Surprised? Well, yes. This was a no-contest early-on in Maribor last week. Even though Celtic didn’t come home with the win, the chances, balance of possession and play, were well in their favour. A defeat last night was never out of the question, but it was the nature of the defeat that was most concerning. We were second best in defence, midfield and attack.
Pre-match, Ronny told us he expected Maribor to sit in and counter-attack. They didn’t, forcing Celtic into disarray. We were fortunate to go in level at halftime; I was screaming out for a tactical change from 20 minutes in.
Kris Commons proved his value. From the moment he arrived, we had an out-ball for the first time in the night, but it was not enough.
Celtic tried to qualify for the Champions League without a target man, or a striker able to play the kind of football Ronny Deila requires to play his kind of football. Stokes, Griffiths, Pukki and Balde are not an appropriate Champions League strike force, by some distance.
We have plenty of midfielders who are happy to pass and run but no one with the composure to hold the ball. Brown, Forrest and Tonev were all missing, but none will occupy the holding roles given to Kayal and Mulgrew last night. Or to Wanyama two years ago.
The defensive collapse since last season is unfathomable. Virgil van Dijk was clearly a class above, whether in defence or attack, and Mikal Lustig was also assured – it is perhaps no coincidence that we lost the goal moments after he was replaced, but Efe Ambrose and Emilio Izaguirre have returned from the World Cup in alarmingly poor form.
This is where we are. We knew this at the end of last season, perhaps Neil Lennon did too. Ronny Deila has a significant rebuilding job on his hands.
Will we make a significant moves forward this week? This season? The Europa League isn’t the cash-cow of the premier tournament, and it carries none of the glamour, but it is a competition we need to be ready for. Perhaps more importantly, qualification planning for next season’s Champions League starts now.
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KITALBA 1248
Clough signed players who a lot if others wouldn’t touch.
Plus geniuses in the spine.
All with the help of Peter Taylor,of course.
The only time he inherited a good team was Leeds.
He tried to make them better. It ended with them making him bitter.
But he was winning Big Ears and titles while they were being relegated.
The irony is that when Leeds finally won another title,Clough got relegated.
My favourite English manager,btw. Played football as I like it.
Joe Filippis Haircut
That’s just a rumour and it suits the board for it to be assumed true.
If a player in the Spanish second tier is offered a big wage increase and Europa League football I’d be surprised if he wasn’t interested.
Even if it is true there is the Polish lad who is close to going to a Ukranian team. Scotland or Ukraine? Given the plitical situation there I think we can put together an attrative package.
The idea that none of these guys will come here if we are not in CL is a myth in my view. We are not talking about Premiership superstars. We are talking about good first team players who want to make more money and play European football at a famous club. There are plenty of them out there who would come to Celtic if we pay the money.
ziggydoc1-:)
Plz tell me you boys are on the wind up wanting manager gone after a few games ?
Paul67
You mentioned we missed Tonev last night? How can we miss a player who’s never played for us?
The simple answer to last nights result is our manager made the wrong call in both team selection and tactics very poor.
ernie lynch 13.31
The hush money big T got wont allow!!!!
Is Collins happy to sit back and watch RD make his mistakes? Never seen him give any instructions from the sideline since he was appointed.
Off topic stayed in the hotel Maribor team stayed last night. Jeez oh can these guys drink management toldthe hotel to give them as much as they wanted for as long as they wanted. They finished at 3.30am Small change for a £20m kitty. Scunnered does,nt even cover it. Hail Hail hebcelt
hen1rik- i will give him til Chtristmas.
The Honest Cover up. The Polish player that you mention has chosen to join Dynamo Kiev so our attractive package didnt work. H.H.
So the Russian roulette approach to CL qualifying failed this year, quelle surpris!! The chamber fired, bullet came out and but for Legia admin fauxpa we got back in only to get hit by another bullet and Maribor gave us the justice we deserved. We have been riding our luck for years in CL with the scatter shot approach by the SSM and the dodgy Svengali scouting of JP and by all accounts the files/videos of hundreds of players trying to find the rough diamonds to bring in cheap and sell at premium is failing miserably!
