As Ronny Deila chose to leave first team players to their training duties, instead taking a fringe squad for Saturday’s friendly against St Pauli, Norwegian compatriot, Henning Berg, had a league game in Cracow, which Legia won comfortably.
Playing games is the best way to improve fitness but two games per week comes at a cost, fitness metrics are never as high ahead of the second game as they would be if pre-match preparation was a week long. With a day already lost to travel, Ronny clearly decided the players needed preparatory work for Warsaw more than the disruption caused by the pre-match-day preparation for St Pauli, the game itself, then post-match rest-day brought about by Saturday’s match.
Henning Berg rested most of his first team ahead of their second leg against St Pat’s (resulting in a home defeat in the league), and, perhaps mindful of not showing too much of his hand to Celtic, rested four players on Saturday. His team are also a couple of weeks’ training ahead of Celtic, which will be the major benefit Legia will hope to exploit.
While Celtic moaned about having to play three qualification rounds I’m sure Ronny will be happy he saw his team in competitive action against KR ahead of tonight’s game. There was enough about the first half in Iceland two weeks ago to remind him that an edge is needed, and it is not straightforward to find, even against such lowly opposition.
While Celtic progressed to the group stage in each of the last two seasons, the corresponding fixture to tonight caused some concern on both occasions. HJK Helsinki were eventually overcome 2-1 after taking a lead at Celtic Park two years ago, while we took an equally narrow 1-0 to Elfsborg last season. Celtic would go on to produce memorable and record breaking seasons, but the preparation gradient has proven to be steep.
Celtic’s major advantage could, conversely, be the partisan home crowd, who are sure to be switched on from kick off, but Berg’s team have not won any of their three home games this season. The natives are getting restless and could easily become frustrated, increasing the tension already evident on Legia. The first goal could be crucial.
No passengers tonight, Celtic, especially late in the game, when limbs tire.
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Just in to say…..
Legia Warsaw 0-1 Celtic(LG)
RD & JC have the stuff – CSC
Lifes too short, bye.
derbyshirebhoy
Aye I’ve just been catching up to the news of it.
behindthetimescsc
HH
LiviBhoy
15:55 on
30 July, 2014
I’ve decided I live way too close to Celtic park. I need to live halfway round the world to be an expert on our youths.
LB
===========
I didn’t know Las Vegas was in Airdrie;)
HH
Summer cqn sabbatical on hold to wish Ronny and the Bhoys all the best for tonights game.
COYBIG.
Commence sabbatical.
Livibhoy
Just get Celtic tv
Birmingham .. looks tae Hiv bin Convinced
That Denny , wiz WORTH a few Boab..
n.. So Dae Ah..
Denny, has the Physique.. N.. the Skill tae Mak it as a Striker..
He is NOT easily Brushed Aff the Ba’.. He hiz a Paira Shoulders oan him
Like a ..well. Lumber Jack.
This Is Most Important. fur a Striker.. Sure, Henrik didnae.. but Henrik .. is a Wan Aff..
in the Strikin Media.
Pukki.. Is.. Easily Brushed Aff the ba..
This is ..as WORRY.
Ah like Pukki, n Ah believe he wull go oan tae Prove his Worth .. in the Long Run
But..
He diz hiv that BIG STRIKE agin Him..
Which..well..
Maks Me ..
WORRY.
Kojo
Still,Laughin
Livibhoy\
Ah Made is Plain as Kin Be..
Ma readers hiv an Option.. alwiz..
They Kin Believe Whit Ah hiv tae Say..
or..
They Kin..
NO BELIEVE wit Ah write..oan Here.. Regarding…well.
Anything!
It maks Na Difference tae Me..
But..
Save the Snide Remarks concerning My efforts tae Inform
as a Common Courtesy..
Maks Sense tae Me..
Kojo
Still,Laughin
TBB @ 15.17
Never bored with your contributions just a case that I want the debate to move on.
