It was Brugge who showed the way in our Champions League game in November last year. They pressed Celtic in the middle third which was enough to inhibit our ability to progress the ball into advanced areas. Other managers watched.
Five weeks later, Phillippe Clement copied these tactics in a 3-0 win over Celtic at Ibrox. Barry Ferguson followed this up in March, winning at Celtic Park, then again in a draw at Ibrox. Already-eliminated Young Boys came to Celtic Park, went man-for-man in the middle and lost to a late own-goal.
We watched the same show in the Scottish Cup Final in May: 120 minutes of midfield suffocation before a penalty loss to weaker opposition. It was no different over 210 painful minutes against Kairat. Yesterday’s failure to land a glove on the most nervous defenders in Scottish football follows a well-established pattern. Russell Martin changed every tactic he has used in Glasgow and reverted to the play we all know succeeds against Celtic.
Games with against lesser sides and without Kyogo, Jota and Kuhn have floundered in the middle of the park. We seem to be focussed on adding attacking options today. This is necessary but attacking players are blunt if you cannot break a soft press in the middle of the park.
We got draws at Ibrox, against Kairat and in the Cup Final because we can defend well – Liam Scales was well worth his Man of the Match accolade. That will probably be enough to win the league while Newco beat themselves and the Hearts project is too new. But we are at a tactical cul-de-sac. Chris Davies did more than put the cones out.
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Hey James F
Ever wonder why you are not on the board or even in charge at Celtic ?
Surely you must get frustrated and just through your wealth into the ring and buy these guys out to make it all work out properly the way you know it should be done ?
I get frustrated too btw but I have not walked in either of these guys shoes. So I struggle to be so critical of how it is done. Clearly you fancy yourself as knowing more so why not go do it ?
Burnley78:
There are people on here who I’m interested in talking things through with.
You’re not one of them.
That’s your answer and it’s the last one you get.
Adam Idah has completed move to Swansea City from #Celtic.
Only official announcement to come.
Celtic looking towards Datro Fofana at Chelsea as striker option. They also like Sekou Mara of Strasbourg.
Kasper Dolberg deal hanging in balance amid Ajax offer.
James. F
Go on man
17 leagues in 22 seasons.
Ok we are watching utter dross and Rodger’s vs shite opposition but you get out and show us you can do better from your folks front room.
The long wait is over @ 5:56 pm,
Yes, well I wouldn’t disagree with that, however like you, it seems a very short sighted strategy.
It’s interesting this Board is said to be risk averse, yet that is only in one way, the PLC’s money*
They are quite prepared to risk UCL-Q and a poor domestic season rather than spend the going rate on a footballer – in footballing terms that is high risk.
I disagree with the narrative that BR’s big ticket priced signings have failed.
He still had to stick to the Club’s recruitment strategy, i.e. Arne Engels age and profile fitted the moneyball model, his transfer fee didn’t of course.
Yet BR’s success at getting Matt O’Riley into the Premiership 30 mn bracket would have convinced DD he was capable of doing that again.
Of course he did it in England many times, notably with James Maddison.
My feeling is the bhoy has all the attributes and will come good.
Auston Trusty is a 6 mn centre half which ever way you slice it, his performance in Bergamo was outstanding.
The Board don’t like to pay the going rate though, as this window has proven, though if it benefits them*, they’ll do it, they paid more for Christopher Jullien.
Of course the outlier is Adam Idah, he was a 6 mn player that we paid 9 mn for, again, given a solid development path he could easily have turned a profit.
He was struggling to get to his previous level last season when Taxigate happened it was a watershed moment for the lad and it seems to have propelled him in the wrong direction.
*PL Going for TIAR legendary status.
Hail Hail
Burnley78 on 1st September 2025 6:28 pm
And there it is….
Tounekti deal back on according to reports
Burnley78:
I’ll tell you why you’re not going to get an answer, and you know this anyway.
Cause you’re a tosser. All this “tell us who you would do it” isn’t even a particularly good deflection from the point, which is that we have highly paid people in those jobs who aren’t getting them done.
It’s a troll. It’s not a serious argument, and you know it isn’t.
So this WILL be the last time I respond to you and if you want to waste everyone else’s time trying to troll me into a discussion I’m not going to have with you, knock yourself out. You’ll look like a dick.
B78…I bet you are perversely enjoying this fan chaos.
onenightinlisbon on 1st September 2025 6:26 pm
Adam Idah has completed move to Swansea City from #Celtic.
Only official announcement to come.
Celtic looking towards Datro Fofana at Chelsea as striker option. They also like Sekou Mara of Strasbourg.
Kasper Dolberg deal hanging in balance amid Ajax offer.
—
Dolberg deal hanging in the balance like a convict on a rope I would suggest.
Idah has more goals for Celtic than Fofana and Mara have career goals !
Idah has gone.
