Celtic were overflowing with fine performances last night but mostly this was a tactical victory. Ajax dominated possession against Milan and enjoyed lots at the Camp Nou, so Neil Lennon knew what to expect.
Despite playing at home against our lowest-ranked opponent, we never chased the game, allowed Ajax time on the ball, and waited for the opportunity. We had the intelligence across the field to outsmart Ajax, with agility (Forrest), combativeness (Mulgrew, Kayal) and experience in the box (Stokes) to get the job done. We also have perhaps the best keeper in the competition. Shhh.
At some point before the return game in Amsterdam, The Bore may consider that his team deserved to lose, just as Nir Biton deserved his red card. Lunging into tackles inside the box is a recipe for defeat. Take the ball or you take your opponents leg. The noises from Ajax after the game suggested some bewilderment at the defeat; a well-worn track for teams to leave Celtic Park after Champions League games.
I hope de Boer carries that sense of entitlement into the next game, if he does, he’ll have learned nothing and his team will lose again.
Celtic’s area for remedial action is also clear. Over three Champions League games they have not conceded in the first 75 minutes but conceded four times after that point. This is not a complaint, it’s hard to maintain the levels of concentration, not to mention the physical effort, late in a game, but the stats suggest that, at this level, we wilt before our opponents.
The Dutch are known as progressive and tolerant people but the behaviour of Ajax fans (I hear from the moment they arrived at Schiphol Airport) was deplorable, without question the most violent European fans in all my time watching Celtic.
Football hooliganism is nothing like it was in the 70s and 80s but it is on the rise across Europe. Remain ever-vigilant.
On a more prosaic fan issue…. We were not at a pantomime last night. The moment between Nir Biton lunging forward with his studs up and the referee producing a red card was filled by a “Oooh” from many in the home support.
As soon as I heard this I knew the card would be red. Biton may have gone without the sound effects, but we don’t need to authorise the ref to make a big decision.
All this and the Big Glasgow Derby coming up!!
Between now and Sunday you are going to hear lots about the collection on behalf of the Greater Maryhill Foodbank, taking place before the Thistle-Celtic game on Saturday. What a great cause to be a part of.
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Joe Filipi. Even if the player is in contract Neil gets nowt from PL
Soo if player is good keep him in team better that than money going to balance sheet and helping PL personal income than us having inferior replacements on park
I would have kept vic as his transfer cash was never seen by Neil
Really enjoyed the match statistic posts and the performance analysis posts this morning. Sammi did run in to a few dead ends and lost a few balls but he was brave for the entire game, he constantly made himself available and he frightened them. Nobody with the exception of Biton who had only 10 minutes left us down Tuesday night. My MOM was Charlie but FF. Virgil and wee James were also strong candidates. Virgil has the capacity to become a really great player, pinged a few great balls around. Would Hoops have done better than Pukki at his best yes but at his average I don’t think so. However when Lustig put over that inch perfect ball after about 12 minutes I would have given anything for Hoops to be the guy at the end of it.
I see the clocks go back this weekend , unfortunately for Sevco fans its only one hour.
HH
Joe. Don’t see the point in paying 2.9m for a utility player
That is what pukki is
He was awefull in Germany I have a few mates in Germany who I trust and said as much
JFH & SYDNEYTIM
I agree.
We have to look at the cost of a replacement v the cost of retaining an established player.
The equation though is not so straightforward as adding transfer,agent and signing-on fees to projected wages.
We would have to factor in age and likelihood of success.
Thus far,it has been reasonably successful.
However with two caveats.
We were lucky that Thommo had previously worked with Newcastle-so our ability to replace Forster is unproven.
And the boat must be pushed out in the striking area. Fees that we consider reasonable elsewhere in the team are not providing bang for buck up front.
We are getting pretty much what we pay for there. And cumulatively it is an expensive flop.
Sydney Tim
FF will, at least, quadruple his wages if he moves to one of the bigger clubs in Europe or EPL. NFL is only being realistic. Do you seriously advocate blocking his way?
It seems we are already looking at a young Dutch goalie. IMO you are simply looking for an excuse to bash the club. As usual.
