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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Geordie
I am still at the moment but I am taking someone out tonight.
To answer a previous query about Champions League group coefficients …
From this season on, the title-holder and the champions of the 7 top-ranked associations are placed in pot 1. If the title-holder is also the champion from one of the 7 top-ranked associations, the champion of the association ranked 8 is also put in pot 1. The other pots are filled according to the club ranking.
Oh no! A puerile comment like that and I get a Page Podium where everyone will read it!
How do I rub it out? Stupid Internet.
Hot Smoked
Are you a hit man?
Embramike
I am guessing Scotland is not one of the top eight nations? 0:-))
Battered bunnet – great point. Arguably, two very soft goals aside, despite the poor performance at midfield and right back, we might have strolled through the game.
While it was poor I don’t think it was as poor as most of us thought at the time. And we have to learn from it.
Brendan’s lack of change at half time puzzled me. But I think he was trying to keep a formation that might grab a goal. The last 15 was relatively comfortable. I thought when one of their players took cramp at about 75 minutes that perhaps the reason they looked so much better was that they had thrown absolutely everything they had at us effort wise and I started to get a bit more comfortable.
I remember hearts doing the same to us one Boxing Day of new year – Gordon strachan was manager – they battered us for 60 minutes but we came back to win 3-2 I think – McManus scored a late winner. I remember WGS saying afterward that he knew hearts would not be able to maintain that level of intensity. It stuck with me. I felt it last night.
GTTS
I will tell you after tonight.
“I am still at the moment but I am taking someone out tonight.”
JJ,
And what a treat they are in for you ol handsome devil you :)
HH
Any word on McCarthy? He’d be a great signing for us.
RT
” While it was poor I don’t think it was as poor as most of us thought at the time.”
I only saw highlights but felt roughly the same. Panic, anxiety, etc can alter perception!
TRADITIONALIST88 on 24TH AUGUST 2016 4:40 PM
“Ok so we’d get £2m for Johansen and Armstrong. I said about £4m or best part of £4m.
In the context of what happened last night, the difference in what we bring in for those players is not going to radically alter our plans but it’ll not exactly hinder us.
Factor in the wages saved on those two as well.”
Well, I reckon we’re going to end up keeping both players anyway. The offers we’ve received for Joe Hansen are about half of what I expected he was worth. We’ll be lucky to get much at all for Armstrong.
I think the best we can hope for is that Rodgers gets the old Johansen back on the field and he signs a new deal. It’s certainly worked with Rogic and Forrest.
Armstrong is at Celtic until 2018 and GMS 2019. Apparently other SPFL clubs would struggle to pay their wages so we’d probably have to agree a payoff or pay a proportion of their wages.
I’ve heard that nobody else at Celtic (PL included) ever fancied the Dundee United players. They were very much Ronny Deila signings.
Hot Smoked
Two things to look forward to then tommorow
Apologies if anyone else has already posted this:
http://gulfnews.com/opinion/editorials/uefa-is-making-up-its-own-rules-1.1884544
Have we signed Bastian Schweinsteiger yet?
We should start another rumour on tinternet about a star signing for Sevco. Just for larks.
Is teddy sheringham still playing? Fits the profile……..
TIMALOY29 on 24TH AUGUST 2016 3:50 PM
VFR800A8 on 24TH AUGUST 2016 3:32 PM
The shout for Yaya Toure is a good one and I reckon that is a possibility if we can reach a loan deal with Man City – but that would be expensive as well.
___
God this speculation is getting madder and madder.
On what basis (apart from your opinion)? 3 months ago I would suspect you’d have said the same about Kolo Toure coming.
Yaya is one of the biggest earners at Manchester City! Inter Milan couldn’t pay his wages even with their new Chinese investment.
So you believe that money is the only motivation? The possibility of playing CL football alongside his brother wouldn’t motivate him at all?
Everybody knows that Yaya will stay put at City and pocket a salary for a year.
