This is one of those hard ties to analyse. AEK were no more than a decent team. Certainly not a clear cut above, and for that reason, the tie remains alive. But despite being preseason, they defended impeccably.
They did their homework. Tom Rogic, who was immense on Saturday, was not given a yard. Celtic opened well with Callum McGregor the principle threat, most often when linking with Kieran Tierney. After those two crafted the opening goal, AEK man-marked McGregor out of the game.
James Forrest was effective when used; it was his change of direction which drew the second yellow card for Galanopoulos, but we were overtly left sided, reducing Forrest’s effectiveness. Olivier Ntcham was our creative fulcrum after McGregor was shut down, but the normally incisive balls into the box didn’t quite come off.
A few early mis-steps from Jack Hendry were not punished, but the resulting nervousness throughout the crowd was clear. Central defenders are crucial to how Celtic play. If you inhibit their willingness to step forward or show for a pass, you inhibit the entire team.
I’m not sure what Kris Ajer thought when he let a cross ball bounce inside the box a minute from the break. It was an inexplicable decision which brought AEK level and changed their game plan for the second half. Even tiring with 10 men, they defended their box flawlessly.
We regularly tried to find Odsonne Edouard with a ball over the top, but invariably found the striker dropping off to take a ball to feet. Nothing seemed to work for him.
A word on Scott Brown. Much of what Scott does is understated but I thought he raised the bar last night. He bossed all his personal challenges.
I called AEK favourites when the draw was made and they are more so now, but they are not Barcelona, circa 2010. We have been here before; no throwing of towels just yet.
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Neg, loving your posts today. Your knickers must be fully saturated and your huggies brown bouldered.
Dry your eyes, dust yourself down and get an equity card. You are in the wrong business. Drama is the name of your game. You are an actor luvie……………………………………..:_)
HH and hope all is well with you.
Words you don’t normally see all over SMSM
“Terminado”
ACGR- Logged back in before bed….not happening now……???
As i was just going, one of the ‘ lazy jounalism’ side lines just told me we made 4 bids for McGinn…..seriously?
SETTING FREE THE BEARS @12:50
Excellent measured post. Just to be clear, I did not refer to posters here as arrogant. I did say that some are complacent, having read references to us ‘pumping’ Sevco the next time we meet. I think you will agree it is never smart to underestimate an opponent.
I take the point vis-a-vis previous seasons, but I believe this one is already significantly different. Why? Last season, Pedro’s men could not navigate beyond the First round of the Europa League. Today’s version look as if they will make the Group stages. Secondly, against us last season, their defense was a sieve, losing 9 goals in the last two games. I don’t think that will happen this season. Thirdly, there is increasing desperation to halt ten in a row, reflected in favorable SFA decisions. And lastly, unless something occurs to the contrary in the next three weeks, we have done nothing to address glaring deficiencies in our own back four.
INIQUITOUSIV
The only person I have heard predicting Sevco to win the league was BFDJ.
Just as he has done for the last 7 years.
He was being objective of course.
Ha ha, I told ya a wee win for the huns and Boom the rockets r going tonto…..
SETTINGFREETHEBEARS
“No other Celtic manager would have been focusing on transfer progress messages to the fans on the eve of a Euro tie”
I think we were all aware that qualifying would be more difficult this season due to the new set-up. Not to mention the World Cup. Equally I think BR would have been expecting certain areas to be strengthened to cope with this.
IMO,he’ll have been asking PL how the move for this or that recommended signing is coming along. Probably for the last two months or so.
Nothing happening,big game coming up. Does he speak up beforehand,or does he wait till after a bad result?
The latter sounds like making excuses. The former sounds like one seriously disgruntled and let-down senior employee.
SFTB @ 12:15 am,
“We were on the eve of a major qualifying match. Why choose that time?”
For me this was not a JMcG issue perseee….
The timing was due to Boyata. The Boyata deal would have to have been pretty much finalised on Wedneday to get it over the line yesterday by 5:00 pm.
if there were folks at CP that were determined to go through with this transfer despite BR’s misgivings he had NO choice on the timing.
Like I say, unless you have a replacement of equal quality, or better, which would be very, very difficult, then of course you can’t lose your best players at this time.
“You get £10 million for Dedryck, as an example, but where do you then go and get another centre half off that? One who would help you go get through this Champions League qualifying campaign and for the rest of the season.
“It has to make sense in every way and at this moment in time it doesn’t.
“For Dedryck, of course, he is in his last year so in six months’ time he can do a pre-contract with someone if he wants to move. My focus is on keeping the squad as strong as we possibly can at this moment.”
