There’s some fresh enthusiasm in Lanarkshire this morning with the appointment of Englishman Ian Baraclough as Motherwell manager. Baraclough had a couple of successful years with Sligo Rovers from 2012-14, winning their first title in decades, before things fell apart this year, but his role as a scout for Huddersfield over the last six months is likely to interest Motherwell as much.
Motherwell directors have had a long-term tradition when looking for a manager of saying they want someone ‘plugged into’ the scouting and agent network. This game is all about the right contacts, you don’t get to acquire a promising Blackburn Rovers reserve (as Motherwell once did), but this particular activity is also very competitive.
The small matter of how to deploy players is, of course, equally important, but if you’re Motherwell, Celtic or Barcelona, that call is a shot in the dark.
I watched newco Rangers for the first time last night, although I ended up watching a lot more Queen of the South than I expected. The latter, each of them journeymen, were excellent, the former were symptomatic of everything that’s wrong with comfortably well-off footballers. Newco’s medium-term future, if they have one, will be to spend the next few years building a self-sustaining lower league club, capable of winning promotion and remaining a top-flight football team thereafter.
Get along to Celtic Park early tomorrow, Davie Hay will be signing copies of Caesar & the Assassin in the Superstore. If you ask him nicely he’s promised to sign your CQN Annual too. Don’t forget your camera!
Also remember to look out for the Foundation bucketeers as you approach the ground or enter the turnstiles. My boys and me will be at the North Stand, turnstiles 1-13, say hello if you’re around.
Thanks to everyone who donated to Mary’s Meals yesterday, the response was overwhelming. Emails went out this morning to winners of the Magners’ tickets.
You can order your CQN Annual here, or get a special Annual-DVD bundle here.
As a special offer, everyone who buys an Annual, or bundle, before Christmas will be entered into a prize draw for a VIP Meal of 4 at a Celtic Park restaurant on a match day. One entry for each Annual bought; pile in.
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Celtic Centenary top was the greatest football jersey of all time, bar none. Even better still, the goalkeeper’s rig is still the best that I have ever seen.
Powerful.
Thanks for posting that cup final picture yesterday Roy C.
HH.
Would like to see Ronny find a way of playing Scepovic and Guidetti together for a few games. Playing Guidetti wide instead of Stokes would bring pace plus goal potential on both flanks. Give Fisher a start at RB in the absence of Lustig and hope Denayer or Mulgrew is fit to partner VvD.
We will be be sticking with the 4-2-3-1 …
Gordon
Fisher Denayer(or Mulgrew) VvD Izzy
Brown Bitton
Forrest Johansen Guidetti
Scepovic
Subs Zaluska Griffiths, Commons, Stokes, Matthews, Ambrose, Henderson
Sipsini
Then it wormed it’s way under the keeper.
:o|
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B3HiHAfCcAABNkD.jpg:large
16 roads a classic right enough
HH
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B2-sUE1IgAEizoo.jpg:large
Naka’s back…
HH
embramike
Would like to see Ronny find a way of playing Scepovic and Guidetti together for a few games. Playing Guidetti wide instead of Stokes would bring pace plus goal potential on both flanks. Give Fisher a start at RB in the absence of Lustig and hope Denayer or Mulgrew is fit to partner VvD.
We will be be sticking with the 4-2-3-1 …
=================
I’ve always seen Ronny’s preferred line up as 4321 (i know pedantic) but thats why calls for 2 up front will never happen. We’ll play one up top always, with 2 players either side (wingers or strikers converted as “wingers” ala Stokes).
I don’t know if Guidetti can play anywhere but up top.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B23g-IZCYAAyKXc.jpg:large
Love this picture
HH
Shortbread waking up to the – they should maybe have rebuilt with youth , perhaps ally should have had more youth instead of his high wage cronnie mates – hell mend them
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B2rJgUqIUAEn58M.jpg:large
Beating St Mirren
HH
roy croppie
17:42 on 13 December, 2014
——————————————-
Far too good mate.
HH.
the_huddle
In all Europe’s top league and competitions teams set up the 4-2-3-1 formation and it is also Ronny’s preference – two holding midfield players and three attacking midfielders.
Of the 2 holding midfield players, one is the tackler (Broony) and one sets up play (Bitton). Johanson is more mobile and effective in the central midfield role going forward (and scoring) and so currently keeps KC out of the team.
Many teams play with a goal scorer out wide (Real Madrid and Barcelona classic examples) and the extra space might create more chances for JG coming across the penalty area.
IMHO – HH
I think that would be our best line up, with current personnel.
And I’d play a back four no point your full backs who can’t cross kidding on they are wingers and blocking the space for your footballers
Watched the match on Thursday night in the Felons with Jimtim. Sorry about the result but glad you got back safe Jim.
Always good to put faces to blog names.
HH fhriend
Cowiebhoy
I am surfing way above Doc :-)
I see McGregor is your new Sammi :-)
HH
CRC
P’s Roy Croppie you are a legend sir.
embramike
In all Europe’s top league and competitions teams set up the 4-2-3-1 formation and it is also Ronny’s preference – two holding midfield players and three attacking midfielders.