Do they? I would like to see your evidence for that assertion. (Clue: because you said it doesn’t count).
Do we expect City to pay all his wages?
Generally a club is happy to pay a substantial amount and a loan fee would be charged; an unhappy player around the dressing room isn’t good for the team morale. Why do you think Schwienstieger is nowhere near the first team squad at Man U?
The reality is that speculation is just that: speculation. It’s about opinion and I that’s mine. 6 months ago the prospect of Toure, Sinclair and Dembele being on the books would have been laughed at – they are here now!
KTF
I might be in a minority of one, but I think Armstrong could make it at Celtic. I just don’t see him as a wide left player. Attacking mid, that I can see.
Geordie
Are you going to the Alloa game?
JJ
timaloy29: “I’ve heard that nobody else at Celtic (PL included) ever fancied the Dundee United players. They were very much Ronny Deila signings.”
It’s OK, Ronny has been driven out of the country now. Please everyone, give the guy a break and give it a rest!
Hot smoked – remember your own advice if you get anxious on your hot date or assassination whichever one it is….. It’s never as bad as you think it was at the time!!!!! Or as good for that matter ……….
BIGCHIPSUK – 10 IN A ROW (2001-2010) on 24TH AUGUST 2016 4:57 PM
timaloy29: “I’ve heard that nobody else at Celtic (PL included) ever fancied the Dundee United players. They were very much Ronny Deila signings.”
It’s OK, Ronny has been driven out of the country now. Please everyone, give the guy a break and give it a rest!
____
Ronny did some good work (with the likes of Griffiths and Tierney) and brought in some good players like Denayer
I think everybody agrees that the Dundee United players haven’t kicked on. If Ronny was responsible for any signings is likely to have been the ones he saw play against his own team. Makes sense.
Much more likely to get a bid for Johanssen than anyone of the nearly men.
I have heard a whisper from the source of a reliable taxi driver that Teddy Sheringham is signing for Sevco.
JJ
Janko rightfully (imho) getting it tight as his performance was pretty dire last night. However, the lad deserves credit, in the home tie when Lustig’s lack of pace was being exposed and we had our wobble, he came in, nullified the threat and played very well. I would say he made a big combination to us getting a grip of the home game again which ultimately won us the tie. I also felt he had a very good game against Inter. I think RB is a position we should be strengthening but against rapid wingers Janko is an option.
timaloy29, fair point, but I’ve heard that comments preceded by such as “I’ve heard that…” are generally just idle speculation.
Fieldofdrams
Nope, there’s another guy up the Sellick end.
MALONE BHOY on 24TH AUGUST 2016 4:36 PM
Thanks for coming back. I’m not trying to split hairs (well maybe I am) but I see a significant difference between fear and cowardice. Cowardice on the field is, in my opinion, deliberately letting down your team-mates because you don’t want to do the right thing.
I think the experience of the past 2 seasons was the cause of much of it and now the monkey is off their back those players overcome by fear might be better placed to be brave in the forthcoming games! Time will tell.
KTF
‘I think There’s a player in there’ is a code for
‘he’s s@@t@.
Still trying to come back down to earth after thr euphoria of last night.
Been reading about the Corrymeela Inititive in the Six Counties and the work of other agencies trying to bring about peace and reconciliation.
Definitely not wanting to restart any “political” debate on the Middle East but wonder whether the club might consider bring over ,say, 12 Palestinian and 12 Israeli children affected by the internecine war conditions.
Of course, would the leaders on either side want/ allow it? Would it be seen as gesture politics? Would it perhaps, in some small way, begin the process of both sides seeking an accommodation? IMHO it might be worthy of serious consideration without asking anyone to abandon their own deeply held views on the present appalling situation. HH
The number 18 WiFi is faster than the bus.
In fairness i think most people thought Armstrong and GMS were good signings, for a variety of reasons it hasn’t worked out. Mostly down to not being good enough and struggling with expectations, and SA being ruined out on the left wing. Ultimately both are a lot better than average SPFL standard but not Celtic class imo.
