The big decision of the day was to move Callum McGregor from central mid to left back, leaving Celtic with a Scott Brown – Olivier Ntcham central midfield partnership. This was the central mid pairing we started the season with, when form was at its poorest for years. Due to injury, the side changed at halftime at Murrayfield in the League Cup semi-final against Hearts, infusing the season with fresh impetus. Without that change in October the league table would look significantly different right now.
Jonny Hayes could have started at left back, as he did at Pittodrie on Wednesday, allowing McGregor to partner either Brown or Ntcham, but Brendan Rodgers’ gamble did not pay off and Celtic did not compete throughout the 90 minutes.
We hoped for tactical changes at halftime but injuries to Filip Benkovic and Mikael Lustig limited what the manager was able to do. Odsonne Edouard replaced Mikey Johnston on the hour, which improved things, especially when Callum McGregor was able to get into the box in support, but Newco had control of the game throughout. It was a one goal victory that could easily have been four. Special mention goes to Craig Gordon, who repeatedly got his teammates out of trouble.
Although we got little from James Forrest, Scott Sinclair, Ryan Christie and Mikey Johnstone, we were forward so seldom, it is difficult to be too harsh on any of them. Dedryck Boyata’s chances of a big money offer next month were not enhanced as he repeatedly mis-controlled and mis-passed.
We had two late chances to equalise, McGregor put the ball in the net but was marginally offside, and Ntcham had a great chance blocked, but a draw would have flattered the champions.
I seldom complain about officiating, but Morelos kicked, punched and stamped on Celtic players off the ball, without caution. I assume referee John Beaton missed each incident but we should see retrospective action.
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GFTB
Was in Ibrox to witness the huns do us on many occasions. Funny that the only games in doomdome that I remember was when we beat them. Tom McAdam Charlie Nicholas Paul McStay goals at Ibrox are vivid fae the broomie and west enclosure.
YNWA
DD
Lucky you … only twice for in my lifetime 4-1 & 5–1 .. McAvennie scored then got assualted and other game Chris Morris scored…… only agro I witnessed was Celtic fans heading for the exits …. “always look on the bright side of life “ …. happy days …. CQN would have been in meltdown :-)
GFTB
My first game at Ibrox we won 2-0.
McAdam and McLeod. Lucky Man.
Richard Ashcroft CSC
I missed the Dumbarton “meet” for the “record” I was working and more importantly …. payday isn’t until Monday ….. for most people who get paid monthly ….. just in case any bawbags are monitoring my movements :-)
Hope it’s ok to be skint till payday in the real life …. WB’s :-)
GFTB
We kept waiting for you to arrive but ye didnae. Great day oot in The Rock
YNWA
DD
I have never saw us win there and I can assure you …… I never will, will never set foot in that place ever again…. too many people that hated my existence without even knowing me :-)
Remember Pitt them, leave the hatred for them to cling too…. my two stepdaughters & wife are Sevconians thankfully no hatred there…. I was out with ma mates house yesterday but MissGFTB was with her mum & big sister …. thought she might have played to her family when the Huns scored …. her mum told me “the wee blade was raging” ….. I worry sometimes as she tells me she doesn’t like “football” but knowing she was annoyed when her mum & big sister were cheering on the Sevs is a “win” for me :-) ?
DD 5.43am
Purely financial reasons :-)
I missed a hoot “once” without a cash line card …. on Friday wouldn’t have mattered sometimes when you dint have the resources …. PLUS I love leaving Glasgow after work to go to ML5 going the other way defeats going “home” …. delighted you Petec, BRRB & Gordybhot64 had a good day… Hail Hail
Was going to watch game in tennents Byres road , But ended up watching it in a mates flat in westend
Two main culprits yesterday
1. Brendan A wee boy upfront Plus ntchamp awful player and McGregor left back also awefull decesion. Why not start with KT and EO
2. Peter lawell lawell for failing to back the manger in last 2 transfer windows
Tricky nights sleep – kept waking thinking how Halliday etc were allowed to look good yesterday by a confused and bewildering Celtic performance. Also hated BR post match interview- just a little too nice for my liking. Needed to let players and supporters know that what we just served up was not acceptable. Been said many times that poor play we can accept but not like of heart and application.
While I’m at it – BR team selection Was bizarre and no doubt was catalyst for what we saw yesterday. Johnstone & Ntcham not good enough to come off the bench against the Dons but start yesterday? By contrast Emilio and Hayes play against the Dons but make neither squad nor off the bench yesterday? Instead we move our most consistent performer from his best position so effectively weakening both midfield and left back. Hayes and Emilio went under the bus yesterday when manager said you are so shit I’m going to play my best player out of position rather than you?
DELANEYS DUNKY on 30TH DECEMBER 2018 3:28 AM
Agreed.
When did we ever see a Celtic team with no fight ?
Yesterday we passively accepted our fate.
Back of the bus. ?
That`s never Celtic . Or us .
Macjay. Sweltering are you in Sydney ?
