I’m not going to say I saw this coming, I didn’t see defeat, but when I wrote a couple of days ago that you and I have seen a lot more games like Celtic’s away to Lincoln Red Imps than Brendan Rodgers, and about European football in July, I knew this one was never going to play out in a triumphant manner.
On the first day he was appointed I asked one of you to compile Brendan an Efe highlights video – I assume we were all busy. God love Efe, he’s a fine man by all accounts, but he’s three years into a slump which is not going to end at Celtic. Brendan must now be aware. It’s no longer Efe’s fault if he costs us again.
I also made the point previewing this game that we can’t expect a squad comprising only one addition to last season’s group to perform remarkably different in qualification than a year ago. In this sense, Celtic performed as expected, this one had all the hallmarks of our recent Icelandic ventures.
The manager may not be embarrassed at the result (I suspect he might sound different privately) but many supporters are. Gibraltar has a population similar to Bellshill, but without the football heritage and support mechanism. Would defeat to Bellshill Athletic be embarrassing? You bet. Yesterday’s result was too.
We are woefully slow in build-up and have only one player in the squad who can create the 7 or 8 chances per game needed to get a result, and he’s 33 next month and currently injured.
We remain strong favourites to qualify for the next round but there is an enormous amount of work to be done in the next month. This is not a Champions League squad.
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Afternoon Timland from a very, very hot hun free mountain valley.
Was hoping that last nights result would just pass the village by, Pedro the postie this morning takes great delight in telling me that he had never heard of Lincon Red Imps, but he sure has now, winker.
Silk purse, sows ear n awe that, it just can’t be done.
I have said on here for years now that the players we have can’t have everything, some may be good at some things and visa versa, but if they are playing for us presently……
They are not mentally capable end of, and some can’t even pass a ball to a team mate consistancly, it’s shocking for so called pros to be this bad.
WTF do they do at training all day, well it’s not all day, it’s half a day, a major problem for a kick off, they can’t control a ball, they can’t tackle, they can’t pass to a team mate and yet they only train for a few short hours, something far wrong there IMO.
TET
Get me in the team:)
I would have halved that Imps CF in two….and then, ran up the park and scored.
Followed by a scuffle with the Imps fans.
Sent off…but with a defiant headbutt before i left the park.
Id rather fight than lose:)
Where is the fight for the jersey?
HH
COSY CORNER BHOY ,
For you Tommy the war ist over.
Bertelsmann’s still going very strong along with Miele. I live next to the Stadt Park in Englischestrasse.
If you were attached to the RAF you will know PRB or the Flughafen as it is termed by the locals. PRB closes at the end of the month and I finish there with my last act as closing down the dental centre.
You didn’t have to out BMCUW, we already knew he was a hun ;-)
TGM
Ha
Guys like Broonie have heart and fight but that’s all, that alone disny win you game, a smattering of skill helps :-)
When BR was given the job I was happy enough in the sense that he was an upgrade on Ronny, but I didn’t have any illusions or delusions that the signing policy would change, I said so at the time and was ridiculed for it, I was told that he would have full control of the players in and out, well if that was the case the first to go would have been the coaching staff, they are still there weilding their influence.
I have hopes for Brendan, but not with the present playing staff.
HH
Brendan might not be embarrassed but i certainly am – gibraltar part-timers for goodness sake.
Where do you start with the players – too many not up to it under Ronnie and still not under Brendan.
Honeymoon well and truly over Brendan – time to earn your wonga.
The most disappointing thing is that last night was predictable.
And for that the blame lies with coaching
The players performed exactly as they had last season and in last two friendlies.
How the coaches thought that last night they would magically transform into a unit is baffling.
Nir Bitton has been our issue for so long.
He is the grand disruptor.
Consistently wrong side of his opponent,can’t tackle or make a forward pass and poor positionally yet is given the pivotal role.
How we play when he is in that role is not surprising.
Brown has energy but no creativity.
So our central area offered no protection and zero threat.
Remind me what they are there for again?
I have faith in Brendan and hope last night was a message to the board to back him because if that team was chosen for other reasons we are in trouble.
Amazed Lawwell. Has come out so quickly to appease fans and show leadership…. That’s not even funny .. Or possible.
We all know that.
TET
Yeah….cant blame Brendan for this result.
Woeful recruiting policy of Peter
There is no creative hub…..all hack defensive midfielders.
Side to side and back again.
No heart, no guts, no skill.
The same set of players who have disgraced the jersey….yet again.
Surely most of them will go.
Craig Gordon….not for me, no steel
Brown and Bitton cannot command the midfield.
