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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macjay1 for neil lennon
08:50 on 22 August, 2013
So you don’t care if your team wins or loses.?……interesting … LOL
Blindlemonchitlin 9.04
Absolutely spot on. Usual suspects almost ecstatic at the chance provided to batter the club. When we progress next week there ll be no balance in analysis from them.
In fact there ll be nothing from them until the next reverse.
Big Wavy
Marti Sandino Supports Wee Oscar
09:24 on
22 August, 2013
Lionsroar67
Yes the fact the DR produced a balanced interesting football article was very surprising
a stor mo chroi
09:20 on 22 August, 2013
You tell ’em……!!!!! ….. That team, and their manager, are no mugs…!!
Aye kevjungle.
We need you to lead us to the car park to rid ourselves of the bored for once and for all.
Hope you’re still up for the job. I’d be gutted if you’d just been talking crap for the past 6 years.
Ps. Maybe bobo balde’s book will provide evidence of the singing at brentford. It must be due out soon. Did big bobo tell you a date yet?
Headtheball says sign and promote the petition for wee Oscar and others
09:12 on 22 August, 2013
The board is useless.
Lennon is a dud.
The players are crap.
I wonder how we got to be so successful and financially stable then?
________________________________________________________
Succesful ? Against who ?
If we’re so financially stable why is the majority of the team – bagain basement rubbish ?
Or, is that because the managers a puppet ?
The biggest architects of what will soon be – 30k attendances
are the fans. imo
On here the talk is about the huns fans being gullible – oh yeah?
So, what does that make the Celtic support ?
DD – the ‘bored’ – PL – don’t give a flying duck about the Celtic support. imo
All they want is yer money.
And yet, thousands keep turning u
up like gullible wee sheep handing over yer money so that they can do you over again.
P.S. Sorry for split post – gremlins.
Kev. I think you are minority of one
While I agree with you about your comments I don’t know any Celtic fan who wants us to go out
I want us to win and Celtic plc to realise that this must never happen again. Long term planning. Identifying top players and creating a budget for those top players
Sure projects must go on, but a bum on seats player must be planned for and if we have to pay a little extra for that we can recoup that with CL money and hopefully selling more projects
Murdo for President, Murdo for President….
It would seem the Kazaks are playing the crowd next week, and not the players.
Huge expectation on the twelfth man to secure victory. Worryingly, some of the players seem reliant upon it.
I doubt it will be a full house. No champions league music, no floodlights, no away fans and less than prestigious opposition. And no GB?
Add in a little desperation and nerves, and the twelfth man may be a little quiet.
An early goal is absolutely crucial.
If there were more exciting players to watch would the attendances go up?
Derk may be that player but we need a goal scoring hero for the fans to get behind.
With Hooper gone the closest we have is Stokes.
He needs help.
67Heaven:
I can’t remember who it was but a poster on here just recently likened SK to St. Mirren.
Well I remember St. Mirren took the scalp of one Celtic manager. I remember ICT taking another and I remember Ross County coming close to another.
I think we’ll beat them and go through but I would draw the line south of ridiculing them after what they’ve just done to us.
Breaking (translated on google translate):
“Innocent Emeghara has sensationally revealed that until very recently he was called Dave Emeghara. The Nigerian born Swiss national reportedly told Swiss news outlet “Torromerde” that his team of advisers learned of Celtic’s approach and were immediately keen. However their research threw up issues surrounding the recent Offensive Behaviour at Football And Threatening Communications (Scotland) Act 2012 as ‘Dave’ has an extensive catalogue of music that they term ‘libertarian’ and his trade mark goal celebration is to mime read from an imaginary ‘roll of honour’.
In anticipation of his multi million pound move ‘Dave’ and his advisers have served what they believe to be a knock out pre-emptive strike against the draconian Scottish authorities and ‘Innocent’ Emeghara is said to be desperately keen on joining the Scottish Catholicas.”
Interesting.
lionroars67
09:25 on
22 August, 2013
I would guess any incoming transfers is dependant on Wednesday night’s outcome. Qualify for CL i’d expect 2-3 players in and none out. Fail to qualify i’d expect no one in and possibly 1 out.
starry plough forza oscar
09:31 on
22 August, 2013
Murdo for President, Murdo for President….
Who would write his speeches ?…………….. Kev J
KevJungle
Once again, you’ve made your point. A lot of us don’t agree ok?
lionroars67
Hugh Keevins of course…
BlantyreKev. Torromerde? That translates as ” Bullshit”.
SydneyTim
09:31 on 22 August, 2013
_____________________
I never said I wanted Cellic to go out. Get yer facts right.
I said I widny be all broken up about it – I’d see it a visit from the medicine man.
Are getting intae me tae curry favor wi awe the happy-clappers :)
HH
Anybody got a list of ‘unknown strikers that Celtic have NOT been linked with’ does such a list exist..or have we been linked with them all?
Kayal33
09:34 on
22 August, 2013
lionroars67
09:25 on
22 August, 2013
I would guess any incoming transfers is dependant on Wednesday night’s outcome. Qualify for CL i’d expect 2-3 players in and none out. Fail to qualify i’d expect no one in and possibly 1 out.
You may be right, we just don’t know the truth behind all the transfer negotiations the club is involved in, we know the strategy of the club, buy potential develop it and sell on Paul67 has written enough on it
Many including myself would like to see more quality as well as the projects, a goalscorer and midfielders with vision, craft and football intelligence would be just grand
Headtheball says sign and promote the petition for wee Oscar and others
09:36 on 22 August, 2013
_____________________
Ah, the spokesperson for yet another clique ?