Good to be home for 1st time in ten
SYDNEYTIM on 30TH DECEMBER 2018 7:09 AM
Macjay. Sweltering are you in Sydney ?
Good to be home for 1st time in ten
========================================================
West End and Byres Rd.
My old stamping ground .
Expect to get back next year………when it`s a tad warmer.
Give my love to the Dear Green Place.
Glasgow , I mean .
:-)
Sadly for Craig Gordon , his unbelievable saves yesterday will be tomorrow`s chip paper.
His saves were magnificent.
Wish his distribution would improve ……………..
Just boot it into touch as far up the park as you can , mate.
Not good , but at least an improvement.
Gordon saved us from a complete shoeing yesterday and that’s what he there for – this poor distribution is bollcks and Brendan’s obsession with playing out in all circumstances causing us more problems than it does to our opponents.
Sometimes to ball over the full backs heads pressing them back to face their own goal, gaining territory and pressing them in is what required to turn the tide in a game. But not us we insist on pissing about putting ourselves under pressure and inviting to on to us – this style of play at all costs is a vanity project and I’m sick of it – ffs mix it up……
MOISEY17 on 30TH DECEMBER 2018 7:37 AM
You have to assume that the intention is to retain possession and perhaps bring the opposition out of their own half.
Just like short free kicks.
If that`s the intention , then we are failing miserably.
Because the execution is miserable.
Good Morning… Mild but Cloudy in Mid-winter Chilterns…
Disappointing game yesterday no doubt but I’m at a loss to know why we have now got some God given right go go to Ibrox and win.
I’ve said on these pages, if you don’t prepare to succeed, prepare to fail… it looks like some weren’t of that mindset and for reasons best known to themselves found this result surprising and upsetting.
In the summer of 2018, we had a £100M pound squad, how much was Sevco’s worth? £20M!?
We took the field at Ibrox against a team that had brought in many players, improved some existing players and had a run in Europe. A far cry from the team that lost in Luxemburg.
They had ensured our twelfth man was stymied by not allowing tickets to our support and had boosted their twelfth man to fourteen by hand picking the officials to do the necessary. The schedule organisers had ensured we had a sapping encounter away at Pittodrie three days earlier.
What was that Sevco Rangers team that took the field worth? Not sure but a lot more than they were in the Summer.
What was that Celtic team that took the field worth worth? £35M!? A far cry from the heady days six month ago…
Those that are failing Celtic football club are negligent. Not only are they making our team much worse by failing to build from strength, they are reducing the value of our “PLC”.
As stated… prepare to succeed or prepare to fail…
Luckily for us we have a period where we can do j7st that (prepare to succeed) rejuvenate/rekindle/replace our tired, injured and “unfit” players and we can seriously STENGTHEN the squad.
IT MUST BE DONE!!
Hail Hail
I’m in a self imposed media blackout. jeez that was a shocker. I guess you have play your best team.
Cal Mac playing left back didn’t work, I understand why it was done, but if Ollie had put a shift in then we wouldn’t have noticed that Cal Mac was out of position.
What I dont get is why Brendan stuck with CalMac at left back.
All of the above does not absolve the passing to the advertising boards, the poor movement at throw inns ,and lack of movement when playing from the back, sorry trying to play from the back.
Pretty poor performance, but maybe us winning 5 zip would have slammed the biscuit tin shut again, not that I was that confident that it was going to be opened anyway.
H.H
In Peter we Trust, o sorry Brendan I mean ?
Up next *Clydebank * in the cup , i doubt very much that we will have ” new faces ” for that game, what with the team off winter training.
H.H
50 SHADES OF GREEN @ 8:28 AM,
“…if Ollie had put a shift in then we wouldn’t have noticed that Cal Mac was out of position.
Got to agree…
When Brendan was asked who he’d play at left back (for Scotland) he stated he’d accommodate both (KT & Andy Robertson), you have to play your best players…
As thing stand, on paper at least, even without Rogic, centre mid is where we are brimming with quality…
Fact is Broonie and N’tcham made Sevco’s midfield look like a Panzer Division…
As Paul67 alludes to in his leader, we need a serious rethink here…
Hail Hail
Thoroughly disappointed at Brendan’s team selection yesterday, do we ever practice set pieces, free kicks corners etc, we should be scoring goals, at least hitting the target with the amount of set pieces that we normally get. although we did not get many yesterday.
Approx two and a half hours. Oman V Oz.
Tom may be playing.
morning bhoys from a wet depressing Cheshire .nearly as depressed as me.hh.
Yes we did not turn up yesterday,but,but,but the Celtic side that took to the field should still have won against a below average team,,,,,,what does that make us,I don’t know how so many players under performed.Craig Gordon did what he is paid for and the deflection of broonie’s ankle for their goal just about summed up our day.Honestly should we blame the coaching staff for an absolute shocker of a display??The side that took to the field were fit and experienced pros they let us down they were the reason we lost the game.
