Despite benefiting from the worst goal I’ve seen conceded against Celtic, a well-drilled by no more than competent Kilmarnock team came from behind to take all three points and leave Celtic at a multi-year low yesterday.
Excuses are available: the pitch, the fact that we made six changes to the starting 11, but the reality is yesterday’s performance was little different from what we have seen so often this season. I could make a case that we were worse still in the home win over Hamilton. The latter performance took place on a pristine Celtic Park with Dembele and Griffiths both starting.
Two seasons on, teams with vastly inferior resources have figured out how to play us and we have not figured out how to compensate for this reality.
I trust the manager. He has delivered and deserves our faith. He will get it right and deliver 8-in-a-row, but I fear for our treble on Wednesday night. Having failed to win any of our three away games against Premiership opposition, the pattern is too complete to ignore.
Apologies for the radio silence on CQN yesterday. The server was knocked off by the volume of visitors and the recovery process caused further issues. Been ages since this has happened, but I suppose it’s been a while since we’ve had results like this.
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Podium
Poor Poor performance
D. :)
Good Afternoon.
You may disagree with this (and I don’t blame you if you do!), but here’s my take:
“Celtic’s Complacency Trap” https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2018/09/23/celtics-complacency-trap/
And here is an opportunity to cheer yourself up by laughing at the Scottish sports media…
“Having Rangers’ Sh*t On Your Doorstep” https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2018/09/23/having-rangers-sht-on-your-doorstep/
Hail Hail
Brendan says :
” We need to pick ourselves up and go again ”
Cantonese or Mandarin ?
In hindsight it is probably just as well that CQN was ‘down’ post game yesterday. A verbal bloodbath would have ensued otherwise. On one side the myopic board sycophants and the other side manned by the alleged panty wetting hope the board GTF soon brigade all arguing who is behind the malaise that we are facing. However regardless of fault one thing is certain and that is there are major problems at the club. This isn’t just a wee lack of form blip this is bloody serious. Yesterday was about as bad as I can remember watching Celtic play over the past few seasons. No passion, no direction, no forward drive and not a bloody clue how to break down an average Killie defence. Our goal came from an absolute howler of a Killie double defensive error rather than from a silky move or sustained period of pressure from us. Both goals conceded were defensive errors. Even during Ronnie’s much maligned tenure I can’t recall us being so consistently poor
Why does Brendan persevere with Scotty S and Jack Hendry – both are so lost at the moment it seems almost sadistic to play them. It certainly is a form of sadism being forced to watch them playing in a Celtic jersey given their current form. Why does Brendan persist with the mind numbing side way and backward passing? Is this really a tactic that we train to perfect and if so why? But I guess the biggest question that requires answering is why we didn’t strengthen the 1st team squad during the summer despite the management stating that it needs additional quality and that is before we sold, Armstrong, Dembele and lost Paddy Roberts ?
Can we turn this around? I honestly don’t know but I am certain that if we do not win the league this year that a number of arses should and must be booted out of Celtic Park in ignominy – senior board members, management and players.
Does anyone else have any idea where Paul’s optimism comes from?
THECLUMPANY
Complacency Trap.
I’ve congratulated you often on your satire,and also on the odd occasion that you go for the jugular.
That might be your best yet,fate and hubris are not good bedfellows.
JIMTIM 1153
Aye. I wish I’d said that,Whistler.
Paul67
Good point, well made.
But I think the league cup game could be the perfect pick me up before we face another difficult league fixture.
BR needs to decide on a best eleven the back four was solid until yesterday, Ntcham returns and Rogic should never be excluded from our plans, when fit.
We have too few match winners, so play them all.
Yesterdays blog failure was as expected.
We have to be realistic now and realize change is necessary.
Either the coach changes tactics or we change coaches.
For the club to go forward we also need change in the boardroom.
Lawell should be the first casualty.
‘Our treble’ whit? Trebles have to be earned, nothing is a right.
BHOYLO83
Erm,highly-placed and remunerated friends?
And still the arrogance continues. He WILL still deliver 8 in a row, fear losing OUR treble, really.
I think we are still favourites to win the league but its not certain. IMO we wont win any treble, let alone ours.
Complacency and arrogance oozes from the board room to the stands with the management team and players as guilty as anyone. Nothing can be taken for granted and if players, management team or whoever wants out then it should be a thank you and goodbye.
