We won the game, so this is not sour grapes, and the goal which gave St Johnstone the lead was a lesson in defensive failures: Matt O’Riley should have cleared the ball, Joe Hart should have commanded his six yard box, both carry a lot of responsibility for the goal.
However, Matt had to break free from a shirt hold to even get to the ball and the St Johnstone player who won the ball one yard in front of goal did so with his arm, which was fully extended from his body. There is no need to fire off into a ‘They’re all against us’ rant, this may well be true, but it does not matter. What is without doubt is that our refereeing and video assisted refereeing is not good enough.
There is so much shirt pulling in the game that referees and VARs could effectively decide the outcome of any game they choose. Sometimes it is punished, on other occasions it is not. Matt O’Riley was ‘unlucky’ in this respect yesterday.
The handball rule is clearer. Play the ball with your hand or arm when it is extended from your body inside the box, and you can expect VAR to get involved. It is inexplicable that such an event led to the opening goal yesterday.
VAR has not made our game worse, it is not the thing that has enabled one team to benefit, what it has done is turn the spotlight onto something which has been going on for a century. We need VAR because we need its spotlight in order to drive improvement. There was no way referee Don Robertson could be accused of turning a blind eye to yesterday’s handball. He was unsighted and it happened too quick.
The VAR on the other hand? It is just not good enough. The SFA are trolling us if they pretend otherwise. And for the record, I don’t believe the apparent randomness of outcomes is random.
It is a great benefit to know what your opponent will do. Celtic absolutely know what our next several opponents will do at corner kicks. They will put a wide-bodied player on Joe Hart. Unless things change, Greg Taylor will attempt to out-muscle that player and prevent him from inhibiting Joe. Joe will be unable to command his six-yard box. What happens next is anyone’s guess, but the likelihood of a goal being scored is far higher than the paltry 3% industry standard.
Armed with this knowledge, we should never be fragile from a similar situation again.
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or should that be sevco element out of it.
CELTIC MAC on 4TH DECEMBER 2023 1:20 PM
I dont know what you’re getting at. He was the player GT was up against at the corners yesterday,
Abada and Maeda hand Celtic double injury boost as crocked pair BACK in training ahead of Hibs clash
Both wide men are back in training and could return between now and Christmas in a major boost to Rodgers’ squad.
KINGLUBO on 4TH DECEMBER 2023 1:09 PM
From what I’ve seen on tv the EPL refs are much more sensible in applying the yellow card and in ignoring ‘fouls’ which our whistlers would penalise . The result is a more flowing game .
that’s why when thems are playing, the opposition will stay well away from thems keeper at corners knowing that the ref will blow for a free kick when thems keeper comes charging into a opposition player trying to make an attempt to get to the ball from the corner.
ekbhoy
Well I think you are being a wee bit unfair on Liam, think his distribution is quite good, Nat Philips not bad either, havent seen enough of the two centre backs we did sign to offer too much of an opinion, but they are both rated in their own countries, don’t know what is happening there. Anyway my main point is we have a strong enough squad to win a League and Cup double and it is up to Brendan and his coaches to help make that happen. Getting a bit tired of him throwing the players under the ol Parks Bus.
Not working for Ten Hag that is for sure.
Abada and Maeda back training, Lagerbielka and Nawrocki will be in the squad when they start showing up in training, Tilio only in the squad last week due to injuries……..a damning verdict on the recruitment from Brendan at today’s presser
Random application of rules by VAR is one thing … guaranteed to get the blood up by the way.
Our lack of physicality and the absence of an almost pathological desire to stop that ball going into the net is another.
As an example from another sport, watch some of the “Red Zone” defence in Rugby Union.
Serious “putting your body on the line”
What we ask of footballers defending set pieces is tame by comparison.
Defending from set pieces was a serious problem from Brendan Rodgers’s Leicester. They had the worst record in the EPL, even with a set-piece coach. He was asked about it a fair amount and after a lot of talk about being aggressive and attacking the ball he came to the conclusion that it was, in his words a “personnel” problem.
He got rid of his lightweight centre halves and it did improve, but they still went down.
I think this is a technical issue that the goalkeeping and defensive coaches will be looking at. We were able to sort it last season with the same group of players and coaches, except for Carl instead of Liam Scales. I think theres improvement in Liam, if there isnt then maybe we should look to who we already have. But then I’m an optimistic sort who likes to challenge the “we’re just shit spend money on players” mindset.
