Shakhter Karagandy covered 5k more ground than Celtic last night, 500m per outfield player. That’s 5.5m per minute, per player, or an extra meter every 10 seconds or so. That kind of advantage means that when the ball breaks loose in and around the danger area, the more active team are in space – which happened at both goals.
Conversely, when Celtic were in advanced positions Shakhter players were there in numbers. The difference was not caused by exceptional exertion by Shakhter, in their match with Maribor last night, Viktoria Plzen covered 11k more than Celtic, or a clear 2 meters every 10 seconds per outfield player.
Despite enjoying the vast majority of possession the Celtic players were lacking in movement and ideas. Being short of ideas is one thing but lack of movement is altogether unacceptable. We have to prepare fitness levels ahead of the second leg meticulously; Inverness on Saturday is only relevant for those who need game time ahead of Wednesday.
The Mouhokolo-van Dijk novice partnership was a surprise; a lot of faith was shown in players few of us know much about. Could we have held Kelvin for another few weeks? Would it have been less of a risk to play Ambrose and/or Mulgrew in defence? Yes to both, I suspect.
We learned Georgios is not a striker in 2009. He is one of our most effective players when away from home but not as a striker. Anthony Stokes is a striker but his style is just as unsuited to the formation we played last night as Georgios’. We seemed to pick a team to combat Shakhter’s strengths which didn’t play to our own.
I’m not convinced signing a player one week before an important game is an ideal preparation but taking the money early for Hooper, weeks before Amido Balde (or anyone else) has settled and considered a viable starter, is a calculated risk which is now in sharp focus.
We should also show some respect to Shakhter. The club are miles out of their depth at this stage of European football but they left with all the credit. After the game, manager Kumykov played down his chances, “we are not the favourites”. He’s a clever man who knows what he is doing.
It is possible Celtic will play as badly next week but it’s more likely that we will put on a vastly better performance. Between now and then we have plenty of opportunity to wallow in an embarrassing defeat, so knock yourself out, but I’ll hold fire until the tie is decided, which I expect to be in Celtic’s favour. Bring it on.
You got to love European football.
Penalty kick practice, please……
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I hope the rumours about the GB and 111 are true. Need a bit of good news.
CRC, payments made.
Still think we can do it.
Jude
Whit does di canio know about strikers ;)
Jobo
Forecast thunder?
Zbyszek – good away result mate!
T4
TBJ, Jude, Fletcher? Anybody, please just a striker!!
Fletcher would do a good job for us.
TBJ, maybe poundland at the Forge or the one next to Sports direct in the toon.
already had some in the hoose for the big yin’s eighteenth which never goat lit, perfect opportunity to make a wee wish for Oscar and a wee prayer too.
——————————————————————————-
T4, definitely
as WGS said, don’t panic and worry about needin 3,4 etc…
get wan,… then 2 and take it fae there
easiersaidthandoneCSC
Cheers Doc
Celtic score the first goal a week before the game starts.
praecepta
Can’t have Jose playing catch up, the football down there is as corrupt as the rest of the world.
Still playing catch up to scotland mind you.
HH
Doc
Boydy ? Lmfao
Capitano
Need to try to get one Friday
Thinking of driving towards ek… stop off at the farm Road up to the rolls Royce test centre to let it go
Great view over the city from up there
THE EXILED TIM
21:31 on
21 August, 2013
+++++
Playing in the play-off round doesn’t cup-tie you from the Group Stages onwards.
“…Exceptionally, however, a player who has been fielded in the first, second, third qualifying round or the play-offs of the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League is entitled to play in the UEFA Champions League or UEFA Europa League for another club as from the group stage…”
Seeded team Zagreb lost 2-0 to Austria Vienna tonight, plus seeded Bucharest could only draw with Legia at home, we’re not the only one’s struggling!!!
But Basel comfortable winners at the Bulgarians, four away goals!
Feeling a bit better today, think with a full CP we can just about squeeze through
Auldheid,
I hope Lenny is open minded enough, because there is no doubting his courage, to address his limitations and seek advice/help in areas that he perhaps struggles in.
HailHail
TBJ
What does Di Canio know abt strikers? Nowt!! Thats why he drappt him. <:o)
Jobo,brilliant. For real or can you tailor it to your own team ?
jobo baldie
21:50 on 21 August, 2013
Only popping in for a minute to post the following 3-minute link. Absolutely brilliant!!!
http://t.co/Y5rZxZf0Yo
———————————–
I thought I detected some lateral movement in the crowd after Sammi’s goal, round about the 3 minute mark ;-)
Lennie sits down tonight after getting the frustration and analysis of last night out of his system.
the first names on his list (ie certs to start)
Brown, Fraser, Commons, izzie
next lot (ie the ones who he has rotated up to now)
Sammi, JF, ledley, Mulgrew, lustig, Matthews
Next lot (we’re only on 10, so far)
stokes, noobies, watt…
lennie has a devil of a job to put together a game plan from what’s left after his spine has left. I think he can do it but it’s beyond me for now what exactly the first 11 are and what the game plan is (apart from chucking 11 on and hoping for the best).
Thanks for all the responses. Too kind tbj :). I have driven and taken public transport the last few matches ( not pleasant) but wanted to give my kids a taste of supporter bus. I don’t want to turn up and its too busy?