Hmmm
weeminger
09:09 on
22 August, 2013
macjay1 for Neil Lennon
08:50 on
22 August, 2013
Mate,
I wouldn`t have the arrogance to tell a surgeon where to make an incision.
To tell an architect where to draw his lines.
A plumber where to solder his joint.:-)
Those who can run a football club,do.
Those who can`t , post on C.Q.N.
God bless us.
Fraser Forster will go if we fail to qualify..and I will be happy. If he takes Scott Brown with him I will be delighted.
James Forest leaving for anything more than £4m would be a result also.
Kev. Ok got you wrong though
But I would be devasted
Happy clappers whit ! Nae chance
I think PL has been a disaster for us
All football clubs need goalscoring heroes and Celtic are no different, a striker worthy of the name is essential in this window especially with all the ructions and potential divisions surrounding us at the moment, a couple of quality signings who can deliver the goods would go a long way to easing the tension and the idea that we are going backwards in a footballing sense…
A No 7….
lionroars67
09:44 on
22 August, 2013
I’m sure we are in talks with players, clubs, agents but nothing will happen before next week.
In truth, if we don’t qualify for CL we don’t need to sign anyone. We have more than enough for domestic domination and could take the opportunity to give more youngsters a run in the team, eg rather than sign a striker give Watt, Balde & Stokes extended run of games.
SydneyTim
09:48 on 22 August, 2013
_____________________
Now that’s more like it :)
Hail Hail
Blindlemonchitlin 09:04
I agree with many of your points including the fact that there has been lots of OTT comments in the past few days, and many have been verging on, if not outright abuse..
However. as Celtic supporters we have the right to constructively criticise the club or its officers and employees where they have failed us.
No-one, not Peter Lawell, Neil Lennon, or any of the players is bigger than the club and what it represents.
Tuesday night was a banana skin that we all saw coming, it was avoidable and we should have swept this team aside easily. The same as we should have swept Elfsborg aside.
But we didn’t, we had no guts and no cutting edge in the final third of the park.
It was glaryingly obvious. that we should have invested in a quality striker before this match.
I have been highly critical of Mr Lawell failure to invest in replacement players for the key players that were sold prior to what is probably or most critical game of the season.
You stated that “Lawell hates Celtic”, I don’t think anyone on here believes that.
We are Celtic fans, I have no doubts that PL is too.
But he got this wrong and in any other line of business failure to prepare for key activities is a disciplinary action.
Whether we qualify to the CL proper through good fortune or not is frankly irrelevant to the fact that PL failed to mitigate risk and for that he deserves the criticsm he receives.
I posted before the game I thought we would win 2-0 .. but we got our arse kicked.
As for Wednesday, I think we can turn this around, but my fear is who has the determination, guts and the ability to lead this team?
Just because you or I thinks/hopes/prays that its going to happen, isn’t going to make it so.
We shouldn’t be in this position and the buck stops at PL as far as I’m concerned.
Can anyone help please?
Who was it who wanted the sfa to take down the tricolour flying over Celtic park, I think it was the fifties and I think it was the hibs chairman but who?
starry plough forza oscar
09:39 on
22 August, 2013
lionroars67
Hugh Keevins of course
Yes Murdo and Shug on the steps of Celtic park with Kev-J leading the rebels
Of course
Rumour has it that we have made a serious bid (??) for Innocent Emeghara. If i am not mistaken the young guy is smaller than wee JF. Now I have nothing against small skilful players with some of the best in the world having been being ‘vertically challenged’ Jinky, Messi and Maradonna for instance. But the style of football we play now –players down the wing punting hopeful crosses into the box would be more suited to a BBJ or Chris Sutton style of player – someone who can throw his weight about and intimidate defenses. I guess that is why we bought young Balde. Can’t quite see where a small forward player would fit into the present scheme of things unless he is going to be competing with KC.
Anyway the fact we are looking at options is encouraging.
Now that the dust has all but settled after Tuesday’s debacle, one word stands out, posted yesterday , JOURNEYMEN. Afraid that’s what this Celtic team consist of now. Shame.
Macjay:
Why do some of the worlds largest, and most profitable, companies, bother investing so much time in market research and customer satisfaction surveys?
If I remember rightly, just a couple of years ago, Celtic sent out a survey asking for ideas for what they could do better, to enhance the product so to speak, some computer nerd sent back saying “what about Wi-Fi in the stadium?”.
Not sure if anybody else responded to their survey.
IanBhoy929:
You should go to the official site and look at the ‘First Team Squad”
No wonder Kris Commons was wetting himself.
A serious bid ? For us that would be about 2.5 Million. Still haven’t had a decent answer as to why we can’t afford 5 million since we sold Hooper for that.
lionroars67
09:52 on 22 August, 2013
_____________________
Murdo n Shug are far bigger Cellic men than there could be found at ‘any’ level in Celtic FC at present.
Joost ask – Wim Jansen
HH
Lawrenzo
Constructive criticism is a gimmee. I agree that no one is above being called to account.
What has been irritating me for a while this pre season and over the first few games of the campaign proper. I was parodying the sloganizing when I mentioned Peter Lawell.
You saying the buck stops with him, though, pre supposes that he has somehow blocked the signing of a new striker post Gary Hopper’s departure, or at least failed adequately to plan for the eventuality.
I can’t accept that as fair or even constructive criticism unless and until the situation is spelt out in detail. As supporters we aren’t privy to everything going on behind the velvet curtain, as it were.