With Celtic a goal up midway through the second half yesterday, we tried something new. The back four became a back three, with three sitting in front of them. Adam Matthews pushed into right midfield leaving Izaguirre, Denayer and van Dijk across the back. To the left of Matthews was Scott Brown and Charlie Mulgrew. It was a useful game to experiment tactically as Inverness asked questions throughout.
The most striking feature of this three at the back with three sitters was that Matthews didn’t bomb forward when Celtic were in possession, as he usually does. He kept in line with Brown and Mulgrew. On occasion, they were 25 yards behind their nearest team-mate, which was a bit jarring to see, as it’s so rare.
This was almost certainly a dry-run for Astra on Thursday. Getting it right defensively in Romania is going to be key to the outcome. On their showing at Celtic Park, Astra are a decent passing team who enjoy being on the ball. They were less impressive in attack, as the Celtic defence and Craig Gordon did enjoy to stifle them, apart from one slip, and when we asked questions of their keeper and defence, they looked vulnerable.
I’m not sure Ronny Deila will be overly convinced that his experiments yesterday should be repeated on Thursday. Inverness carved us open several times late in the game, but at least we’ll hopefully not be trying something out there for the first time.
You can get copies of Caesar & the Assassin, Billy McNeill and Davie Hay’s accounts of managing Celtic from Jock Stein’s departure until the appointment of Liam Brady, signed by both Billy and Davie here. I’d a great chat with Billy today, he’s a man who knows how to enjoy his football.
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gearoid1998
It’s not the dancing that’ll get your auld Tic ticker…..it’s the dancers!!!
HH jamesgang
So Tam, tell us what you really think!
;-)
HH jamesgang
Tom
I will be taking a ticket if I’m offered one in the ballot as I also go to support my team as often as I can.
Not too happy about the way the liquidation has been forgotten by Celtic, though.
Now,now Thomas.
We all support the Tic but we do so in our different ways.
“Their pain will be my children’s laughter”, paraphrasing an exceptional line and powerful sentiment there Mr Mc Laughlin, fair play.
Jamesgang@18.44
Have never met you(well not as of yet mo chara) but you know me so well.
Hail hail to the glorious Glasgow Celtic.
Three names appear to me to be missing from Celtic teams now for some months. I understand that Darnell Fisher is recovering from surgery, but does anyone have news of Joe Chalmers and John Herron?
gearoid1998
Yar my kind of Tim my Fhriend!
Aff oot. Time to take to embarrassingly large number of empty bottles out the front for the recycling tomorrow. Thank god I’m at work then they come. I should be mortified!!!
HH jamesgang
Mr 67
You are saying after 5 months or manager Is still experimenting. God help us.
lionsroar 67,
I too will be making other plans that day.
I am on record on here as wishing to see both Biton and Henderson playing in our team. I can’t see why either is kept out by Mulgrew, the master of the sideways pass.
The fact that they are dead and how they were architects of their own downfall HAS to be addressed by our Board at some stage.
Ignore it and it will go away is patently not going to work this time and it could be argued that if their demis, and indeed the manner of it,had been addressed sooner then we would not be having the current “discussions” that we are currently having.
Two currents mmmmm
Grammaticallychallengedcsc
Tom McLaughlin
18:42 on
2 November, 2014
Lionsroar
I never addressed you or your family in my post, why you decided to take my post personally and then further to take insult from it on behalf of yourself and your family is utterly bewildering to me
Every time I open the Celtic official website, whether I am looking to buy merchandise or match tickets, I am greeted with the legend 25 YEARS OF UNBROKEN HISTORY. What is that if not a sop at the team from Govan.
Celtic have never faced the Rangers since their inception, so why should Celtic officials be commenting about them being a new club? Even the game coming up is at Hampden and Celtic will have no influence on what is written in the match programme.
I meant 125 of course.
gearoid1998
You’re ‘raisin’ a good point there.
HH jamesgang
The reason Charlie Mulgrew plays in central midfield, if is he is like a third central defender who drops back between the centre backs when our full backs go bombing forward and covers our two centre backs when they go for a wander. He is simply better cover for our defenders than Biton who looks like he is playing in slow motion and does little to affect the game going forward or defensively. In saying that Mulgrew isn’t good enough in Europe, too slow, but that argument could be levelled at a few who are first team regulars, Stokes and Commons being the obvious ones.