BRIZZO 1888 @ 8:52 AM,
Yes, Not Sure preparing for all the free-kick and corners for yesterday’s game would have been the best use of our time:))
But take your point, as a rule our set plays from shys to penalties are not the best. I’m not sure we spend very much time on this at all. Add to that the lack of a Lubo, Naka… type player and we look very impotent at set plays…
Still at a loss to know why Calmac was such a bad choice at left back… Izzy had to be taken off at Pittodrie and Hayes is not left back.
Calmac was far from the worst performer on the day… Might have snatched us a draw…
Hail Hail
Still not happy about yesterday’s performance, a follow on from numerous poor away performances this season
Is January the correct time for turning our squad around ?
Locking at team and based on performances we need the following ?
For me a Goalie, who can play the ball out competently
A right back – Mikael still has 6 months on his deal, is Ralston the answer ?
2 Centre Halfs – Boyata looks away, Benkovic on loan, do we also need to be looking at what to do with Simonuvic & Hendry ?
Do we also need a left back ? As back up to Kieran ? Brendan obviously doesn’t trust Izzy or Jonny H ( whom I would have played yesterday)
2 strikers, one of whom is already first team ready
Now Celtic board, time to act
And Brendan a change of style with Celtic for away games, appears some teams know how to play our system, and stop us playing ( accepting FtSFA refereeing fraternity help with this)
” ‘mornin’ hun, breakfast’s ready….”
( whit they like!?)
;)
Chairbhoy
Hayes played at left wing back on numerous for Aberdeen, has the pace and a wee bit dig – my view he would have done ok there
Succulentlambstinks – was Sinclair any worse than James Forrest ? I didn’t notice any of the 2 of them yesterday ( and not only those 2)
In the cold light of day….
We were mince yesterday and the Sevs have another dose of hope … pretty sure Brendan & the Bhoys have appeared from the winter break re-energised …. Sevco, Killie & the dandy dons will make games interesting … would rather that than “pub” league fitba … although some decent players in the ole pub leagues …..
Enjoy what we have :-)
(we have more than most :-)
Good morning CQN, I’m still mega pissed off with yesterday’s result but take solace in the fact that the last time we suffered a reversal to sevco it brought good things ????????? and when I look in the mirror I don’t see a hun ?
Hail! Hail! PMTYH
That should have read …. pretty sure Brendan & the Bhoys have appeared from the winter break re-energised in last two treble winning seasons …. no java script or adverts to blame for idiocy :-)
Family duties daughter & grand daughter duties at least the weans are on the same wavelength as me
Enjoy your Sunday fellow Celts and remember it’s the hope that always catches up with them and in the end being a Celtic fan is pretty dam special
Scott Brown CSC
NORRIEM @ 9:30 AM,
“Hayes played at left wing back on numerous for Aberdeen, has the pace and a wee bit dig – my view he would have done ok there”
Well, totally except that, he did very well at Pittodrie on Wednesday.
When the team was announced my first thoughts were… not three at the back!!!
Once it became obvious Calmac was playing left back I could see the logic… Benkovic, Boyata, Brown and N’tcham should have given us the dig in the middle to deal with the physicality (brutality) that was coming our way… this to me was the failure. Though I totally accept Sevco got a lot of leeway down the flanks as well.
When the decision was made to play Brown and N’tcham then it follows that maybe you drop Christie and have Calmac in a more forward position.
In hindsight that maybe should have happened. In double hindsight, Calmac should have been in central mid And Brown or N’tcham should have been on the bench…
But tell me, would that team and that set up have won yesterday? Doubt it. For me, the problem(S) are more fundamental than that…
Hail Hail
Chairbhoy
Accept your response, and closing point
See my post at 09.25
But as you stated more than just that
We shouldn’t have been pushing on, this past 2 seasons, I actually think we have regressed
You stated in an earlier post
“What was that Celtic team that took the field worth worth? £35M!? A far cry from the heady days six month ago…
Those that are failing Celtic football club are negligent. Not only are they making our team much worse by failing to build from strength, they are reducing the value of our “PLC”.
As stated… prepare to succeed or prepare to fail…”
100% in agreement, we have become complacent in thinking complete domination ( what’s the terminology Paul67 uses – a generation of domination ? ), not with current mindset at our Club
Chairbhoy
Sorry meant to add
We and our squad is nowhere need as good as many claim or believe, for the money we spend.
And I accept we have won the last 7 trophies ?????????
No idea as to truth, it’s apparently coming from Daily Star ( I got on BBC gossip site)
Celtic have bid £1.75m to sign Ivory Coast striker Vakoun Issouf Bayo, 21, from Slovakian side Dunajska Streda
I just hope Dermot watched the game yesterday with some idiotic hun within singing distance.
H.H
Picture this — the state of the linesman after he had disallowed the CMcG goal.
Bundle of nerves — sweat lashing out of him, shifty, sly, duplicitous and then some.
In fact you could put in the full list …
http://www.bing.com/search?q=define+devious
He did not make a call — he just raised his flag and hoped.
Then the squawk box on Sky did the rest.