The plan for central defence this season was clear. Carl Starfelt would be allowed to leave, and Maik Nawrocki and Gustaf Lagerbielke would be signed. Liam Scales would return to Aberdeen on either a loan or permanent basis. Stephen Welsh and Yuki Kobayashi were not expected to play significant roles.
Before August was out, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Nawrocki, Welsh and Kobayashi were all injured. Celtic dropped their first points of the season at home to St Johnstone, with Scales and Lagerbielke in a shaky looking central defence. We anticipated a difficult time the following week at Ibrox.
Against St Johnstone, Liam Scales was caught in the headlights when defending a couple of over-the-top balls that forced him to turn back and clear. One which came late in the game could have resulted in the visitors leaving with all three points. On moments like this, careers can turn.
Newco were watching. One week later, they tried the same tactic against Liam, but he was ready for it. To be fair to Newco, Celtic were a bit deeper than they were against St Johnstone, so they had less space to aim for behind the defender. This allowed Liam to attack several of the attempts to turn him, or simply clear if the ball fell behind him.
He played every minute of our Champions League games but partnered Carter-Vickers, Welsh, Lagerbielke, Phillips and even Iwata during the campaign. Now, he is without doubt our first choice to partner Carter-Vickers, no matter who else is available.
Importantly, he is left footed, on receipt of the ball he can open the game up more naturally than Starfelt, who played left last season but preferred his right. Left footed defenders are rarer and therefore more valuable than the more common alternative.
By the summer, he will be 26 years old. He is not the finished article, like Carter-Vickers, and he doesn’t bring the ball forward, like Kris Ajer, but he is a better defender and less error-prone than Kris.
Were it not for how reliant the manager has become on him in the middle, he may have plugged gaps on the left. At this age, Liam is running out of developmental road but he is entering the peak five years of his career. Given a fair wind, his partnership with Cameron could sustain for a few years to come. There is no surprise Celtic have opened talks on extending his contract.
253 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- »
Sheep game 2 3
Eye on thecprize. Eberhthing else is noise.
Its our league to fk up.
Aberdeen 2
Murderwell 3.
I see the clock has slowed down considerably since Ross County equalised.
Good to see Ross County bursting the bubble but……… I have no expectation that we will be top of the league tonight.
But if we are.. we are in no better or worse position than we were before this game. It’s all still to play for
https://news.sky.com/story/multiple-people-hit-by-shots-fired-near-kansas-city-chiefs-super-bowl-parade-13071785
News from Kansas saying shots fired at Kansas City Chiefs Superbowl win parade- shocking country with guns. Just pass a law tomorrow saying no Yank is fit to carry a gun
BT Sport with their box ticking exercise on commentary again this evening.
Astonishing 5 mins of injury time.
When is Pen due ?. 🤣
Arming terrorist statelets in the Middle East is all good though.
5 minutes added at Poundland, for no reason……other than….
Huns up 2-1 45+5
And as if by magic…..45+5 minutes
Oh well, at least some on here will be happy.
Who is the hun mub?
Mib
5th minute of non existent injury time
Gained thanks to clement being in the 4th officials ear about it for 45 minutes. He might be a big clown but he is a passionate one who seems to be up for the fight.
Not sure we ever see our managers as demonstrative or passionate.
Muir
Bada
Clement was in the officials ear for 45 mins about it. I wish our guys did that.
That was huge.
They would have been under real pressure at Half Time and the crowd were getting restless.
Dessybhoy
Thanks.
Muir is a wrong un
How did der hun get 5 mins added time… was there a prolonged injury?
btw – NOT ONE INJURY IN THE FIRST HALF. 5 Mins added bcoz clement complains when county take their time at shys and by kicks – If that is Celtic – 1min added if any!
Cheating hurting cheating bassas
The huns must like a shot!!!…20 in first half
Burnley – different game for our manager.
If he’s in the MIBS ear for an extra 5 minutes, he’ll end up with 5 seconds. Say nothing and’ he’ll get 2 mins 30.
45+5 Goal- Dessers
Assist- Muir
Has there ever been five mins added time, in a first half SPL match, without a prolonged injury sustained during?
“Oh well, at least some on here will be happy.”
Go on! Name them.
WBC,
I was just about to post the same question.
TIMMY7_NOTED on 14TH FEBRUARY 2024 8:54 PM
WBC,
I was just about to post the same question
————-
I also wondered who he was on about
Dandy Dons 3
Murderwell 3
here’s a classic example of when Celtic should call out the officials for cheating – where in the rules is 5mins added when there was not a single injury. its an absolute joke and we are a joke if we dont ask for explanation!
GREENPINATA on 14TH FEBRUARY 2024 8:57 PM
TIMMY7_NOTED on 14TH FEBRUARY 2024 8:54 PM
WBC,
I was just about to post the same question
————-
I also wondered who he was on about
————————
Vinniethedog was counting the shots der hun had at goal?
Oh well, guessing Warnock was ahead of Rednapp and Alerdyce 😂
Goodnight all
I fear muir is not finished with his assistance of sevco.
Not a lot of time for Warnock as a bloke but his track record is very good. Comfortably the 3rd best manager in the SPFL (which might say more about the SPFL)
GEEBEE1978
Sure I seen warnock asking his assistant what happened when the sheep were at the other side of the field against the huns……
Indeed a damning indictment of the spl mangers, or a damning indictment of your opinion of a 75 year old half blind man….