BIG JIMMY on 4TH DECEMBER 2023 1:33 PM
Thanks, that’s excellent news.
celtic40me
I never mentioned the Saints in my earlier post, did refer to Motherwell though, whose 6′ striker Jon Obika scored the equaliser from the corner against us, with Greg Taylor hanging around his ankles. Not clear if he was marking or blocking at the time, didn’t work either way
Good afternoon, friends.
Delighted and relieved that our 2nd half performance yesterday brought us another 3 points. And equally delighted with the support shown so far on the ole email front! Remember, polls now close at 9.00pm and results should then be out before 9.30pm
SENCELPOTY@GMAIL.COM
Re 10 yard rule.
A simple solution used by another sport for decades is available.
The setting up of a free kick outside the box (or final third) is already a slow process so this wouldn’t slow it down further.
Fourth official brings the 10-yard chain onto the field.
Places one end at ball.
Referee marks the spot
Fourth official holds one end of chain while ref walks it ten yards – then marks the spot.
Fourth official walks off the field with chain
Ref confirms ball and wall position from markings.
Simple.
Brendan took a bullet for the Board at the AGM ,saying he had the final say on transfers, I don’t think he has signed anyone since he came back,and the deals were already agreed.He’s saying what we are,we need experienced players in not projects, time to back him
BIG JIMMY on re: Abada and Maeda
That has cheered me up!
Hope you are well good sir.
Mark Lawwell’s handywork ☝️
CELTIC MAC on 4TH DECEMBER 2023 1:46 PM
Same point applies, our big guys were marking their big guys. Motherwell had 6 of them, Ralston was marking Blaney who’s 6’3″
celtic40me
No the point is, that it is tactical stupidity in the extreme.
That, Is the point
BURNLEY78 @ 10:33 AM,
Greenpinata
I thought Brendan looked as though he was not even concerned in the first half. He showed no emotion and his communication with the team on the park seemed minimal.
It was something I commented on to my son. It was almost as if he wasn’t interested.
Hence when he said he was angry it seemed odd. I am glad he was but to be honest publicly saying players are not good enough is not helping in my view. Especially younger players. I know for a fact he did damage first time around in that regard.
Regardless about moaning about not having the quality with his resources he should be able to put a team out to beat St Johnstone Motherwell Hibs etc.
That’s interesting, actually commented on how passive our Manager and Coaches were, especially big JK.
Maybe shell shock, maybe, how many times do we have to explain the offside rule to this chap!?
It was good to know far from passive acceptance, the Manager was raging, it was certainly a tough half to take after the Motherwell game a week earlier.
The world and his wife knows the players aren’t good enough, BR wasn’t throwing anyone under a bus, like some managers and coaches do.
He was just stating the obvious, if there are players in that Celtic squad that don’t realise the teams performances haven’t been near good enough, they are at the wrong Club.
BR has stated over and over that the standards at Celtic are high and they are going to be maintained.
Totally agree, re: our resources, dwarf every Scottish Club outside Ibrox
So far this season we have beaten…
Aberdeen
Dundee
Heart of Midlothian
Hibernian
Kilmarnock
Motherwell
Livingstone
Ross County
Sevco Rangers
St. Johnstone
St. Mirren
We remain undefeated, so, so far so good.
Few players back from injury, some squad management in the January window and we are good to go…
Hail Hail
For years the SPL teams have had one tactic: get FKs, shies and corners against Celtic and throw the high ball in.
They then use all their hammer throwers to charge at our GK and defenders.
We’re too soft so it works.
The solution is simple: stop giving away needless FKs, corners and shies.
Lagerbielka and Nawrocki will be in the squad when they start showing up in training
——
Concerning mate and yet more red flags re recruitment. £7.5 million on two CBs not making the match day squad…
Then there’s Bernado. A good player for what he does but his profile is not needed in almost every one of our domestic games. His signing is very difficult to fathom.
Big problems to sort. I hope BR can keep us between the ditches until we get the opportunity to put right a ridiculously bad summer transfer window.
6joou
Fix fitba: empty Hampden.
HH
We’re Not Half of Anything.
AN DÚN on 4TH DECEMBER 2023 1:14 PM
A big part of our set piece problem stems from the absence of Starfelt imo.
=================================
Me! I’d prefer Billy McNeil but as we don’t have any of them we need to deal with what we have i.e. CCV, Scales, pint oh Lager etc.
Defend on 6 yd line and let Joe Hart have a run and punch any ball/attacker/defender(if need be) into middle of next week. Asking GT & Kyogo to protect Big Joe is like asking Danny Devitto to protect Arnold Schwarzènegger.
