That was the latest instalment in a long running series of Behind the Couch Celtic away performances in Europe, with the wonderful exception that after Hapoel Be’er Shiva had us on the rack in the opening period of the second half, Celtic put five at the back and closed the game out without any stressful incidents in the final 15 minutes.
There are a few moments worthy of comment:
Hapoel’s penalty came as a consequence of Celtic pressing high up the field for the first time in the game. The home team dropped deep as they were temporarily reduced to 10 men, but when Celtic pressed high to take advantage of an opponent receiving treatment, they easily passed through us, switched the ball left and gave Saidy Janko his first difficult moment of the night.
More on Saidy in a moment, but we cannot allow teams to pass through us so easily. We should never have been caught so high up field. Our alertness, interceptions and tackling were not good enough. Craig Gordon’s block at the penalty was priceless (or at a price of circa £26m, if you’re being picky).
There’s a reason teams who mark zonally at corner kicks don’t mark the penalty spot. It’s because headers from the penalty spot need to be exceptional in order to beat the keeper. Sahar’s goal wasn’t an exceptional header. It bounced before passing Craig Gordon three feet inside the post. It should never have been a goal, and although Craig’s mistake for the second was more evident, the first was as worrying a goal to concede.
We’re fond of talking about “schoolboy errors” in football but Saidy’s lack of awareness of his direct opponent and goalkeeper at the second goal was a classic error from the 9-year-old’s game. I’ll be generous and say he’s not ready for a game at this level. Craig Gordon doesn’t have a let off for this one, either. While his fullback made a mistake, an alert keeper would have prevented the goal and knocked Saidy into next week. Awareness concerns exist for him too.
Whether it’s Craig’s self-confidence, or that the defence don’t have confidence in him, goalkeeping mistakes came perilously close to seeing us drop out of the Champions League last night.
Not that Craig shoulders all responsibility for what was a weak performance. The middle of the park was experimental and looked it. On the back of one of his best games for Celtic a week ago, Scott Brown’s passing, control and influence was miles off the pace.
Scott, Callum McGregor and Nir Bitton were swamped in midfield. Too few Celtic players were showing for the ball, which was thrown forward aimlessly whenever a Hapoel player closed us down. If central midfield is right, your defensive and goalkeeping frailties are less evident, but we were exposed too often at the back last night. There was a period in the second half when watching on TV made it impossible to know where we were going wrong. After a Hapoel chance, we would see a replay, and before it cut back to live pictures, Celtic had lost possession and were again under pressure. This happened repeatedly. Central midfield was the major problem with the performance, if not the result.
Don’t let any of this dampen your spirits. We’re into the Champions League group stage, a fact which will see us break through the £80m turnover mark for the first time. By comparison, turnover was £51m for 2014-15, the most recent season accounts are available for.
Despite the increase in expenditure this season, we’ll pay our bills without increasing borrowing or selling players. We’re on the circuit again, which means we’ll find it easier to attract talent going forward, it means we’ll find it easier to attract commercial deals and pretty much every KPI at the club will become that bit more attainable.
Last night was a transformational day in the life of your football club. We’re back, enjoy it!
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I’ve still not recovered from last night, and refuse to rewatch it – but did Gordon technically score 2 own goals last night?
1st goal KT appeared to clear the ball onto Gordon’s back then it went in, and the 2nd he had the ball in his hands then got bumped, threw the ball up palmed it in.
I can smile about it now :O)
Bournesoupyiratim:-)
Re musuem.
Thats long overdue.with a visitors cafe.
Good news
Hh
Ill take liecester, porto brugges in the draw lol
TET
somebody posted earlier that last seasons SPL clubs would share the money, meaning Dundee Utd rather than Sevco would get £200K. Don’t know, but I hope to hell it’s true!
BigPhil47
Ill take liecester, porto brugges in the draw lol
—-
Pick your own dream draw – that’s mine :-)
So, if Sevco were really Rangers they’ll only be looking for £160,000?
Taking into account we’re creditors to the tune of £40,000.
NewCoWhenTheyWantToBe CSC
Sounds like a plan
CSKA
Leverkusen
Brugge will do for me. To hell with the glamour teams that we have little chance of beating. Let’s give ourselves a chance of qualifying and then facing the big teams on a knockout basis, or, as I think we might have a better chance of a third place finish and getting to last 16 or last 8 of the Europa League.