Now we’re resorting to loans with a view to signing, boy how we’re growing our great club!! An inexperienced manager who has a vision all well and good but we are Celtic we should not be where we are right now if the business model was better run rather than run into the ground!
So now our season starts and where will we go? Money should be spent, players not good enough loaned/sold. The treble should be the target as it seems it’s not been demanded each year and a decent fist made of the EL. Time to speculate rather than sit on your hands and hope we scrape thru without spending any of the millions accumulated over these last few years. Time for the busted approach at the hidden gems out there that we’ve hardly hit on to disappear and spend some decent money on 4/5 players than bargain buy and waste countless fees on players no better than what we have already.
Is Berget any better than what we already have? Tonev, Wakaso, we don’t know yet, Denayer possibly but all we’re doing is giving him the outlet to play without any chance of signing him! We can only get better or will we, interesting times ahead to the end of the transfer window and the challenge that awaits each week for our great club.
Woe is me, Bring out your dead, Lock up your daughters, The end is nigh…
We’re no in the Champions league, we’re in the Europa league, get over it.
Prior to Legia game, Celtic had £10-15m in ready cash with which to attempt to ensure CL qualification. They had said cash for many months.
They did not invest at all. Chickens came home to roost. BUT we got the hugest slice of luck and had a golden opportunity to put right the pre Legia mistakes.
Our board did NOTHING. This was negligent. This cost us some £15-20m.
Who carries the can for this ABJECT AND UTTER FAILURE???
#thebuckstopsnowhere
Tom McLaughlin
Is your information taht Scepovic will still sign?
Mac jay, seeing as you are asking others for facts. What facts do you have that there was a sales price agreed in the Wanyama, Forster and Hooper contracts? Did that clause also include a statement along the lines of them being immediately released?
It’s a moot point anyway. We sold them and recruited less able replacements.
The fact that the coach chosen by the board or whoever then chose to deploy as he did compounded the lack of positive direction we suffer from.
Players should be brought in to improve the team. Coaches should be brought in to get the best results with the squad they have available.
Ronnys excuse is the same as Mowbrays. I.e. the squad aren’t good enough to play my formation. A good coach would compromise his principles to play a 1 off game with tactics and personnel to get a result. Ronny gave up on additional income to get the players he needs to play his formation on the basis of 1 games worth of failure.
Mind you, would he get the players he wants or the ones the Lawell manages to get?
I am very keen to have your take on how player recruitment works and how much of a say in who we go for?
Player scouting and recruitment is very poor. Identification of a coach to work with those players short and long term is excruciatingly poor.
Joe Filippis Haircut
Thanks for curt reply. How do you know there was a firm offer for him? How much did we offer in wages?
Dexter. Surely it the manager and the players who carry the can ? we should be able to beat a team like Maribor at home.The word team is important Maribor played as a team we didnt.H.H.
Some twenty five years ago, Pat Woods who knows a wee bit about Celtic wrote to the effect that as long as they feel that a management is doing its best, fans will put up with a lot.
And that is a question for today’s Celtic fans, happy clappers included. Do you honestly believe that, even operating in difficult times, the present Board is doing as well as it could.
On the above, the present Board should resist the temptation to dismiss last night’s protesters as simply malcontents.
A previous Board that went down that particuar road soon found itself on the street.
Don’t agree that this collapse was unfathomable at all.The team is bereft of quality. This is the natural consequence of the asset stripping approach which sees the club bring in lots of new players each season, watch to see who develops, then sell them and leave us with the deadwood.
Last night, there was not a single palyer who looked like they wanted the ball, and who could develop the play. Side to side to side, in front of Maribor. The embarrassment of:
Watching Charlie Mulgrew twist through 270 degrees because he couldn’t trust himself to hit a short pass with his right foot
Berget constantly trapped on the edge of the field and unable to either use guile or pace to beat his man, or to carry inside to allow Isaguirre to overlap effectively.
