What did we learn last night?

902

So what did we learn last night?  For a start, when we need to, we can defend effectively and shut up shop, last night was our fourth clean sheet in Europe this season.  The 4-5-1 formation, deployed for the opening 65 minutes, was not effective at producing attacking opportunities, although this may be as much to do with personnel as formation.

Emilio Izaguirre was swamped every time the ball went near him, which did little to settle his confidence.  It was wise for Neil Lennon to hook him and drop Charlie Mulgew back.  I felt sorry for Miku, who looked like a player in an unfamiliar line-up.  He is not a lone target man but will do well when we get the ball to his feet. He was only asked to play that role due to injuries Hooper, Stokes and Samaras and will only do so again under similar circumstances. By contrast, Hooper looked the part once he came on. He bullied defenders as effectively as he does in the SPL, a real pleasing point for me.

Victor Wanyama needs to improve his sharpness to make the most of his composure and tackling ability at this level.  The perpetual motion of Champions League teams means a fraction of a second off-pace can compromise the defensive formation.

Did you notice how every time Commons got the ball he was thinking “goal”? His turn before crossing from the left belied the meagre money we paid for him. He is every inch a Champions League player.

James Forrest was played out of the game by the full back. He/Neil needed to find a resolution to this challenge but it didn’t happen. He tried to knock the ball round the outside and pass on the inside a couple of times, which was over-ambitions, to say the least. I don’t think we saw him drop the shoulder and take the player on with the ball, which is a pity, as I’m sure he had the taking of his marker. Both Forrest and Wanyama will be stronger on Match Day 2.

The first objective from our return to Champions League football was that we would be able to compete at this level.  That achieved, we can look forward to Moscow in 12 days time.


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  1. Mark Oliver‏@markoo85

     

     

    NAME THE PEOPLE THAT WERE OFFENDED should be lennons reply.. #ZombieGate

     

    ———

     

    I would have said Neil but you get the point :)))

  2. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    sally demands the name of the person who complained about the zombie banner….

  3. tomtheleedstim

     

     

    18:59 on 20 September, 2012

     

     

     

     

    ”By the way, what was the problem? Humans cutting it fine or the machine breaking down?”

     

     

     

     

     

     

    The problem is people cutting it fine, knowing there could be delays due to machines breaking down and then throwing a hissy fit when there is a delay, tearing up their ticket and flouncing off into the night.

     

     

    What kind of supporter does that?

  4. Will be interesting to see PL’s take on the banner,IMO he sold our hard earned European reputation down the river last season to UEFA.

  5. The Battered Bunnet on

    Per Channel 4 news

     

     

    With the economy still smaller than it was in 2008, this is the most sustained period of economic ‘depression’ since records began.

     

     

    We’ve stopped growing. Does that make us adults?…

     

     

    Listening to Mervin King being interviewed on C4. Beats listening to Jim Traynor tbh.

  6. fergus slayed the blues on

    !!Bada Bing!!

     

     

     

    19:06 on 20 September, 2012

     

     

     

    A halfwit on Snyde hasn’t seen the banner, but says it’s offensive and incites bigotry…….

     

    ==============================================================

     

    I think you have given the guy too much credit there ,he would have to go to night school too earn his half

     

    Hail hail

  7. Neil canamalar Lennon hunskelper extrordinaire on

    EDB,

     

    no yet, but looking forward to the liquidation barby, looks like it will be in the middle of winter now though :o)

  8. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    HATEley thinks a zombie is like a new signing

  9. There’s something to laugh at about them everyday. Surely Chuckie isnae another undercover agent:o)

  10. I don’t think banners should depict gunmen or cross hairs or anything militaristic. Then I’m a Celtic supporting pacifist.

  11. As zombies don’t really exist, how can you complain being portrayed as such?

     

     

    Handy hint: If ever you do encounter one, try flinging old vinyl LPs at their necks. Note also, that no matter how fast you run away, a walking zombie will always catch up. FACT!

  12. EN

     

     

    That’s the full set then, we don’t have a creative midfielder.

     

     

    We’ve ‘runners’ ‘tacklers’ ‘box to box’ players and ‘wide men’

     

     

    The best pass of the night was near the end from Neil Lennon who slipped it

     

    back on down the line wide on the left, after it just and no more, went out for a

     

    throw.

  13. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    michael

     

     

    19:12 on

     

    20 September, 2012

     

     

    I agree with you

  14. 67Heaven ... I am Neil Lennon..!!.. Ibrox belongs to the creditors on

    ten men won the league

     

     

    19:14 on 20 September, 2012

     

     

    Keep up, will you ….!! …….LOL

  15. The Bottom Line is ............. on

    I think both Forrest and Celtic would benefit from the winger being dropped for a couple of games.

     

     

    He’s lost that carefree-let’s-get-on-with-it attitude he used to have and replaced it with hey-ref-he-pushed-me. Probably caught it from Stokes !

     

     

    Lenny ( or somebody ) needs to have a word with him, pronto.

     

     

    Wanted to see us win, of course, but the draw probably keeps the guys feet planted on terra firma whereas a win – even a last minute one – would inevitably have led to some players thinking – and speaking in the press – about qualification.

     

     

    One game at a time. ( Which is what they should all have been thinking in Perth …………including Lenny, I reckon. )

  16. Estadio Nacional on

    Im hearing everyones favourite football comedian swally mccoist has demanded Michael Jackson’s Thriller video is banned immediately as its clearly sectarian and offensive.

     

     

    As he was carted away he was heard to mutter that Michael Jackson was a bit of a timmy name.

     

     

    charles green was available for comment, no one bothered

     

     

    More news as and when we get it…

  17. Ernie

     

     

    calling a fellow Celtic fan a fud is out of order..

     

     

    you don’t know that mans circumstances etc….

     

     

    could this be your 2nd apology on CQN…?

     

     

    imo it should be….

  18. Someone will have to send in a video with sound obviously of the vile shower in full flow at one of their away games. Getting childish I know but what is good for the goose and all that!

  19. How about just ignore this new club. We have no history of playing them. Let’s forget them and find new rivals – You know Benfica or Madrid or Manchester Utd.

  20. blantyretim

     

     

    19:17 on 20 September, 2012

     

     

    ‘Ernie

     

     

    calling a fellow Celtic fan a fud is out of order..

     

     

    you don’t know that mans circumstances etc….’

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Have you read my post?

     

     

    The bit before the word ‘Otherwise’.

     

     

    Would you like to copy and paste it?

  21. Estadio Nacional on

    Bournesouprecipe 19:14

     

     

    ‘No creative midfielder’?

     

     

    I can think of one…

     

     

     

    Agree with the summary of mdifielders, in what should be an easier league theres no need for two non creatives in the middle but with the over caucious manager thats what we are getting.

     

     

     

    EN

  22. ernie lynch

     

     

     

    15:44 on 20 September, 2012

     

     

     

    tomtheleedstim

     

     

    15:33 on 20 September, 2012

     

     

    ”Felt really sorry for the old fella who ripped his ticket up and walked off”

     

     

    One has to assume he had mental health/emotional difficulties and to that extent might be deserving of sympathy.

     

     

    Otherwise, a fud.

  23. Fourgreenfields.

     

    Probably too much to hope for but I would like Celtic’s response to be “we refer you to the Reply given in Arkell v. Pressdram”

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