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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If I was in Peter Lawwells expensive hand stitched Italian loafers I’d be saying nothing much about the New Rangers either. The furthest Celtic should go in public is to refer to them as The Rangers.
Match day programme comments should not refer to past matches between ‘the two’ clubs. But that’s it.
Why?
We know the truth. The support will ram it down the Newco’s throats every time we play them (the prospect of which is hateful incidentally). If the club do it overtly on an official level then all it does is allow the press to amplify the hatred and endanger, literally, Celtic supporters lives.
So if me and PL shared loafer sizes I’d decide not to inflame the Sevconians any further because I would not want to give any excuse for Celtic to be blamed for heightening the hatred.
Go ahead and shoot me down for it if you want…..
Lionsroar 67.
I don’t know you or Tom
I have just read back the posts from you both and I don’t know why Tom posted back so aggressively to you. I don’t want to come across as the blog police but Tom, I don’t understand what Lionsroar 67 said that appeared to wind you up.
BCW
Better Together – stoapit :-)
Hail Hail bhud
Tom
You are right there will be a “souvenir” programme for the semi final price about £5 which will print a whole loads of untruths.
There will still be space for an alternative or unofficial match programme.
Unofficial programmes used to be quite common at gigs.
I’m sure the guys that produce the CQN mag are more than capable of producing an impartial match programme for the game stating the facts and detailing the two year history of rangers, i.e good league record & cup disappointments.
Nothing controversial the truth will be enough.
Not sure if you would be allowed to sell it within a 5 mile radius of Hampden on the day.
Sky will be hoping the 1st game comes sooner than later. Tomorrows Scottish Cup draw might be interesting.
Jimmynotpaul
19:46 on
2 November, 2014
No problem it’s a blog
However been lucky to meet some great Celtic people through this blog
Good night CQN
Celtic supporters should attend the game. I object a wee bit to some who will only come out for CL games, title deciders or games against teams from Ibrox. BUT Celtic supporters should never abandon the team en masse. Particularly not against a club followed by the hateful crew who follow follow the newest senior team in Scotland.
If you don’t like the hatred fair enough. But if you went to the oldco games, then I see no reason why anyone should abandon the newco ones.
I’m a socialist. I have to shop in capitalist stores to get food to eat. I have to engage in the monetary system to put a roof over my families head. The world is not always ordered in the way we would like, but you can’t abandon things you love because all the ducks are not in the row you want to see……..
poormetaphorCSC
Tom
For me Silence is acceptance. This is not about who is right or wrong amongst our supporters. The lack of backbone from our custodians is the matter. From the reports of sectarian singing to the hiding behind the couch about them being liquidated and hence dead. I don’t think they would be too shy if the tables were turned.
From the back of the bus to the bus stop.
HH GMB
gearoid1998-blogs like this carry the torch for the Celtic support on numerous issues.Issues that PL and the board, don’t have the cojones for.The board love sitting in silence, behind the victim card.Still at the back of the bus.HH
We will have Davie Hay on the blog at the end of the week.
Caesar & The Assassin is back from the printers this week and everyone who has ordered will get a signed copy.
We can only ask the legends to sign so many copies so if you want to guarantee a signed copy order ASAP at http://www.cqnbookstore.com
We are launching the book at Greenock CSC on Friday 21st November. We have VERY special guests and hopefully lots of them. It will be like the dressing room at Love Street in May 86 or at Hampden in May 88 and Brogan Rogan will be there too!
Entry is via ticket – pay what you like AND bring along a Christmas themed donation to Inverclyde Foodbank which is supported by the Greenock CSC.
ALL the door money is also going to the Foodbank funds.
BRTH also wants you to bring along old clothes, cowboy boots etc for the Invincibles Charity – so clear out your wardrobe.
You can order tickets from CQN by emailing david@cqnmagazine.com or editor@cqnmagazine.com and tell us how much you want to pay per ticket – min £1 and max £10 – and we will send you a Paypal link.
If you can’t make it along but want to support the Foodbank please let us know via above email. Please give us your mobile number as we are going to ask the former managers to call a few of you guys on the night to thank you personally for supporting what our wonderful club stands for.
Roberttressell@19.46
When did the “supporters” of the dead team or their tribute act ever need an excuse to attack,physically or otherwise, our supporters. They are in a state of permarage and go out of their way to be offended. It’s in their DNA.
Not to tell the truth means that the lie will continue to be perpetuated. Furthermore their cheating and lies have impacted upon our club more than any other so we should be the most vociferous in exposing them and we are not, not by a long way.
HH Turnbull Hutton.
I see young Liam Henderson, scored today in the “Youth Cup” for the bhoys, as they knocked oot Motherwell :-)
Hail Hail
Funny I have met more Celtic supporters today who are glad we are playing rangers than not. Loads chasing tickets already.
I hate the fact we are playing them. 8 years ago today I ran the New York Marathon with Des McKewon who made the fateful draw last night. Today he is off the Xmas card list.
I notice as the team has had a few bad results the malcontent aim is now that the club should refer to rangers as a different name to that which the sfa recognises them as and make other noises to highlight the fact they are reconstructed.
I would say acting with dignity. Like Ronny did yesterday is fine. Disdain and contempt. We have bigger fish to fry. They will believe what they will believe. Regardless of what we say re their name is.
Robert tressell, you talk an awful lot of sense.