Henderson is a different matter, he should be getting game time most weeks, even from the bench when we are winning, to develop into the player we all hope he can become.
Lionroars –
You mocked Celtic supporters who will attend the semi-final. Are you seriously suggesting that because you did not name me personally, I have no right of response.
How in God’s name does that work?
I reckon our suits think the hun demise is feck all to do with them, hence the silence, same for all the clubs, none have publicly come out and said they are a new club.
The silence re the sfa corruption is another matter, but, as most clubs would have been in on the act re the 5 way agreement and the granting of a licence to them, I am not surprised at their continued silence.
They just want the money, nothing else matters.
HH
Not sure why so many on here get worked up on commentators and others (including our own) referring to Rangers.
They’re being liquidated. They’re dead. The whole world can keep the head in the sand and pretend otherwise but that won’t change facts.
Some real sensible Celtic talk on here today.
Paul67, I did not see what you have written, I did see us loose our shape when Calum McGregor came on, as many have stated, he lacks football positioning sense and awareness around him in my opinion. As I said yesterday, it is no coincidence to see Efe and Adam struggle with Calum in front of them.
Now Nir Biton and Liam Henderson, should be in our squad, and getting games
That is an area I struggle to see with Ronny, what he sees in Calum, yet doesn’t recognise with Nir or Liam ?
Tom McG
What do you need to be constantly so aggressive with posters you may not agree with ?
I have never got involved in my many years on CQN with those who see themselves as better fans than others, if you care so much, why did you go to Australia ?
I’m with you lionroars, as you know, I do not attend Hampdump, and will not be at any game on 31st Jan or 1st Feb, suppose that makes Tom McG a better fan
Hail Hail
Tom McLaughlin
19:13 on
2 November, 2014
Lionroars –
You mocked Celtic supporters who will attend the semi-final. Are you seriously suggesting that because you did not name me personally, I have no right of response.
How in God’s name does that work?
You have a right of response of course, however the keyboard hardman uber Celtic fan response was uncalled for, its your opinion i mocked Celtic fans, that was not my intention
I won’t go to Hampdump but my son will.
That’s what it’s all about folks, opinions.
Doesn’t mean he loves the hoops more than me or vice versa.
Gary67
19:11 on 2 November, 2014
The reason Charlie Mulgrew plays in central midfield, if is he is like a third central defender who drops back between the centre backs when our full backs go bombing forward and covers our two centre backs when they go for a wander. He is simply better cover for our defenders than Biton who looks like he is playing in slow motion and does little to affect the game going forward or defensively. In saying that Mulgrew isn’t good enough in Europe, too slow, but that argument could be levelled at a few who are first team regulars, Stokes and Commons being the obvious ones.
Henderson is a different matter, he should be getting game time most weeks, even from the bench when we are winning, to develop into the player we all hope he can become.
———–
I always find it strange that posters on here think that the manager is not playing a certain player because he doesnt like them, it’s a high pressure job where you obviously pick who you think is going to win you games and make you unsackable.
People keep commenting on Celtic’s “silence” on Rangers having been liquidated. What exactly do people expect Celtic to say and in what context?
Do you want Peter Lawwell to hold a press conference and say, “Rangers are a new club”?
Seriously?
We all know that already.
What would be the point, apart from massaging a few damaged egos on CQN who need to be patted on the head and told everything will be alright?
That’s what psychiatrists are for.
Jimmynotpaul
19:21 on
2 November, 2014
I won’t go to Hampdump but my son will.
That’s what it’s all about folks, opinions.
Doesn’t mean he loves the hoops more than me or vice versa.
Absolutely agree, i have only stated my own personal viewpoint and stance
Need to dash as I am in London on family business, so not ignoring anyone.
Goodnight.
corkcelt
14:33 on 2 November, 2014
—–
great post, sums up almost every facet of this semi final nonsense very fairly and without drama.
