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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A stor
No mate it wasn’t directly in relation to your post… just a general theme on here.
Hooper top scorer… cant argue with that. However I think kc contributes goals and assists
Wanyama is a bully.. most teams need someone like that.. Not many good ones about. Not saying wanyama isnt worth the money or brown would be. But give me a guy with his heart at celtic. . And I think kris Scott and Charlie fit that while the three who left never did
Macjay
One of my mates is a pro goalie coach… he is always saying keepers make the slightest error and its magnified…. unjustly.
A Stor Mo Chroi
06:54 on
22 August, 2013
Mate,
Broony has the thing you can`t buy.
The rare commodity.
Loyalty.
Hail Hail
Fraser Forster contributed to SK’s first goal with his fluffed clearance which landed at the feet of a SK player, leading directly to the goal.
TBJ Praying for Oscar Knox:
I agree that Kris Commons is our most skilful player and I struggle to think of another who challenges him for that accolade, possibly Samaras. Two I have also had high hopes for are McGeoch and Twardzik but they never get game time. Rogic and Boerrigter, I’ve seen nothing from either in a Celtic jersey to form an opinion. Regards Rogic, Rojas in my eyes was the player Celtic should have bought but his physique did not match the present Celtic template. He oozed skill and could smack a ball too.
And not to be controversial but since I’m giving my opinion on players abilities which I don’t normally do, I don’t rate our keeper any higher than his back-up, if somebody offered 5 Mill for him, I’d bite their hand off.
I look through our first team squad and truth hurts even me, but considering our resources, there is a dearth of talent.
Tom
First goal came from the throw-in.
Watch the rerun.
Watch the scorer and Izzy.
After the goal,the defence turns as one and looks at Izzy.
macjay –
Yes, I should not have used the word “directly”.
But FF’s poor clearance led directly to a SK attack resulting in the throw-in.
macjay1 for Neil Lennon @ 06:59
If Forster is serious in attaining his England ambitions he’ll need to demonstrate his authority around his goal, something he is sadly lacking.
He’s a brilliant shot stopper, but there is more to the goalkeeping art than that, he should be directing his defenders, he should be making judgements about when to come off his line, he also needs build a telepathic understanding with his central defenders, all things he rarely shows.
Forster is a good goalkeeper but he’s far from the finished article and to progress he needs to help his defenders more, in my humble opinion.
Loyalty my r’s …!!
Footballers are loyal to the club who will pay them most. Scott Brown would not attract a higher salary or status (as captain) at any other club.
.
IF Big Efe was Playing in Front of Fraser Foster for the First Goal..Fraser would have be out in a Flash..:-)
With a Punchout like Superman going Up Up and Awaaaay..
Summa
Their first goal was a shambles and while Izzy should have been alert to the danger he was far from the main culprit. None of our defender got their bodies in front of their opponents. Their two attackers at the front post jumped unaposed and big Virgil was marking the corner of our six yard box. Forster looked like a frightened man all night and should have reacted better to a ball dropping three yards from his goal. Yes Izzy was at fault but its easy to single out the smallest man in the pitch when the big guys failed to deal with the first or even the second ball.
Morning Celts,
I think the first goal was a collective error from our players, it’s wrong to lay the blame on one player IMO, it happens and if we had scored a goal from our many chances we would all be more confident of progress.
We’ll beat this team next week, at least 3-0.
V
HH
Cultsbhoy- that’s so cynical but unfortunately I think its increasingly the case, although not universally true.
CultsBhoy loves being 1st forever & ever
07:34 on
22 August, 2013
Loyalty my r’s …!!
Footballers are loyal to the club who will pay them most. Scott Brown would not attract a higher salary or status (as captain) at any other club.
You generalise about loyalty.That`s your prerogative.As is mine to disagree.With that and you subsequent assertion.
Nae wurries.Give me eleven Broonies anyday.
I think its pretty obvious why FF lost all the confidence he seemed to have gained. He was playing behind a pairing he hadn’t seen before so he didn’t know what they were going to do in any given situation.
Scott Brown could easily ply his trade in the EPL top half side without any problem. Frankly , amazed at the knee jerk downgrading of our players due to 1 defeat. Now hearing that Zaluska is just as good as Foster , good grief anyone got a memory of Zaluska’s last regular run , paralysed by fear.
I’m sure our players whilst not world beaters are far better than the wholly over the top criticism on here since Tuesday.
If we win 5-0 next week then a bunch of folk will be on claiming we should be a pot 2 team.
Fun eh, until you read the tripe from the conspiracy, pint half full , towel chuckers who get into a panic when we actually lose a game –
Murdochbhoy supporting Fearless Oscar
07:24 on
22 August, 2013
Completely agree with your assessment.BIG F is not the finished article.I hope he`s with us for the next 15 years and we can have another chat.:-)
imho Big F played absolutely no part in the loss of the two goals.
BTW.Have we all forgotten his extraordinary stop against the Dons? 1-1 but for him.
Onward and upward.Eschew the miserablists.
Great to be a Tim.
EK Bhoy
I honestly believe we were so dominant in the first 10 minutes, that we lost a bit of focus defensively. I was thinking we were gonna win by 2 at least after the opening exchanges.
Losing the first goal changes games. That’s why I feel that when, not if, we get the opening goal on Tuesday, even more panic will set in to a team who I already think are a bit dodgy at the back.
Their keeper will need pampers when he gets out that tunnel on Wednesday.
Their is some unrest amongst the support at present, lack of spend, Tuesday’s result, Green Brigade issues etc, yet, the crowd for me are absolutely critical next week. A rocking boisterous paradise would scare the beegeesus out of bigger more experienced teams than Shaktar.
