There was much to love in yesterday’s win at St Johnstone, so many lessons played out, it was a clear opportunity to learn a bit about the game.
On Tuesday last week, before Leigh Griffiths had kicked a competitive ball this season, I wrote, “Leigh is one of the most natural goal scorers we have seen at Celtic this century. He has natural pace, confidence and an attitude that will not easily be subverted”, and that his campaign “could start as early as Thursday, if we need a goal late in the game.”
In July, after he was left at home while the squad travelled to France, I wrote, “My money is on him scoring the goal that seals the 10.” He is that good a striker you can hang yourself out there and know he will perform.
The header was a dream; watch how he arced his back before thundering the ball inches inside the post. It was an exceptional finish, from an exceptional goal scorer. If you think he is the only player in the squad with baggage, you were not watching carefully enough yesterday, but he has the talent that could be the difference between first and second in the league, and he wants to be here.
I don’t think I have seen a player play on after being scythed in two, as Patryk Klimala was yesterday. Mark him up as another with talent, who wants to be here. Tom Rogic did his part too, but how consequential was Scott Brown’s arrival?
Without Brown on the field, Kristopher Ajer would not have been advanced enough to do a jink on the edge of the St Johnstone area, making space for Hatem Elhamed’s cross. Nor would Shane Duffy be as high up the field to play a short pass to Klimala on the edge of the area.
After the game, Neil Lennon spoke about those throwing stats at his captain, you can see he’s been affected. Suggestions that the manager does not see what tens of thousands of fans see is ludicrous. Stats are a great tool, but they need to be interpreted correctly; some of the best defenders hardly ever touch the ball or tackle, but they can still control a game, while some captains impose a gameplan. Neither attribute shows up well on the stats.
Maybe see you later.
417 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- 8
- 9
- 10
- 11
- »
Windae shut and no outgoings. We have some squad of top quality players this season. Start motoring on 17th October Celtic. We have 5 trophies to win this season.
10 in a row, and a win in my Grandfather’s birthplace Gdansk, would blow my mind.
A man can dream. 😊🍀💚🇵🇱
Good business – kept the keepers and added some decent players – we roll the dice and go fir the ten
Night all
..
The comment was :
“phone it in”, not “phone a friend”.
The Onlooker: 😉😉
Ok Westcraigs who signed him.
JOBO BALDIE on 5TH OCTOBER 2020 10:41 PM
MADMITCH AT 10.31 wrote…
“So far this season our form suggests that we are not going to win the league unless others give it away. Some our play has been so bad that I am now checking the SPL odds.”
At 10.00pm I wrote…
“So, top of the “after 9 games league” and a quite stunning domestic league record throughout 2020 – we have now played 19, won 17 and drawn 2 (a 2-2 draw at Livingston in March and our 1-1 draw at Kilmarnock in August).”
Personally I think that even if the LT was RIFOY some folk would CF to FTFs and just push their OA regardless of the FP. But everyone’s entitled to their Os.
12 more sleeps ;-)
…………………………..
Last paragraph 🤣🤣🤣
Sky sports understands that a number of the very best Cektic players have walked out on the club tonight having been denied their dream moves to Burnley, Blackpool and Bradford.
Their agents lined up together to claim that Kneel Frankl Lemom, scuppered these deals by refusing to listen to the Timternet Fhans, to play them in their favoured positions, regardless of form and injuries, and just demonstrated his lack of tactical knowledge of the game demonstrated by a barely credible 82% win rate since taking over.
Talking of gamesmanship, The Rangers retained Alfredo, the Ninja Dragon Superstar, fighting off interest from Bayern, Borussia, and Barcelona, Morelos saying when growing up First Rangers was the only club I wanted to play for. And the wages on offer at the club made it a difficult decions to leave. He also said Nanos delivery programme via them guys on the scooters was a huge emotional pull to stay in Glasgow.
In other news, Celtic rejects were loanded out or purchased by English clubs notably Barnsley who exploit the failed youth system at the Celtic Academy. Jack Aitchison probably will join Ronnie Glavin and Andy Roberston as those who might have beens.
Meanwhile Mitchy Madness is on TalkRadio about tis European shambles.
second best celtic, seriously ? anyone old enough to remember when we were ?
Best windae ever. Well done Pedro and the Board of Celtic Football Club. Get behind Neil and The Bhoys.