I think we need to develop a better system than we have at the moment.
That is the question I am putting to you, others on here and myself — what do we need to do to take things forward? My view is that producing SPL / Championship fodder is a job for others — it is nothing to boast about.
I think we attract too many fans — too many think they have made it at 16 and 18.
I think the breadth rather depth approach to talent produces stagnation and complacency.
I think we put too much pressure on the coaches to chase pots and beat the TFOD / TFOD2.
We need to develop a B team either in the SPFL or the juniors.
We need to spread our wings and work the gaps / EPL deserts in England.
We need to get a presence in the US — either youth only or MLS Div2.
We need more structure so that the players coming through have more publicity and structure — who are the U17’s / U18’s / U20’s …
No more excuses for failure based on we put out a young team for any particular age group.
When did we try that against Barca only to find out their team was younger than ours?
Build a youth stadium in the East End and get it well used.
Make it a major plank in the CFC growth strategy — I can phone it in if PL is stuck.
I normally try to read at least a few posts every day but I very rarely stay on very long however I have been on this week more than usual and I have to say that after yesterdays debacle with the attention seekers out in force I have enjoyed todays blog so much more without them.Lets hope this is a sign of days to come.
Cheers Tims.
LiviBhoy
You might have to forget all your previous tips that bombed too.
I wish Denny Johnstone good luck ( he will need it at Birmingham). We will hear his name cast up lots if he is a success in his future career like McCarthy and Fletcher. We will hear nothing from the critics who bemoaned the fact that we let go 100 other Senior and Youth players who proved to be duds, or the 300 other transfer tips that were no-brainers but who proved to have less than stellar careers post-Celtic.
Almost every senior player that we lost from the MON team, apart from Stan who fetched a transfer fee, went on to obscurity and failure. But did the critics ever say we dodged a bullet in getting rid of those big earners who were not good enough to make it at WBA, Wolves, Villa, or Leeds?
For every genuine tip touting someone who would have been good as a Celtic signing, there have been 100 for guys that turned out to be not good enough. Thank God, we are not the scouts for Celtic. The club would be at Dundee United’s level within weeks.
Ooops looks like I wrote to soon,time to go I think they are back :-(
Goo luck to RD and the Bhoys tonight.
I will continue to ignore the snide comments of my critic(s) who is undermining my efforts to stop this site becoming the Daily Record.
Bom dia,
I know it’s a day for being focussed on “the Prize” but here’s a wee round-up of South Amerikay fitba things to lighten the burden.
Libertadores
Well National squeaked thru into the Libertadores final last night in what was a real nail-biter of a match.
First half Defensor had something like ten corners in the first 30 minutes and still couldn’t make an impression. Then they (finally) scored early in the second half to ensure the final 30minutes was a thriller.
That was until Fox Sports Brasil fecked up the TV feed and for the last 15 minutes we had nothing but 2 secs of normal play, 3 seconds of fast forward and then 5 seconds backwards followed by a flash of blue screen. By then end of it I felt like the missus had put some of Walter White’s Blue Crystals in ma tea!!
Anyway, Defensor had an epic fail and lost 1-0. National now go thru to (likely) face San Lorenzo who defened their 5-0 home win away in La Paz tonight.
All that’s left for Defensor now (think Partick Thistle getting to a CL semi-final) is how much of this team will move on – Giorgan de Arrascaeta rumoured to be going to Galatasaray for 3.5mUSD, with various others (pick of the bunch being Felipe Gedoz) rumoured for various S.American clubs.
Elsewhere in S.America
ex Brasil manager, Felipão’s exile from fitba didn’t last long and he’s been announced as the new man at Gremio (where his managerial career took off) yesterday.
Alejandro Sabella has thrown in the towel as Argentinian manager with ex- Barca Tata Martino favourite to take over.