Hail Hail
Good morning all from glorious Govanhill.
SFTB @ 12@50 said:
” I worry less about the ability of our players and manager to bounce back but we have become a little too fearful and anxious.”
The only part of that with which I would disagree is `have become` . For perhaps understandable reasons, many Celtic fans have always displayed those emotions.
Golf beckons.
Cheerio for now.
JJ
Thunder and lightning here in Denia this morning. Thankfully that means the temps are dropping 2-3 degrees.
If BR was basically telling the board not to sell Boyata or he’d be off too then this will be his last season with us. Depriving PL of 9-12 million for the piggy bank will not be forgotten in a hurry.
By not selling him he has backed the manager. BR has won that battle, I fear he will not win the war though. No manager stands up to PL without being eased/pushed/kicked out the door.
NEGANON2 on10TH AUGUST 2018 12:08 AM
Auldheid as ever justifying the unjustifiable.
It’s your role auldheid.
Utter nonsense.
Are you proud betraying your own and promoting the Hun?
Why don’t you just support them? Why doesn’t Paul.
It’s utterly disgusting.
============
I look forward to your considered argument against the points I raised showing where they are unjustifiable.
Insults like yours show a lack of judgement that reduce anything worthy you might have to say to ramblings of an unhinged mind.
As I posted I thought Neganon2 will read that in his usual reactionary way. I’ll bet he doesn’t check back for my take on the McGinn situation.
So predictable. So pathetic.
Lot’s of negativity around the club and a difficult away fixture up next,
Brendan needs to rally his player’s that’s his job,the hun had a excellent
result last night,you know what they say about sport and momentum.
Good morning CQN from a dry Garngad
Reading back some posts Hunbelievable
If supporting The famous Glasgow Celtic upsets you move on, do something else.
Some have nothing good to say about the club/team/ the magnificent world wide supporters.
Hunbelievable
Hail Hail
D. :)
Fearing my aging bladder would not cope with half time queues, I nipped to the toilet just before HT. So I saw us play well the other night winning 1-0 and being the much better team. I have not watched their goal but it seems to have been a howler. Shows the thin lines in Europe.
At one point in the first half I commented on the crowd tensing when Hendry was in possession which I thought was over the top and did not help the team. I did say that it wasn’t the same for Ayer but that he “hasn’t made his mistake yet’” Let’s hope the fans don’t destroy young Ayer after this.
QF
This is the most worrying period for us since Brendan was appointed. Clearly frustrated at the perceived lack of ambition ( or at least the disconnect between the level of board ambitions when matched to his own)
There are still some unknowns. Who is picking the players that come in? If it’s Brendan then he has chosen badly in some instances. Especially defensively. Is that down to budget? Bad judgement? Did the board choose them?
We don’t know, and you know what, it isn’t the most important thing right now.
It would be wise for DD, PL and BR to sit down and get some matters clarified. Some agreements on the way forward whether that’s with or without Brendan in charge. Or with or without Peter L in position.
Naturally I’d hope for an amicable resolution and we move on with everyone in agreement.
If there can be no agreement, nor compromise, then it’s likely there will need to be changes.
If that change is in the manager role, I think it’d set us back years and could well derail the league titles run.
Nevertheless, clearly this situation needs rectified. I genuinely hope we come out the other side stronger, and as a harmonious group. If not, a challenging period lies ahead in respect of maintaining support numbers, and winning trophies.
Cmon DD. Get it sorted, and pronto.
NORRIEM on 9TH AUGUST 2018 9:57 PM
North Cyprus Bhoy
What is Kyrenia like as a holiday spot ? Or anywhere you would recommend? In North Cyprus
=============================================================================
I’d certainly recommend North Cyprus as a holiday destination to anyone.
Better get here soon though, as there is a lot of development going on all along the North coastline.
Too hot here for me just now though!
HH
There is something strange about this whole situation. It cannot be just about McGinn, who, with the best will in the world was one for the future as he is unlikely to replace brown Ntcham McGregor. Isn’t that also what was said about Allan, Christie, Morgan Kouassi, Benyu? How many midfield prospects can one club have. So what is really behind it? Do the board not trust BRs judgement…..£4 mil approx for a better than average scottish player in the final year of his contract. Not for me. I don’t understand the furore. As for Roberts, Denayer et al….they did not want to come to Celtic. I remember being at one of my first AGMs when supporters were berating the then CE Jock Brown about not signing big name players. His response ….come back to me in 6 months if our new £650, 000 signing is not world class.
good morning bhoys from another partly sunny Cheshire.the blog has made interesting reading lately. which is good for debate. have a nice day everyone.hh.