Of the 2 holding midfield players, one is the tackler (Broony) and one sets up play (Bitton). Johanson is more mobile and effective in the central midfield role going forward (and scoring) and so currently keeps KC out of the team.
Many teams play with a goal scorer out wide (Real Madrid and Barcelona classic examples) and the extra space might create more chances for JG coming across the penalty area.
IMHO – HH
——–
To me that’s a 433, Real play a 433 despite how they swing it :o)
Crazy stats i was looking at today about Real. Plus 65 goal difference in all comps.
Ronaldo scored 32 in 23 games, on course to score 66 if he keeps this rate up.
We need someone tracking back to make the midfield defensive duo a trio.
When that doesn’t happen we get over run .
CRC, aye, so ye ur!!!
AnitherRoasterCSC
corkcelt
18:07 on 13 December, 2014
We need someone tracking back to make the midfield defensive duo a trio.
When that doesn’t happen we get over run .
——–
Yep that’s why I don’t see us as a 4231 playing Johanson makes us 3 in midfield playing Commons doesn’t.
Whether Yes or No, it’s all becoming very boring bhoys – it was 3 months ago ! Let’s talk footie and have a laugh. Newsnight is for politics if you don’t want to discuss the Celts
Corkcelt, that is why Johansen is good at that position, he has the engine to get back and make the 2 a 3 when needed.
I like him in that position.
Only 6 more sleeps to the next sevco game.
Roy croppie,
Superb pics, thanks.
Would love to see a Henderson-Bitton axis get a run – at some point.
Hoping Stefan gets a run also….
HH
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4v8Mh-CYAEpLGI.jpg:large
Happy Bhoys
HH
thanks for the comments ghuys YNWA
rwe,
Nice come backs…:))
the_huddle @ 18:06
If you have wide men like Real i.e. Ronaldo and Bale who play off Benzema, or Barcelona’s Suarez and Neymar playing off Messi, plus the quality of their midfield players, then I agree it’s a 4-3-3.
We, and most clubs, don’t have that quality (I wish !). I feel where Ronny may have got it slightly wrong has been playing with 2 out and out wingers which puts real pressure on the midfield who then tend to get overrun.
Wide men must be willing to track back and challenge when the full backs overlap. This is where McGregor, Stokes, Tonev and Wakasso tend to fall down.
Using one true wide man (Forrest ?) plus a goalscorer (Guidetti ?) on the other wing coming in off a bigger striker (Scepovic ?) balances the team more.
Again just my opinion
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4lqHTtCUAE2Y91.jpg:large
Was at this game as a wide eyed 10 yr old; Kenny got pelters…
HH
The huddle..,
Are you mental ?
Drap Stokesy ?
Heid full a mince mhan )
Hi Roy.saw your PIC of Celtic park front door.
The stained glass”Celtic football club” is still inside,in the boardroom or somewhere. I remember seeing it
Embramike,
Stokesy doesn’t fall down to no man
Like it or lump it he is what he is and plays for the club that’s open to all, including masons apparently :)
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
18:26 on 13 December, 2014
The huddle..,
Are you mental ?
Drap Stokesy ?
Heid full a mince mhan )
—
Wash your mouth out no one said drop Stokes :o)
Roy@18.25
Was at that game as well. Song of choice ,from what I can remember, was” Kennys an OB”.
At least it wasn’t Kennys a dob.
HH
mild mannered Pedro delgado
I remember seeing it on a tour; very iconic. Love it HH
Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire
Genuinely think Stokes has good football skills and a brain, but he is lazy, only tracks back when he has made a mistake, and is quick to blame others.
If he stopped taking corners and tracked back more often when others make mistakes I feel he would make a better contribution.
When Izzy is caught forward, which happens a fair few times, one of the central defenders usually has to come out to cover because Stokes isn’t there. We then lose our defensive shape and create spaces for opposing forwards.
Same can happen on the other wing with Matthews, and in Europe, a porous defence tends to get punished as or Goal Against will show.
This is why Ronny wants players with skill plus engines – when you lose the ball, get back behind it, making if difficult for teams to find space. Teams do it against us regularly making it difficult to break them down and create chances.
the huddle,
Aye, better no, )
gearoid1998
He was my hero before he left; mixed emotions that night but didn’t enjoy the abuse HH
embramike
RD will keep tinkering with players and tactics – a bit more Stein than MON.
The “striker” playing wide berth seems to be Stokes’s at the moment. On occasions it seems like we have a new player as he is forced to be much more mobile, as opposed to just remaining relatively static in the box.
Guidetti would be fearsome in that role, but until all the other variable fall into place (eg Stokes injured/suspended and balance throughout other positions) then I think RD will not move Stokes. Suspect RD would rather have JG in the box because of his strength.
Fisher is a good player but two wee fullbacks would leave us vulnerable on both wings to yon highball. An effective non injury prone fullback is on my Santa list.
Jungle Bhoys
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B4cQCOUCYAAOyBW.jpg:large
HH