Didn’t see the game – seems like they did to us what we did to Barca.
Sounds like Neil picked a team to counter them not beat them !!!
But we can score 2 and more next week
But can we keep a clean sheet ?
If we win expect a last min signing
If we loose expect a player or two to go – FF ??
Tightrope
67ECW
RTE are showing the Celtic game next week. Both analysts on their CL coverage this evening tip Celtic to go through. That’s Johnny Giles and Richie Saddler. Giles, like virtually al of us on this thread, thought SK were very very poor.
Marti
By Jings !
Wee Di Canio Is Slowly Turning Into ‘Captain Queeg’….
The Role Played By Humphrey Bogart, In ‘The Caine Mutiny’……
Still….I’m Sure He Can Turn Around….
Tugboat ‘Sunderland’……
dirtymac
Wasn’t sure, thanks.
Where you been ?
HH
Dontbrattbakkinanger
13:33 on
21 August, 2013
Snake -all managers play theirfavourites.
And an over-cautious manager might not have thrown in a new pairing in the heart of the defence.
it’s 2-0 at half time, the situation is neither hopeless nor serious .
Good god,”The situation is not serious”.Now I have heard it all.Why are we all debating this,its not serious.So many getting divine messages on here.Should change the name to “Fatima Quick News”
jobo baldie
21:50 on 21 August, 2013.
My bhoy showed me it earlier and saw some of the comments from unhappy huns :-))
jackie mac
Why not switch Izzie with Mulgrew going to left back and Izzie forward. We can’t start with Forrest. A man down right away.
67ECW
After FF’s performance, lost all confidence in him, and if we get knocked out and receive a bid circa £5-6m from Benfica as reported, would take it.
Zaluska more than enough in SPL and even Europa League (remember Hamburg) until replacement is found (Given for his last couple of years?)
HH
1-0 Athletico, great goal from Villa
Superb goal Villa
TET
Am sure it will be a retrospective ban (under new EPL review panel) – but doesn’t change the result. Ref bottled potential confro with Jose.
Ticket sales for next week don’t look to healthy.
TBJ, yer a bad man, Boyd!!!
Hi Ghuys, Salve salve;-
Been away fishing today, absolutely terrific, whole loch to my pal Tommy and me, now enjoying a quiet dram.
Fan-a-tic in my view is spot on and is something I have espoused before.
Actually come to think of it does anybody else think Lenny might benefit from going out on loan ?
Greenwells.
Ridentem dicere verum quid vetat ?
Sannabhoy in support of Wee Oscar (22:05): “Jobo, brilliant. For real or can you tailor it to your own team ?”
Sannabhoy, you can tell it’s not real… Forster comes off his line to catch a corner kick at 2:26. That would never happen in reality!
Doc
Wtf… hes better than larsson ;)
Kilbowie Kelt
13:51 on
21 August, 2013
We lost a game to a side that we now know are considerably less talented than ourselves.
It happens. No lasting harm done. We went into the game not really knowing
how good or bad our opposition was. Now we know. They are very ordinary.
The breaks went the way of our modest opponents.
Celtic are far better than last night’s performance.
It is half-time in the tie with the home leg still to come at Fortress Paradise
This time it is Shakhter who face the tiring journey.
Celtic are massively odds-on favourite to win the return.
Why are so many of us so pessimistic & so negative ?
When did the Celtic support lose their faith in the team ?
Nothing is guaranteed, but if we are not in the draw for the group stages, then we don’t deserve to be there.
The ball is firmly in Celtic’s court.
Please accept my apologies for being a terrible Celtic fan who does not believe for a minute,”The ball is in Celtics court”Utter dross.We are 2-0 down,FFS.The ball most certainly is in their court.They can only throw it away.
Jackie
It’s a given that we will need width to get around this mob. Their defence and keeper look very ropey. On the right, there are options, but I’d definitely play Adam Matthews. On the left, Derk looked useful v Ross County. I think Joe and Kris must play to pounce on any scraps dropping just at the edge of the box. I’d have Stokes up front given there will be no room for Sammy and Derk on the left. Kayal could add aggression as well and with Broony, look to break up any phases of Shaktar play. Izzy is better going forward so we have strength in an attacking sense down both flanks.
On reflection, maybe Derk can go right and Sammy left?. Drop James for this one. Needs direct running and whipped crosses, not 20 touches and weaving runs that gain 5 yds.
We definitely don’t need 4 at the back, so I’d go 3 5 2 . We’ll have a lot of possession, probably more than we have ever had in a European tie, we need to make chances.
With the noise levels and this team nervous, they might even end up with 10 if we keep at them.
Focus and discipline, and total concentration will get us there. I think if we score within 30 minutes, we will win the tie handsomely. Our biggest weakness will be if we get 3 up and this team have to have a go!
TurkeyBhoy
Think the balls in nobodies court, they have something to hang on to at Parkhead, but we are by far the superior side. Even with our awful performance yesterday, we still created about 4 gilt edged chances that were missed. Get a striker on next week (Stokes and/or Balde), play up to our usual standards (probably doesn’t even have to be our absolute best, if we are we’ll smash them), grab a first half goal, we’ll go through
We don’t turn up and give them opportunities on the break, we’ll be playing Europa League football
How did our scouts miss that boy Villa? Our price range too! :-)