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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TheOriginalSadiesBhoy
10:21 on 22 August, 2013
_____________________
I didn’t say I’d be happy if went out. I said I would view it as a light being switched on for a number of fans as to why we have arrived at this juncture. Some can see a ‘bored’ who are holding the club back – others have street parties at the skelping of minnion opposition so playing into the ‘boreds’ hands giving off the impression that mediocrity is acceptable.
Only saying
Hail Hail – Off oot.
Headtheball:
KevJungle is entitled to make the same point, day after day, after day, if his perceived concerns are not addressed, day after day, after day.
Now you may not think his concerns are valid, but you can’t fault his commitment. Especially considering the amount of abuse he takes. I don’t see too many standing up for his bloggers rights. I don’t see him abusing our manager again and again, often under various guises, and then posting a smarmy shoulder to shoulder post. He has his style and his convictions. His right of courtesy seems to be blown in the wind.
Would you be so committed if you had valid concerns?
KevJungle,
I do want you on here. I just don’t want to hear the same negative comments over and over. Yes, there are bad things, we know that.
However, try praising a few things about the club now and again and commenting on how good some of our achievements have been given the poor environment in which we operate.
Honest Mistake
agree…except for bit about Hugh Keevins – hahaha!
We had the best team in the world in 1967. It’s incredible that the 1967 standard still endures across almost half a century but it does, despite shifting parameters in every aspect of the professional game. Every player that passes through the gates is measured against that 1967 standard. Against near perfection.
A winning team and trophies give the players respite but every failure and downturn sees a return to the benchmark and the failings identified, pored over, lamented.
It’s a fabulous standard, and one that we should never lose. It was pure, beautiful, inventive football. We may never return to that but we’ll sure as hell get closer by supporting our players to be the best they can be than hounding them out for their failings.
We’re only as strong as the weakest link I suppose, and blind support without question over management, direction, governance, even decision making and even application on the pitch is not what we should be after. It’s our right to question everything in the pursuit of maximising what we have. I’m just glad that at Celtic Park, in real life, next Wednesday the support for the team is more likely to support this view than the online character assassination of individuals, some of it clearly from imposters. Ram it down the trolls throats bhoys.
Mon the hoops.
Morning all.
Lawrenzo
09:51 on
22 August, 2013
I agree almost entirely with that.
Even if we have made offers for players identified by John Park or NL, the ultimate responsibility lies with PL.
In any business the ultimate success or failure of the business team lies with the guy at the top.
The core business of Celtic PLC is successful football and if you do not ensure that your company is best equipped to compete in the market place then you have not done the job properly.
Not having the appropriate key staff members in place by a key date is a failure in any business.
Not having replacements for key staff you have let go is not good business planning.
Taking on a major business hurdle with ensuring you have the key staff in place to overcome that hurdle is an unacceptable business risk– whether you overcome the hurdle or not!
You do not play fast and loose with your key business — it is poor management practice to do so.
Now– we may well whip this team 4-0 next week, and we may then go on to get in two quality players.
That would still be a failure in management practice in my opinion as you have put yourself at risk, gambled and won.
Gambling with the business is not good practice.
I am not one of those who is calling for PL’s head– far from it as I think in the main he is a decent CEO.
However, I would never have employed Tony Mowbray because I always had a suspicion that he would struggle coming back to Glasgow as the city held memories of a truly tragic personal experience for him and it was always going to be difficult for his new wife and family.
However, all people and all businesses make mistakes……. and getting rid of someone who makes a mistake or two is also bad management practice as that leads to instability and all sorts of turmoil.
However, this wait and see practice where you gamble with the business cannot be allowed to happen again– and that is abundantly obvious.
No team has a divine right to win any football match– sure everyone knows that.
Even Stein on his day cocked it up against Feyenoord, Partick Thistle and Aberdeen — but no one wanted him sacked.
PL has to be big enough to stand up and say that we got this wrong and learn from it.
If there is one thing that is wrong at Celtic Park it is that every single commercial department is lead by an accountant!!
That too is not good.
