Negatives out of the way first: we’re not good enough, this is a low achievement by a Celtic team who have reached a group stage. There’s no disputing that, but amid the predictable ‘Throw them all overboard’ reaction, I know I’m not the only one who is not panicking right now.
When I heard we were playing three wingers (Forrest, Mackay-Steven, McGregor) I anticipated a thrashing. Gordon Strachan would often drop all his craft players for the more industrial types in European football, with good reason.
As it turned out, we had the majority of the chances, and all the better ones, as we spent most of the second half pushing for a winner.
No arguments with Leigh Griffiths assessment immediately after the game, that was his worst performance in a Celtic shirt. Nor is there dispute in Ronny Deila’s retort that he’s scored plenty for us before and will continue to do so. Even the greats have days like that, including the Swede.
The midfield formation was fluid throughout the game. Tom Rogic initially played as a defensive mid, before moving in front of Stuart Armstrong (who moved everywhere) and Callum McGregor. The defensive mid role Rogic played isn’t one carried out by either Nir Bitton or Scott Brown. We’ve not had anyone in this role since the departure of Victor Wanyama (still pining) and it remains a large gap in the offering.
Lesson: we need a defensive mid. The deep lying playmaker + box-to-box player isn’t robust enough in Europe.
Callum McGregor carried possibly the lowest expectations of everyone in a Celtic shirt but he put in an excellent shift. His goal was outstanding, losing possession immediately before Ajax equalised took the shine off things a bit, but it was still a strong performance.
Do you know the last time McGregor started a game? October 2014. Under those circumstances that was a remarkable performance.
General consensus is that the defence played well. Kieran Tierney is as good a left back as we’ve had in years. Had he not gone off with an injury the result might have been different.
Jozo Simunovic is clearly out best central defender. I know I’m not setting the bar too high with that statement, but he’s a move in the right direction. He’s also young, still working on his fitness, and will continue to progress.
A week ago Celtic Underground’s Harry Brady suggested Dedryck Boyata plays better alongside Simunovic than without him. Dedryck still has a long way to go but the evidence suggests partnered with a game-reader like Jozo has helped him. Let’s see where he is at the end of the season.
And Craig Gordon? He could have stopped both Ajax goals. That’s not to say he was to blame for either, he wasn’t, but these were the kind of stops he was making in last season’s Europa League.
Ronny is 18 months into the job and has contributed to the situation we find ourselves in (tactical mistakes in both Molde games), but this is not the time to lurch off plan. We’re not good enough largely because we’ve recruited too few players since 2012 who have improved the team.
We need to continue to develop players like Tierney and we need to recruit better. Get this right in January, and again in the summer, and we will be vastly better. The alternative is likely to be to pick up a best from the SPFL pool, or someone from the English circuit who cannot get a better paid gig. And then it would take until November 2017 before we could assess them properly.
Return of the Bampots
Tonight, for one night onlyt, Phil Mac Giolla Bháin, John Fallon and myself are in the Hibs Club, Carfin, for a Q&A in aid of Mary’s Meals, with Phil Agnew hosting. The event starts at 7:30, £5 entry, can pay at the door.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
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67 heaven. I read nothing in the media. I make my own mind up. Two wrongs don’t make a right. The media is institutionally racist (well they are Scottish). They will forever attack Celtic.
Here’s a question for you. Why don’t Celtic do something about it. Point out the racism?
I know the answer. And the answer is that they are happy for it to exist because they think it’s good for business.
Just because the media are racist doesn’t mean the board are somehow right. They are propping this up. They are betraying you. Bankier called those who signed the petition against Livingston criminally racist. It was cropped not just a mistake. The board use media tactics to attack us.
Does that make you happy?
Ok everybody,
Fingers in ears, nya nya nya nya, everything is rosey nya nya nya.
CT storm troopers still trying to organise the club, but they don’t have any agendas or politics, ohhh noooo.