Celts United can never be defeated.
Business suits on Celtic. Starting wi the Ibrox tribute act.
Onwards and Upwards Celtic.
Meanwhile Gerrard finally gets his man,reports joyous SMSM.Signed from 2nd Div,French club Amiens,lying,16 inthe the table,he has played 26 minutes of football.Signed on loan with an agreement to buy.
Stupid gullibillies delighted the club knocked back the 30 million offered for Morelos and Kent.
Dear God.
Heavidor on share issue
https://twitter.com/Heavidor/status/1313140500136955904?s=19
hh
Good morning cqn from a dark, damp underfoot but mild Garngad
I am really happy with that window, no big names leave and we add a left sided defender, would have also liked a winger but hey ho.
As already said let’s all get behind NFL and the Famous Glasgow Celtic and let’s push for another clean sweep of trophy’s.
🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 – Loading
Bring on sevco, The Rankers, the Huns, the manky mob, the distant brethren, sons of darkness, cheats.
COYBIG
HH
D :)
Wakey wakey bhoys and ghirls of cqn.
The wheels of industry will not turn themselves.
Hail Hail
D :)
My friends in Celtic,
We have improved our squad despite no CL money and no match day dosh with little prospect of fans being allowed into grounds anytime soon.
Well done Celtic and dare I say it. Peter Lawwell.
Indeed, David66 and it’s that time again when I take those half a dozen steps from my breakfast table to my home office next door!
ps gloomy, grey and damp in ole EK.
We might have won 9 leagues in a row, on the cusp of a quadruple treble, not lost any quality players, brought some good players in, but that’s just papering over the cracks… we’re dooomed dooooomed I tell you.
Excellent window. Good players in problem positions – a mix of young, experienced, loans and expensive signings and more importantly, none going out.
Lawwell clearly divides opinion but there can be no comments of “sack the board” when things don’t go well. Lennon has been backed and given the tools to work with. I think we have a better first eleven than Rangers but more importantly a far better squad.
Now the window has closed and speculation can end, I’m hoping we can start to get a tune out of our players. Bringing in players is great but we must get the ones we already have to start playing with some urgency. What a match to start with…let’s break their hearts after the international break.
One question regarding Rangers share issue.
Nothing illegal about it but surely….surely they’re sailing close to the wind in terms of UEFA FFP.
Terrific window Celtic.
Even more talent at our disposal that will come good only if played in a system that gets the best out of them.
Board’s done well. Over to you Neil Francis. Let’s get a settled system and blow the teams away.
HH
It’s good we kept our squad of players ,and added another player,but remember this talk of bring on Sevco,doesn’t sit with me,they have been on a good run of winning games,and they seem to have figured out to challenge us on the pitch,so Celtic Supporters I say don’t get to complacent ,take one game at a time,
AN TEARMANN on 6TH OCTOBER 2020 2:52 AM
Heavidor on share issue
https://twitter.com/Heavidor/status/1313140500136955904?s=19
hh
###
When you fly to Antartica there is a point at which the plane no longer has enough fuel to return to South America should bad weather or any other cause prevent it landing. It’s called the point of no return and at that stage the pilot has to decide whether to turn back to safety or go on ahead, possibly to their doom.
That’s the situation in which the hun investors find themselves.
Oh dear, what a pity, never mind.
Timbhoy2,
We play to our talented strengths and we will be fine. We will, I fear, revert to the mythical influence of the modern day Scott Brown in the middle and risk being overrun again.
Central midfield remains our achilles. Crowded, clueless at times and little creativity as a result.
I hope I’m wrong. Our abundance of talent v. their understood system.
HH
TIMBHOY2
Gerrard is good at setting his teams up for one-off games. It’s no coincidence that their performances against us and in Europe have been admirable. Where they struggle is in games they’re expected to win as the season gets into the business end – a couple of their players have even admitted as much.
We can’t rely on that. We have to assume Rangers are here to stay for the season and not wait for their annual implosion,
As Wavy said, Lennon needs to get a formation and a system that allows our clearly more talented squad to beat them on the day.
Gerrard knows how he’ll set up against us….
As Jobo hasn`t put me out of my misery, can someone explain the abreviations,please?
