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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Celtic need a leader on the pitch.
Brown is past his sell by date.
He is not a leader.
I watched him in Malmo last year and lamented. Last night was more of the same from him.
Unbelievably….The part-time Imps from Gibraltar will fancy their chances at CP.
And i would not write off that possibility at all.
Car crash waiting to happen.
If the PLC take the view, that we need to qualify before they will release any funds.
What’s really changed?
Still gambling on CL qualification with a woeful squad.
Its stupidity.
When will they learn?
HH
ron67 on 13th July 2016 3:05 pm
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 13TH JULY 2016 2:59 PM
Guys…I think we still know our players better than Brendan…so give the guy a real chance to catch up…
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I don’t go along with that. Top managers have an encyclopedic knowledge of the European game and as a club that has supplied a number of quality players to the EPL in recent years we will be on their radar. Not to mention that Brendan is a Celtic man and since his appointment has been poring over old footage, with a trained eye, there is no excuse for not knowing the limitations of Ambrose et al.
Which, incidentally, I’m sure he did, but still believed we would be fine last night. I’m sure most of us would have went along with that pre-match.
What he does need time for, though, is to shape the squad and make it HIS team.
HH
We were always going to struggle given that the Red Imps are already half way through their season: For the many hotel and restaurant workers in their squad, the season runs May-September.
WEEBOBBYCOLLINS on 13TH JULY 2016 3:10 PM
Ron67…he’s got to see things for himself…JK can only give BR his personal opinion on players’ ability and mentality…
What about all those hours of previous footage from last season that BR has viewed with his coaching staff ,good and bad, does that not count or does it have to be viewed live to be believed .
TBB
Seemingly, Hungarian Fish Fryers and various Albanian Shepherds, fancy their chances now:)
HH
Last season there was plenty of talk that a clique of senior players ruled the roost. They didn’t rate Ronny and disliked JC. So getting them to perform as a team to the best of their abilities was nigh on impossible.
The belief amongst most of us was that Brendan would command respect; that his presence would motivate, inspire and unite a disjointed and lacklustre squad. His backroom staff are reknowned for meticulous planning, for studying every detail of every game, of knowing the strengths and weaknesses of every player – ours and the opposition`s. We would be a better team just by being managed by a much better manager. New signings would lift us to a different level and back to being a good team to watch and a hard team to beat.
So after several weeks of coaching, planning and preparing for CL football, Brendan sent out the same sorry group of players that had let the club down so badly last season bar 2 changes. All that studying of a season’s worth of DVDs saw the manager hand the same bunch of misfits the task of getting us off to a winning start against amateur opposition. A game that should have been a sign of things to come, a bright new dawn and a positive step towards the 20 million CL promised land turned into a shame game that was all of our own making. Our most effective player played out of position. Our most talented player left on the bench. Our worst player given another start at the heart of our defence.
I was genuinely gobsmacked that last night’s team were so poor. As poor as anything we had seen under RD. Where was the fabled bounce effect that a new manager is supposed to create? The improvement that simply comes about because players are desperate to show they are worth hanging on to? The evidence that fresh new ideas and tactics were being implemented?
Today Brendan Rogers will fully understand the size of the task he has taken on. If he is the leader we think and hope he is then changes will be dramatic and ruthless. The alternative doesn’t bear thinking about.
Maybe a job swap system would be helpful.
We could swap Scott Brown for a wee Corisican farmer, or swap Craig Gordon for a Milanese plasterer.
Could work:)
HH
We are where we are.
And there is no mystery about how we got here.
From the appointment of PL in late 2003 until 2012 we deployed a dual strategy of downsizing and trying, not always successfully, to do just enough to keep ahead of THEM.
From 2012 until now, we have continued downsizing and tried, with limited success, doing just enough to keep ahead of the dross that is Scottish football.
A few weeks ago, faced with thousands of bumless seats, we pushed the boat out and employed a manager of perceived stature.
This strategy achieved short term success in boosting SB sales.
However, Rodgers cannot make silk purses out of sows ears.
If PL cannot, or simply will not provide Brendan with substantial funds, we will still be where we are when next season comes around.
Lets see the 15 Million.
HH
THE BATTERED BUNNET on 13TH JULY 2016 3:15 PM
We were always going to struggle given that the Red Imps are already half way through their season: For the many hotel and restaurant workers in their squad, the season runs May-September.
I take it that they are paid the minimum wage in both their occupations.
Regardless of high temperatures, poor pitch, piss poor strip last night, no matter how you cut it was a total embarrassment.
If Ronnie had picked that team last night he would be getting roasted alive on here today. Just saying like.
Football does throw up freak results. We were shite last night but we still had 75% possession, had a good goal chalked off and hit the woodwork twice. The pitch was pure shite and it is relevant to comment on it. The Imps know every strand of fibre, they play every single game there, they expect the unexpected bounce.
