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……
[calameo code=0003901713852289beccb lang=en page=90 hidelinks=1 width=100% height=500]
1,214 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- ...
- 25
- 26
- 27
- 28
- 29
- 30
- 31
- 32
- »
Theoqiriginalsadiesbhoy.
PL actually securing a striker is only half the battle.
He has done that with Fortune, Rassmussen,Murphy,Lassad, Miku,Bangura and Balde.
He must surely be having doubts about our scouting of these players and our managers sanctioning of there signings.
Neil Lennons judgement of a player is very suspect.
Remember he wanted us to sign Jimmy Bullard, David James and Sol Campbell.
They were offered massive contracts.
They never kicked a ball for the clubs that they actually signed for.
I know that there have been Wanyama’s and Hooper’s to counter balance , but the overall picture is much more mixed with success and failure.
TT
the honest mistake
i forgot …we are trying really really really hard to get players in
i`m afraid that nonsense failed to wash with me a few years ago …you know …when it occurred every transfer window
Tet.
Sanctimonious claptrap.
I agree that you are a Celtic fan and you want Celtic to win. The rest is garbage and not up to your usual standard.
Hh
PFayr how so? We,re comparing Larsson when he was bought to these guys before they are-maybe- bought. Did you know how Larsson would turn out? Hail Hail Hebcelt
Greetings Bhoys and Ghirls,
Reading back it seems that Kev Jungle is very unhappy individual who is determined to reiterate his opinions.( We are all unhappy )
He is absolutely entitled to express his views day after day after day if he seems fit, however one small point if his controversial views were printed in the MSM there would be howls of protest and calls for boycotts, banning etc.
Hypocrisy springs to mind. Press and Blog freedom of speech remain essential as long as it is in the accepted parameters.
We are all not suffering from Ostrich syndrome, but the definition of a supporter is one who supports.
Roll on the second half it looks like a defining night one way or the other.
HH, Always in Celtic.
The Honest Mistake:
I can’t afford the ladies.
Pfayr.
With the exception of the willo window. When was the last time we didn’t spend in the window? We always wait till the last day. I learned this when it occurred every transfer window.
BRTH
I do hope they learn this time that they’ve put the business at risk ‘cos it has happened before in recent years when a lack of signings gave oldco titles they didn’t deserve.
Henrik Larsson had scored 26 goals in 101 games over four seasons at Feyenoord when we signed him. Would we take a striker with similar stats right now? Or would he be decried as only averaging 6 or 7 goals a season?
Innocent Emegara..
A striker who is 5’7 ” high ..Great, sign him up.I’d love him to lead the line.
Celtic would have to keep the ball on the ground, something I’ve been wanting Celtic to do for years. If the balls played on the ground it annuls having to have 6’6” forwards. Celtic Players canny heid the ball anyway, so a forward who’s 5′ would be ideal to run through the legs of defenders, and put the ball in the net, can’t wait on Celtic signing the wee man up. And he’s a rebel to boot.
hebcelt
please….Larsson was a one off …a world class player in the SPL …it won`t happen again
we`ve had plenty of potential Larsson`s since …..any got even remotely close ?
If he’s talking to the papers, he’s not talking to Celtic. Who said that?
THM
Sanctimonious claptrap.
I agree that you are a Celtic fan and you want Celtic to win. The rest is garbage and not up to your usual standard.
………………………………………………
Instead of giving reasons why, you call it garbage and sanctimonious claptrap.
I think I proved my point.
HH
….PFayr supports WeeOscar
Kris Boyd
Pfayr. What were suttons, Hartsons stats like before they joined us?