Isn’t it great that we are able to talk like this, having qualified for the CL. Yeehah!
Real Madrid
Porto
Brugge
Glamour tie, easy to travel to and a chance of top 3 finish.
Bernabau usually half empty during group stages so plenty of tickets for us.
Good chance of playing an English team…
BSR: Cheers for the clarification.
So where’s the cafe money gone? :-)
Who am I to question Guardiola and Rodgers but anyone else find it strange that they both appear to rate a keepers kicking ability over the usual keeper attributes.
If I was choosing a keeper then lots of boxes would need to be ticked before kicking comes into the equation.
!!BADA BING!! on 24TH AUGUST 2016 10:32 PM
Good chance of playing an English team…
Or German
With the English teams not able to meet in sections I think the odds are we will get one of them hope it’s Leicester
Glen
That’s been disproved by all accounts, it’s this seasons, to do with the non showing of games when the CL is on and disruption to fixtures, so they get it, £200K is £200K more than glibby has sunk into them.
I hope they rot in hell.
When Yaya signed for Man City his wages were reported to be 200,000 a week.
I know its all about opinions,but I just cant see James Mc Carthy doing anything in Europe to bolster our midfield.In Scotland,yes,but not in Europe.Does anyone really think that him playing last night would have altered the course of the game?.I have watched him for years at Everton,and for the Republic.He is a bit player for them,not a standout..A years loan to see would be ideal,but not to spend many millions on.
If we are to spend big money,we need a big presence in midfield,like Kolo at the back.Someone who can take control,boss things.James just does not give me the impression he could do this
Drawing the 3 “weakest”teams is not always the best option of progressing. In first case all the “weakest” teams are usually better than us, & we have no guaranteed points.
If you have 2 top teams they are likely to take a lot if not all points off the 3rd team, leaving it a straight shoot out between 3rd & 4th for Europa Progression at least.
Plus I’d be as confident of getting something off the likes of Real Madrid or Barcelona at Celtic Park as much as if we were playing Brugge.
I think we would take Leicster and PSV.
The pressure comes off and we might see something better don this team.
I can’t comprehend why we shelled it long at every opportunity last night.
Craig Gordon must have hit a Celtic jersey on 1 occasion from all of his kick outs.
Let’s make the maximum we can to improve this team.
Paul 67, 51 million last year plus the 10 million this year from Peter Lawwels projected loss of 10 million… Add the 30 million min from Champions League, couple of player sales of Johansen etc and you are up over 90 million turnover. Insert smiley tongue in cheek face.
Told you for last 4 years we should budget for playing in Europe. The right draw tomorrow and it will be 50 quid an individual match ticket and 3 for 130.
If we don’t condlidate from this position we are mugs.
IF we got drawn in a group with Man City will PR be allowed to play?
Some negativity about the possibility of James McCarthy signing
Dont understand that at all
Terrific player .
Would love to see him in the hoops,
TIMABHOUY on 24TH AUGUST 2016 9:51 PM
http://www.uefa.com/memberassociations/uefarankings/club/index.html
Hey wait a minute, Norman Bates Mother F.C. not on the list of U.E.F.A . Football clubs , thats them on the banned list, new club anyone !
______________________________
It’s simply because they have been out of Europe for 4 seasons and have a 0 co-efficient. They are still listed in UEFA Scottish clubs section.
http://www.uefa.com/teamsandplayers/teams/club=50121/domestic/index.html
Almore/ An Tear
Cafe etc in with Museum. There was an artists impression on the internet at one time architecture matched the Emirates across the road.
Celtic will plug away for the Man City type fan zone, I reckon.
THUNDER ROAD on 24TH AUGUST 2016 10:39 PM
IF we got drawn in a group with Man City will PR be allowed to play?
=========
Yes. Rule in place dating back to when Chelsea tried to force Athletico to leave out Courtois
Almore,
re cafe/bar,
i was in Newcastle this summer and walked up to the stadium on the Saturday,
there is a bar open,and although they had no game on the place was jumping
with locals and plenty visitors
THE_HUDDLE on 24TH AUGUST 2016 10:33 PM
Who am I to question Guardiola and Rodgers but anyone else find it strange that they both appear to rate a keepers kicking ability over the usual keeper attributes.
