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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As I said @ 9.05, “Don’t feed the troll”.
Now look at the last 20 minutes or so, I can only imagine he’s pi**ing himself laughing right now. There is ABSOLUTELY no point in engaging with a troll; it’s what he’s on for, sow discord, getting Celtic fans bickering.
And it’s working a treat lhads.
Don’t feed the troll!
Can I ask a question about football, as I was off blog last night. How did the Ajax muppets finish?
HOT SMOKED on 25TH AUGUST 2016 9:14 AM
By inference, not implication.
And no, there have been no threats of violence.
Violence might be a possible outcome of the encounter suggested, but the point is that it is implicit that the encounter would not take place because the invitee is not what he purports to be.
On a more positive note the GB fundraising is now over £145,000.
https://www.gofundme.com/matchfinepalestine
Whatever you might think of the GB, I just wish Celtic had one tenth of their PR acumen.
Gordybhoy64
0:-))
Mats Nilloc
I will stop….when you cease and desist from abusing Celtic fans.
Its not on
Im not going to sit back and watch you trash good Celtic supporters.
No way.
MATS NILLOC on 25TH AUGUST 2016 9:08 AM
Has it had a reaction around the world that is positive towards the Club? Will the consequence of this positive publicity be financially beneficial to the Club?
Anyone who calls Celtic supporters parasites or a cancer are not Celtic supporters, no matter what their viewpoint is. They are on here for one thing only.
Big name draw
Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Lyon
Easiest draw
CSKA Moscow, Bayer Leverkusen, Club Brugge
What I want
Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Brugge
We haven’t played Real Madrid in the CL so it would be good to go there. We could sneak third place in that group :-)
Gooood morning CQN
Let’s talk Glasgow zceltic – champions league team :-)
Been reading West Ham in for Wilfried Bony, who we have been linked with on loan
Also Reading and Blackburn interested in Efe, and
Brighton interested in Izzy
There are others we need to move on to create space and better funds for a better quality player in a smaller squad
I have heard rumours Paterson from hearts at right back, with GMS heading opposite direction ????
Ok deep breaths for 5pm
Hail Hail
ernie
I believe violence was implied and you inferred that it wasn`t.
TIMALOY29 on 25TH AUGUST 2016 9:22 AM
What I want
Real Madrid, Bayer Leverkusen and Brugge
I’d be happy with that although would rather have Porto than Leverkusen. Great city and looks like a great stadium.
This I liked
#####
‘£10
Fat Al The bookies pal
6 mins ago
Better in your hands than the bookies’
COWIEBHOY on 25TH AUGUST 2016 9:22 AM
Do we have a good left back in the development squad? Otherwise I really can’t understand letting Izzy go. He doesn’t seem that desperate to go, otherwise I’m sure he’d have found somewhere by now.
Oh TD67, was it you who said they knew James McCarthy’s dad ?
If so give him a ring and let us know what’s going on there :-)
Thanks
Hail Hail
THE GREEN MAN SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 25TH AUGUST 2016 9:03 AM
Taurangabhoy
Brown Shirts….Really!
Threats of violence?
No…I want him to say what he is saying….to my face, not like a coward
Hahaha, he calls the guy a coward and wants to meet him face to face? And nothing’s gonny happen right? Just a discussion? Let’s get down to it here, you called the gay a Franky Howard ez tawny crack yer jaw man, or she? Hahahahahaha brilliant, a ferkin love it, get inti him, get inti him hahahaha, seriously cam doon ffs.
SFTB – My quip re observing CQNers was a joke – I have more to occupy me on match days – lighten-up HH
Timaloy29
Apparently we are going to be gubbed by one and all so we would be as well meeting the `glamour` sides. Even if we don`t draw Real Madrid, though, we still have Alloa to look forward to.
JJ
COWIEBHOY
Paterson rumours was after weeks ago. Went quiet since. Wigan had £750k bid for him knocked back yesterday, Hearts probably looking for £1m. He’d be an improvement on Janko as back up to Lustig, also has a good scoring record for a defender.
*Gay = Guy sorry bout that a got caught up in the moment, lol
*after = a few
TD,
quite a spelling error there
TD,
missed a smiley in my last post
WEEMINGER on 25TH AUGUST 2016 9:26 AM
Now I’m supposed to be working :-))
Yes I believe we do have
I also like Izzy, but he is now our back up, and I believe moving into last year of contract, so may make sense ??