Mouyokolo and Virgil were thrown in together at the deep end in a strange away CL game. I wouldn’t rush to judgement on them. It took Kelvin some time to settle down and plenty on here were rubbishing him. Now they are bemoaning his departure as he was one of “the spine” of the team. The 3 lads who went, wanted to go and there wasn’t a lot the Club could do about it. If they had refused them a move they would have had 3 unhappy players running down their contracts. Virgil, Steven and Derk can be big players for us when they settle in. The jury is out on Amido he might come good in time but he definitely is not a ready made replacement for Hooper and that imo is the huge mistake the Club has made. They appeared to have identified about 4 decent prospects but have been hard balling to get their man at a bargain price. They might eventually get their man at a saving of a million or so but if the delay is instrumental in us failing to qualify for group stages CL it will have been a Pyrrhic victory of monumental proportions.
TT, it’s a valid point indeed but from your list we have to consider who actually did the scouting.
Fortune – this was Mowbray
Rassmussen – don’t know, but wasn’t it under Mowbray again? He’d scored 12 in 15 games for Brondy in the first half of the season. Didn’t seem that big a risk. Scored a few and wasn’t he kept out the team by Robbie Keane, or am I getting the years mixed up? Probably, but the story goes he loved the Glasgow nightlife, hard to predict that.
Murphy – this was Lennon himself from his time at Sunderland
Lassad, Miku – don’t know, both rated reasonably highly in Serie A, we nearly had a legal fight over Lassad!
Bangura – stories went round this was Larsson’s recommendation!
Balde – John Park, with caveat that he is a ‘raw talent’. Lennon gave final endorsement.
So the whole scouting system is up for discussion, indeed. In amongst all that I think we do, occasionally, need to stop panning for gold and just go retail!
HH
Gordon_J backing Neil Lennon
Henrik Larsson had played in a WC semi final before we signed him.
He had pedigree. he was not an unknown player. We coached him into a far better player than when he arrived tho and he changed his game to a centre forward rather than a winger. Tommy Burns has not been replaced on the coaching staff for me. I would like to see a coach brought in with similar thoughts on football to Tommy. At the back we have the right ingredients. They need consistency though. Ambrose should never have been dropped unless injured.
Going forward we are less fluid these days. We will turn that tie around though next week. We out played that side for long periods of the game and lost two stupid goals. We will not be as stupid or as weak at home. Celtic will win the tie with some time to spare. I can see Celtic scoring 4 or 5 with no reply.
LB
Tet.
Read it again. If you don’t get it then you’ve proved a point.
Yeah we need a couple of stirkers but we need a creative mid as well. Somebosy that will unlock defences like the othwer night.
We have nobody do that.
If both Borreighter and Rogic are fit they must start for me.
Taylor made for Boerrigter to get hero status next week. Stick Balde up top as well and Commons down the other wing.
my choices for next week would be
Forrester
Matthews
Lustig
Van Dijk
Mulgrew
Brown
Ledley
Commons
Boerigtter
Rogic
Balde
Commons and Borreighter getting balls into box and supplyning ammo!!
Samaras as striker not for me and Forrest should be on the bench for a while.
Ah well we’re all upset, no use crying over spilt milk, what’s done is done and lost and gone forever. But we have a second half coming up, I said we’d win 0-3 on Tuesday, I was wrong, but most of us will still be there Wednesday coming, all feeling and hoping we pull this off….. so let’s wait and see what happens. We’re still in this and they know it, get into them…. we will win it
Ayrshire is Green and White
HH
Herb he scored 99 goals at club level and numerous goals at international level and played in a World Cup before he came to us
Henke was a once in a blue moon player and is seen as one of the best bargains in European football
Definition of Celtic supporter
Mm. You are born one and die one
In my years of following the hoops home and away from 1980 till I had to leave in 2002 I amassed a large number of games during sucess and failure
I was one of the fans who stood there during our bad years when attendances of 8000 at home was the norm. I can remember one game in at tanadice when big Roy scored a consultation goal when we lost 3 1 and I kid you not I was the only fan left behind the goal who clapped in the pouring rain
But I also view the Celtic fan in deepest South America who wears the hoops as a Celtic supporter
tiny Tim
I take your point about some of the ‘strikers’ we have bought. I would say, you get what you pay for. I honestly feel that some of the Celtic supporters could do better in identifying strikers than our employees have. There is a sure fire way of getting a striker in – pay the going rate. He will put bums on seats, success will follow and money will be recouped.
jackie mac
11:32 on
22 August, 2013
BRTH
I do hope they learn this time that they’ve put the business at risk ‘cos it has happened before in recent years when a lack of signings gave oldco titles they didn’t deserve.