Bastian spotted in a Bayern Aldi buying a case of Magners and a box of Scotch Pies and interestingly two pac a mac raincoats…
Nice feeling is looking forward to a CL draw.
1-0 with a scrappy goal would have been fine, the Janko/Gordon flaff was a fluke and put us under pressure.
I think we know how ‘high pressing ‘ would have gone last night and 5-2 at CP just wouldn’t have happened.
BR and his coaches take a bow, if only we could have defended deep when we had VVD and JD?
Would like a trip to Paris? and take James McCarthy in a heartbeat. We need at least two players one of whom should be able to do at least one of the following – tackle, shoot, or pass.
JJ,
I’ll be getting a ticket. Dunno if I’ll be going yet. It’ll depend on the bidey ins travels.
I’ll probably go. Weirdly I like them cup games and Alloa are showing a wee bit of form.
You going like?
HH
AN TEACH SOLAIS
Corrymeela was the Alliance Party at prayer
Comment from WGS after the match last night ‘Celtic might invest some of the CL money in a player who is playing is Scotland’. Genuinely i don’t think there is a player even close to being good enough, i know some have mentioned Paterson but not for me.
BOURNESOUPRECIPE
Do you think SJ has said he wants to go?
He would have been one in our squad that already plays the high pressing game well until he got fed up being the only one:))
VFR800A8 on 24TH AUGUST 2016 4:56 PM
“On what basis (apart from your opinion)? 3 months ago I would suspect you’d have said the same about Kolo Toure coming.”
___
Nope. When he was released at the start of the season I was saying we SHOULD be signing Kolo Toure and wasn’t surprised when he did.
Unlike Yaya, he was without a club and would have been used to a significantly lower salary than Yaya who was once the best paid player in England.
____
“So you believe that money is the only motivation? The possibility of playing CL football alongside his brother wouldn’t motivate him at all?”
_____
Yep. Yaya has won the CL and experienced all that he can. He’s winding down on his career.
Only today, Schweinsteiger confirmed he has no interest in doing anything else in Europe. He will either stay and pick up his wage at Manchester United or he will take some megabucks to play in China or Qatar or the US.
Where did Xavi go after Barcelona? Do you expect these guys with CL winners medals have the desire to toil away with Celtic in the group stage?
_____
“I would like to see your evidence for that assertion. (Clue: because you said it doesn’t count).”
_______
Funny you say that. People always do.
It’s an internet forum. You wan’t me to provide a hand-written quote from Yaya? Well his agent has said he’s staying.
http://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/697355/Yaya-Toure-to-stay-at-Manchester-City-Agent-claims-he-shouldn-t-move-News-Gossip
‘But Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk, who had been critical of Guardiola’s treatment of Toure at Barcelona, insists that Toure won’t be heading for the exit.
Seluk said: “In football you never know. But Yaya shouldn’t move.” ‘
_________
“Generally a club is happy to pay a substantial amount and a loan fee would be charged; an unhappy player around the dressing room isn’t good for the team morale. Why do you think Schwienstieger is nowhere near the first team squad at Man U?”
__________
First of all, there are a lot of coaches out there who are trying to force players out in order to free up a wage (Aiden McGeady, Toure, Mata, Joe Hart and Schweinsteiger)
What’s the stumbling block? Wages.
There would be clubs willing to take these players on but not on their current salary. None of these players seem willing to take the substantial paycut to go somewhere else.
There would be clubs with more resources than Celtic interested in Yaya Toure. But paying his wage and sending him to Celtic defeats the purpose. They want rid of his wage, he would need to take a paycut and he’s indicated he’s not willing to.
_______
“The reality is that speculation is just that: speculation. It’s about opinion and I that’s mine. 6 months ago the prospect of Toure, Sinclair and Dembele being on the books would have been laughed at – they are here now!”
______
Yaya Toure didn’t have a club and the other two came from the English Championship
I’m not surprised they would be interested in a move to Celtic.