Ambrose scaring his team-mates and the crowd whenever he showed so much of the ball in midfield, that he pressurised his own palyers into adopting a defensive mindset in case he gave the ball away
Stokes continually hiding behind the opposition players so he couldn’t receive the ball instead of running the channels.
For effort, i would give pass marks to Johanssen and Macgregor, who have something about them if they have quality elsewhere in the team
We were crying out for Samaras or Forrest last night. Actually, we were crying out for anyone who could use the space available instead of shipping the ball to someone else in the vain hope that they would.
Spidey…….OK even overall budget…….I’ll make it simpler……..how many English 2nd tier teams will have a higher wage bill ??……….remember its often quoted we can’t compete even with championship teams………..if I’ve heard that once I’ve heard it a thousand times………and it is utter garbage …!!!!!!!
I remember when Celtic were in signing talks with Nakamura before we were humiliated by Artmedia. The entire SMSM and every Hun we know and quite a few of our own told us Nakamura would never come to us after that.
It is ridiculous to suggest that a player would pull out of advanced transfer negotiations just because the team lose a big game. If you really believe that about Scepovic, then answer me this. Which CL Group Stage club will he decide to sign for instead? Does he just phone them up and say, “Ok I am signing for you now”? Or maybe he’ll get his agent to do it.
Welcome to the real world guys.
Well Said!
Gem from mrs j last night.
“Hows that Celtic player (Stokes) supposed to beat those 4 guys in blue on his own”?
The Honest Cover-up. I dont know if there was a firm offer for him I can only say what the MSM said.I also know nothing about the wages offered but once again it has been reported that he has chosen to sign for Dynamo Kiev.Sorry if you thought I was being curt as that was not my intention.H.H.
theworstcelticteaminlivingmemory
13:52 on 27 August, 2014
Don’t agree that this collapse was unfathomable at all.The team is bereft of quality. This is the natural consequence of the asset stripping approach which sees the club bring in lots of new players each season, watch to see who develops, then sell them and leave us with the deadwood.
Last night, there was not a single palyer who looked like they wanted the ball, and who could develop the play. Side to side to side, in front of Maribor. The embarrassment of:
Watching Charlie Mulgrew twist through 270 degrees because he couldn’t trust himself to hit a short pass with his right foot
Berget constantly trapped on the edge of the field and unable to either use guile or pace to beat his man, or to carry inside to allow Isaguirre to overlap effectively.
Ambrose scaring his team-mates and the crowd whenever he showed so much of the ball in midfield, that he pressurised his own palyers into adopting a defensive mindset in case he gave the ball away
Stokes continually hiding behind the opposition players so he couldn’t receive the ball instead of running the channels.
For effort, i would give pass marks to Johanssen and Macgregor, who have something about them if they have quality elsewhere in the team
We were crying out for Samaras or Forrest last night. Actually, we were crying out for anyone who could use the space available instead of shipping the ball to someone else in the vain hope that they would.
————————————————————————————
Interesting moniker you have chosen. Shall we just ignore you for that alone?
By Monday we should be signing Wakusa, Scepovic, Armstrong, McGinn, an experienced centre half to replace VVD if he leaves and a left back.
We should be trying to get Ambrose, Kayal, Biton, Boerrigter, Pukki, Balde, one from Stokes/Griffiths, Commons if he won’t sign new contract and the host of younger players who are never going to make it with us (Twarzyck, Atajic, Irvine etc) out of the door.
The reality will be our loan winger and maybe actually a couple of million on Scepovic coming in with VVD being sold with Pukki and/or Balde being loaned out.
Unfathomable? seriously.
Very rare that you post an article I disagree with P67, but unfathomable?!
Who were the 50 malcontents that BBC Scotland are reporting? Sad. Just gives the SMSM another stick to beat us with.
Do we seriously have a first team squad of 40??
How can you even begin to work with a squad that size.
Plenty of opportunity for rest, injury avoidance and restoring glycerol in a 40 man squad.
