Congratulations to Brendan and the players, last night’s results makes it virtually certain we will qualify for the knockout stages of the Europa League. This tournament will give us peer-level competition into next year, Uefa coefficient points and could see income hit (drumroll) NINE figures for the first time.
While the wider context of last night was positive, the performance in Paris was tactically abject. In successive seasons we have conceded seven goals away to the top seed in our Champions League group. The total of 12 conceded to PSG this season contributed to them achieving a new record of all-time top scorers in a group stage, despite having only played five games.
I love the football we are watching under Brendan as much as you, but we are singularly unprepared to face opponents who perform at a higher level than us. This issue has nothing to do with our lowly league, or the calibre of players we are able to recruit, or even their endeavours during the game, it is about tactical choices.
Last week I watched Sweden resist Italy for 90 minutes at the San Siro. Sweden were awful, they couldn’t string two passes together. It was an exercise of attack v defence, but whenever the Italians turned one man in a yellow jersey, another two would descend upon him. There was no space inside the box, no overload of unmarked strikers fighting each other to latch onto a loose ball.
The contrast to the acres of space we allowed PSG last night is stark. While this is a great PSG team, one who have a good chance of going all the way in the tournament, this result is exceptional, even for them. No one in French football has conceded as many as seven to them this season, nor did a poor Anderlecht side.
The reason for this is not that the weaker French sides are all better than Celtic, it’s that they pack their penalty box, as we used to do, when facing top teams in the Champions League.
Think back to how Neil Lennon’s team pulled narrow at the back to deny Barcelona, with Lustig, Ambrose, K Wilson and Matthews in defence. Or how Gordon Strachan’s teams twice kept Milan, out for 90 minutes, with defences of M Wilson McManus, O’Dea, Naylor at home, and Caldwell, Pressley, McManus and O’Dea at the San Siro.
None of the defenders Strachan used would get into this Celtic team, nor would Efe, Kelvin or Adam Matthews. The key difference between the respective outcomes is not personnel, but tactics.
I loved the confident way we played for the opening 8 minutes but I also knew what we were in for as soon as PSG started making passes. We are, by a magnitude, not good enough to take the game to PSG in this manner. They found it very easy to carve us open and score, and as soon as the goals started raining in, that early confidence evaporated.
Instead, we played most of the match looking unsure and exposed. Any development opportunities had to be crammed into an 8-minute period, after that, it was just brutal. It wasn’t even down to poor individual performances. In fact, several players did very well, they were just tactically abandoned.
After Gordon Strachan took Cafu, Maldini, Gattuso, Seedorf, Pirlo, Kaka, Inzaghi & Co. all the way, Milan went on to beat Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Liverpool in the final. Don’t pretend this PSG team are significantly better than that Milan team, because it is just not true (I could argue the opposite). Nor are they better than the Barcelona team Neil Lennon beat 2-1 and lost by the same score.
The key difference between now and then, is that Gordon remained haunted by his first dreadful result as Celtic manager, as was Neil, who was schooled 4-0 by Utrecht in his first season qualifiers, whereas Brendan’s equally dreadful debut result did not impose the same need to learn a lesson.
There is beauty in defending, so let’s learn to do it well.
FRIDAY EVENING ON CQN…
Friday night’s @CQNMagazine Podcast
A CELTIC STATE OF MIND
With Lisbon Lion @Cairney2Subscribe here: https://t.co/7i8rarBBl3 pic.twitter.com/RMjDOVrrKF
— Paul John Dykes (@PaulDykes) November 23, 2017
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I am so glad I am a TIM and not a pretendy one.
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No beating about the bush, honestly last night we were a complete and utter shambles at the back, defensively at this level we had no chance , CG’s passing from the back under instruction is a nightmare and won’t get any better, poor passing in the middle of the park is costing us big time . Surely at this level we should have a dedicated defensive coach or do we have one at the club who appears not to be fulfilling his role?
Ron- time to promote Kolo Toure maybe….
!!BADA BING!!
Promote Kolo from what?
Id say doing what Sweden did v as poor and dishevelled Italian side that i have ever seen was a damn sight easier than attempting to do it v such a talented side as we faced last night.
Also think that anyone laughing at us has not got a clue about football or are deluded huns.
That team is capable of doing that to almost any team they face so anyone laughing better be prepared to get a taste of the medicine if their team gets a turn at it.
Going to be a poor analogy but WTF…….
Think you can shoot a bit of pool?
Hold the table regularly in your local and know you will probably beat the guy you are playing?
You know can miss a shot or 2 as he aint great……will miss……and let you back in again.
Tuesday night comes round and its time to play for your pubs pool team.
Who are you facing?
Guys a shark…….you may not even get a shot as he might clean up from the break, but you know IF you do……you better not miss or leave him a thing.
