An aspect of football is so ineffective it is increasingly abandoned as a strategy. When facing Celtic, however, corner kicks are routinely delivered into the heart of the box, providing a remarkably successful return.
If the reason Alistair Johnston was hooked at halftime yesterday was because he lost his man at the opening Hearts goal, I fully support the decision. We are beyond the moment of encouraging, or even harsh words. The second goal was equally as poor. Marooned – both the colour displayed at the end of the game and Joe Hart’s position at the Hearts free kick. The wall did not rise, as a well-placed but stoppable kick sailed into the net.
Not that we should scapegoat Alistair or Joe. All five players deployed on the wing were ineffective. Kyogo was picked out by one early ball and made Celtic’s best chance of the game (Palma was blocked), Oh huffed and puffed but offered little more.
Brendan Rodgers looks like he is out of ideas. Swapping Luis Palma for Alexi Bernabei didn’t work. He was then faced with the choice of either hooking Alexi or weakening his defence by subbing Greg Taylor to allow James Forrest a run at the left wing.
A week about we concluded that Kilmarnock bullied Celtic. Yesterday it felt more like Hearts were simply able to impose themselves on the hosts. The evidence mounts that this is a soft Celtic team.
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NOTTHEBUS on 17TH DECEMBER 2023 5:35 PM
Aye me annaw……they’re just no very good tbh.
Couple of good loans/signings during jan window plus our crocks coming back, we should do this league!
Chilling thought …those Fecker’s could win the treble this year ….well done you cowards and quislings ( board) …or have you negotiated the Scottish cup 🍀
DUSHANBE BHILLY BHOY on 17TH DECEMBER 2023 5:17 PM
THE LONG WAIT IS OVER on 17TH DECEMBER 2023 2:27 PM
Genuine question.
What is it that BR has done to “ruin” Kyogo?
Isn’t it just that teams have gotten wise to how to nullify him
———-
It’s GOT ……..not “gotten”….al day long.
Unless you are a Septic Tank who feels the need to own a gun
=====
Fair enough
One thing that has bothered me recently is the number of times the manager has made poor comments to the media about our players. Surely this must have an effect on the lhads who take the field. Yesterday he had another go , but it was he who chose the team. Most of us have given up on Mikey but not the manager or why else did he pick him.
Even if correct, now is not the time to be pointing out how bad the huns are. Unless Celtic gets its act together we are looking at a collapse akin to the Covid season.
One and only evening request. By 9pm please (if you can be bothered) SENCELPOTY@GMAIL.COM 😁
PL has two sons that take money out of Celtic
Strachan has 2 sons doing the same
2 Hamiltons too,
Not too different to the Kelly’s and the Whites.
Whether he’s directly responsible or not, PL needs to go, even just to get the support back behind the club.
It’s GOT ……..not “gotten”….al day long.
Unless you are a Septic Tank who feels the need to own a gun
=====
Fair enough
—-
language is all about communication.
as long as your audience know what you mean it doesnt really matter how you say or spell it
2 penalties the Sheeps should have had today.
the Hun would have got both no bother
Let’s all do the Huddle
If not PLC then what ?
Maybe better opaque and not sharing financials with their consumers the way rangers do. Just letting their dear wee onion bears and friends worry about singing the party tunes. Don’t trouble them with their debt apr numbers or anything like that. Keep it all under wraps until it goes pop. I am not sure I would want that.
Or is the transparency which Celtic share a better way. It seems the media highlighting the so called £70m spare cash is causing angst. It’s positioned by many on blogs and media as if the board actually benefit from this themselves personally in some way.
I have been very clear since 2005 that our board and ownership showed no vision in trying to get free from this appalling football backwater we are stuck in. As a strategic aim that should have been number 1. They did not see it as a priority or even latterly a possibility. I am certain that was not the case in 2004-8 period. If I was in DD position I would hold them accountable for that misjudgement. Ultimately it will have cost the main shareholders a massive fortune.
That aside I do feel that the period of Peter Lawwell’s stewardship has been incredibly successful in most other ways and against most other realistic and reasonable measures.
The trophy haul is unsurpassed for any 20 year period in our history. The number of leagues is easily the most. The top line and bottom line has been equally good when many others have struggled in smaller leagues.
The club is financially viable and no longer on the coat tails of our domestic rivals.
The game has moved in terms of customer expectation. So called fans are consumers and are treated as such. It is understandable that they behave as such when things go bad.
Few remember the good stuff. The things folk got right. Few even credit Mark Lawwell for highlighting that Ange, whom he had worked with, was a manager with potential and should be lined up if Eddie Howe didn’t work out. Few credit Peter Lawwell for ensuring that happened. Why would they. It was never publicly shared. Neither was on the books at Celtic at the time. If neither cared for Celtic beyond a pay check then the past 2 years of scintillating football would not have happened and we may have been facing a more difficult reality today.