No bother Jobo
Corkcelt
That’s all fine and well but each of the bhoys Henderson, O’Connel and Fisher played well for us, notably Henderson.
To be replaced by another club’s prospect for a fee in excess of £1 million, just does not make sense.
Unless there is another reason.
NEGANON2. Once again you make another rash statement the Board are not interested in football .Now it is football that brings them in the money you think they crave.It would not make any sense for the board to neglect the football side of the business as everything springs from the football. H.H.
Here’s an agenda,
Make the club successful and get it back into realignment with the ethos of the majority of the support.
The club should be helping the poor not creating poor.
BCW, I can fully understand O’Connell and to a lesser extent Henderson being loaned out but I was also surprised by Fisher. I thought he had done enough to slot in as a Lustig back up this season. However we must remember we only ever see these guys on match days, we don’t see them training and we don’t know what background issues that might be there,
Re A Fee of a million for Blackett, never heard that but if it’s true it has been a straight waste of a million, re Janko I liked what little I saw of him and would love to see him get a more extended run.
Joe fillipi. Then explain Moneyball.
Neganon2
….you know what makes me happy? …… supporting the Famous Glasgow Celtic
….you know what makes you and the likes of the CT happy ? ….condemning the board and spouting politics on here
Hey ho ……. whatever floats your boat……
Off now for a wee happy-clapping swim …then onto the Celtic Charity night….. Hail Hail
I always believed that the Ibrox mob had the biggest number of nutters in their support.
Going by this site, pro-rata, we have just as many and maybe more.
Some on here are as ‘thick as mince’ and quite frankly they ‘gie me the bile’ with their ubsubstantiated childish rantings about boardroom conspiricies.
If you don’t believe in the club, p*** off and find another one.
67heaven…
Did you ever find that source about the CT demanding proof you claimed or was it just a smear by yourself to push your agenda ?
The club should be helping the poor not creating poor. – See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/some-perspective/comment-page-20/#comments
And that’s the CT saying Celtic create poverty,? ah! Seen it all now, Gintys storm troopers are lacing up there boots.
Fred Quimby,
Zero hour contracts on the lowest paid staff at the club in your name, are you happy with that ?
Players like Henderson’ O’Connell, Fisher and Janko are all skillful energetic young talent and more than bright hopes for the future if coached and managed properly,
NEGANON2 . Money ball is a word I don t recognise so maybe you should explain it to me ? I am only a normal Celtic supporter you and I see Celtic differently I believe we are in a transition period and that will not always run smoothly.However,in my opinion we are heading in the right direction under our young management team.H.H.
Last time I looked in at Gintys CT site, they haven’t had an AGM since 2013, ffs it’s a bad day when the Huns have had more AGMs than you.
How’s Fisher getting on at St.J?
I know Henderson is playing well for Hibs but still lacking fitness apparently.
I wouldn’t quite put it like that Fred, but some of the conspiracy theories are hard to take all right. The problem here is if you try and post a reasonable balanced assessment you are largely ignored, if you wade in with your hob nails on either side, NegAnon or Tony Donnelly at least you will get a reaction.
Anyway as long as I stick it, I will continue to hold the middle ground albeit no one gives a hoot.
Corkcelt the fee was in reference to Armstrong.
But your idea of seeing the young lads at training etc is true…………but conversely how often or to what extent did we get to see the incomers ? Less of course.
As ever the proof in the pudding is during matches. Henderson looked the part and more. O’Connell, was just getting the chance, but never let anyone down. His replacement Blackett would’ve cost a lot more.
The clubs ran like any other business, some paid more than others, its life, if the low paid workers are not happy with what they are doing, then get organised, it’s the way to do it, but keep it as far away from the CT as you can, or you will get nowhere, fast. Point of that post, look at res. 12
a wee bit strange on here as I can see point in posts that come from different stances and find myself nodding along to parts of both arguments. perhaps it`s just me that’s a wee bit strange? One thing I will remain constant about is that we have to support the team on the park, even if through gritted teeth.