Is all this the consequence of Lawwell’s son getting forced out of the club?
Wouldn’t be surprised.
Resentmentandrevengecsc
Chairbhoy,
Fwiw I agree on Trusty and Engels.
Idah , however , I can’t agree. He’s been really poor and I don’t know enough of the details about Taxigate to comment properly but if ( if this is what indeed happened) getting pissed, throwing up in a taxi and getting filmed doing it is enough to derail your career then Celtic isn’t , or it seems now , was too big for you.
I’ve honestly never seen reffing like yesterday’s
Is … too big for you
Oh failed the medical…..
It’s 4 and a half hours before the window slams shut . We are scrambling about in loan deals for strikers who haven’t been playing , never mind scoring goals, and yet there are still voices making excuses for the board.
If I was a board apologist , I reckon I would be keeping a low profile or squirming with embarrassment in a dark corner somewhere .
Huns are signing players because those in charge know how to close deals, good or bad, we, on the other hand, have accountants running the show…
A club like ours should not acting in this manor plain and simple.
GLENDALYSTONSILS on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2025 6:42 PM
Don’t even reply to the low life’s mate because that’s all they are defending this nonsense.
We are a laughing stock in this window and it’s about time fans start talking with their feet and get this board out now.
They are stinking two fingers up at Brendan and decent fans that spend thousands on books and merchandise.
In any other job you’d be removed
ONENIGHTINLISBON on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2025 6:41 PM
Oh failed the medical…..
——-
Source?
We’re apparently in a battle for with Charlton and Preston for a striker…
But there isn’t a club like ours, certainly one that’s loaded but cannot sign the players the first team needed and still needs.
Celtic fans – stay tuned
published at 18:32 British Summer Time
18:32 BST
Big news is incoming…
Idah has gone…bbc winding us up, taking the piss.
not one
Surely to God we must have a striker in place with Idah going to Swansea?
If not, Rodgers should walk, seriously.
Swapping Adam Idah for Kasper Dollberg would have been like leaving Susan Boyle for Demi Moore.
the long wait is over on 1st September 2025 6:46 pm
A few German sources on X.
Seems staggering that Idah would be let go with no one lined up to replace him, for all the flaws I think he has.
ONENIGHTINLISBON on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2025 6:49 PM
the long wait is over on 1st September 2025 6:46 pm
A few German sources on X.
👍
GLENDALYSTONSILS on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2025 6:42 PM
It’s 4 and a half hours before the window slams shut . We are scrambling about in loan deals for strikers who haven’t been playing , never mind scoring goals, and yet there are still voices making excuses for the board.
If I was a board apologist , I reckon I would be keeping a low profile or squirming with embarrassment in a dark corner somewhere .
——————————-
💥💥💥💥💥💥
Current depth in the centre-forward position:
Daizen Maeda (shifted from left-wing)
Johnny Kenny
Shin Yamada
Callum Osmand
But let’s focus on Emperor Brendan’s ineptitudes……..
We all love Celtic really, and the way I feel, I’m off to support Hibs. This board is chronic and totally taking the piss.
If we did not love our club ( probably the only ones who really do ! then more would see where I’m coming from. Seriously pissed off , they don’t give a fuck.
Tragic
kingLUBO
Twitter.
Money expected to be brought in this summer:
Kuhn – £16.5m
Lagerbielke -£2.2m
Tilio – £1.3m
Kwon – £200k
Idah – £6m
Yang – £3m
Frimpong sell on – £5.5m
Doak sell on – £1.5m
Oh sell on ? – £4.3m roughly
Total – £40.5m
Money spent this window so far:
£7.5m
Get them out now.
#SACKTHEBOARD
I worry for lennie – didn’t look well on the telly yesterday
Stephenbhoyboy on 1st September 2025 6:05 pm
No way should rodgers carry the can for this shite show. How do you expect to keep the manager engaged in his job whilst stripping his team bare as soon as the chance arrives and every time the chance arrives. Changing the manager will not solve any problems more likely add to them. If we had a centreback who could break lines, a midfielder who could destroy play, a forward who could hold the ball and play the game and wingers who could beat a man much of our issues would quickly resolve. Tactics work when you have the players to play them.
…………….
Rodgers spent 32 Million and they all sat on the bench as we went out of the CL.
Now Rodgers wants many millions more and we can spend the next 3 windows to get rid of them as well?
Last season the PLC called Rodgers bluff by giving him 32 Million who all look like misfits?
And the response is give Rodgers many more millions?
How many more millions will be enough?
No good manager would come to a club were if your old firm rivals hit a bad patch, then you would have to throw titles to lift up your rivals again?!
The entire club is a fake scam!
AN DÚN on 1ST SEPTEMBER 2025 6:46 PM
We’re apparently in a battle for with Charlton and Preston for a striker…
That’s Fofana apparently