SYDNEYTIM
Tell Michael Collins to get back on here ASAP.
Sumdy here accused him yesterday of being a virgin!
Canny have that….
Sydney Tim. Morning fella I dont share your point of view in the summer we spent money on Balde,Puki,Virgil, Derk.and Biton.In my opinion we will spend money on at least two new players in the January window so to say Neil never receives money for players is incorrect you may say we didnt spend enough money but in my opinion there is no point in buying for buying sake.We currently are in a healthy financial position and if the correct players become available we have money to spend.H.H.
BMCUW
that would explain all the time he has to tend the garden in front of his Barcelona pub !
GERRYBHOY57
Howdy. …
Syd is a greetin’-faced nippy sweetie. But he is right,IMO,about the signing policy upfront.
Re FF,I expect him to leave after a The World Cup. And I wish him every success.
I’ll betcha a can of that life-saving cider of yours I had on Sunday 29th that if he does leave then,we don’t have his replacement anywhere except on our radar.
At the present time Samaras is the only outfield player in our current squad that would be capable of getting into the starting line up of two of our Champions League opponents
And from what I witnessed on Tuesday night anyone of the current squad would be able to get a game for Ajax
Sydney
you must have really been pissed off when we qualifies for the group stage.
qualified, even
Stirlingbhoy…..
Doooooooh……when we judt missed out on Messi, we had settle for less… Pity we didn’t have you ‘on the job’
Me, I’m very happy with the team etc….sorry about that…….!!!!!!
Syd- I don’t know what you do for a living but say you work for a company struggling to compete in the global market, the business struggles to make ends meet.
A competitor- who you have always had ambitions to work for- wants to give you a job, increasing your wages x400%, set you up for life, also, your employer will get a payment that will guarantee them profit, growth and investment.
What would you say to you bosses?
Bobby Meeting Michael tomorrow night to go and see Gary og
Jo sake of buying !!! Pukki he was a last minute panic buy
We have a policy of not spending money on one player
Instead 7 m on 3 non scoring forwards
It’s the policy that hurts us
Money down the drain on gamble forwards who have never been goal scores. Less quantities and more quality
We can sign hundreds of players. But no point if they are not 1st eleven
After a wet night brightening up nicely in the Chilterns…
Sammi’s contribution is immense – he’s the out ball and gives us a lot @ CL level.
He may not deliver that killer pass or score as often as we’d like but relieving pressure on our defence and tying up 2/3 opposition defenders at the same time is huge.
Interesting in the second half he got less attention from Ajax as they tried to get a goal back. Sammi got a wee bit more space ran into the Ajax box causing mayhem, the ball came out to…
Kayal….
Shot…
Deflection…
Goal!!!!
Hail Hail
JFH
Maybe it is too early to judge Pukki but the signs aren’t good, and if we have to start trying to find his best position then he obviously isn’t GH’s replacement and who will replace his goals?
I was puzzled when we signed Pukki as his goal scoring record wasn’t great and don’t see that changing, we needed a bit of quality up front to really give us a chance of making further progress in the Champions League but I guess it was all about money in the end.
WHITEDOGHUNCH
Yer sharp the day,bud!
Life treating you a bit better yet? Or are you still relying on Red Cross parcels from friends?
Get well soon,bud. And back doing what you like better than anything.
Enjoying the best that the most excellent restaurants can offer.
Me,a coupla pints,awright,a coupla gallons,then a plate of something.
Each to their own!
Look after yourself,bud. Get out and about again as soon as you can.
HH
http://hereisthecity.com/en-gb/2013/10/25/sp-the-championships-top-goalscoring-midfielder-on-celtics-radar/
Always looked a decent player at Killie and has improved since going down south.
Mickybhoy–total erse
mickbhoy that may well be true but we were very unlucky not to take a point from our first 2 games albeit we were lucky enough to take the 3 points from our 3rd game. A team is the sum of the parts and we are a decent team. Why would a player good enough to play for either Barca or Milan with the wages these sides pay want to spend his winter traveling to play the likes of Ross County. We are where we are and whilst we remain in our present League we will never retain a player good enough to get into Barca squad for any length of time. Henrik was the exception we will not see his likes again unless we move to a bigger stage.
