The lesson from Arbroath

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So what did we learn yesterday?  Primarily we learned that you can’t replace 8 players from a team which won 0-4 at Tynecastle while leaving the core element of the team in place.  It is justifiable to be critical of the performances of experienced key players who didn’t perform, but Wanyama, Brown, Matthews, Miku didn’t become bad players overnight, nor did Tony Watt, what happened is the essence of our team – the system – was missing.

The effort was there but the focus which makes this Celtic team wasn’t.  In many ways this was the perfect setup for a Champions League game against a team too many people are telling me we’ll turn over.  Our Christmas Cup Final on Wednesday will require every element that existed against Barcelona last month.

The knives are out for Spartak’s foreign players, who are taking the blame for the clubs disintegration since losing at home to Celtic, both in the press and online fan polls.  We may see a more Russian looking Spartak on Wednesday.  Which will be no bad thing.

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  1. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    Podium …..?

     

     

    Andy Walker is really quite comical

  2. Gene's a Bhoys name on

    I claim 1st as my last post was just after Paul’s new article

     

     

    clutchingatpodiumstrawsCSC

  3. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    Well, at least I don’t need to watch any more of this REALLY boring shoite

  4. saltires en sevilla on

    Paul67

     

     

    I feel the oul’ Ruskies will want this game out the way pronto with Winter break due … Still be a tough first 20 mins ..but an early goal for Celts and we could be onto a night of singing and dancing

     

     

    Do you think Jabba will be making final adjustments to his proposed Job Description across Mordor way?

  5. SUNNI CAMLACHIE on

    Where is Popes Butler?

     

    Is he away to sports direct arena ?

     

    or is he away to write tomorrows news today?

  6. From comments on tsfm:

     

    ” If every player who was associated with unsavoury characters was to “find pastures new” we would be watching 5 a side football.

     

    Where was Tom English’s condemnation when Chuckles was being wined and dined by convicted murders in NI? Where’s his piece on Goram shaming RFC and condemnation of him being all over our TV and Radio stations?

     

    This latest piece just proves that fear of a certain group in Scotland is rife amongst our media. To highlight Stokes is a sign of utter cowardice.”

     

     

    Correct.

  7. Yesterday’s draw was a bit like one of those pre-season fixtures in foreign lands when new signings get their first chance to represent the club. The results are often eyebrow-raisers.

  8. Gene's a Bhoys name on

    Paul67

     

    Disagree with the point that the system was missing – I am sure lenny put them on the Park with a system and that the players would have known this on Thursday – poor performance from too many players is the reason IMHO.

     

    As far asWednesday is concerned beware the wounded animal with nothing to lose.

  9. ArranmoreBhoyLXV11 on

    HH

     

     

    Freeeezing in Glasgow. The whole sevco experience has exposed the Scottish media for its lazy journalism in so many ways .. Had to drop family at Glasgow airport at midday.. Laughed as I drove near Govan as the fools rolled up rolled up for chucks folly of smoke n mirrors of a football club..

     

     

    Gullible.. Brilliant..

     

     

    HH

  10. HenryClarson

     

     

    What about people who shave their eyebrows?Stop being eyebrowist,Celtic are all inclusive.

     

    hh

  11. miki67,

     

     

    While I haven’t read (and have no intention of doing so) the article by English, I am sure that the Scottish media are, in the main, terrified that they will receive real death threats, if they publish anything remotely critical of the likes of Greene toadying up to those criminals in Ireland and Scotland. Maybe particularly people like English should have the courage to address the situation but, of course, he won’t.

  12. Sixteen roads to Golgotha on

    Got the girl to ring Sky and cancel the Skysports & their stupid movie channels as well.

     

     

    I am not subsidising that Newco mob any longer.

     

     

    Sick to death with that Tanner glipe and the rest of them.

     

     

    They won’t turn it off until the 21st of December,but it going to save me £30 a month after that,not that im worried about the money…i just can’t stick it anymore.

     

     

    I would do away with it altogether only she watches her tripe shows on Sky1 and Atlantic.

     

     

    Rant over.

  13. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    Kayal 33

     

     

    Yes Stokes would score in this league, no doubt. And if you wish to restrict your horizons to the SPL you have a point.

     

     

    Is that what you see the Celtic aspire to ?

     

     

    Hooper is another who hasn’t developed and in my honest opinion he has failed to add to his game since arriving.

  14. BIG-CUP-WINNERS

     

    15:08 on 2 December, 2012

     

     

    Horses for courses. You need to win in the SPL to play in Europe. Samaras is like a man down in home SPL games but is our most potent threat in Europe. Stokes is our best chance of scoring a goal in run of the mill SPL games but maybe not as effective in the bigger games. Squad game and all that!

  15. BIG-CUP-WINNERS

     

    15:08 on 2 December, 2012

     

     

    Agree re. Hooper, very disappointing this season. A decent offer in January and we should cash in.