You don’t learn much or improve from beating the guys in your local but when you come up against quality and try to play at their level you do……its usually a painful lesson…….but a lesson none the less, but it makes you strive to do what you can within your powers once you get a feel for that standard.
Theres been a lot of talk about Brendan not learning from mistakes(not parking the bus) but id say he knows how the game should be played……needs to be played nowadays…….and he is doing the right thing by trying to get our players to play the game the right way.
After not even one and a half seasons the man has transformed our side and has been working at what every player at our club does right from the kids to the 1st team.
Id say he has done a phenomenal job so far in such a short space of time and im certainly looking forward to seeing where he takes us under his management…….rather than somebody who just wants to park a bus.
PS Anyone remember saying qualifying for the group stage is the target……and anything else is a bonus?
Sure we need to suck it up on nights like last night(i actually thought we did really well in periods of the game) but the bigger picture is the revenue that is fed through the club and how we use it to build from where we are.
PS I stood and applauded PSG when the y humped us 3-0 at parkhead. but every single player tried their best and couldn’t have done more that night.. just beaten by superior players and team. But thistime surely we did notplay to anywhere near our best.
M6Bhoy
Tony Donnelly
” It is what it is”
Well yes and no.
If you want an idea of what “is” read the latest SFM blog ” Who is Conning Whom” at
https://www.sfm.scot/who-is-conning-whom/
What that narrative is saying is that what “is” is an SFA who will go out of their way to first preserve themselves, then those who make what “is” is.
There are 3 reactions to the SFM blog.
1.Och Auldheid on his hobby horse and tilting at windmills again. I’m only interested in what “is” on the park .
2. There is definitely something not right, but it will never change, so no point stopping watching what I know is not how it should be and I’ll just accept what “is”, but good luck to the Auldheids that are making an effort.
3. What “is” is not what is right and I’ll try to change it.
Each to his own but changing what “is” will be a long step by step process. So if anyone wants to take a step read the SFM blog.
If you are in category 1 or 2 after reading thanks for reading. If you don’tread it, thanks for getting to this point.
If you are category 3 and angry enough after reading, let Celtic know how you feel. Ask them to raise the issue with the SFA Compliance chappie. Ask them to ask the SFA if they are briefing against a member clubs interest and how can they justify it.
Changing what “is” requires a critical mass and the more who are visibly critical, the greater the mass.
There was an informal meeting with the SFSA chap and what they intend to do next was encouraging to hear, but I’ll not steal their thunder. There is a lot of hard work going on there .
The SFSA already has a large body of support, it represents a wide front of supporters so already has a degree of mass.
The SFA cannot continue to operate as it does and their “no raking over the coals – move on policy” faces another ST renewal barrier next April if they continue with that policy.
If ever there was an opportunity to change the what “is” in Scottish football it is in the coming 7 months.
If you are in category 1 or 2 think about joining category 3 and make a start by asking the questions the SFM blog poses.
When we put our own house in order we can join other countries whose clubs and supporters are as fed up with what “is” as we are.
Good post!
Brendan is 17 months in the job and some people are not happy with what we have achieved in that time!
Hunbelievable!
Rome wasn’t built in a day…………….
Bring on Motherwell!
C’MON THE CELTS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That was for THUNDER ROAD.
Reading the blog since last night I’m reminded what my Calton Godmother said to me when I was going through a bad time.
“You’ll need to toughen up son. Show more fortitude”.
So I looked it up.
fortitude
ˈfɔːtɪtjuːd/Submit
noun
courage in pain or adversity.
“she endured her illness with great fortitude”
synonyms: courage, bravery, strength of mind, strength of character, moral strength, toughness of spirit, firmness of purpose, strong-mindedness, resilience, backbone, spine, mettle, spirit, nerve, pluck, pluckiness, doughtiness, fearlessness, valour, intrepidity, stout-heartedness, endurance; stoicism, steadfastness, patience, long-suffering, forbearance, tenacity, pertinacity, perseverance, resolve, resolution, resoluteness, determination; Dunkirk spirit; informalguts, grit, spunk
“he accepted his increasing illness with fortitude”
Worked for me.
5
5
7
8
8
7
6
Those are the number of Celtic players (outfield players) in the box when the goals were scored.
How many would we need if we wanted to park the bus?
Doesn’t matter how many you have if they aren’t doing their job.
Nobody near Mbappe, Verratti, Cavani (2nd goal) or Alves when they scored. The ball watching seems to get worse every game.