Sydney Tim. Wither you pay 500,000 or 12 million buying a player will allways be a gamble and when a players join a new club they need to be given time to settle.There is allways an element of good fortune when you sign a player who goes on to be a star and in my opinion Celtic are doing fine at finding a few future stars.H.H.
gents I need a hand. In the next bed to me ward 2 the Royal is a 15 year old boy not well and very scared. He is finding it difficult even to talk but has a little about football with me.
If anybody could get something rangers unusual or better signed for him I know his response would be wonderful.
In the trusted hands of cqn I leave it. His name is Jack.
thank you
Bobby I have worked in manufacturing for 26 years and I have learned its bad policy buying cheap parts that fail often better policy to buy quality that lasts longer
Ps Celtic is a football club and we want to see players on the park not massive bonus’s for ceo’s. Just under a million for our CEO is obscene
Meant that last post for goldstar:)
joe filippi- indeed, when we took FF on his 2nd loan period this was met with major unhappiness by a huge number within our ranks, Syd T no doubt one of them.
He is possibly now worth £10million, and an undoubted world class goalkeeper.
SYDNEYTIM
Is that The Australian Gary Og?
Have a guid night,bud.
Tell MC that his trenchant mineshafting or Irritable Bawbag Syndrome,TM by CANAMALAR,is much missed.
And by the way,we have a board and it seems a large section of our support who think that every penny wasted on crap strikers somehow disnae count in the great scheme of things.
From the appointment of Tony Mowbray to now,inc fees and wages,it is an astonishing and truly eye-watering amount of money.
Wasted,all of it apart from GH and AS.
If 50% of your signings work then that is a good average. I would discount Steven, twas very bad luck on the lad but he has only a 12 month contract, cost nothing and likely to be on small wages. Of the remaining 5 we have one outstanding success so far. There are 4 others who any fair minded person would keep an open mind about. If 2 of them succeed it will have been a successful signing year.
Syd- I never asked about the CEO’s opinion/bonus. I asked what would YOU say to your boss in the circumstances?
Whitedoghunch.
Something rangers signed?
A tax invoice ruled out then.
Goldstar
I agree with your assessment re the improvement in those players ( and we might be seeing the tremendous potential of James Forrest realised if he is over that illness).
Unfortunately, Sydney Tim , regularly, and Stirlingbhoy, today, seem not to want to see positives.
Might I add that I always said Wanyama was not a great loss. He was a much improved player ( now who improved him? Surely not our awful coaching staff? ) but Hooper was far more important for us. Also, I like the look of Pukki but, quite obviously at the moment, he is not an out and out striker. We do need someone in that role (although many top teams play without one) but, as Neil said (and all but the most obstinate appreciate), these players are either very hard to find or far too expensive for us.
This is an excellent squad .
JJ
Jo. Strikers cost money less of a gamble signing a player who has a goal scoring record
We may as well sign a centerhalf and stick him up front
We have gambled again and again and again on cheap upfront in last 5 years All money down the drain apart from hooper
Take a step back and let’s say we should have used all the cash from Balde pukki and derk. And payed 7m on one player paying 30k a week
If it doesn’t work out we are not any worse off but are trying to get a proven goal scorer. Or buy Russell and McKay for 1m. More chance they will score goals than 2.9m pukki
WHITEDOGHUNCH
Humbling post,mate. Were I still in Kilwinning,I would be yer go-to man for that!
Pretty sure someone will come up trumps for him.
Please pass on my best wishes to the fella. I hope he lives to be a hunner and fifteen!
Lets start applying manufacturing principles to the running of a football club. Any six sigma black belts out there that can restart the Murray park conveyor belt?
WDH
Maybe one or two of the `bhoys` on this page could get their scarves signed for him…..
Last page, then
Belter of a quote. lol!!
Hateley said: “Yes, I have met David(King) a few times.
“He is Rangers minded and anybody who is Rangers minded is good for the football club. But that’s all I’m going to say on that.”