12th man never been more apt.
GERRINTATHUM
In the last couple of seasons there has been constant changing of the central defenders pairings.
Even during the course of a game there could be one or even two changes. Ive never seen this happen to this extent before. A team is usually built around a settled central defensive unit.
EKBhoy:
It is my opinion Zaluska is a good as Forster, the criticism you level against Zaluska last time he got a run, I could easily level against Forster every game he plays, but I won’t.
macjay1 for Neil Lennon
Sometimes our disappointment needs to be tempered in the same way as our expectations, but in saying that our team do sometimes not only reach but exceed our expectations, its great being a Tim and I can’t wait for next Wednesday.
Putting a player directly in front of the long throw specialist to nullify the throwers power has been used by most EPL teams against Stokes biggest weapon. Was screaming last Tuesday for us to do the same. Hopefully next Wednesday we will do just that and also narrow the advertising boarding towards the pitch to stop any long run ups.
Anyone got any tips for a Celtic-friendly bar in Paphos next week? Jaggy Thistle mentioned on celticbars.com but sounds like a pit…
Help anyone?
Following Murdochbhoy’s post earlier,here are some stats from Celtic’s competitive games so far this season.(from BBC website)
Played 7 Shots 117 On Target 49 Goals 10
On average,we need to have around 12 attempts at goal for every goal we score.
If this is repeated it would suggest we need to either create in excess of 35 chances on Wednesday or get better at sticking chances away.The latter being most likely if we stand a chance of progressing.
If you couple these pretty poor stats with the fact that Karagandy worked harder than us (see Paul’s article),it’s easy to see what needs to be done.
Take more of the chances we create and work harder.
So simple really.
Except for a) we sold our most reliable chance taker without signing a replacement and b) we have a number of players who simply do not give 100% effort in each game (Particularly when the other team have the ball or there is a 50/50 challenge on the cards)
Despite the foregoing,I believe there is cause for optimism on Wednesday,mainly because I think Karagandy are a poor side and we might see a backlash from the players.
Lads.
Watch the scorer and watch Izzy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O_c5fBeZfas
Murdochbhoy supporting Fearless Oscar
08:10 on
22 August, 2013
Know exactly what you mean.
Tearful after the loss to Jock Stein`s Dunfermline.
Ramorra`s anurraday.
Tbj
Thanks, I will take a walk down next week and say hello.
PMJS
Malc
Check the supporters club site.
Just in to say…
The ole CQN is an interesting place these days, eh?
Loads of fholks being rumbled from their slumbers and having to actually acknowledge the laughing-stock that ‘our’ beloved Celtic FC are now being driven to.
Some territorialy dividing the blog into sections like…
The Happy-Clappers
The Middle-Ground Fence-Sitters
The Mine-Shafters
And there was me being a dafty and thinking I was a – Malcontented Sacker Of Boreds :)
Nah, seriously – I see an awful lot of Cellic fans – young fellas n lassies – old men n wummin – being done over by the bored or more like DD. imo
There was once a poster on here who went by the monicker of…
‘Peter Lawwell is driving Celtic FC towards a slow car-crash since 2003 !!!’ – very apt.
You see, where we’re at right now is – on the verge of pulling-off an amazing come-back against a team of under water basket-weavers, imo.
Or, going out on what will be the night the death-knell will be sounded for the ‘bored’ and more importantly, DD. imo
I will not be upset in the slightest if Cellic go oot next week – I would rather view an exit as a long overdue visit from the – medicine-man. imo
Celtic PLC are a boil that needs lanced. imo
An exit to this team Shakhter will, I hope, help an awful lot of the Celtic support of today, to realize that – you will NEVER be in con trol of
Not in agreement re criticism about FF. We’ve concede 1 goal against ICT and 2 against Shakhter. Clean sheets in 5 other competitive games. Hardly figures to hang him or the defence by.
A couple of bad kick outs on plastic pitch. No big deal. In general his kicking is superb, pinpoint accuracy. For those lucky enough to attend matches, watch him pre-match and at half time. 95% of his kicks land within 1 foot of the target.
you will never be in control of YOUR club until you – starve the
plc of YOUR money – get them oot – get the club into the ands of Cellic fans or, more of what you are wtching will be the order of the day.
Is it worth it ?
HH
P.S. I apologise for – split-post :(
Gremlins – CSC
ands=hands
gremlins
sorry
SuperSutton
08:29 on 22 August, 2013
Not in agreement re criticism about FF. We’ve concede 1 goal against ICT and 2 against Shakhter. Clean sheets in 5 other competitive games. Hardly figures to hang him or the defence by.
A couple of bad kick outs on plastic pitch. No big deal. In general his kicking is superb, pinpoint accuracy. For those lucky enough to attend matches, watch him pre-match and at half time. 95% of his kicks land within 1 foot of the target.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………..
..if that’s true then maybe NFL is playing him wrong position and he should be our ne CF
ne=new
…or new pin-point pass playmaker
GKeeper…. rule 1 you command the box!!
Doesn’t matter who you’re CB’s are or anyone else if the ball is within your reach, it’s your get it dealt with!!
It’s not confidence in someone else it’s self confidence. If that’s lost, days are numbered.
Don’t get me wrong, great shot stopper but never instilled confidence in me re crosses and commanding the area: irrespective of what his kicking abilities are!!
6 foot seven plus outstretched arms should be a big advantage over anybody.
Our resident Daily Record correspondent really needs to give it a rest. What a complete irritant.
few typos in there but hey ho…