Staying in Argentina, Carlos Tevez’s step father was released from a kidnap yesterday with Tevez alleged to have paid the 400k Peso ransom (about 25k GBP). If it was my step Dad, I’d have paid them to keep him!
And finally there’s been floods in Belo Horizonte yesterday at the news that QPR are interested in Ronaldinho. The locals are pure dead pee’n themsels laffin !!!!
Mon ra Hoops !!!!
setting free the bears
Dundee United level within weeks you say?! Their youth are being picked up by Sporting Lisbon and the mighty Hull, bring it on I say;)
HH
Good luck to the bhoys later tonight.
As Ronny Deila said, it is good to be nervous but bad to be afraid. Our fans may dismiss others as pub teams but professionals need to have a more sober and competitive attitude. Over the course of two ties, we should win but as usual, the club will get few plaudits for doing the expected but plenty of brickbats if there is an upset against-the-odds result, even if the odds are of the 60:40 variety.
Good luck to the Donegal AGM tonight. I will try hard to get back sometime soon.
Kojo
I don;t know how you can spot a player on Celtic TV and judge how they can be a success in the top team. I judge a player in the flesh when I can watch their whole game and movement. Players can look great on the ball. Truly great players are brilliant off the ball too. Watching Larssons movement for instance was mind blowing. I don’t believe you can teach that.
Might have came across as a snide remark but it is my opinion that judging a player via Celtic TV playing at his own level means very little.
SFTB
I am aware of that. These tips aren;t mine though. I just passed them on because Abmucker was going to the races. I am terrible at picking horses. Pretty much why I don;t bet often nowadays.
LB
English giants Birmingham who finished 21st in The Championship snatch Celtic starlet from under their own sleeping noses.
Daily Record
Kojo
Pukki is not easily brushed off the ball or Aff the ba, if you prefer.
As I am sure you will appreciate, actually being at the game allows for a clearer perception of some aspects of the game. In that particular aspect, Mr Pukki is pretty strong.
JJ
PS I mentioned earlier that I thought Denny J was one of the young guys you rated. Your comments above suggest that my memory is accurate…..and I am accurate about Timmo as well. Believe me !
traditionalist
They are not. Two of them have been. Do you not think that James Forrest, Liam Henderson and Calvin Miller are not sought after targets too?
Andrew Robertson has already achieved a very decent level. Let’s wait and see if Gauld actually does anything before we decide he is the new McCarthy?
Dundee United finished 4th in the league, one point above ICT and 41 points behind us. We would have cause for a Sack The Board campaign if we did that.
SFTB
Thanks for your review of the opening ceremony.
It is a hard task to convince visitors that GM is one our more refined local politicians.
Loved the emphasis on the the NM story — up there with the Para’s defending the bridge at Drumcree as the best GIRUY of my lifetime.
From memory the GH was very against the renaming of the street.
The letter pages and then the comment section were full of rage at this “stunt”.
Anybody back this up?
SFTB- Was your wee dig aimed at me ?
Strikers
The last top class striker to come through our youth set up was Charlie Nicholas.
Big Jock inherited Bobby Lennox, Steve Chalmers and John Hughes, and then we had the Quality St Gang which included Kenny Dalglish and Lou Macari. Oh how blessed we were.
We have bought great strikers over the years but the well has run dry recently. A good goal scorer is worth a lot, in terms of transfer fee and wages. We can be outbid by English Championship sides so it’s difficult enough to find a good ‘un, never mind hold onto one.
Tony Watt could have been the answer, but he wouldn’t knuckle down. Shame, but we must move on.
It saddens me to ask this, but does anyone think we could find a KoK and hold onto him?
“I’d rather have two very good players, than five average”
Ronny Deila
MadMitch
I cannot back that up but I would almost guarantee that that is precisely how the Letters pages ( and more ) would have been in the True Blue Scottish Establishment.
JJ
ger57
In my lifetime it appears that the good foreigners stay at the club longer than the Scottish Bhoys!