Brendan saying “we need quality” should be a heads up to all players making sure it’s not me that needs replaced.
James Forrest cleared the ball from inside our box and +- 10 seconds he was at the other end to score. Not bad for a player whose ” legs have gone”
10 yards.
It’s not that hard to get it right.
The ‘D’ is 10 yards from the penalty spot.
The ‘D’, at it’s apex is 4 yards from the 18 yard line.
The 18 yard line is 6 yards from the penalty spot.
These ‘markers’ should help the ref get it mostly right. If the fk is a yard away from the ‘D’, then the wall should be a yard away from the penalty spot.
If the fk is given 2 yards south of the D, then the wall should be 2 yards south of the penalty spot.
Refs are lazy or bent. Or both….
Weeron.
I naively thought VAR would improve the number of decisions which , through honest mistakes, go against us and and , conversely, go for Rangers when they shouldn’t have done.
I don’t now.
BR is now very publicly holding the boards feet to the fire on transfers. It isn’t coincidental that he’s doing this a few weeks prior to its re-opening.
And remember before we’re told how difficult January is, we signed Hatate, Maeda and O’Riley in the Jan window just two short years ago.
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 4TH DECEMBER 2023 1:47 PM
Correct.
It works in American football where whether 10 yards is the correct measurements or not can decide not just entire games but seasons/Championships.
If against that level of significance a simple stick and chain is deemed enough it certainly should be for our requirements.
RON BACARDI on 4TH DECEMBER 2023 12:48 PM
My dear old dad told me that he got these autographs at a game between Belfast Celtic and Celtic.
Can any of our resident expert historians shed some light on this and come up with a possible date and event?
Photo 1. https://photos.app.goo.gl/8CZmYARYbKwNrufg7
Photo 2. https://photos.app.goo.gl/pwL9V4bN2YaPAupFA
=============================
Hi there R.B
Those autographs i think would come from Belfast Celtics final tour in 1949 where they played Celtic and as the bottom right pic below shows the played in frong of the tricolour which caused a little anger in the 6 counties.
Belfast Celtic withdrew from the league in 1949 after Linfields fan invaded the pitch and left many of their players harmed and one especially broken legs and arms
https://www.belfastceltic.org/finaltour/
https://www.thecelticwiki.com/miscellaneous/belfast-celtic/
Belfast Celtic are on facebook too
Hope this helps RB
Ps i thought you would be a Derry City coming from where your kin come from :-)
HH
CHAIRBHOY on 4TH DECEMBER 2023 2:04 PM
“The world and his wife knows the players aren’t good enough……. if there are players in that Celtic squad that don’t realise the teams performances haven’t been near good enough, they are at the wrong C
So far this season we have beaten…
Aberdeen
Dundee
Heart of Midlothian
Hibernian
Kilmarnock
Motherwell
Livingstone
Ross County
Sevco Rangers
St. Johnstone
St. Mirren
We remain undefeated, so, so far so good.”
The `aren`t good enough` and `so far so good` seem contradictory. Am I misreading your post?
May be from this game RB
After this tour Belfast Celtic ex-stars came together just twice more. The first occasion was an emotional match at Celtic Park on 17th May 1952 against Glasgow Celtic, whose team included ex-Belfast Celtic man Charlie Tully and the great Jock Stein. Note that for this game (Glasgow) Celtic were actually playing a Belfast Celtic
HH
HOT SMOKED @ 2:33 PM,
Looking at Celtic performances in the round, and that would include Europe and the League Cup We have been far from good enough, this season.
We have however made a good fist of it in Europe and like BURNLEY78 says, with far greater resources, we should be able to beat our domestic opposition.
The two points are not mutually exclusive.
Hail Hail
There are laser measuring devices that I’m sure the ref could use.
Ref places the ball in the position – steps out the 10 paces then faces the ball and uses the device to check – simples
Gene- I posted on this before, a game I played in 25 years ago,ref had a little device that an estate agent would use to measure room dimensions, kept telling the wall to go back until it registered 10 metres,really simple
Bada
Health and safety probably wouldn’t let you point a laser at the players hence the pointing at the ball.
But the solution is available
AT
Photo 3. https://photos.app.goo.gl/6iW1LwQicV61NbEf6
This page was lurking next to the other.
I wonder if you would revise your view from this angle Paul
https://twitter.com/StJohnstone/status/1731685958620237909
Scales the biggest culprit when it comes to shirt pulling.
An embarrassment of a goal, not one player in the frame comes out of it with any credit