Personally I definitely would not have encouraged my son to take such a backward career step and come from City Group to Celtic in the way Mark Lawwell did. I guess as a parent the idea of his son living closer to home may have had appeal ? I can’t see many other benefits to that move.
The chair position at Celtic is not an executive role. It does not weild the power as such either. Nor for it attract a fat salary or bonus. Folk seem to not get this either. Ultimately 1 man (DD) really controls what happens at CP.
For me if we want change to what we have then I would want to make damn sure we have a clear vision for what that change looks like. That’s a far better start point for those screaming and shouting about what they don’t want. A bit like a transfer window though I doubt anyone will prefer any viable suggestions for this. No big strategy.
It won’t be a position that lots of credible candidates will fancy. Especially after seeing what 15 leagues in 20 seasons gives you in terms of aabusive legacy all whilst living within the clubs means.
Just some thoughts….. Celtic malcontents should be careful what they wish for.
What I know we do need is a team on the park fighting tooth and nail to win this league against mediocre opposition.
Not really sure Aberdeen not getting penalties today can be blamed on Celtics board but if the cap fits for folks then sure.
I am as pissed off as anyone about it btw.
If not PLC then what ?
—
fk knows.
i was pointing out the reasons why we arent signing the quality of players we should given our cash reserves.
PLCism is so much at odds with how football fans see the game.
PLCism belongs with banks and supermarkets.
i work for a PLC, i just dont like them, dont like the reasons why they do what they do and the shite they come out with to justify it.
are the Kellys and Whites still about to mount a takeover bid and get that stadium in Cambuslang sorted?
How do you sack the board ?
This is not 1994 where we were in a very dark place and the club was financially empty.
HH.
PS : Baroness Mone, yuk and more yuk. Vomit, vomit.
We had the opportunity, last week and this to go eleven points clear of our nearest rival. No names, no packdrill. Yesterday we had the chance to equal Martin O’Neill’s unbeaten home league record of fifty three games, from 2004. We failed on both counts. In betwixt and inbetween we defeated Feyonoord in the Champions League through true grit and determination. First time we have lost to Hearts at home in the SPL since 2007, and the first time we have lost two consecutive SPL matches in ten years. Point being we have set a high bar domestically, when we fall we fall a long way. All criticisms made of the club on here are valid, based on our own perspectives, but not all of us will agree with all of them all of the time. The main problem as I see it is the increasing tendency of our Manager, who I was quite pleased to see return, to deflect from his own inadequacies in coaching, developing, encouraging our players, choosing the team and the tactics, in short getting the best out of the squad available on a week to week basis. That is primarily down to him, and his coaching team, not the Board. We lack leadership on and off the pitch, on it where Calum McGregor is faltering badly in his role as Captain, and off it where Brendan is continually throwing our players under the Ol Parks Bus. Not to say we cannot deliver good performances, we have at times, but we are not building on them recently, and unless our manager gets his act together over the next few weeks, he won’t be looking at a job in China or Saudi Arabia, he will not even be being considered for the elephants graveyard of English football, Stoke City.
I have been very clear since 2005 that our board and ownership showed no vision in trying to get free from this appalling football backwater we are stuck in.
—
so theres a question.
everyone would agree with that we play in a football backwater as you put it.
but would there be an appetite for playing mid-level euro teams ever week instead of what we do just now?
fans like a trip to aberdeen, perth, motherwell etc
if we played in some sort of euro league who would our rivals be to get us up for it?
i dont the answer!
* dont know the answer
We have 3 first team goalkeepers and Hart is the best,,,,whoever is the coach should be sacked .
John Kennedy first team coach , corner kicks ,free kicks and don’t get me started on throw ins 😡
Why is he still there ..? Kermit’s spy in the camp ?
THE BLOGGER FORMERLY KNOWN AS GM on 17TH DECEMBER 2023 6:05 PM
Even if correct, now is not the time to be pointing out how bad the huns are. Unless Celtic gets its act together we are looking at a collapse akin to the Covid season.
of course thats a given……..but they’re still shite!
GO TELL THE SPARTIM on 17TH DECEMBER 2023 6:10 PM
PL has two sons that take money out of Celtic
Strachan has 2 sons doing the same
2 Hamiltons too,
Not too different to the Kelly’s and the Whites.
Whether he’s directly responsible or not, PL needs to go, even just to get the support back behind the club.
—-
Then there’s Dermot appointing his son to the board.
It’s nepotism plain and simple. Zero transparency and zero accountability.
Has the Chairman of Celtic PLC’s remuneration not doubled recently, be interested to hear why that is? Maybe it’s to build an extension so his boys can be closer to home.
We’re all guilty of spouting shite but some should know better.
