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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Don’t know how much the BBC Alba would pay them for the broadcast, but will it be enough to offset the monies not accrued from the numbers not attending ?
Wouldn’t think so.
I know a few people on zero hours contracts, my lhad had that deal when he worked at in a supermarket when at Uni, and some of his colleagues did enjoy the flexibility.
However they were very much in the minority, it suited the students and some of the mothers who were part time workers and they could juggle the hours with child care. The majority of workers, who were the main bread winners in the household despised the lack of security.
Sandman…
You will be glad you got that off your chest :))
Battered Bunnet- it’s true; the SPFL is no preparation for european games. Unfortunately DD still seems to be hankering after a move to England rather than addressing a more realistic federalised league with other small european nations. I’d suggest we’ve wasted ten years. The lack of movement towards a federalised league is insufferable.
Sandman
Well said, I was just about to say that myself :))
Tony. Again I never said you hated the Celtic support. You have invented it all on your own.
So given I never said it. Answer my question.
Sandman,
Did you say all that just to distract from you being a supporter of the zero hour contract ?
Sandman
you sure a few hours of Bloomberg TV is part of the solution? Insomnia maybe.
Neganon.
You said hated the CT, ffs it’s the word hate I’m on about, your wriggling again, did you say I HATE yes or no, ffs, crackpot doin ma heed in.
I would consider spreading lies about people as hating them
Another part of the CT menu, snide jibes, when someone has ripped them a new one, quality.
CANAMALAR on 28TH NOVEMBER 2015 1:33 PM
Sandman,
Did you say all that just to distract from you being a supporter of the zero hour contract ?
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/some-perspective/comment-page-22/#comment-2727582
Tony,ignore that clown.
We should always sell players if we get big offers.
We need to have a multi dimensional strategy so hit n hope not all we need.
I also feel if we did better in Europe we’d have less need for moneyball… And a successful team is always more resilient and sustainable model in terms of crowd etc.
Right now unidimensional buy cheap sell dear is kind of wiping it’s face given we by 5 x£2m players and are only selling 1 in 5 for £10m .. All the while fans are turning off..
Oh dear, sad lack of command of the English language can be the only excuse for such a conclusion.
Big Coat on as I prepare for the trip to Stenhousemuir.
TBB – if you know whether “we’re” in a particular end wouldn’t mind a wee email….
Sips
Yep mate.
Enjoyed you ghuys company.
HH
And in comes our resident old firm supporter to have his opinion about what makes a good Celtic supporter. Pretend to want them dead but only spend money on Celtic to watch themlay the ibrox team, then it’s got the cheek to tell anyone what a real Celtic supporter is.
Sandman
Post of the day.
hh
Hahahahaha
Yes Tony you hate the ct. do you? You seem to?
But of course you will not answer the question on res 12 because to do so would betray your own stupidity.
Oh hi Turkeybhoy. CQNs resident angry sychophant. With his red face and wringing the life out of his cloth Bunnet.
Cultsbhoy 1.39pm
The only way a Celtic player will command big money – a £10 million plus transfer fee – in the current climate is if they have CL experience.
At present we appear to be a long way from being up to the task of qualifying for the CL.
So the strategy of selling players to the EPL for £10 million plus is bust.
I suspect it will be replaced by a strategy of selling inferior players to the English Championship for £3-4 million
Re Tony Grealish…………..met his father (he of Brighton and Republic of Ireland fame) some years ago on a ski holiday. Sadly I doubt if he would be a good role model for his son as he drank triples as if they were going out of fashion.
Jobo
The ground is open on 3 sides, so pile into the stand.
Must say, I’ve been climbing mountains in winter with less gear than I’ve got on today…
Coolmore Mafia
Spot on. 10 years of wasted oppportunity, and little sight of that changing any time soon. Dreadful.
“If you belive Celtic’s more about the politics than the football then you’re a mug.
And if Celtic ever becomes more about the political ethos than the football, then
the Celtic you purport to follow is fecked. Celtic are here now because of the football,
the entertainment, the excitement; not because you want to frame Celtic as your own little
political utopia.”
Most posts are from people who want and believe Celtic to be MORE THAN A (FOOTBALL) CLUB –
but still a football club.
I haven’t read 1 post were folk want the politics to be the raison d’etre.
“You want to know how companies are run/how the markets Celtic are involved in (and we’re very
small-fry) work, even to get just an insight into the minutae – go read/listen to some info
on Warren Buffet, George Soros and the like, watch a few hours of Bloomberg TV, look at how
the CEOs of various companies operate”
A world full of back-stabbing, cut-throat, complete and utter c*nts where greed is good and
increased inequality the goal. But that’s the real word, that’s how things work the wise tell us.
The cause, the effect and the consequnce of following these c*nts is there for all to see
everyday on TV – even the controlled TV.
There is nothing worse than some confortable “big jock” who has made it the “real” world trying to
belittle others with ideals comparing them to the young and inexperienced or comparing them
to somehow inferior versions of themselves when they last had some ideals (balls)
Canamalar on 28th November 2015 12:29 pm
Fred Quimby,
Zero hour contracts on the lowest paid staff at the club in your name, are you happy with that ?