An accountant can make an argument for saying ” Glad we didn’t spend £6M on a striker– look we never got through to CL stages” and at the same time say ” See our policy was justified– only spend £6M once we have definitely secured CL status”.
Except that it is impossible to walk down both sides of the street at once– to get to the other side of the road you have to actually step off the pavement and risk getting knocked down.
The business risk in not having a replacement striker at least was far greater than not having one– as presumably even if Celtic go out next week we will want a striker for a decent run in the Europa Cup?
So we are definitely buying a striker anyway!
No– there has to be business lessons learned from this.
Not to learn those lessons is absolutely unforgivable in any business!!
A Stor Mo Chroi
See my last post.
timaloy29 10:00 on 22 August, 2013
The current squad should have done the job on Tuesday. They shouldn’t be hiding behind Hoopers shadow.
******
They’re more talented than we thought if they can hide behind a shadow :)
I hardly ever post on this great blog anymore.The reason being that it seems very easy for certain members to claim the “im a bigger tim than you” stance, whenever someone is even slightly critical of anything Celtic.
I personaly, am cynical of the boardroom tactics employed by Peter and the board.Yes we are on a stable financial footing.However they seem to be treating Neil like a mug.To buy cheap sell high to me depends far far too much on good fortune.
Alot of points kev jungle makes I agree with.Too many fans are constantly swept along with the spin from the plc and year on year keep signing up for more of the same.we can afford a bit better than whats on the pitch.
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan supports Oscar Knox, MacKenzie Furniss and anyone else who fights Neuroblastoma
If we fail to win this tie on Wednesday – PL will have to apologise to survive IMO.
I’ve stayed away from here since Tuesday night, but thought that by this morning the poison might have dissipated somewhat.
After reading Kevjungle’s posts, I realise I was wrong.
Back on Sunday.
macjay:
Celtic conducted an on line survey asking what they could do better, I asked for a striker, the stadium got Wi-Fi. At least that might help to distract the crowd as to “Where’s the Striker”?
If Celtic had all the answers then why the survey? Or was that just to make us feel important?
They earn about 10 x the oppositions wages yet the board get all the blame it seems
We should have signed a striker, we tried after all.
Kev
not surprisingly you are attracting some attention this week :-) . I hope fholks recognise though that there is seldom any level of malevolence in your posts. Whilst I don’t always agree with all of your views – though I do share many of them – I do respect the manner in which you put them across. Humour and non intimidation. I wish certain others would follow your lead……ya eejit :-)
Oh no. Kev Jungle and Sydney Tim have formed an alliance and taken over the blog. I’m away for a lie down.
Brogan Rogan Trevino and Hogan:
That well known blogger you thought was out of order yesterday… was that JF the tartan blogger you were talking about?
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy:
Since you’re lying down it is now safe to go to the official Celtic site and look at our improved first team squad.
If we qualify for the group stages they’ll make the group of deaths knees knock.
“If there is one thing that is wrong at Celtic Park it is that every single commercial department is lead by an accountant!!
That too is not good.”
100% agreed, and we’ve lost good, creative staff because of it.
You should have a finance team that sets budgets. The budget is given to the department, and they can use it in their own creative way, maximising their talents in that sphere. When every decision made is predicated on cost you get turgid blandness.
The only creativity in Celtic’s commercial department has been taken from the Green Brigade slogans, songs, banners, and even the pyro in the latest images.
Next summer’s T-Shirts will be interesting, how long will they pursue the ‘beceltic’ thing. Stolen from the SFA ‘betheroar’.
Creativity is being stifled by bloody accountants.
IronyCSC
Macjay 1 for Neil Lennon
Harry Swan was the guy who demanded Celtic remove the tricolour or his Hibs team would refuse to play us. He also apparently removed the Hibs logo from above their main entrance. Apparently it was too Irish for him.
Do we think there might be a signing before Wednesday to give us a wee morale boost.?
A stor mo chroi
I must have missed something. Did Peter Lawell sign Alfie Finnbogasson overnight?
We may or may come back on Wed., night, however I for one will be one of ‘the happy-clappers’, who will be standing back-to-back with our management and players!
They have never let ME down, I take results as they come!