40 goal Leigh Griff…..is not a winger, that particular decision was unwise to say the least.
As for Efe…..What can you say?
HH
Cultsbhoy
I thought we wanted pistol pete to keep out of footballing matters.
Is John Kennedy PL’s Placemen in the new regime? Sympathy can only go so far.
FAN-A-TIC
agree re Bitton -I always imagine that he is looking after his opta stats – number of passes completed etc. No creativity – I have seen crabs with more forward movement.
Dropping him would be a good start
Bada
you mat be right about JK but he can only work with what he’s given – VVD didn’t turn out too bad
Sun’s come out – Grandsons to entertain
We all have our views on individual players and they differ. However critically there is near consensus on the team. The team are universally rated as poor.
As for the individuals I suspect some of them could be good players in other teams but only a few and that number is diminishing with time.
There’s the rub….
Opportunities that we have previously enjoyed to punt and start again are unlikely to materialise…
That’s the ultimate end game when you play the Lawwell Park game – particularly when you are not very good at it. Also the ceiling for SPFL players is static or possibly dropping, meanwhile the market is pulling away from you.
Time for fresh leadership and strategy or as sure as eggs are eggs we will be having the same chat next year at this time just as we have the last few summers.
Anyone feel like countering that? Any Lawwell lovers left? Even P67 is now conceding there’s been a major f*** up by our Board. That’s a worrying sign…..
Has it been officially stated the JK is our “defensive ” coach, sounds a bit Yankee to me, he’s a junior member of the coaching staff is he not???
If last night came as a surprise to Brendan, realising how poor we can be with quite a few shite-bags in the team, let’s make sure we supporters don’t let him down next week. Support the manager, stay in Europe and give him time.
Play Griff and Moussa in a traditional No 9 and No 10 role.
Paddy playing behind them.
Buy a proper wide man for supply.
Buy a creative midfielder.
How difficult is that ffs
HH
A thoroughly depressing horror show. Awful.
Here’s my most recent post, which is a light-hearted distraction https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/07/11/two-hats-dave/
CL transfer deadline for NEXT SEASON (2017) is 374 days away.
DoSayWeDidntWarnYou CSC
GENE
Far to many modern midfielders looking at opta stats.
Sick of hearing about guy with 97% pass completion rate.
Watch them and realise that most are 2 yds sideways or back.
Ki at one time had highest completion rate in EPL yet was not even a regular.
Is it something that we at Celtic teach?
Allan has never been given a lot of game time since signing perhaps because he does try to make forward diagonal passes that have a lower completion rate.
Cautious coaching led to the drab spectacle that was the Euros.
To many opta midfielders on show.
P67,
Commons is the answer…..no…..investment…..mibbe
FTSFA
H H
TLT Agree Commons if fit must play, even if he only plays one half.
I think its obvious, that if Brendan doesnt change the whole culture at CP, never mind the playing staff. We are in for bad times.
He must be shocked.
However, he must be ruthless, no room for sentiment.
I wouldnt be confident of the current team beating anybody, never mind the mighty Imps….seriously.
The players have lost the plot.
HH
Atrocious. How can anyone defend last night. I forecast a draw but was still shocked by lack of effort from almost every player and the management. RD shpould have gone after malmo farce. The board again say they wont buy players till they see if they qualify for CL.. Even though they know the squad has not been good enough to qualify for the last 3 -4 years. Got lucky 3 years ago. At latest RD should have gon at Xmas to let new manager get in players to win treble and settle for CL . Every fan knows how bad Ambrose and Brown are. bitton need s a rocket up his arse and playing LG on wing does not give me any confidence in BR. Insane decision. James Forrest? on left wrong wing.. Bin even to reserves /stand Brown, Ambrose, Forrest. They kill the team. Get rid of Johansona dn Bitton if any bids come in. buy a hard midfielder and centre half. And a young hungry centre forward. Almost zero chance of qualifying for CL.. we plan to fail… and if signings are not made we will lose next round and be out of EL too
“Mark Viduka has signed for Bayern – I’ve seen the contract”.
Hugh Keevans
If Brendan Rodgers didn’t know the task in front of him, he does now,and will also realise that he faces a very hostile media, anxious to sell newspapers on the back of Celtic’s misfortunes.
By coming to Celtic, Brendan has put his reputation on the line big style.
In England, despite the pressure, you can drift along mid table, keep your team safe, get to a cup semi, and earn £2/3 m per annum.
At Celtic, the rules are different, and there is no middle ground
Whilst I don’t like seeing us getting beat, there is a complacency in our club, which needs a major jolt every few years to provoke change.