Even philvis would have to agree
Are we in tomorrow’s SC draw? Next round maybe?
Big Cup Winners, I was getting it mixed up with the game where Neil had a discussion with Dougal , can I call it that, after a game there.
You are right it was Thompson.
Was it after the game Shaun & Mark were booked for diving or the Dougie Dougie game when the power crazy Dallas came out with the honest mistakes grabage?
RobertTressell
I’m sure you’ll agree that a fair chunk of Celtic supporters have genuine grievance about their return.
It’s a pity good Celtic supporters feel isolated enough to take action, such as many are declaring ?
Their silence will not do and I’d venture so far to write some leadership is missing.
Burnley 78.
I posted earlier today our ticket conveners phone hasn’t stopped ringing since last night. People asking if he can get them a ticket.
I think I have to accept I’m in a minority by not going.
Barcabhoy
I seen reported earlier on Celtic News Now, that Newcastle had stepped in for Diarra ?
Hail Hail
Re: the lC semi final, it’s causing a lot of discord on here, we all have our own opinion on it.
I’m at a loss myself, I want to watch my team pump thems, then again, I said I wouldn’t endorse the corruption that has went on.
I’m going to leave my decision for now and hopefully the reincarnation will make my mind up for me and go to the wall.
Not wishing to fall out with anyone..but…any Tim who goes to the newco/sevco.zombie
game is a quisling,traitor,old firmer bassa ,especially the prawn sandwhicher Bada Bing.
barcabhoy
19:45 on 2 November, 2014
Our midfield is now arguably our weakest part of the Team. Personally, it is for me the weakest part. In my opinion get it sorted and we will push on. Diarra as you post is some recognition that Ronny is not happy with his midfield department.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Re LC semi, will the club do the correct thing and give priority to those who attended the games v Hearts and Partick Thistle, around 15000 or so. A few thousand also for investors, won’t leave many for the others.
There will be a lot of unhappy supporters thinking ‘I should have went’ when we’re 3 or 4-0 up and the Celtic end is jumping and the Huns end is empty :-) I won’t be one because I’ll be right in the middle of it HH
On the topic if what Sevco will be called in the tickets and programme for the semi- final, I think that this may be out of the control of Celtic. Being a semi-final taking in place on neutral territory, will the match jurisdiction not be the Scottish League? If so, then we can make a good guess at how this will go down. Can anyone confirm?
voguepunter
20:03 on 2 November, 2014
A traitor for GOING to the game hahahahahahaha what ever next HH
I won’t be going to the semi final, and not because they are a new club or any of the cheating that has got them to where they have no right to be.
I do not wish to be in the same vicinity as the scum who will follow any version of them that exists, it’s not my idea of a good afternoon out, we all know they will be in full hate mode for this one, not for me
kevtic
We would be happy to produce the programme – in fact when they come to Celtic Park we intend to say to Celtic that they must tell it like it is or alternatively we will and supporters can decide which programme they want. We would be happy to produce that programme for the club.
We’ll get the former editor of the Livingston FC programme involved and will quote Donald Findlay, Walter Smith etc – who told it as it is.
Lennybhoy
Is that he only plays 2 or 3 absolute max in there :-)
Goldstar10, no problem with that suggestion from me
But
Can we talk aboot current position, and something 3 months away, if it happens ?
They have enough money to see the end of this month – haha
Hail Hail
Cork Celt
Spot on, I am a Celtic supporter and will never deviate from that. No matter whatever ever happens, no matter who’s in charge, fk the huns. Celtic is all that matters.
Gearoid
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.
—————————
We have had two years of free laughing as the Edmiston Drive soap opera spirals from the bizarre to the sublime, then back to the bizarre.
The Sevco circus is a basket case, and it’s fun watching it twitch.
Ashley’s £2 million just keeps the circus on the road for another month or two, pays the clowns, while he figures out the best buyer for the big top, the lions and the elephants.
The enemy is not just making mistakes, it’s writing the longest and most f****d up suicide note in sporting history.
Celtic wading into the middle of that lot would be counter-productive – nothing to be gained by it; plenty to be lost.
The SMSM would have LOVED us swinging the boot in – gives the Huns a diversionary target (us).
Celtic played it well, IMO.
bigyinmilan
20:09 on 2 November, 2014
No doubt the ticket will have Celtic and rangers on them, couldn’t care less it’s only the Celtic bit I’m concerned about HH
Winning Captains
No respectable Cowboy Boot wearer ever gets rid of a pair of good boots.
Good Boots do not shrink to fit inferior feet.
Just listening to Ry Cooder singing Little sister, had forgotten how good that song is.
Gun skelper
My 14/year old won’t be going because as you said the orc end will be empty but they won’t go home and lick their wounds. They will be outside waiting to attack any celtic fan unfortunate enough to be in the wrong place at the wrong time..
roberttressell
19:46 on 2 November, 2014
Agree
Is it possible we could do a fly past ?
All profits to charity ?
magnificentseven
20:10 on 2 November, 2014
I think we’ll give as good as we get that day mate, no worries. By half time they’ll all be on the way home anyway :-) HH
Evening RT,
You could always move to France and live the socialist dream.
Warning: it’s all gone a bit Freddy Krueger…
cowiebhoy- I agree, as m6bhoy said earlier, totally radio silence from the club please, the chattering classes of CQN can rattle their falsers if they wish but really it is yesterday’s news now.