessary, squad.
Last night’s win wasn’t pretty but it was vitally important. The next challenge for this team is also important; we need to go to Romania and put on the kind of performance we did in Salzburg. If we can do that, we’ll have earned a platform to build on.
Caesar & the Assassin, the accounts of Billy McNeill and Davie Hay as Celtic managers, is available below.
Billy and Davie will both sign the early orders we get to them, more here.
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Cowiebhoy
You could always try Ambrose at RB……Mulgrew anywhere cause he’s great …and Stokes cause he’s great too
Btw as much chance of Henderson playing as you and I
Up_over_goal
Apologies. Spellcheck
Mulgrew not a natural centre mid either, both Biton and Henderson are, and more creative in my opinion :-)
Hail Hail
Pfayr
You and I on same wavelength – spooky :-)
Hail Hail
Now I need to go and get prepared
Hail Hail
cowiebhoy
10:48 on 26 October, 2014
lefty will take it, he will text you.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
lymmbhoy
10:31 on 26 October, 2014
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Cheers
I’ll have the other half tortured with warm up tunes when i get back to perth on wednesday.. Poor girl.
That clip is from celtic/st pauli weekend in hamburg.. I was there couple yrs after it. The wakes played… Great weekend.
Only change I expect today is Guidetti in and Stokes out.
Lennybhoy, brilliant, big lefty sees the game like me :-)
Hail Hail
Looks like we are going to get a wee bit wet today, time to go 2-0 hoops
Morning All.
Not sure if I will make the game today yet as it all depends on timing and hospital visits.
Is anyone going to the Lola Commons dinner tonight? If so I will see you there.
Remember there is a living wage petition campaign staffed by volunteer at the park today and they are there so that so can sign the petition asking Celtic to become a living wage employer. You can sign the petition at the park or on line if you so choose.
I saw a post during the night asking if anyone asks the same of their local restaurant, taxi driver, supermarket and so on.
I can only answer that on a personal basis and as someone who used to personally employ a few folk.
I believe that there should be a minimum wage so that we avoid the slide into “slave labour” and that there is merit in the idea of a living wage — namely a rate of pay that meets the requirement for a reasonable standard of living.
I wouldn’t demand or even ask anyone else who is an employer to do something that I was not prepared to do, and at the same time I would not interfere in someone else’s business.
However, I might recommend to someone else that paying a living wage is a good practice and leave it at that.
I believe that is what the petition does in part.
The other argument is that I have shares in the club which were left to me by my father and as such I can express my view as a shareholder.
That being the case I would want the company that I have a tiny stake in to lead by example and pay the living wage as it is the decent thing to do in my opinion. The company can afford it, and it would make me feel better about the company over all.
Just my opinion of course.
Wrap up warm as it is a hellish day out there.
As for Celtic — If you are a midfielder and you see Mr Scepovic on the shoulder of the last man showing for the ball to be played into a channel — go on, take a risk, try the forward pass.
You never know what might happen!
Guess I could be wrong again. Just read article by Andrew Smith which strongly suggests Ronny will play 2 up front today.
Andrew Smith calling it a new Ronny revolution.
tonydonnelly67
10:51 on
26 October, 2014
Where’s the CQN corner? I’m assuming it’s at Celtic Park?
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TD its like ole Boots corner except its no a corner ;)))
Cowiebhoy – didn’t need t o go to mass this morning, went to the vigil last night. Usually go to 12 o ‘clock on Sunday, better/more singers. Saturday night such a quiet lot at St.Cadoc’s which means I need to sing louder
soulofmysaviourCSC
Cowiebhoy
Browns best position is Right Mid
It really isn’t. Let’s take subjective opinion out of it. My Celtic anorak computer tells me he’s played there 12 times – 7 of those have been in front of Matthews, 5 with Lustig at RB. The Lustig partnership has been slightly more successful (5 points from 12). Matthews/Brown is desperate – 6 points from 21. All in all, a total of 11 points from 33.
This suggests Brown at RB is not a good idea.
Johansen at LM has happened only once – the Legia Warsaw home game, remember that one? It didn’t go so well.
