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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Hola! Not read back much since Thursday,but what I have makes me shake my head. I,too, was really dumped at the result,but,thought we had real chances now and again.Overall Ajax were much quicker in moving the ball than us and also scored one more goal! On the personal attacks theme I find it nauseous. Once you move into that territory you have lost the case as well as your integrity.surely we can just say ‘you are talking mince ‘thus showing your less than enthusiastic welcoming an opinion that is the opposite to your own and move on. BTW, expectation and reality are seldom in the same room.I don’t think I thought Celtic would do well in the St.Mungo and even less in the Coronation Cup,but I certainly did not think that we would roll-over the opposition.Today it seems all other teams are there to make up the numbers! Life is not like that!
I wonder how the Newcastle fans who wanted Pardew sacked are feeling now…..
HT ,
Just got a message from my mhate, already in Inverness, they have got tickets
Thanks though Bhud
10 of them from larbert/stenhousemuir bus went up early today
CANALAMAR. Say it like you mean it fella dont hold back.My point is that the board in my opinion are doing a good job in difficult circumstanced. Posters coming on CQN and beating there chest about how big a job they have and how many millions there business turns over are unlikely to improve on our current board.If you dont understand how well the board are doing you are likely not to understand. H.H.
Big J’s Dunblane neighbours looking good :-)
EK Thistle looking for a payday 2-2, beat them back in Kilbride
Not sure if it has been posted but…..
7.30am inspection the morra for our game…..just in case there are any fans hedging their bets
Hope the game goes ahead but just to let any fans heading up
CCB
Yer talking mince. :-)
Only kidding mate good post and well thought out.
H.H.
Well done the Dunblane Hibees
JFH
What about someone who ran his own business for many years, someone who had to make all the decisions, someone who if they made a wrong decision they would/could go bust, someone who possibly wasn’t running a multi-million business, but someone who’s turnover was round about the million mark.
Would a person like that iyo, bring anything to the table ?
HH
excathedra44
I’d go further I think the 7.30 inspection more or less says it’s off, in that case.
HH
High tide tomorrow in Inverness is at 14.38.
That won’t help.
Conditions for tomorrow’s game will be perfect in my living room but for the sake of you bhoys travelling I hope either the weather improves or you don’t set off to find the game called off.
An Tearmann
And your who?
THE EXILED TIM. My point fella is plenty of wealthy businessmen have plowed fortunes into football only to lose it.There is no guarantee that money will bring success or your skills in one business will transfer to football. I have already said I believe our board are doing a fine job.H.H.
ExCathedra
We don’t really have a great record playing midweek games in Inverness either.
I expect it to be called off in the morning unfortunately.
JFH,
In my expert opinion, the board would need to be crooks or incompetent not to be doing well with the guaranteed income, what annoys me is that they are not doing better with the platform and resources they have.
The climate is not as bad as they and many of our compliant contributors make out. We had a chance to really make some major changes and money but the lack of innovation and a reliance on an extinct model has created the current malaise with much of that guaranteed income walking away.
You just know when they start on the spelling, English, punctuation, the storm troopers are upset, what’s next? Take a test before you join a blog ffs?
Get a life, you dish it out you take it, you can’t hack it, show how clever you are ar spelling, English, and punctuation?
Not the playground I grew up in, but each to there own.
I see the crew are gathering, someone do a text blitz? Naaaaaaaaaaaaa.
If the game is off tomorrow, expect a fanfare from the SMSM on how the sheepies and Hertz are closing the gap . Games in hand are only significant when it’s other teams who have a chance to catch up on Celtic.
Ffs the brain a Britains back
It appears to me some on CQN take delight in Celtic failing and for me that is anything but supporting the team.If anyone dares to support the Club the manager and the Board they come under attack from the regular anti this and that lot. I will continue to support my team and I am happy Ronny will take us on further European adventures and we are not a long way from turning the European corner. H.H.
Agreed TD67 (cos I’m a p1sh typist)
CANALAMAR. So do you accept we lost two of the best Centre Backs we have had at Celtic for a long time ? now unfortunately due to injury our new Centre backs have not had the time to develop a pairing.Taking that into consideration we have struggled in Europe but not as badly as some on CQN are making out.We are going through a transition period and we will turn the corner.H.H.
Doing a fine job of emptying the stadium ..
Davis Cup ? Tennis equivalent of the Petrofac Training Cup.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE on 28TH NOVEMBER 2015 5:02 PM
excathedra44
I’d go further I think the 7.30 inspection more or less says it’s off, in that case.
