Time for Celtic to box clever

806

Salzburg got back to winning ways on Sunday after losing 4-1 away to third-placed Rheindorf Altach immediately before the international break.  The stats from that game are interesting.  Salzburg enjoyed 60% possession but Rheindorf forced 66% more chances by playing on the break, scoring twice in the closing 10 minutes as Salzburg pushed for an equaliser.

A point on Thursday would be an acceptable result for Salzburg so they could be caught between trying to defend and playing their normal game.  Either way it’s likely they will hold possession for long periods.

No team is completely dependent on one player but this truism is probably tested more by Salzburg and their talismanic striker, Jonathan Soriano, who has scored 26 times in 27 outings this season.  Consider for a moment if we had such a prodigious striker………..

Salzburg coach Adolf Hutter must decide how far tp change his usual game plan.  Salzburg’s entire strategy is to attack.  They have scored 50 league goals already this season, twice as many as any other team, while their goals against record is within a handful of the majority of teams in the league.

My preference would be to tempt them out, have them fall between the two stools of playing their natural offensive game and the more cautious approach they may be tempted to play away in Europe.  One note of caution, the Ajax team who beat Celtic comfortably in Amsterdam last season were shredded 0-3 by a counter-attacking Salzburg in the same venue a few months later.

Ajax failed to box clever, we can be smarter.  Stop Soriano, closed-down space at the back and play on the counter.

Click Here for Comments >
Share.

About Author

806 Comments
  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 11
  5. 12
  6. 13
  7. 14
  8. 15
  9. 16
  10. 17
  11. ...
  12. 22

  1. blantyretim is praying for the Knox family on

    Think the wee man will struggle to play at the weekend…

     

     

    Coupon well gubbed….

  2. Phyllis Dietrichson on

    Just back from Goodison – I thought our bhoys looked comfortable for 80 mins, with young O’Connell looking very comfortable. Could have lost it in the last ten minutes though. McMullen and the sub Tierney looked good too.

  3. That was an incredibly frustrating second half from Bayern. For a team so renown for possession some of the wayward passing was N’Guemo-esque. Naebdy tae blame but themsells…

  4. GuyFawkesaforeverhero on

    Well done to our under21’s for playing out a draw tonight at Goodison. I hope the club allow their home games to be at Celtic Park.

     

    ——————————————————————————————————————-

     

     

    Grateful thanks, CQN. My wee neighbour put a note through my letter-box – ” I took in two parcels for you today.” – so now I’ve both copies ordered of Billy’s and Davie’s book and two DVD’s to enjoy.

     

     

    Celtic forever.

  5. Jonny the Tim

     

     

     

    21:42 on 25 November, 2014

     

     

     

    Aguero’s stats.

     

     

    Shots on goal 3

     

    On target 3

     

    Goals 3

     

     

    Says it all really!!

     

     

    HH

     

    ——————-

     

    Aye but they were all tap ins ;)

  6. Re Thursday night v Salzburg, I see a few posts lookin for the crowd to play a part.. Can’t see it, when we’re unable to sell 35 thousand tickets for a E L match, it’s unlikely the crowd will be motivated enough to lift the team.. but that has been the story of the season so far, too many can’t be bothered to turn up. C’mon the Hoops, we can win with or without the stay away fans.

  7. Of course!

     

     

    Had done the in-play draw + PSG to win (when 1-1) @ 10/1 and cashed out – invested £5 :-)

  8. WITS –

     

     

    It’s the inaugural EPL International Cup for under 21s.

     

     

    4 groups of 4.

     

     

    Celtic in with Everton, Sunderland and Villareal.

     

     

    Play each other once.

     

     

    All games played in England.

     

     

    Details here

  9. Marrakesh Express on

    So Regan wants ‘Rangers back to winning ways’.

     

    At who’s expense?

     

    He should be resigning after that statement.

  10. Footie finished, busy and long day tomorrow. Cot time for me. Night Night Timland.

     

     

    Weefra HH praying to Wee Oscar.

  11. Phyllis Dietrichson on

    googybhoy – I’m based in Liverpool.

     

     

    Wits – it wasn’t a friendly – it was a group game in the Premier League International Cup.

     

     

    Blantyretim – the crowd were in great voice, sang for 93 minutes.

  1. Pages:
  2. 1
  3. ...
  4. 11
  5. 12
  6. 13
  7. 14
  8. 15
  9. 16
  10. 17
  11. ...
  12. 22