There were folk on here worrying about facing Murtys Sevco at one point last season. That’s a fact.
God help us if hearts take a point or even points off us on Saturday. It’ll be meltdown time.
Sevco got a good result last night. They reminded me of John Barnes Celtic – who started the season well as I recall, albeit without any discernible shape – but that team had some really good players. There’s a kick and rush element to sevco. They try to press High up. Maribor passed through it for the most part. I don’t see massive improvement over there. I’m looking east for this years ‘challenge’. Nothing I’ve seen has convinced me otherwise yet.
To keep the negative heads ‘happy’ could I add that our set plays are rubbish and have been for four years now. Corner kicks in particular are a waste of time.
Needs sorting
ROBERTTRESSELL on 10TH AUGUST 2018 8:13 AM
There were folk on here worrying about facing Murtys Sevco at one point last season. That’s a fact.
God help us if hearts take a point or even points off us on Saturday. It’ll be meltdown time.
Sevco got a good result last night. They reminded me of John Barnes Celtic – who started the season well as I recall, albeit without any discernible shape – but that team had some really good players. There’s a kick and rush element to sevco. They try to press High up. Maribor passed through it for the most part. I don’t see massive improvement over there. I’m looking east for this years ‘challenge’. Nothing I’ve seen has convinced me otherwise yet.
——-
RT I echo your post above
D. :)
RobertTressell on 10th August 2018 8:13 am
There were folk on here worrying about facing Murtys Sevco at one point last season. That’s a fact.
God help us if hearts take a point or even points off us on Saturday. It’ll be meltdown time.
Sevco got a good result last night. They reminded me of John Barnes Celtic – who started the season well as I recall, albeit without any discernible shape – but that team had some really good players. There’s a kick and rush element to sevco. They try to press High up. Maribor passed through it for the most part. I don’t see massive improvement over there. I’m looking east for this years ‘challenge’. Nothing I’ve seen has convinced me otherwise yet.
———————————————————————————–
Funny you should mention the Murty games – the game v AEK reminded me of the draws at Celtic Park where Celtic should have won convincingly but didn’t take chances.
On the Ghost of Sevco Present, I think they are getting the benefit of keeping things simple against poor teams. I only watched the first half of their match but I observed the following things:
– The keeper will always kick long
– Their defenders can’t pass very well so they too kick long
– Their midfield gives the ball away a lot
– Out of possession their midfield leaves acres of room free
– Kent doesn’t have a left foot
Now, don’t get me wrong, they got a great result. They played direct and capitalised on mistakes made by Maribor. Well done to them. However, as you point out, the number of times that Maribor was able to pass through their midfield into the final third (granted they didn’t do much with the ball in the final third) was a bit of a joke.
They have improved, but only to about the level of the Aberdeen side of the last couple of seasons (IMO).
Morning peeps :))
Would any other employer expect/trust two apprentices to carry out and produce a similar product to that of a couple of seasoned tradespersons ? …..at least not without guidance.
By and large ithought they done well…..undoubtably there will be more , and not just from them .
tomorrow will be a bigger test of courage and temperament…hope they handle it ( however plays ).
Morning peeps :))
Would any other employer expect/trust two apprentices to carry out and produce a similar product to that of a couple of seasoned tradespersons ? …..at least not without guidance.
By and large ithought they done well…..undoubtably there will be more , and not just from them .
tomorrow will be a bigger test of courage and temperament…hope they handle it ( however plays ).
Has anyone seen the lad Chirivella play.
“…our set plays are rubbish and have been for four years now. Corner kicks in particular are a waste of time”
Yip, we’re considerably more likely to score from an opposition corner than one of our own.
Griff is the only player we have who can hit one properly, and he gets 15 minutes per match.
Corners are a waste of time, as are free kicks from wider areas.
A dead ball expert would add 8 goals and 12 assists per season.
typed that out and it disappeared lo and behold it turns up having retyped similar lol :))
McGhee? Coyle?
I’d dig up John Lambie first.
Horses for courses.
Looks like the hun resurrection has begun and it’s no even Easter
When the rain comes
They run and hide their heads
They might as well be dead
When the rain comes
We need to be ready for a battle at Gorgie tomorrow, they will have had all week to prepare and get fired up, Levein was at CP to see the game against AEK, he will fancy a physical battle as his best chance of getting something out of this game, high balls to test the defence and late tackles just to leave a bit on your opponent is the terminolgy I think, all sanctioned by the SFA employee who have a new rule for kicking an opponent, I think it is Sevco that have the dossier on the SFA and are threatening to use it as it would pull their house down not us.