  16. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    HenryClarson

     

    14:56 on

     

    2 December, 2012

     

    Yesterday’s draw was a bit like one of those pre-season fixtures in foreign lands when new signings get their first chance to represent the club. The results are often eyebrow-raisers.

     

     

    I know what you mean. At the game I was thinking some of them look like they are enjoying this and trying wee things for a change. Not all of them mind, Rabiu, McGeoch and Ambrose, for example.

  17. I am a genuine celtic supporter and was pleased by the results against Barcelona and Hearts. Inspite of the fact that I have never been entirely convinced by Neil Lennon as Celtic Manager he continues to have my support and I wish him and the celtic team well. I first raised my concerns about Neil’s management style a couple of months ago in what some mistakenly perceived as a flippant support of Willie McStay but as I tried to express at the time (perhaps not so eloquentl) something is not right . I think I said at the time Neil lennon still had a lot of questions to answer before he came close to justifying his messiah status in certain sections of the celtic support. In the aftermath of Celtics deserved and excellent victory over Barcelona I was humble enough to come back on CQN and apolgise that I may have hastily and harshly judged Niel Lennon

     

    In the prolonged inconsistency of Celtic’s performances this season have resisted the temptation to jump on the bandwagon of success or failure and have chosen to lurk and not because as much as i support Neil Lennon and CFC something is definitely not right at the moment. I appreciate that Neil is still learning and wants the best for celtic but ther is still a tactical nous missing

     

     

    This is not a knee jerk reaction to the 1-1 draw with arbroath nor is it the gloating reaction of a disappointed fan questioning Neil’s ability. The question that needs to be asked is why are celtic continuing to under perform on a regular basis

     

    It is not entirely down to the players the fans their is a collective failure in the coaching and management staff a missing ingredient…lessons have not been learned and since the shock cup semi final defeat at hampden at the beginning of Neil Lennons tenure as celtic manager celtic continue to under-perform against sides with less able players and less expensive squads……we can rise to the big occaisions but the management need to carefully reexamine coaching methods and team selection to understand why celtic are under-performing

     

    Getting a resounding victory against Spartak Moscow is now essential. It will be a small step in the right direction but it will not mean that all the problems have been solved

     

     

    Celtic lack a forwards coach this is why there is a lack of creativity and we cannot break down lesser sides lets not focus on mibbery and supporters conflict. Forget about financial distractions of the liquidated club resolve the inconsistency and add the missing spark. Niel Lennon step up to the plate, learn from your mistakes, get the forwards coached and then Celtic will resolve the lessons of persistent inconsistency.

     

    Comparisons of Neil Lennon with Jock Stein are premature Neil has done well but is still a work in progress and has much to learn

  18. Gene's a Bhoys name on

    Hooper’s poor goal scoring record this season could be coincident with Stokes’ absence. Sammi isn’t an ideal partner for Hooper who needs someone playing close to him.

  19. channelislandcelt on

    Sixteen roads to Golgotha

     

     

    Bravo ! Sky has been on the go for over 20 years and I would bet my bottom

     

    dollar that up until today it has never screened an fa or scots cup tie

     

    between two 4th tier clubs .

  20. Paul67 et al

     

     

    It wasn’t our day, it was the Red Lichties day, though the multiple changes from the previous game probably did not help. Not a great time of the year to be playing replays, but here’s hoping it does get televised when it happens.

     

    My one game at a time philosophy, drawn from Big Jock himself, does not prevent me looking ahead, looking at the big picture. At the start of the season, we all hoped we would at least be playing in Europe, ideally in the Champions League. Once achieved, and once the fixtures were drawn, I looked at that last fixture, and thought, Aiden or not, if we still have a chance just to stay in Europe, that is the game we would have wanted. By that I mean a home game with a chance of going through to the last sixteen. The last sixteen in , the best club tournament around! And so it has come to pass. Manchester City found out how hard it is to qualify when you are not seeded, so it will be a great great achievement if we are in the CL draw. Celtic Park sold out, game on Radio 5 for those with no other medium, (I listened to the 1967 Scottish Cup Final on the transistor so dont knock the wireless) and all to play for!

  21. BIG-CUP-WINNERS on

    Kayal33

     

     

    It’s funny how opinions differ. I’d have Samaras as our striker. He has the lot height, pace and ability. Under WGS, Mowbray and NFL, he’s been allowed to play out on the left.

     

     

    Only once when WGS was in charge was he told to play No. 9 and he had a fantastic spell before injury curtailed that chapter.

     

     

    Personally think it’s ridiculous Georgios is allowed to play on the periphery of games.

  22. CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & ever

     

    15:24 on 2 December, 2012

     

    Is Traynor off to work for Newco?

     

     

    Thought he already did ;-)

  23. CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & ever on

    BCW

     

     

    I agree Sammi has all the attributes to be a top striker. Fact is he’s not dn innate goal scorer. IMO he has too much football in him to be a penalty box player.

     

    He’s easily my favourite player but I’d have him on the left or behind Tony Watt.

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