However, when I have a disappointment, rather than just come and spiel bile on our representives, I prefer to try and understand where we fell down, if we lose, which isn’t
often. Looking back to Tues., night, I was clear to me that the journey and the adjustment to time-zones, had an effect on our players. Physically, they were reasonable, but I think the were ‘brain-dead’, something experienced by workers who do Continental shifts, until they have had time to adjust!
H.H.
The Honest Mistake”
I’d settle for those who have departed being replaced so we might manage to beat teams who many quantify as the worst team ever that Celtic have played in the Champions league.
Yeah that’ll be SK, the team that humped us 2 – 0, unless I live in a parallel universe.
paulmc061264
Naw!
TheOriginalSadiesBhoy:
He might’ve signed him his autograph, and charged him a tenner for the privilege too.
kevjungle
08:59 on 22 August, 2013
Why is it that – ‘loads’ – of Cellic fans can see that, the huns fans are being taken for a ride by an assortment of spivs and yet – they canny see that their own ‘bored’ are doing exactly the same only – on a grander scale ? imo
HH
——-
I usually scroll past but felt compelled to a break into a busy morning and inform you that based on your comments you would fail the most basic intelligent tests on anything football and beyond.
Desparate garbage from your good self , IMO , you really would be better off taking up bowls , golf , boxing anything as clearly your insight into all things football is rubbish.
Aways found it amusing when the hacks used to come out with stuff like ….he will need to adjust to the pace of the scottish football…..when the likes of the johny foreig.ners started coming in years back…..still takes us ages to get up the park…..remember a game at celtic park when bellamy broke away ….looks for bjh to get on end of the cross…..big john hadnt started running yet
Marti. A few of my mates in Germany watch the football over there and indeed say pukki is indeed a non goalscorer nae the word was awefull
Philbhoy. Cause he is cheap and doesn’t score goals and is aligned to our striker policy. Hence we don’t have one
KevJungle for someone who constantly slags of the board could you please at least spell board, right?
Phylis @ 10.34
How dare you write what I have been thinking this morning!
Bellamy was a breath of fresh air………loved his goal at the bigotdome……..right in front of thems ragin
Mick 11
A lot of the critics on here, myself included, would agree totally with your second paragraph. Kevin has a thing about ‘the bored’ and it would appear that to him they can do no right. I think they get it right on a lot of matters but are occasionally SPECTACULARLY wrong as they have been during this close season and in the January transfer window of 2009. When that happens I think that it is our duty as fans to speak up or more spectacular mistakes will be made.
BRTH 20.29
I fully agree with your post.
I have an invite in to the boardroom on Saturday.
I just wish that I could articulate what you have written , without causing offence.
TT
KevJungle = Groundhog Day
Kikinthenakas
BlantyreKev:
I don’t measure every team against the 67 team.
How about we measure the present team against Gordon Strachan’s team that went out to Barcelona in the last 16.
This is team that lost 1 – 0 away, to Barcelona, under Gordon Strachan back in 07/08. No Paul Telfer.
Artur Boruc (GK)
Lee Naylor
Gary Caldwell
Scott Brown
Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink
Paul Hartley
Mark Wilson
Massimo Donati
Shunsuke Nakamura
Stephen McManus (C)
Aiden McGeady
Have we improved one iota since then?
macjay1 for neil lennon
10:17 on 22 August, 2013
thomthethim for Oscar OK
10:07 on
22 August, 2013
Ex Hibs chairman….Harry Swann.
Did he not,amazingly,support us?
Hope your pal,Clatach(?)got my message about Steamboats.
******
As original…bhoy states above, HS was the main voice in the campaign to remove the flag.
Graham, the SFA secretary, the Farry / Ogilvie of the day, was his facilitator at Hampden.
It was, ironically, Rangers who weighed in behind Celtic.
OF solidarity?
It was a shocking performance Tuesday, abysmal, the one consolation is that we cannot play as bad as that in the return and if we play as we can we should be marching onto to the next stage.
A stor mo chroi
Big Peter’s an entrepreneur. I’m loathe to compare him to the MBB though. That would be taking it too far :-))