Lets suspend judgement till the tie is settled, if we lose the tie let all the fire & brimstone pour down.
So far we have suffered no material loss, we are still in every competition and have not dropped a League point.
I remain totally confident that we will recover from this, and will motor on to have a very good season.
Stay calm for f**k sake.
I’m hoping the players will be desperate for revenge at Parkhead.
We should be putting Lustig at CB for the rest of the qualifiers. We should be getting Gunter in as early as possible.
CORKCELT
What do you mean?
We are calm:)
HH
Why, when I go on to CQN am I being subjected to pop ups which hardly constitute family viewing?
When you get down to the brass tacks, the biggest positive imo is that BR has to get this right, if he fails he will struggle to get half decent employment down south.
Dermo wanted him so I would hope he will back him.
Q
I got them today as well.
Can’t recall the site but it’s on news now, Football Insider maybes, got them on CQN today and that is with an add blocker.
HH
Q and TET,
Just got very same today, even though I have AD blocker runnning.
TET
I have the ads on this site on my computer for the first time ever.
Is it a punishment for losing last night?
Oh, by the bye, I second the suggestion of playing Scot Allen. At least, he sees and tries to play the killer pass. I would give Christie another shot, along with Henderson and Roberts.
Not read back but just had a nightmare thought.
See everybody saying that next week v the Red Imps is gonny be 4-0 or 5-0?
Are they taking into account that they will presumably have had 2 days off their work unlike before last night ?
In terms of a Celtic team, I would play the same 11 as last night – including Ambrose – and tell them that they can get themselves out the mess they created.
Or else.
SFTB
Sounds about right :-)
HH
In terms of a Celtic team, I would play the same 11 as last night – including Ambrose – and tell them that they can get themselves out the mess they created.
Or else.
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Squire
Ok I’ll ask – or else what?!
Previous poor performance is no guarantee of future improved performance, even if Ambrose has already made his mistake for this month
HH
Advice to new managers on entering the dressing room was – “Remember these players are the reason the last guy got sacked”
Brian Clough
How many assists does Scott Allen have for Celtic and is he the new Paddy McCourt if only he had game time etc etc.
Don’t sell Scott Allen, Scotty Allen etc etc…
They probably watched the game on saturday and said look how much they panic when balls are played directly down the middle.
Until Ajer and O Connell came on that was certainly true.
Brown and Bitton gave no service to the front on saturday so they also knew not to worry when they had the ball as they offered zero forward threat.
Griff wide on the right got no service at all so imps knew to leave him out there as he would not get ball until they had 10 men back.
All of these things were so apparent with that line up on saturday.
Why did the coaches not or refuse to see it?
In the pre season we only showed up when the younger guys played.
They showed forward movement and energy which is something those chosen last night did not.
Time for coach to be brave and ruthless.
Hope that Efe and Bitton are never seen in a Celtic shirt again.
For the guys mulling over contract offers?Rogic.Mulgrew and SJ GET RID!!!
We need commitment and heart.
Bliss . Beach.38 degrees .Beach bar / sit in cyclists corner/drink a large caffè freddo and a litre of water.Watch the Tour..Today’s average speed -45kph.Quick !
Summertime -way down south.
Surely B Rodgers can Twiki this team into something outer galactical.
MWD
Corkcelt –
Well said.
Its the football culture in Scoddland.
Where you see your captain slumped outside a kebab shop, rotten drunk and eating a kebab.
Im sure that is inspiring to the younger players.
When your time is up….its up.
Brendan needs to change the culture throughout the club.
Be ruthless Brendan, because if you dont, these same players who chucked it under Ronny, will do so again.
Remove the fear….now.
HH
Auld Tam
Were you addressing your earlier point to me with regards your reference to Paul67 being blamed?
MWD
OVERSEASBHOY on 13TH JULY 2016 2:34 PM
Good analysis of our squad and game in the Jeff Colby website – tend to agree Sevco will beat us in midfield again unless we change personnel.
*aye ok Roy, time you went the same way as Dale and Trigger.
AULD TAM on 13TH JULY 2016 3:54 PM
Corkcelt –
Well said.
*me tae
Starry Plough
To be fair to Allan he has hardly been given playing time.
And when he has it’s usually out of position on the left.
I don’t know if he is better than those picked regularly.
he does play some higher risk passes so probably concedes possession more than the backwards and sideways chancers occupying the midfield now.
I would like him to get a run out in his proper central berth before he is judged.
Only thing that could have made last night worse was if they were Blue Imps.
MWD
Last night’s game was a reminder of the slow sideway dont take a risk possession football played under RD, the last game of last season Celtic played with a freedom and attacking zest without SB and NB to me these two provide nothing defensively and offensively and are the main failing of this midfield , I dont think BR will change both at the same time but he must realise we need to change and my change if SB is not fit would be to leave him out ,if both are match fit I would leave out NB
CORKCELT on 13TH JULY 2016 3:29 PM
On the button
67ECW