I agree wholeheartedly about comments on how bad SEVCO are ,this needs to stop ,if there is concerns about anything Celtic then feel free to voice your opinions,but leave Sevco out of it ,our main concern is how our board is going to handle all the criticism that’s coming there way and ASAP .
Sevco continue to be our greatest rival,
Clements biggest (and only) challenge is still to come. Beale could do no wrong until he faced Celtic, then the balloon was burst.
A convincing home win against Sevc in a fortnight will see a different landscape.
Bad weekend for sure, but thats all it is, no need to dismantle the club.There has been many many good weekends in the last 25 years
Don’t ever comment on your leader’s, but jeso .
Are you saying this is on the manager.🤔
This board can do no wrong 🤷🏻♂️
FAIRHILL BHOY
Neither Rodgers or the board are blameless.
B78 6-43pm
Maybe if Celtic and other clubs had said something earlier 🤦♂️
But you know we need a Old Firm 😉
Livi and Dundee need to be taken care off before we turn attention towards the hun. I wouldn’t bet my house on us taking 6 points before the Glasgow derby. We’ve been so abject for the last two games that there’s literally no team in the league I’d be confident of beating right now.
The one thing we absolutely have to do this week is get the fan groups back in. We have to stop cutting our own limbs.
GEEBEE1978 exactly
*SENTINEL CELTS PLAYER OF THE YEAR 2023-24*
*RESULTS FROM GAME #25 – CELTIC 0 HEARTS 2*
Good evening, friends.
We really are struggling to get any kind of consistency going. We haven’t won 3 competitive games in a row since 16 April 2023 (when we had just won our 17th game on the trot!). But we certainly must win the next 2 to have any kind of momentum going into our 1st v 2nd tie at the end of December.
So, yesterday I thought we started OK and for the first 25 minutes Matt O’Riley was superb but was our only standout, although our 2 centre backs, in the main, were doing fine. Matt then disappeared. In the 2nd half, already 2 goals down, we at least showed a bit of fight and urgency but without creating too many chances.
In the 2nd half Captain Calum did his best to drive the team on but with little support. And when Kyogo failed to connect with a lovely chipped ball in on 50-odd minutes I started to accept that we were going to drop points. Tony Ralston had surprisingly replaced Alastair Johnston at half time and despite his obvious limitations, showed both drive and ingenuity with several crossfield penetrating passes. Bringing on James Forrest doesn’t usually fill me with excitement but I thought he did more in his 25 minutes than Johnston, Palma and Maeda combined.
We have now played 25 games under Brendan v2 and have won 14, or 56%. 4 draws and 7 defeats (28%) is not normally champions material even if 4 of those defeats were in Europe.
My thanks to the 44 who summoned up the energy to participate in this game’s poll. Even if 1 of those 44 didn’t vote for anybody but at least took the time to explain why! The total votes cast for each player are as follows, with my own nominations asterisked.
Hart: 1
Johnston, A: 0
Carter-Vickers*: 25
Scales: 29
Taylor: 1
McGregor: 25
O’Riley: 9
Turnbull: 0
Johnston, M: 0
Kyogo: 1
Palma: 0
Ralston*: 14
Oh: 1
Maeda: 3
Bernabei: 0
Forrest*: 17
Naebdie: 6
And so, the players receiving POINTS for the game against Hearts are –
Scales – 5 points
Carter-Vickers and McGregor– 4 points each
Forrest – 2 points
Ralston – 1 point
The overall positions after 25 games played are as follows –
66 points – Scales
62 points – O’Riley
38 points – McGregor
31 points – Carter-Vickers
20 points – Oh and Palma
19 points – Kyogo
18 points – Maeda
16 points – Johnston, A and Yang
12 points – Hart
9 points – Nawrocki and Turnbull
6 points – Iwata, Lagerbielke, Ralston and Taylor
5 points – Hatate and Johnstone M
4 points – Bain and Bernardo
3 points – Forrest
1 point – Holm
0 points – Abada, Bernabei, Frame, Haksabanovic, Phillips, Starfelt, Tilio and Welsh
We now have a full week’s break before we face Livingston at home next Saturday in the league; a 3.00pm kick off. We will either be 2, 3 or 5 points clear (having played 1 game more) depending on our closest rivals’ midweek result, at home to St Johnstone.
Hail Hail!
FAIRHILL BHOY on 17TH DECEMBER 2023 8:18 PM
Don’t ever comment on your leader’s, but jeso .Are you saying this is on the manager.🤔This board can do no wrong 🤷🏻♂️
*hmm this is no the late 50s/early 60s wtf Bob Kelly is deid so no longer pickin the team, its down tae the manger he inherited a treble wining side minus 2 players so if its no his fault then it must be Ange’s for signing all that scheidt
BURNLEY78 on 17TH DECEMBER 2023 6:41 PM
Let’s all do the Huddle “If not PLC then what?” then finishing with “Celtic malcontents should be careful what they wish for”.