If it’s true get it cut, 25 players is plenty big, cover in all areas, and make the first team squad a glorified place in the club, not chock full of 29 passengers every week.
If we can’t sell, loan till we can.
The first team is lacking a hard midfielder, a playmaker and strikers. 4 signing targets needed in before the end of the week.
Henning Berg had never enjoyed success against Celtic and Maribor had never failed to progress in Europe against Scottish opposition ie Hibs, Rangers and Celtic, does that tell us something about fate?
When Samara’s and Joe Ledley were not offered new contracts it was a worry and then Forrest and Brown got injured which for me was tipping point for our chances in CL qualification.
I was surprised that Ronny did not stick with the team that did well in the away leg with the inclusion of Commons. Early into the first half I just could not see where the goals were going to come from.
What happened to our pressing game so successful in the first leg. We were completely hoodwinked by their change of tactics and we gave the freedom of the park in the first half and made them look like Barcelona. It was pathetic to see Celtic players panicked and hiding not showing for line throws or passes from colleagues. Do not blame Anthony Stokes he little or no support til Commons came on.
The population of Slovenia is a mere 2 million inhabitants and they are the one pro club playing in a semi pro league and fair play to their joy at knocking out one of the big boys.
Ronny now gets a chance to set things right in the Euro providing he can get in players with some physical strength and football ability and don’t kid yourself, there are a lot of good teams in the Euro.
Total lack of meaningful leadership at the very top. No ambition.
Tom McLaughlin
13:53 on 27 August, 2014
The media are saying PSV are looking at him.
If that’s true then I think that after last nights result he’s less likely to come to us than he was before.
Tom McLaughlin. Tom according to MSM the player himself is saying he has several offers which he is considering.It may wll be nonsense to try and get Celtic to up the wages who knows.H.H.
The Honest Cover-up said:
Tom McLaughlin
Is your information taht Scepovic will still sign?
No mate.
But he won’t walk away from negotiations because of last night’s result.
Tom McLaughlin
I agree completely. Especially if they are offered £20k a week and the chance to live in a great city. I doubt Scepovic is on anything near that sort of wage at the moment.
We also offer EL football this year which can’t be said of the vast majority of teams in Europe.
A wee question for PL before signing off for a wee while.
Just how in God’s name can we hope to prosper in Europe when we resolutely refuse to pursue a big, quality, physical line leader?
And don’t give us the garbage about one such player would not come to Scotland or Celtic.
Stuff his agent’s throat with dosh and he will come ok.
KILBOWIE KELT 1308
Loathe to disagree with such an august poster as yourself,and one who had to live through the fallow years.
But that kind if comment is exactly what has led us to where we are.
Trust the suits,basically
I’d rather trust what I have seen with my own eyes,and now in the record books.
We are absolutely garbage,with a garbage squad,very few excepting.
We are looking at absolutely garbage attendances over the coming season as a result. With absolutely garbage motivation to the team from the few who turn up b
Simply because of an absolutely garbage strategy,which could never ever work in the long term-and in fact only worked once!-devised by an absolutely garbage prick of a man who for some reason runs the club I support.
Fine,bud. You continue to cheer that garbage on. Me,I throw mine out,regularly.
I keep what is important to me,and of value.
Peter Lawwell is not. He is destroying us through his ego. And mismanagement.
The very epitome of The Peter Principle.
Dexter,
Not only do we lose this years CL money we will continue to downsize and next season will be extemeely difficult.
There was 50 – 60 mil riding on last night with the BT increase for next season.
Lawwell helped Ronny by selling Forster and Watt while the Celtic captain was on the treatment table. That is the sort of strategic approach that guarantees failure.
When Commons and Browns contracts are up for renewal they will find new offers not forthcoming …just like Samaras.
Then our CEO/ Chief Beancounter / Director of Football will become the highest annually paid emplyee of Celtic as well as the most compensated in the history of the Club.
Time is up Lawwell……you have done enough damage !!