`Personally I think that even if the LT was RIFOY some folk would CF to FTFs and just push their OA regardless of the FP. But everyone’s entitled to their Os.`
League title right in front of you..?
RON BACARDI on 5TH OCTOBER 2020 8:16 PM
For understated goal scoring celebrations I think Luigi Riva of Cagliari was the best. Maybe raise his arms then trot back to his half for restart. Nothing extravagent.
………………..
Sorry RON…But that is not the Luigi Riva that I remember ?
When he scored some goals in the World Cup in Mexico 1970…for Italy of course…he would run about “Pure Mad Mental”, with his arms out stretched and screaming in Italian.
In fact for many years now, whenever we old Bhoys are in the Pub and talking about how in more recent years Players very often ” Overdo” the goal celebrations…when back in the day a Firm handshake was ” The Norm”…I always mention Luigi Riva as being the first player that I saw going Mental after scoring from that 1970 World Cup..I was nearly 15 years old at the time and watching my first Colour TV.
I also remember a Czech player scoring at that World Cup and running to the wing and getting down on his knees and BLESSING Himself…that was the first time I had seen that from any player.
HH
Is the Wilo Flood window now officially forgotten and forgiven.
Poor Wilo, his one chance of going down in history as a Celtic legend now ruined by Lawwell the degenerate gambler flinging hard earned money around on projects and has beens
Abbrieviationsripmyknittingandyouknowwhatelsedoesthemposterwhopostwholesentencesaswanwordjistdontgetitidont……
😜😜😜😜😜
It’s Good To Be A Tim……………….
Grand Autumnal Day In The Verdant Chilterns…
Welcome to Celtic Deigo, bringing the quality we need to a key position.
Excellent window, the comings and gones have really given us a solid platform. Can’t remember a window so foccused on squad building.
Ajeti
Barkas
Duffy
Turnbull
Laxalt
All proven first team ready.
No “high value” departures, real competition for places. We need this team to gel fast now, we seem to have a few big personalities that can help that.
Big shout for Nick Hammond and well done Lenny.
TONTINE TIM @ 12:28 AM,
“Ok Westcraigs who signed him [Benyu].”
The same guy who signed Arzani, Shved and hundreds of other prospects. The same guy who ships our “high value” players out at the first opportunity.
The pseudo moneyball king. No sign of his interference in this window, long may that continue.
Hail Hail
SFTB @ 12.14
Pure frontier gibberish.
We are performing well below our potential.
We are throwing away huge streams of revenue on an all to regular basis.
We now have 3 loan players in our starting 11 — CB / LB / No.10
We have bought one starter in at GK although to be fair AA has looked good.
We still have a VW sized hole in the MF — no real ball winner / DM for 6 years running.
SB is not a DM and we should not be asking him to be one.
We now look like busy fools.
Doing stuff just for the sake of it and hoping for the best.
We are not playing well at the moment and we are unfortunately are not improving.
So live in the past if you want to — at the moment it is all we have.
Is the Kolumbian Kris Boyd ( copyright LazyD) ………..still at The Dilapidated Edwardian Toilet Block?
:)
<4 HHH.
Morning all, think we’ve signed a good ‘un in Laxalt. A good World Cup star doesn’t suddenly become a dud – Milan clearly wasn’t right for him and didn’t give him the opportunities he needed.
When someone says SFTB is spouting gibberish there is a problem.
Off out on the bike.
Hope to Jobo`s Code broken on my return.
Cheerio for now.
FRIESDORFER on 5TH OCTOBER 2020 10:56 PM
What does “phoning it in” mean? In simple terms please, for this simpleton.
FRIESDORFER, ‘simpleton’, eh? I take it you, like most of us, are naive too! According to someone anyway.
THE BLOGGER FORMERLY KNOWN AS GM on 1ST OCTOBER 2020 9:12 PM
Anyone who thinks Edouard isn’t leaving is naive in the extreme.
PHILCOOL on 5TH OCTOBER 2020 11:56 PM
If that referee didn’t think that Patryk,s assailant should have got at the very least a yellow card then he is most definitely not fit for purpose.
An absolutely horrific challenge which broke all the criteria including two footed, off the ground and from the the back.
PHIL, you forgot ‘last man’ too! Another straight red for any player playing against any other team in the league.
See the VW sized hole in our midfield, is it Golf sized or Touareg? And does it have the engine we’ve been missing?