Cheers Jimmy bada and Saltires
SOT
35 years working in this area has almost done me in
Philbhoy- pretty sure Toure is coaching U20s/ Youths, best CV of anyone at the club
Deliberately waited a day before posting, and have just read the blog back. I have to agree with much of what GLASSTWOTHIRDSFULL and TURKEYBHOY posted. Adhering to ones principles is fine, but so are flexibility and pragmatism. After the 7-0 Barca drubbing, we were informed, “We will learn from this.” Brendan repeated the comment last night. So what precisely did we learn from the Barca mauling? We didn’t learn enough to strengthen defensively.
What ripped my knitting last night was the total lack of leadership, organization and coordination at the back, the inability to follow runners, the ball watching, staying on the wrong side, bunching up marking nobody while attackers were wide open, all profoundly amateurish. If the game last night was a boxing match, the referee would have stopped it after 5. Others have commented above on how our “deer in the headlights” away mentality leads to the opposition scoring against us in quick fire bunches, and not always PSG or Barca. All evidence that we seem incapable of learning lessons.
I am also a bit puzzled about the hype over Dembele. Good player? Yes. Potentially world class?
Don’t see it. Despite his physique, he cannot hold the ball up while challenged. Contrast that with the way Cavani effortlessly held off two of our defenders while controlling a high ball in the box before the Verrati goal. Dembele is poor in the air, rarely looks up while running to see if team mates are in a better position, and never troubles defenders when they have the ball. I’m sure all of that will have been noticed by scouts. When he is eventually transferred, I will be surprised if we receive the gazillions reputed.
I am also surprised by the occasional poster who believes we will win the Europa Cup, or reach the last 4. Firstly, we have to avoid a calamity against Anderlecht. ( For context, the Brussels game is the only one of the last 18 CL or Europa Group Stage games we have won ). Secondly, we will not be seeded, so we will potentially up against the likes of Dortmund, Porto, Napoli, Shakhtar, Sevilla, Juve, Roma, Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Lazio, Milan or Lyon. Anyone realistically think our fragile sieve of a defence can cope with any of that lot?
There has been a lot of comment about the corrupt UEFA manipulation of the CL. I don’t think that process has finished. The champions of the minnows will eventually be squeezed out, starting from next season. I’m not up to date enough to know whether we will have 3 or 4 qualifying rounds, or whether or not our coefficient is such that we will be seeded, but the road will be harder. So far this season, we have seen the following aggregate scores:
PSG. 12. Celtic. 1
Chelsea. 10. Qarabag. 0
Liverpool. 10. Maribor. 0
Madrid. 9. Apoel. 0
PSG. 9. Anderlecht. 0
UEFA will move to eradicate these ritual annihilations by either allowing entry from all 4 Europa Cup semi-finalists, or forge another artifice whereby the top 5 from England, Germany, Italy, Spain, and possibly France receive automatic entry. It will then truly be a competition for the elite, despite the misnomer Champions League. Then we may see Celtic, Benfica, Ajax, Feyenoord, Porto, et al, all previous champions with zero chance of ever repeating the feat, move for a more equitable scenario.
Well, them’s my thoughts. Tin hat on.
IniquitousIV
Thanks Philbhoy
Hows yer lass now after her trip?
Has the impact of it eased off?
Ex Man City player Robinho jailed for 9 years for sexual assault
My friends in Celtic,
BR has boldly stated ,we will not park the bus. Domestically or in European footie. Entertainment is his philosophy.
Murderwell may attempt to park the bus , but if it’s buses you want ( parked or otherwise) there is a clear head to head choice for all persons in the west of Scotland vicinity. The footie or the Glasgow style mile carnival.
HH . In BR we trust ( implicitly)
THUNDER ROAD
She is still involved in post trip activities so still a wee bit raw.
Upside is it has focused her mind on what she wants to do at university.
Many thanks for asking.
I’ll let her know!
I’ll go home to my wife and daughter in my mortgaged house and plough on
It’s not me it’s the poor in our society who are belittled and scorned whilst those rich and arrogant treat them with contempt..
Neymar ignores our players as he thinks he is in a different planet
Those feckers in power kill our poor because they can….
Football inequality is sore to take but when it’s real life it’s heartbreaking
BLANTYRETIM IS PRAYING FOR THE KNOX FAMILY on 23RD NOVEMBER 2017 3:11 PM
Depressed
Almost certainly but nothing to do with Celtic
At. Universal Credit meeting and I’m thinking about changing my career path
*
That system seems designed to deny people their rightful benefit payments. Make it stressful,awkward,expensive to claim. Make it easy to impose sanctions. Make it take so long to process-and pay it monthly in arrears-that people lose their homes through the debt they run up in the meantime.
It’s a shambles,it’s inhuman,and it’s deliberately designed to do all of that.
You have my sympathy,mate. As does everyone subjected in any way to this iniquitous act of vengeance on the poor.