LB
Bada Bing
Don’t think so
Why did you think it was?
just another tim
Denny Johnstone is a young guy with a lot of ability and potential. Don’t believe Celtic were offering him the chances he thinks he’ll get a Birmingham.
No “hard” fee because of his age and he was our product, I believe.
Some compensation was required from the buying club. It stalled last week because that compensation couldn’t be settled.
Some of these signings end up being settled by arbitration.
Bottom line is – he wanted to go.
HH
bournesouprecipe
16:20 on
30 July, 2014
English giants Birmingham who finished 21st in The Championship snatch Celtic starlet from under their own sleeping noses.
Daily Record
Surely another contender for the Pulitzer Breaking News category
JJ
My memory on this is that the GH editorial was scathing about the damage that this “political stunt” would have on the reputation of Glasgow.
Easy to forget how much of an anti working class / anti progress / anti Labour Party rag that comic is, was and ever will be.
The only thing now is that the SH is now even worse.
It is having its death throws as a Sponsored Wee Eck loving tea towel.
Anybody know of any place to watch game tonight in Cheltenham. Text if you have my number or email me at lennybhoy@gmail.com
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
SFTB – My misunderstanding mate, your OC critique was accurate , really amazed how the CW Games have taken off. Glasgow looking brilliant,and credit to the BBC for their coverage IMO HH
Just got Virgin Media to add Premier
Sports for tonight’s game.
£7.99 a month on a 30 day rolling
Contract.
COYBIG !
“If you want to be a Celtic player, you have to make that sacrifice. You have to live like a top athlete 24hrs/day 7days/week.”
Ronny Deila
Livibhoy
Ah Agree,pal..
It is NOT POSSIBLE tae Form an Accurate Judgment of a Fita’ Players Potential..or
Game Skill From a Video Clip..or..even a full Video.. of that Particular Player..
Howevahhhhhhhh..
Ah base
ALL OF MA INFO.. which Ah pass oan.. Here. From Time tae Time
regarding .. which Youngsters among oor Hopefuls doon Oan the farm..
are worth NOTING…
is Based oan Me..
OB
Havin the Benefit of Hivin..
The In SITU Observations of. THREE CELTIC YOUTH COACHES..
who hiv Passed Oan .. Their Opinions of How things Are going doon at the Farm..
regarding certain Youngsters.
These Opinions are Passed oantae Me.. by collie… who is related to these
members of the Celtic Coaching Staff..
Ah thought that You n Ithers were Aware of this..
Howevah….
Ye Ur Noo..
Again May Ah remind Ma Readers..
You hiv that Option ,which Ah wrote aboot ,earlier..
YOU KIN BELIEVE whit Ah Inform. Which is Based oan Info Received..
concerning certain Members of the Celtic Youth Acadamy.. regarding thur POTENTIAL ..
Or
Ye kin ..well..
NOT BELIEVE a word of whit Ah write..
That’s fair Enuff… ??
Right?
Of Course it is.
The Fact that Ah am Kind enuff tae Offer these.. Little
Pieces of Info..
Disnae Mak Me A Bad Guy?.. In the Eyes of CERTAIN READERS.
Diz It?
Hmmmmmmmmm
Sometimes, Ah wonder.
Kojo
Still,Laughin
Eastbourne Pier is well alight, looks like it will be destroyed
RWE
That appears to be the case. I can’t fault any young player for taking control of their career. If he felt we were not giving him adequate opportunity to progress then I can’t blame him for making his own decisions. I wish him the best of luck.
HH
Noticed the debate on Southampton’s youth set up and how they benefit from their location and access to a bigger talent pool. They seem to have a good method for developing that talent and I’m sure that last year, either Chelsea or Man City poached their youth coaches.
I’m no expert on coaching but I see how successful the British cycling team has become over the last 15 or so years. Surely there must be lessons to be learned from their performance coaching set up.