Getting humped pre season by Arsenal in 1987, The ICT result, the recent new team result,the Artmedia result, and many more served as wake up calls..
It must be patently clear to Brendan that the team needs surgery – Efe is a liability, Mikel is injury prone, Rogic flatters to deceive, Biton is either complacent or lacking confidence, Forrest has lost his way (hopefully recoverable) and then we have our captain.
Broony has served us well, but if his dressing room speeches are similar to his press conferences, then he will come across to other players as one dimensional, and not the brightest. Players will leave his team talks thing ‘I’ve heard this crap before’.
Further, I suspectin a season he will struggle to play more than 6/8 games at a high level (Europe/ Scotland), and 15 /20 in the league .
Maybe switch him to right back, where he could do a decent job.
Finally, I wouldn’t have Charlie Mulgrew in a world 11, but, unless he is long term crocked, get him re-signed to get us thro the CL group, whilst we assess other options (Simo, Boyo , New Signing)
Unfortunately we are now living in interesting times.
Number of elements in play here that are starting to get out of control.
BR doesn’t rate the squad.
The support don’t rate the squad.
Who do we have that we want to keep and be part of a real CFC team?
Real CFC team is competitive in the CL group stages and not out of place in the Last 16 / QF’s.
Consequently everybody is up for sale.
And the squad know it so why put in a shift to start a necessary revolution that you will not be part of — after last night the answer looks like NC and that is all.
My thoughts are build a team around TR.
He is the one recognised star that we currently have.
Aus is going to build their NT around him for the next 5 years so he has something.
Not sure BR agrees.
This could get messy.
I am somewhat bemused by all these forecasts of a ‘comfortable’ win against the Imps next week.
Yes, the pitch will be better but that could mean the opposition might play better too.
It will certainly be cooler and they’ll like that also.
I’m hoping we thrash them but not counting any chickens just yet.
Pog knew the flug well First civvy to play for an RAF station in 63-64 won interservice league and RAF Germany …. I played with 10 good players :)
Have to say last night brought home how shallow the squad is. Not sure Shane Duffy is the greatest defender but he never stops communicating with those around him. Last night’s performance lacked any shape. We’ve signed a lot of players similar in profile to Christie over the last few years as opposed to a few proven performers and now surprise surprise we have a lot of lightweights who can’t step up against a team of amateurs. I personally am very embarrassed having promoted the wonder of Celtic to those I have met throughout my nearly 50 years. Carl Muggleton and Andy Peyton would have done better last night IMHO. Hail Hail.
“This is a worser Celtic squad than Wayne Biggins and Wee Luigi Macari ”
Pure Hyperbole CSC
BNXUWP: You could never be a Hun Tims from Kilwinning know the difference…. No point in being a prophet in your own land!!
Get Mike Galloway back! Well at least a modern version. Or give SA a chance and LH . SB is completely finished. Same happened with Hartley. Just suddenly could not play football
Absolutely gutted..again. Average Players, no heart, poor skills, no team spirit, wont play for the jersey etc etc.. all true about the majority of this team. But when you think of it that result and the piss poor ones to come are inevitable. I mean that bunch of charlatans obviously are aware of what everyone thinks of them and they surely know that the manager has his eye on them ready to pump some of them. So why o why would they bother to try and help Celtic get into the CL. They know that as soon as we qualify there is the (slim) chance they will get the punt and maybe get replaced with better? players .. they must be thinking..just sit tight, don’t get injured and collect the dosh till they get the bullit. Nobody is going to come in for them and we cant / wont sell at a great loss.. we can’t afford good replacements. These Turkeys aint goin to work hard to get into the CL.. thats a vote for an early Christmas.
New name!
A very low point, and a huge embarrassment but not a disaster on the scale of artmedia
We’ll go through next week and find ourselves in exactly the position we were in before the game – with a squad that will struggle to get by decent opposition in the next two rounds unless we buy well. We’d all hoped for an immediate reaction from the players like we saw when Mon took over, Brendan may be a more technical coach and we’ll see the effects of his coaching in time but he needs to sharpen up his motivational skills m to drag us over the line.
Next week we will really see a 10 man defence, all they need to do is protect their lead. Do we have the players to unlock k that defence? I’m not sure now.
Play Scott Allan ffs.
Someone who actually thinks about a killer pass when he gets the ball at his feet.
Like, what have we got to lose with htis current collection of impostors who pussied it at Hampden and pussied it last night.
Any time they don’t fancy it – every crunch game last season – they hide.
Celtic players my arse. Straw men stealing jerseys.