We have enough people outside the tent pissing in on us without us joining in; in previous times we would have rallied around a McNeil, Aitken, Tommy Burns or a Neil Lennon, we would have seen a kindred spirit and helped each other out, we need to do that now. ICT will be a proper test, no quarter given and no assistance needed from the MIB who will be barely able to contain himself at the chance to seal a poor week for Celtic.
I will also be consistent in my appraisal of Chris Suttons comments, he was spot on. John Collins performance at the presser yesterday was terrible ( it may have been down to the editing) but he showed no fight but seemed to have an acceptance of his fate, pretty poor stuff. I sense a need on our support for a proper Celt to lead us again, the current praise and hope lavished on the young lad Tierney is an open expression of our desire for someone to identify with. I hope we don’t crush the good stuff out of him as he looks like a proper player, I cringed when I hear Collins describe him as a £5m full back; would it not have been better to describes him as an outstanding young Celtic player.
Incidentally, I met Hugh Keevins once with his son at a Celtic game, without a doubt they will go their graves as Celtic fans.
67heaven. No my friend. You are over simplifying to try and make it black and white. I am a Celtic supporter first and foremost. I want the best for us and we are very very far from our best. Our board are destroying us and you are propping them up.
joe fillipi. Moneyball is our strategy. Get players in who’s stats look promising. It doesn’t matter where they play cos you then sell those players as soon as you can make money. You don’t build a team. You simply do it to make money. That’s what the board are doing.
So it’s nothing to do with football. Just money.
Difficult times as a tim, but not on the scale of the 90s. Or for our older generation, the 50’s.
Strictly first world problems at the moment.
The Huddle, Doesn’t seem to be setting the heather on fire, an unused substitute last night,
oh aye…who is Ginty and CT….just asking
Oh good grief, is it any wonder the angel of death ignores him
Jmccormack
like you, I can agree with parts of different points of view at any given time.
For instance, I agree that Blackett is a pudding.
HH
corkcelt on 28th November 2015 12:42 pm
The Huddle, Doesn’t seem to be setting the heather on fire, an unused substitute last night,
—————
Cheers, he’s not young either so I’d imagine he’s not going to make it at Celtic.
JMCCORMICK on 28TH NOVEMBER 2015 12:42 PM
oh aye…who is Ginty and CT….just
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/some-perspective/comment-page-20/#comment-2727514
Jeanette Findley / Celtic Trust.
Moneyball means you are forever in a transition period.
And what on earth are those signs that we are heading in the right direction? Bizarre.
Tony d. You hate the Celtic trust and you criticise res 12. Res 12 were some supporters have had to drag the cheating into the light whilst your precious board have refused to do anything. It is remarkable that you would criticise supporters for doing something and praising the board for doing nothing. Hypocrit.
skyisalandfill
nae need to start the black pudding debate!
If only he was a Stornoway man.
Speaking of young players, reading about the Tony Grealish down at West Ham who is now a star and expected to break into the England set-up. The twenty-year-old has been hitting the booze and the night club seen in London, With young guys in football now earning such phenomenal money it must be difficult for a club management team to keep these young lads under control. Roy Keane went through a similar phase in his career until Fergie hauled him and became an oustanding club captain.
JMcCormick is right. Taking out the extremities of opinion, most views expressed lately on the blog, whether supportive or critical, are mutually inclusive.
It’s a complex picture, lots of light and shade, little black and white.
NEGANON2.If that is money ball it has always been so at Celtic Dalgliesh.Macari,Hay,etc.etc. the fact of life for Celtic is the big money clubs will always buy good players and the big money in England for example means players will want to move for bigger wages.That doesnt stop us from building the best team we can it only means it is more difficult. I believe it easy to knock our club plenty do it I am of the opinion we Celtic supporters must get behind the club not join in with the knockers. H.H.
JFH,
Zero hour contracts for the lowest paid at our club, satisfied the club are living up to the ethos ?