Is this the challenge we have been looking for? Watched the Sevco game last night they played well in parts but were poor in others…they seem fitter than the last few years but Maribor passed the ball well in and around them and had plenty of chances.
Brendan’s comments are worrying but the guy loves it here having spoken to him he has never been happier in both his professional and private life. However the next few weeks with games against Hearts AEK and the Huns coming up and the transfer window may well define his ongoing Celtic tenure. In the worrying scale I’m 5/10 at the moment. I’m laid back but some here are approaching 11.
Big games are what define our season and we have a big manager in place. 2/3 signings in place and a few good results and I’m hoping these issues blow over. Not too fussed with McGinn he could have been a Celtic player today or January he chose not to join us. We’ll get over it.
Interesting 3 weeks ahead.
If anyone has information on where to watch our game in Split let me know my bhoy arrives there tonight with his pals so any help appreciated.
??? x 2
Kikinthenakas
When the rains came, I thought you’d leave,
‘cos I knew how much you love the sun.
But you chose to stay, stay and keep me warm,
through the darkest nights I’ve ever known.
RodTheModCSC
I don’t post often….. a happy(ish) lurker usually.
Observations and thoughts on Brendan’s very candid interview.
Firstly BR is no hot head….. his decision to share his thoughts on transfers and ambitions was considered and deliberate.
Following from that we can only deduce that the “business plan “to which BR had signed up to and was comfortable with has changed.
That change has been abrupt and unexpected. Compare the French Eddy signing with the McGinn debacle.
So what’s caused the change in the BP that enjoyed consensus amongst the dugout and boardroom?
Well it has to be something significant – there is no way that the board would jeopordise the BR revolution and the march to ten in a for something of little importance.
There has to be something coming down the pipe that is material to the continued operation of the agreed BP
And that something has appeared suddenly and I would suggest unexpectedly.
What is it? I have no idea.
But whatever it is – it is significant.
My speculation, and it is only that, is Europe for Celtic might be about to become more difficult.
Paul had an article a few days ago “discussing” the current business model vis-a-vis our “European Ambitions”
That difficulty may be structural in that UEFA are about to downsize access once again for the smaller countries……… Or it could be something else.
The Something Else?
I’m no conspiracist …. but my gut feeling is that the SFA have presented a scenario re “Their” handling of the European licensing issue that Res.12 seeks to address.
And that scenario as it plays out at the CAS has only one outcome – a multi year ban for Scottish Clubs from Europe.
I would further speculate that the SFA are floating a MAD strategy (Mutually Assured Destruction) Whereby they themselves threaten to plead guilty to malfeasance thereby guaranteeing a country wide ban.
As I say pure conjecture on my part – but whatever has spooked the board into changing the agreed BP has to be a “Biggy”
marspapa
Has anyone seen the lad Chirivella play.
————————————————————
No, but I’ve seen his You Tube skills video and it’s an 8/10 on the Maciej Zurawski scale…
Citibhoy
Excellent assessment
Celtic are Scottish after all
CB
Would not be in the least surprised but should that happen and all clubs are banned for the conduct of Rangers[in liquidation] and governanace of it, it is the end of the SFA, it is the end of this continuation myth and Sevco are recognised as a new club with a 6 year history, contagion and fall out caused by clubs and football bodies wanting the blue pound hell mend them for worshipping at the alter of money.
Celtic should also be pushing now as hard as is possible to get out of this cess pit of a league
I think part of the reaction to recent events Celtic-wise is down to how incongruous they are with how (well) the club has been run in the past couple of years.
Since Brendan arrived, we haven’t dropped a ball, but lately it seems like we’re dropping them left and right, and it reflects well on no one at the club, whether Director or Manager.
Clearly, there’s a disconnect between the manager and the board over what each expects given the success the club has enjoyed during the manager’s tenure. That success is a combined one, the financial model supporting the football club, and the football club in turn delivering the financial results.
What is clear, and will be confirmed next month with the annual report, is that Celtic have far greater resources at our disposal than the current model requires.
The manager wants to apply the financial ‘overperformance’ to the football squad, thus changing the model.
The board are hesitant to change the model, notwithstanding that the model has delivered results that (perhaps) were beyond those planned.
We have, in effect, a Champions League ambition and a Europa League budget. Brendan wants a Champions League budget to match the ambition. The board are concerned to ensure we don’t end up with a Champions League budget and a Europa League income.
It’s a fairly simplistic analysis (I know), but goes some way (I think) to explaining the current friction.
TBB
Feyenoord Snel Nieuws and Зени́т быстро Новости both in absolute meltdown today. Count ourselves lucky we should…
:)