Celtic always weaken from a position of strength. Its the Celtic way.
I too cannot share Paul67’s confidence that BR will deliver 8 in a row.
I seldom watch English football, but a couple of weeks ago I watched highlights of their Premier League games featuring the top teams. What struck me was that they kept passing the ball FORWARD. Surely BR can see the problem with our style of play. He should watch his former club Liverpool.
Is ” We need to pick ourselves up and go again ”
the new :
“taking it on the chin” ?
Hope I never see Jack Hendry play in a Celtic shirt again. An SPFL player who looks terrified in possession.
Too bloated a squad with mediocrity.
Feel sorry for the punters paying their hard earned to watch the team put in performances like yesterday, largely devoid of any grit,heart or desire to win a game of football that they’re very well paid to do.
I’ll reiterate what I posted yesterday. The board must back the manager in January or they will feel the wrath of the support imo.
HH
Read a wee comment on another Tim site that made me laugh and then I realised it is sadly bloody well true
“Even Henke and Chris (Hun Skelper) Sutton would pose more of an attacking threat even at their advanced years than our current forward line do”
79 CAPS
I fail to see why Paul has confidence in Brendan reaching 8.
Brendan has a philosophy and sticks with.It cost him the Liverpool job as he had no answer when it all went south.
Cracks were showing last year but when this season started and things weren’t going well he was very quick to apportion blame to all but himself.
This never works for the better and has only increased the pressure on himself and team.
A house divided will surely fall.
Everyone at Celtic Park have to get their heads together and honour the contracts they have signed and the one to the support, which is, perhaps, the most important of all.
The whole club, Board, management and players, bask in the accolades of success.
Success has many fathers, bit no one wants ownership of failure.
My stated view on here is that the Club is one entity…. a trinity or, if you prefer, a three-legged milking stool. Each leg dependent on the others.
To think otherwise, i.e., ” I support the team(club), but not the board”, is venturing into Holding Company territory.
We are one and that is where our strength lies.
The sooner everyone at Parkhead honours their obligations to the support the sooner this malaise will pass.
Brendan`s lineup yesterday smacked of experimentation .
He learned that the experiment was not a success .
Nothing quite like a settled team with only enforced changes .
We`ll be smiling again soon .
THOMTHETHIM FOR OSCAR OK
Agree and posted very similar yesterday, you reading my posts :)))
HH
Hello, this is WEE BGFC. Some strange word choice there, Paul. “Multi-year low” is a bit excessive – we’ve been beat by Kilmarnock before, we’ve been in the Uefa Cup in the not-so-distant-past (and, at that, we’re already doing better in said competition now than we did then, so far) and we have had worse starts to the season – things aren’t that bad, perhaps simply ‘a low point’ would be more appropriate. However true it may be, I disagree with the term “inferior” to describe others in the league – I think it’s a hun-term. Finally – as said above by DilligafBhoy – “our treble” sounds arrogant. We have no divine right to anything in this country. I don’t mean to disrespect, if it wasn’t for yourself we wouldn’t have a blog, just some constructive criticism.
HH
WEE BGFC
Mickey Johnson, Scot Sinclair and Jack Henry were literally a hindrance yesterday.
Doesnt matter who you play, 33% of your outfield not performing to even a workmanlike level is totally unacceptable
@ 79CAPS on 24TH SEPTEMBER 2018 12:15 PM
The difference is that EPL teams do not play anti-football to the same level as SPL teams. Celtic invariably face (outwith Sevoc) teams that play 10 men behind the ball week on week.
Qarabag played Atletico Madrid last year and got two 0-0 draws. Iceland have made it to two major international competitions in a row based upon sold defensive play, 10-men behind the ball and hope to hit on the break or score from a set piece.
In order to counter such styles you need to have a bit of guile or quality. Ours is sadly lacking in too many areas. It is also exacerbated by BR’s insistence on playing one man up front and not attempting the occasional route one football.
Unfortunately a number of bad moons are aligning at the moment.
PAUL67
Maybe your headline should read , Brendan has’nt found a way to beat teams with inferior players and finances .
he’s now becoming Deileresque , arrogance to change methods will cost him .
Two of my recent favourite goals …
( 1 ) Scott Brown under pressure on the touchline at Ibrox , lumped a high ball up the field and Dembele got onto it and finished superbly .