I agree. Anything which decreases the gap between us and newco is unwelcome.
IMO their friends in high places will ensure that they will be back at some point and we need to put as much distance between ourselves and them as possible for that eventuality.
paolosboots Good Luck Wee Oscar 11:09:
The SK game is priced at £20 for ST Holders, which was he same as the last round, reasonably priced imo. £25 for the SK game for non-ST Holders is also reasonably priced imo. Those that cannot afford to go regularly or want to see some of the pash we play against in Scotland may think this reasonably priced for such an important game. Aberdeen last week was £24 for us.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
If Dermot Desmond is reading this, my last post will have put him off his putting stroke.
THM
I get it alright.
You don’t agree so you put down, a trait that’s not in my book.
PFayr my point is we did,nt know what he would become after we signed him. We signed knowing his stats. Instead of telling us who we should,nt sign give us a couple of names you would like.Hail Hail Hebcelt
TET,
I may have been responsible for the term towel chucker yesterday,it certainly wasn’t aimed at you or anyone else in particular,i had read countless posts after the game from people saying we were out,couldnt score or cant keep a clean sheet,then yesterday at work I logged on twice and read similar comments,thats why I said it had happened over the previous 24hrs,no slur intended on you.
the honest mistake
you`re now comaring the dross we are looking at to Sutton and Hartson ………
too busy for this circuitous nonsense arguement …and btw they cost £5m+ each
Reading through and in retrospect it is true to say we have spent quite a bit of money on absolute garbage “names as previous mentioned”. Rather than buy an established striker we pay £2m there £1.5 there and all money wasted. The biscuit tin is closed tight despite the money that has been brought into the club this last year season tickets, sales of Ki etc and CL. We are a poor side and we are defo only going in one direction. No ambition!
THE EXILED TIM
how much did you pile on the hoops the other night if you dont mind me asking
hebcelt
we signed him because Jansen knew him very well and was aware of his capabilities
gordybhoy64
My point was about the constant put downs cos some of us hold differing opinions.
A very hunnish trait.
I don’t agree with a lot that is written here, never have I put anyone down for it, I have tried to debate and get my differing point over.
HH
When we started our European campaign we had reason to be cautious about signing any replacement for Hooper. Cliftonville was a “banana skin” as defeat would have meant no European football this season.
Defeat in the Elfsborg game would allow us at least a chance to qualify via the Europa League route but still fraught with some danger.
Beating Elfsborg guaranteed us group stage matches either in the Champions League or the Europa League. When we drew Karagandy the “weakest” of our remaining opponents it was time to gamble as the risk had been massively reduced.
I only hope our reticence to buy a Hooper replacement does not come back to haunt us. I will be there on Wednesday willing them on.
Celtic Champs Elect
I don’t bet on Celtic, don’t want to jinx them.
Looking at stats.,and saying a player for example has scored 24 goals in 4 season does not tell the whole story.
The player maybe playing in a poor team,who find it difficult to make opportunities for the striker,the ratio of goals scored re chances may give us a better idea of his potential,and of course seeing if he gets into the correct areas to score if the opportunities present themselves.
My major concern is,in light of the players we have signed,that the scouts do not recognise a good striker that would fit into our team.
Lenny,Gies us a job,I will get you a striker within 6 months.
P.I. Paul @MTHForum 3h
How can the SMSM justify reporting on the Yes Scotland hacked emails, yet ignore @CharlotteFakes claiming “hacking” may be involved?
A fair question don’t we all agree