If I was choosing a keeper then lots of boxes would need to be ticked before kicking comes into the equation.
________________________
For modern keepers distributing the ball is key because they have to play it from feet so often. Gordon’s distribution is rank rotten. Invariably he punts it and we lose possession so a game like last night means it comes straight back at us.
KTF
First CL Group match is 13/14th September, midweek after the Huns game so we should be well up for it with our new signings well bedded in …
13–14/09/16: Group stage, matchday one
27–28/09/16: Group stage, matchday two
18–19/10/16: Group stage, matchday three
01–02/11/16: Group stage, matchday four
22–23/11/16: Group stage, matchday five
06–07/12/16: Group stage, matchday six
WITS – maybe if he was called Jiminez Cartez people might agree….
I happen to think he’d be a good signing.
Re Celtic getting £200,000 to £2.5m for other SPL teams if we qualify for the CL in whatever season….
How many teams have GRUMPFD about the COST COST COSTof playing these early season qualifiers???
SEVCO, Look away….
How may of these Teams surprisingly???? get papped oot to so called diddy teams????
MMM…. C’Mon Celtic (even though etc. etc)
Co-Eff-Fucked.CSC
THUNDER ROAD on 24TH AUGUST 2016 10:39 PM
IF we got drawn in a group with Man City will PR be allowed to play?
Could be our player by then ???
Thunder Road
IF we got drawn in a group with Man City will PR be allowed to play?
………………..
Yes. UEFA don’t allow clubs to block loan players playing against them. We tried to do it with Mo Bangura but UEFA ruled that he could play for Elfsborg.
BTW wher did the m come from?
Level5 Bassas
Gordy/ almore – are we allowed to open up the facilities in the stadium on non match days? Why could we not utilise these for visitors?
vfr800a8 on 24th August 2016 10:44 pm
THE_HUDDLE on 24TH AUGUST 2016 10:33 PM
Who am I to question Guardiola and Rodgers but anyone else find it strange that they both appear to rate a keepers kicking ability over the usual keeper attributes.
If I was choosing a keeper then lots of boxes would need to be ticked before kicking comes into the equation.
________________________
For modern keepers distributing the ball is key because they have to play it from feet so often. Gordon’s distribution is rank rotten. Invariably he punts it and we lose possession so a game like last night means it comes straight back at us.
——————–
I’m not disputing that part of a keepers game.
Valdes won about 10 CLs with Barca yet is a bang average keeper, these types of keepers are fine if you have 90% of the ball and rarely have to save a shot.
I’d have a 6ft 8 keeper as wide as the goal who can’t kick for shit before I’d play these small keepers, especially in the UK leagues.
I’m sure de Vries will take the No.1 spot soon but I’m not looking forward to him getting battered from cross after cross in the SPL
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy on 24th August 2016 10:47 pm
Thunder Road
IF we got drawn in a group with Man City will PR be allowed to play?
………………..
Yes. UEFA don’t allow clubs to block loan players playing against them. We tried to do it with Mo Bangura but UEFA ruled that he could play for Elfsborg.
————–
I think it was Elfsborg that tried to block Mo from playing ;o)
Hope matchday three is an away fixture
Eurochamps67
SchooloctoberweekholidaysselfishbassaCSC
Man….just catchin up with myself…..wow…..
Left to my own devices…..I don’t half talk some amount of pish…..
MIT,
offer still stands if necessary…..for those Dons tickets ;-))
Midfield…..last night was our weakness….in fact…..it was invisible…..hopefully our windfall can alleviate that ;-))
ZTPCSC
FTSFA
H.H.
THEORIGINALSADIESBHOY –
UEFA had nothing to do with Bangura facing Celtic. He was able to play because there was nothing in the loan contract to say he couldn’t. Celtic asked Elfsborg not to play him. They refused. They then asked Bangura not to play. He decided to play.
If it is written in the loan contract that Roberts cannot play against City, he won’t play and UEFA have no say in the matter.
Hypothetical Contract Clauses…..
Are rubbish
FTSFA
H.H.