( 2 ) Scott Brown to Boyatta – the Griff at Parkhead .
The robotic style of football is killing us, imo !!
We could possibly left with a centre defence of Bitton and Ajer / Hendry after Christmas….
Excellent post wee BGFC
HH
I feel for young Jack Hendry who in the right circumstances could grow into the jersey.
Yes the second goal he has to take the blame but our poor defending of set pieces has been constant for over a year.
The first goal was a clear failure of our tactics which has been all to often.
How many time has our complete shambles or total lack of a defensive posture when we lose the ball cost us.
There was a picture of five Killie players on our left side and only KT in view at Burkes goal.
Our midfielders all have their plusses but they never resemble a unit and all seem unsure of their role particularly when opponents have the ball.Their spacing is woeful.
When your system and tactics negate players strengths and purpose nothing positive happens.
In summation our coaching is one dimensional and incomplete.
I’m as confused as anyone over the current situation. It is not a crises yet but it is nearing one. At this moment it is not time to panic but Brendan needs to take stock of the situation and act accordingly. Eight in a row can still be achieved (32 games still to play) but we can’t afford to slip up too many more times. It would be arrogant to suggest that we can still win it if we fall 10 points behind even though it might be possible. Of I were on charge, for my part, I would be thinking about a new manager already. I think Bournesouprecipe is correct in what he says about Strachan to the end of the season. I would also be sounding out Steve Clarke to take over permanently.
All this is speculation of course and my hope is that Brendan will get his head back in the game and win the Rebel Treble..”…… but contingency plans need to be made.
I actually had to go back and re-read/check this. ‘Our treble….’
How entitled.
Perhaps the only new face at Celtic Park will be that dependable old-stager …. Mr Hubris.
We played p1sh a lot last season.
This year we’re playing a lot of p1sh.
Ironically I thought the better performances came from the ‘experiments’. Our midfield debutant looked like he actually cared (others take note) and three young attacking amigos at least sought to run end to end, rather than touchline to touchline.
HH jg
A tad premature I know but food for thought. Do either PL or BR wish their Celtic legacy to be ‘The men who lost 10 In a row’ because unless they both get their fingers out that is how we will remember them.
@ THOMTHETHIM FOR OSCAR OK on 24TH SEPTEMBER 2018 12:26 PM
I disagree re
“My stated view on here is that the Club is one entity…. a trinity or, if you prefer, a three-legged milking stool. Each leg dependent on the others.
To think otherwise, i.e., ” I support the team(club), but not the board”, is venturing into Holding Company territory.”
The club is indeed one entity. However it is a composite of, in simplified terms: the players, the manager and coaching staff; and the board/executives (the other non-footballing staff fall under the latter heading).
It’s perfectly acceptable to support the club and simultaneously hold the view that: a particular player is not good enough; that that manager should not have been hired and is wrong for the job (e.g. Ronny) or that the executives are failing in their duties.
No one member of each composite part is bigger than the club; no one member of each composite part is beyond reproach or criticism.
fan-a-tic on 24th September 2018 12:13 pm
Yesterdays blog failure was as expected.
We have to be realistic now and realize change is necessary.
===========================================
P67 oot now too?
We are a well run business , but a poor run football club. No investment in the playing staff is a sackable offense
We could have invested another 10m easily with no risk to the business model
Team on Sunday had no threat
If BR is going to walk away due to PL, what next ?
BIG GEORGES FAN CLUB
Howye doing pal ?
i’m not a statto , but this seems like the worst start / league position for a long time or maybe it just seems worse considering the resourses at our disposal.
Hhope you and the kid are still banging out the tunes ;))
Anyhoo aff oot tae the Fort .
catchyeez ;))
A worrying stat yesterday was that was the first away league goal we have scored this season. Having said that the previous five games were clean sheets. We’re not all of a sudden become a bad team but somehow we seem to have lost our confidence. St Johnstone will be smarting after their doing yesterday, its not an ideal game to build us up again but its essential we get a good result, it could turn us around.
From @agentscotland on twitter
Jan 1st – Sep 24th 2018
1. HIBS P22 W12 D7 L3 +18 43Pts
2. KILLIE 23 13 4 6 +8 43
3. RANGERS 22 12 5 5 +19 41
4. CELTIC 22 12 5 5 +18 41
5. DONS 22 11 6 5 +10 39
6. HEARTS 22 10 5 7 +7 35