HH
proudbhoy
Bit of a different one from The Wakes.
http://youtu.be/HHX2j-AMhSk
HH
TD
in front of pools office for cqn corner.
Ohits, lost it buddy..,
lennybhoy, can you firward ohits and me Acgr number…
captainmoonlight in awe of oscar knox ynwa
Aweeeee ok, otherwise known as dizzy corner back in the day, not that I ever got one mind yi ;)
Wonder what size crowd to expect today. Our bus oonly has 12 on it.
PFayr
In a 3, Mulgrew has played CM 24 times, garnering 64 points from 72. It’s his best position.
But why pay any attention to that? Facts and logic are as naught compared with your ingrained prejudices.
blantyretim is praying for the knox family
Pools office? Ticket office?
BT, how you doin’ bud, goin’ the day or CC?
HH
TD67
in front of pools office beside chuck wagon…next to Celtic shop
TD, pools office.
HH
Bet’s today.
Celtic to score in the first 15@ 9/4.
Red card in the Embra derby@ 9/4.
Catch you all on the other side.
Captainmoonlight
cc with usual bunch.
st columbas viewpark was busy at 9am thismorning, tohg just picking mini up as I type..
Awe ok at the Celtic shop, I got YA ;)
up_over_goal
11:03 on 26 October, 2014
Cowiebhoy
up_over_goal
11:03 on 26 October, 2014
Really interesting stats, thanks for that, and would force a rethink, but I’ll leave as is for moment
Is Calumm McGregor a right midfielder ? Not in my eyes
Henderson and Biton are natural centres
And what about all other players and positions in the stats you quote
I really need to go and get prepared, now got Doc to collect
Hail Hail
lymmbhoy
11:05 on 26 October, 2014
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Good version
The bhoys are excellant. Wrote some great stuff.
TD67
The new pools office location, next to shop :-)
See you there
hail hail
blantyretim is praying for the Knox family
11:12 on
26 October, 2014
Captainmoonlight
cc with usual bunch.
st columbas viewpark was busy at 9am thismorning, tohg just picking mini up as I type..
=====================================================
I’ll do my usual and go and say hello to the big man before the game, take care mo chara.
Away furra shower then coffee fag,fag….
needtochuckitCSC
HH
I have been a supporter of our manager (still am) but if the reports are true that he doesn’t fancy young Henderson, I worry about his idea of a football player. Henderson, like Biton, imo, is such. A lot, lot better, again imo, than folk like Mulgrew who looked utterly lost on Thursday,
I used to meet an old friend of mine from Canada there, john Donnelly, same name as mine, from moodiesburn, he sadly passed on last Thursday night, was one of the original members of the Bramalea Celtic Supporters Club, a good Tim, and may he rest in peace.
cowiebhoy
Brown at RB is not a good idea
Sorry, meant RM, but you knew that.
If I’m good at predicting anything, it is that Ronny will stick with 2 CMs today, keeping his 4-2-3-1, or possibly going 4-4-2. He’s the classic example of ‘my way or the highway’ type managers, unlike Lenny, who was willing to change if it helped get results.
Regardless of my issues with Ronny, I’ll be impressed if we get a convincing win today. Games following European matches are always tricky, so if he gets a good result, it’ll go a long way towards disproving his critics (me included).
BT
ACGR just called me cheers for trying .
HH
Just watching engerrlish highlights.
Sunderland are awful.
Poyet looks like he’s gonna take someones head off. Cant blame him.
cowiebhoy
11:15 on 26 October, 2014
TD67
The new pools office location, next to shop :-)
See you there
I come in from the Gallowgate end, and our time is usually very tight, maybe some day but ;)
hail hail
CowieBhoy, nae Bannockburn CSC bus for a league game at CP!?!?!??!?!?
When was the last time that happened.
Thanks for the lift.
Tony Donnelly, come round for a blether, it’s a friendly place, although wet and windy today.
There’s usually a couple of dozen CQN’rs.
Right am offski lads, enjoy the game, hail hail. ;)
BT
Check your mail .
HH
Cowiebhoy, where does the Bannockburn CSC bus go from? I get over 3/4 times a year and stay in Stirling. My grandson and grand daughter go to St Mary’s PS in Bannockburn.