Sorry for rant
Hail Hail and KTF
This place is meant to be about Celtic so apologies ⚽️⚽️⚽️
I’m also concerned that all this talk of we will be learn from this or the players will be better from this , that I don’t see any improvement in our defensive duties at this level or is it that we have learned that our defenders are not up to the task at hand and will move on and make way for those that can.
BT
No apology required.
We are all greetin’ about a fitba’ team getting humped last night.
It’s only a game.
As you rightly point out, UC is ruining lives.
You take care!
BT,
Possibly mentioning Style mile carnival in Glasgow when you are clearly frustrated with the Injustices that UC brings was inappropriate.
The contrast is as wide as the Clyde. Sorry.
GLASSTWOTHIRDSFULL
Id like to see every player defending as though they expect the teamate that goes for the ball will loose it…….instead of believing they will win it……if that makes sense?
I feel they stand believing Jozo, Dedryk or whoever will win the challenge they go for and stop as if the danger is going to be over…….yet when the ball is flicked on…….their man has ghosted off into space in the belief that their teamate will win it and ours are left standing ballwatching.
Sometimes its just the quality of their touches and theres not much can be done about it, but other times its their speed of thought and i believe we should be looking to match them on things like that.
RON67. agree sometimes when teams are attacking us in the spfl never mind europe. it puts the sh…ts up me craig gordons kicking is woeful.hh.
How many of the back four who started last night were signed by Brendan?
Mibbe when he signs the defenders he wants we will see a difference.
AULDHEID
I don’t need to read the SFM like them and yourself I have my take on what’s going on in Scotland, and it is what it is, I do what I think is right and don’t need anyone else or tell anyone else what to do, I give the SFA and the SPFL as little of my money as possible, I’m what CFC are a stand alone policy, I do my own thing others do theirs, .
One thing I don’t do is slag off my team, like many I’m not happy with last nights result, but it is what it is, no one died.
The manager picked the team, sent them out to do what he thought was a good formation, it didn’t pan out that way, it is what it is, everyone is home safely (I hope) and we have a cup final on Sunday, and I hope the bhoys get a result and win the cup.
One thing we are not short of on this blog are coaches, even Paul looks like he thinks can do the job, some of the posts on this blog are like reading the twitters from Huns, the Daily Retard, evening times, BBC Scotland, and Clyde , I kid you not, I cringe, by all means have your rant, but ffs stop trying to be Pedro.
Wee lesson – learn to type correctly!
Hehehehe
TD
Not reference to your last post buddy ;-)
GREENPINATA on 23RD NOVEMBER 2017 5:47 PM
BT,
Possibly mentioning Style mile carnival in Glasgow when you are clearly frustrated with the Injustices that UC brings was inappropriate.
The contrast is as wide as the Clyde. Sorry.
Can you explain please
It was interesting to read Paul highlighting Celtic’s performance particularly in defence over the two legs against Barcelona when Neil Lennon was in charge. I was surprised by the comments of some last night who put this down to luck.
it was hardly luck that a Barcelona team at the very height of it’s powers and on an unbeaten 10 match streak were held to three goals over two legs. Young Adam Matthews had a wonderful game that night on Lionel Messi at Celtic Park.
A terrific defensive performance without incurring one yellow card in the home leg. Lennon’s team progressed to the last 16 emerging from a group that also contained Benfica and Spartak Moscow, not exactly easy. Regarding last night, never nice to concede seven goals but sports fans are not fooled by what’s going on at PSG and Celtic have to move on and will achieve European football after Christmas by finishing in third place which was the ambition for this season.
TONYDONNELLY67.tony just because we dont share the same opinion as you we are all not huns .and think its a bit unfair on paul. he is entitled to his opinion. as are you. not falling out tony just my opinion.hh.
BT
Can only imagine what you see on a daily basis and that in itself will take a toll, but to be left feeling as you do because of systems that are put in place to deprive must be incredibly frustrating.
You obviously care deeply and have done all you can but if its taking a toll on you, maybe you really need to look after yourself as well for the time being?
HH
TONYDONNELLY67 @ 5:53
Hi Tony. I know several A and B licensed coaches on this blog. And there may be many more I don’t know about. Many of their comments on defensive issues have validity, as they deal with them, or have dealt with them, on a regular basis. I love what Brendan has brought to Celtic, but he is human, and not infallible.
H.H. IniquitousIV
we dont have the players to park the bus.
TIMHORTON on 23RD NOVEMBER 2017 6:12 PM
we dont have the players to park the bus.
————————-
That’s why we need a coach…..
I’ll get my coat
I coached at not a bad level myself, but i wouldn’t tell Brendan Rogers what to do, there’s just a big % of Huns come in here making out they’re not, they’re Huns trust me, and you’ll always have the malcontents unfortunately, and that again , is what it is. I’m loving being a Tim right now, but trust me there are plenty in here who are just never happy,.