It’s all about who Brendan wants now in his squad though
Right what will I do for the next 7.5 hrs :-)
Hail Hail
ernie
Was that from a donor on the Fund Raising site?
JJ
MATS NILLOC on 25TH AUGUST 2016 9:27 AM
SFTB – My quip re observing CQNers was a joke – I have more to occupy me on match days – lighten-up HH
They don’t do jokes when it’s them your doing it to, it’s the twist thing they do, I got it, then again, AMA an auld daft man who knows nothing :))
Champions league morning on a Celtic site and rhe hun press desk having fun spoilin
Celtic in the champiins league
and the hurtin hun reporters are here.
Nowt to say bout the cheating
Nowt to say bout the stealing
Plenty to obfuscate
Nothing on integrity
TD67
Im not having anybody calling Celtic fans anything.
Its a Celtic blog ffs.
Why should we have to listen to some muppet, call Celtic supporters’ Parasites’ or a ‘Cancer’
Should we just ignore it?
Wake up
GORDYBHOY64 on 25TH AUGUST 2016 9:28 AM
TD,
quite a spelling error there
There was no all teary are motive, now there’s a spelling mistake :))
Is at to moch ta asking ..lead hire pists afore pissing?
Rwba
Trilby thong.
Oh, and thanks to the posters who provided the dates for Celtic’s 6 meaningful games before Christmas.
As long as we don’t draw that Catalan mob again!
I mean, with forwards of the calibre of Adam Rooney, Steven Maclean,Kris Doolan, Somebody Onloan, etc due to visit Paradise, who needs to watch one of the greatest forward lines in European football history, which includes possibly the greatest player ever, in the flesh, eh?
Sorry Garry I totally disagree with you on that, the GB did what they say the Israelis do, and that is what ever they want, and to who they want and don’t give a f…, the GB done the same with CFC and as I predicted Sugar coated it with a charity push to make them look like they had the moral high ground, they high jacked CFC to suit they’r agenda, and nothing good for CFC will come out of this
GB DID WHAT THEY SAY THE ISRAELIS DO…………………………so did the GB kill lots of babies last week.???????
jistaskin likecsc.
TGM
It’s his opinion on the GB and the CT he is allowed his opinion, whether you or they disagree right?
Exciting day to be a Celtic fan.
HH.
Oh ffs…its mental in here.
Huns having a go at Celtic and being defended for it.
Bizarre
TD67
You are far from a daft old man Anthony,but there are people here
who know what is goin on at our club,
HH
EMERALDBEE\O/ STILL PROUD TO BE AN INTERNET BAMPOT on 25TH AUGUST 2016 9:20 AM
Can I ask a question about football, as I was off blog last night. How did the Ajax muppets finish?
———————————-
FK Rostov wiped the floor with them. 4-1 last night.
GB DID WHAT THEY SAY THE ISRAELIS DO…………………………so did the GB kill lots of babies last week.???????
jistaskin likecsc.
Now there’s the predictable answer from a malcontent, I’m not going there, you want the moral high ground, here, there Yi go it’s yours, pathetic .
Callum Patterson would be a good shout for right back for the money involved, not a bad defender and can score a goal, still a young guy as well.
Time a subscription for posting was introduced here, £20 a year to post, free to read. Get rid of the adverts bring back the spirit of the blog. Multiple monikers would pay multiple times. If you want to post then pay for the blogmeisters costs.
I used to give £20 a year toward the CQN magazines but stopped it when the blog wet downhill which seems a while ago now. Still buy books and T-Shirts to support the blog and Virtual CQN tickets as I never seem to be around for these night, but its a very different place these days. Personal abuse and vitriol abound.
Don’t really mind who we get tonight but Real Madrid would be a great draw in terms of excitement. I have a lot of travel in October / November lined up so I hope I’m at home for at least one of the games. Normally AngelGabriel or someone else loves it when I’m away!
Mon the Hoops!
There’s a buzzzzzzzzzzz about the place.
Would love real madrid to be drawn to play at paradise.
TEARMANN on 25TH AUGUST 2016 9:38 AM
TD67
You are far from a daft old man Anthony,but there are people here
who know what is goin on at our club,
Yes, and there are people here who THINK they know also.