*As Meat Loaf once said “you took the words right out of my mouth”, the huns are terrified of PL and also BR which is why they have their agents, both in print media or sites like this, stirring up the scheidt, but the latter seriously concerns me as he displays no feelings or passion whatsoever and it seems as if he wishes he hudnae listened tae DD and returned, just my observation which is I believe that he is lookin tae get out again and head for the likes of Saudi, could be wrong and hope that I am as our happiness is at stake here as is the future of Scottish Football
Burnley78,
This is on the Lawwell’s full stop.
Lawwell is toxic and employing family member’s is unethical as Chairman. His greed blinds his incompetence.
The fans are sick of the Lawwell’s siphoning our money out of the club.
We would have achieved much more if we didn’t have a snake at the helm trying to help Sevco up.
Lawwell is trying to outlast 71 year old Desmond as once he goes Lawwell Ltd are ghosts of the Kelly & Whites.
The soul of the club is at stake and the Lawwell parasites need to go.
Jobo,
Apologies for not voting. In sincerity I couldn’t give any player pass marks. It was a case of who was least bad.
I understand the person who didn’t vote for anybody and gave you the reason why.
That is the path I should have taken.
HH.
B78
I have been very clear since 2005 that our board and ownership showed no vision in trying to get free from this appalling football backwater we are stuck in.
Please give an example(Derry City apart and there is good reason) that a club under the geographical(local fa) area plays in another fa league.
Please stop this repetitive fantasy.
English turkeys dont vote for christmas and Uefa would not sanction it.They do it with Scotland am sure Holland,france etc would want in to
Europes reclassification from next year would give a chance to alter the base of our budget,at this point in time its looking precarious but work has to be done.
Celtics most successful start to this century should have been built on in Europe,alas a 11 year old club have a bigger contribution to the countries coefficient.
We have been the dominant force since 2012,zero done about league structure,zero done bout youth set ups,zero bout reserve leagues,the B league is just fan harvesting and is to big a gap between B and our first team.
We had the power and clout to reshape the game here in this backwater which along with every other backwater salivates at epl money and is made to jump thro qualifiers to CL.
Ps Celtic have been self financing,you,me and merchandise since 2005,we are a well run club,a touch risk averse(oops) But we dont want to step away from a famous club and famous support as Dermot stated at Dunhill.may as well have said hate§arianism sells and makes profit.
Re the 70m we have to pay for barrowfield
And pay off tfers as said it will not be 72m to play with
Hail Hail
=======
just who is going to play up front for us when the asian cup takes place ? (even tho kyogo and oh are utterly pish right now). What exactly was the plan for this ?
My friends in Celtic,
I thought BR was the best fit manager for Celtic. It has not panned out exactly as i thought it would, however I am still confident that BR can turn things round.
We all can see recent events on the pitch and the despair is tangible. Of course we need to improve and we need more quality. We also need consistency and a more ruthless entertaining brand of football.
The facts are :- We sit top of the league and we have just won our first game at home in the CL for 10 years. We introduced a young bhoy from our Academy in the biggest tournament in club football. Something we need to do more often.
We don’t sack managers when we are top of the league ( How we mocked the huns for decades when they did that to Davie White )
I don’t know if the huns are sh@te, I don’t watch them. However we have an undoubted challenge. Here are the facts :-
The huns haven’t lost a game under their new manager. 16 games I think.
They have just won the first domestic trophy up for grabs.
They topped the group in the Europa competition.
Here is another fact. The board have guided Celtic to be amongst the most financially viable clubs in European football.
Chants of sack the board are empty rhetoric unless there is an attainable way to do so.
Let’s think what is achievable and what the club can do to provide the tools to get there.
Knee jerk is seldom good and often detrimental.
To avoid any ambugity I don’t think many ST holders will vote with their wallet / purse and refuse to renew. That I feel is the only vehicle to facilitate change, and it won’t happen.
We can and we will put things right, but the January transfer window is massive.
In Brendan we trust. For now.
HH.
Lucky Cody
Peter Lawell is Dermots man here
His shareholding is less than ¼of1%
So talk to the power.DD.
Peter Lawells in your head to the point you only show up when we have poor results.
His position as chairman is non executive.
.
HH
GreenPinata
In Brendan We Trust ?
Are you off your nut ? Have you witnessed the team selections, the tactics, the petulant substitutions, the continual moaning to the press that his players are pish ?
Do you think the players trust Brendan ?
IMO he has lost the fans (some didnt want him from the beginning) and the dressing room
This week has been in the post since the beginning of the season. Pedestrian, unimaginative and predictable. Both the football on the park and P67s blogs. Last week’s description of Co-efficient Monkeys was maybe the most hubristic for a while though.
What an arrogant foolish comment from a Blogger whose credibility has all but vanished over the last decade or so.