*that’s the way of the world in the retail sector, how often do you walk intae a supermarket during the day midweek and there’s only 2 cashiers on, or the “U-Pay” machines are all that’s available. FFS yesterday was “Black Friday” and I saw this in one of the country’s biggest retailers.
These establishments that offer zero hour contracts appeal to students, mothers with young weans at school and senior citizens that are on a pittance of a pension, this is in unionized environments tae.
They are well aware of the rules and regs before they take the jobs.
Celtic Park is NOT a 24/7 operation, in fact it’s not a 7 day a week one either. We are sometimes only open for business every other Saturday/Sunday.
If the giant retailers are not willing to pay staff to stand around with their fingers up their ar8es all day how can you expect Celtic FC to do that.
It’s fine to criticise when it is justified but as Mr. Zimmerman once said “don’t criticise what you don’t understand”.
Sandman,
Thank you for that.
bit of a spat developing on here now? I am off out for some lunch with the other half may enjoy a wee bottle of Frascati having rattled off a decent 5k this morning in the gym. Life’s too short..
JMCCORMICK. Lunch if you dont get a move on you will be late for dinner never mind lunch. H.H. :- )j
TURKEYBHOY on 28TH NOVEMBER 2015 1:38 PM
Tony,ignore that clown.
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/some-perspective/comment-page-22/#comment-2727584
Lol, what one? They’r all over the site, have been since the final whistle on Thursday, :))
Spikeysauldman
Have to say I did not read the “Big Jock in the golf club” attitude coming out of Sandman’s post.
It was not a plea for NO criticism of our Board. It was NOT a defence of Mr. Bankier or our Tory Lord.
It WAS an argument in favour of informed criticism.
I thought it was done with a bit of humour and a bit of ranting. It read easier than most of today’s posts which have been from the primary school level of “Leave it, he’s not worth arguing with!” and then declaring yourself the winner of an internet “debate”.
According to the beeb sevco are playing for a place in the Scottish Challenge Cup Final, I thought it was the petrofac training cup or does the former seem more important.
Not buying the excuse of playing in the spl doesn’t prepare you for European Football. We played in the spl every time we did have good results the problem is we’re not a good team.
Have always watched Celtic demanding the team on the park put 100% in. The young bhoys did that on Thursday and on another day could have won.
Tontine…,
Well that’s ok then, there can not be an alternative because you and people who think like you, have bought into the lies that there are none and can be no alternatives, only zero hour contracts can help people make a living ffs, listen to yourself.
Aye they knew what they were taking when they applied, they were nor could they have ever been that desperate for a job that they’d take anything on offer eh but aye tell me about how we are more than a club.
Meanwhile Peter Lawwell is on a zero hour contract too, I mean the lies some people tell to back their vile agenda of creating poverty and we should be proud of that, really ?
Then we’ve got the volumes of rhetoric about how politics has no place except when it’s being rammed down the throats of the supporters by the board, the zero hour contract is a political statement, the living wage is a political statement only feral capitalists pretend politics don’t apply to their actions or choices.
The mob still on trying their hardest to rip our club apart.You know the club who are a shining light on finances to most of the clubs in Britain.While they are on their agenda driven path,we have every one of our enemies in the SMSM reading their bile,and clubbing in together to put the boot in.Read the very good Celtic Underground,article on the Living Wage.Read the very good article from E-Tims,by Charlie Saiz,on Suttons comments.Then do yourself a favor and read Euan Mc Leans article in the Rectum,on the triumphant Hun AGM.Some Celtic sites focusing on the truth,while the militant on here are more content to rip our club to shreds.
I have read a lot about the bloggers who have disappeared from the site.Is it any wonder?.I used to just read the site for a couple of years before posting,and it was a million miles from what it is now.Then it was mostly Celtic fans discussing THE TEAM.Now we have mostly the detractors,the whingers,the militant agenda driven lynch mob,who slaughter everything about the club.
Our enemies having a ball with your constant rants about the Board,our manager,the team.As I said,you know that Board who have us in very good financial straits,while operating in the most hostile financial territory.The manager who is trying to balance the influx of new ideas,new players,new playing systems,while dealing with the need to sell top players to balance the books.The manager who whilst doing this,will most likely win 5 domestic titles out of 6,only cheating not making it back to back trebles.
This Europe is the benchmark,crap,only being brought out recently by our enemies to batter the club.The same mob who give us the “Same team”guff,yet you swallow it,and regurgitate it on here.
A time for us all to close ranks and cast scorn on their lies and drivel,support our club,our manager.Instead,we try and rent the club asunder.Shame on you .
I enjoy the spats as long as they are logic driven and not personalised. I am not too clear on zero hour contracts and don’t have to endure one. I had rotten jobs in my younger days and would not wish them on my children.
I would say that I support Celtic and have expectations of them – so many of the things that are happening within the club cause me some discomfort. They should be setting a standard beyond that of other “businesses”.
Am I being idealistic? Of course I am but that is why I support Celtic and not Tesco.
Turkeybhoy,
When was the last time you went to a Celtic game, oh and where ?
so,
we wont pay the living wage to people who might only get a few hours work , every now and then, when there is a demand.
shameful.
tory board doing tory things,
http://www.philmacgiollabhain.ie/skepticism-of-the-powerful-should-not-be-a-foreign-concept/
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Sandman @ 1.24
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