Fair play
I will be at the semi final supporting the team, but fully understand why others won’t. The lie perpetuated by Sevco and the compliant SMSM, needs to be nailed and challenged at every opportunity.Their ex manager and ex chairman now, has said they are a new club.Put them in their place at every opportunity, what’s wrong with the truth? How would it be reported , if it was us? Remember the hearse outside CP?
Jimmynotpaul
19:21
Exactly.
Hope and pray, that our supporters can avoid falling out over this issue
Tom McL Lionroar67 ?
Some of us will go to League Cup Semi-Final. Some of us will not.
Perfectly good and valid reasons for either stance.
Either way it doesn’t make anybody more or less of a Tim.
We’re just Tims who disagree about how to handle this obnoxious event.
But the last thing we need is a support split and fighting amongst itself. The Huns would love nothing better than that.
I won’t be within a country mile of the semi final, or any future fixture involving us and the Scotland’s Shame tribute act, but that’s just my decision.
I respect the decision of those like my sister and her husband in Glasgow, who told me last night that they will definitely be going.
I also respect the decision of my other sister and HER husband in Glasgow who told me last night that wild horses wouldnae etc etc.
Since we all get together at Sister 1’s house in Ru’glen every Christmas Day, the banter over the table this year ought to be interesting.
Am thinking of enlisting my wee daughter to surreptitiously video it. Just for the family history like.
I watched the highlights of our game yesterday on the bbc site.
The penalty incident had two possibly three shouts for a penalty.
The left back blocks the shot but when he turns he scoops the ball away with his arm. The right back, Raven, then brings down Guidetti who is then stood on by Draper.
Thompson had a good view of each but still didn’t give us it just like Dougal’s’honest mistakes’ at Ibrox when he denied us two stonewallers, booking Shaun Maloney & Mark Wilson in the process for diving.
Tom McLaughlin
19:27 on
2 November, 2014
Need to dash as I am in London on family business, so not ignoring anyone.
Goodnight.
Family session with a psychiatrist ?
Tom
With no disrespect, Celtic have dealt with Rangers demise and the cheating prior to their demise (the Asterisk years and resolution12)very poorly.
The very least that Celtic supporters could have expected was an official response from our club much like Turnbull Huttons or indeed the Livi programme writers. It should not be left to others to fight our battles and it is our battle being confronted with the same club mythology from every quarter. There is a concerted campaign to pretend that liquidation didn’t happen and they are indeed the same club. As you said we all know this to be a fallacy but it helps immensely if we are confirmed in our convictions by the club that we support.
Some are of the opinion that Celtic are adopting a “don’t interrupt your enemy whilst they are making a mistake”. If that is the case then it is an approach that patently is not working. Time to grow a pair Celtic.
HH
Dallas Dallas where the heck is Dallas
“Dougal’s’honest mistakes’ at Ibrox when he denied us two stonewallers, booking Shaun Maloney & Mark Wilson”
Think that was Thomson too mate ?
BIG-CUP-WINNERS
19:31 on
2 November, 2014
Jimmynotpaul
19:21
Exactly.
Hope and pray, that our supporters can avoid falling out over this issue
Tom McL Lionroar67 ?
With all due respect BCW, i think the falling out and aggression was one sided
I have no problem with any Celtic fan not wishing to attend the game against the deid team, we all have differing opinions on the rights and wrongs of their of how this has been handled although we all agree on one thing they are a complete new entity. I will attend the match if I get a ticket, it doesn’t make me a better or worse supporter than anyone else.
Bada Bing @19.30
Excellent post my Fhriend.
HH
lionroars67
Wasn’t labelling anyone at all. Appreciate your point.
The fallouts started soon after the draw………. last night on CQN.
Just think, as always, that our supporters are better together. We have enough enemies already.
Hail Hail
With every passing week there are signs of improvement , and understanding of what’s required.
The news we are/were trying to sign Diarra was encouraging at a number of levels.
First it was recognition that the holding midfielders in the squad are not up to scratch
Second , it’s encouraging we want the finished article not a “project ”
Thirdly the criteria of having to have resale value is shown not to be set in stone and that short term goals are important
The onfield improvement is clear , as is the confidence and understanding. There are some areas that need improvement and some decisions , such as why McGregor is anywhere close to a first choice, that still appear baffling. However week by week , game by game it’s coming together.