HH
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Yes I agree I think it will be off,however it wont be announced until we are enroute.
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HamiltonTim.
Agree about Midweek,however better to take our chances without the Pitch adding to difficulties.
–
Really disappointed the club have had nothing to say about the attack on the bars at the Gallowgate on Thursday. i’m no lover of the Green Brigade but when seats were damaged at Motherwell they were quick to issue statements and ban people. Four fans were seriously assaulted in Thursday and I have heard nothing serious questions have to be asked by the club how Police Scotland allowed this to happen.
JFH
I am on your wavelength re the team, they do the best they can, sometimes not good enough granted.
As for people putting money into a club and losing it, very few in scotland IIRC, mabyes a few years ago when the hun were cheating the game, there was a couple who lost a few bob, but the ones you are really thinking about are in england, the ones who are chasing the dream, just like minty did, thing with him tho, it wasn’t his money.
IMO, if the suits carry on the track they are presently, there won’t be much of a team to speak of, the quality is reducing year on year, the support are gradually drifting away, and the return of the hun won’t make up for it imo.
They should be doing better on the team front imo.
HH
cowiebhoy
Dunblane Hibees? On Judy’ s side of the family for sure. Green and white on all sides though.
Well done Andy and Jamie, proper proper professional sportsmen.
Could someone please enlighten me as to when results in Europe decided the success or failure of a Celtic season?
Because going on this logic we have had only one “successful ” season and two “close but no cigar” seasons in the last 50 years.
Stopping the “10”, winning the Scottish Cup in 95 to pick up our first trophy in years, and all the other highlight of my supporting life a board sham intended only to hide their money grabbing destruction of our club. All these are “failures” when put beside our dismal Eutopian record.
“What’s that Skippy’s? I’m talking nonsense? Well they started it. Now pee off Skippy’s I’ve never forgiven you for Black Sunday ya Aussie B”
It’s only since rangers died that the media have been peddling the lie that our achievements have been devalued domestically. It’s sad to see so many Celtic supporters buy into the same lie.
THE EXILED TIM My memory for names is not good the guy at Hearts lost a fortune the guy at Motherwell the two brothers at Dundee anybody who has put money into Livingston including the guy who won the lottery the travel agent guy at Kilmarnock to name a few as there are others.So it is not just in England. H.H.
JFH,
I don’t accept we lost two centre half’s, I accept we sold one and never had the other one, I accept that their replacements were not in place in time to ensure a decent stab at Europe, o accept that with the full knowledge of one loanee and one sellable asset that was only ever going to be sold at the time he was, those responsible to find replacements were found wanting again and that the support were left to suffer the consequences of being take for granted.
QWEN. You are on the button fella this in my opinion is created by the MSM and some Celtic fans are sucking it up.We are a Scottish club and are judged on our domestic success European football is the iceing on the cake but not something our manager has ever been sacked over. H.H.
C’mon Leicester!
The Leicester players aren’t much better, skill wise if at all than the Celtic players but they are all 100 times better at applying themselves that’s why they are faster, stronger, better
The violence up the Gallowgate is just a prelude to what will happen on a far bigger scale next season ..
The board will be chuffed to get their extra £10 mil a season though.
CANALAMAR. I accept you have some validity on the point you make and yet but for injury our two new Centre Backs could have hit the ground running. I am happy to accept that when they are fit and have a decent run of games we will turn the corner. H.H.
Owen
Agree no other manager has been judged on European results . The problem for me is that European football is a must for our business model now.The champs leg is the holy grail and Europa is the minimum and I am not sure Ronny is the man to deliver that . We have made no progress since he came in we are probably going backwards.
JFH
Using the premise that only European success equates with a successful season means that only two teams in all of European football can be considered successful each season. Champions League and Europa League winners. All others are failures.
Don’t get me wrong I want to have a Celtic that can compete with the best in Europe but don’t throw my toys out of the pram when we lose. All I ask is that the players give it their best, and pushing for the winner on 88mins an getting caught by a breakaway goal I can accept. I would have been more annoyed if the had been wasting time to hang on for the draw.
JFH
You ignored what I said, the huns were cheating the game when these scottish clubs were losing money.
Imagine a level playing field, where teams don’t have to take risks to compete, they wouldn’t lose money, just like today, clubs are actually making a profit without the hun.
You tell me one person in scotland who has lost money when the hun haven’t been cheating.
HH