Photo: Vagelis Georgariou biglens.co.uk
We’ve often discussed that the difference between success and failure at Champions League level more often than comes down to which team makes mistakes. In the group stages Celtic were 31st out of 32 teams for the amount of possession they had, and for the number of chances they created, but they were immaculately drilled and progressed while more creative teams failed.
Cluj had less possession and chances than Celtic but also know the route to effective football, finishing on 10 points and being denied qualification for the knock out stage on goal difference.
Against Juventus, home and away, things changed. Defenders twice jumped for balls they couldn’t reach, instead of turning and standing their ground. Twice players were dispossessed inside their own half instead of getting rid of the ball early. These moments led to four of Juventus’ five goals and decided the tie. By contrast, Celtic enjoyed the bulk of possession and chances, home and away, against the Italian champions.
What are the lessons have been learned in our Champions League games?
Xavi has learned not to try to control a clearance from Fraser Forster at chest height. Spartak’s Insaurralde will know to keep his eye on the ball while clearing the ball when last man while Suchy will know not to clatter into strikers inside his own box.
No Celtic player made a single mistake inside his own half in either of the home games against Barcelona and Spartak and as a result, both games were won.
Our players’ normal mode of play, week-in-week-out, is the intercept passes, not cautiously move to a covering position. They also hold onto the ball and take a moment before releasing, activities which don’t often lead to a goal being conceded within seconds, but Champions League football is stunningly different than the domestic variety.
The most important lesson from our Champions League campaign is that Celtic are one of the most effective teams in Europe. We can create goals and defend successfully against the best on the Continent. We will look back on this campaign as the one which put us back on the map, and we’ll look back on the Juventus games as an important stage in our development.
The strategy is working; same again please.
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thomthethim – I really, really dislike St Pats (and yes, I am a Rovers fan) :))
jimbo67 – Irish pubs on strike….oh, the horror!!
Hail Hal
Harry H Corbett never spoke to Brambell for 6 years during the filming of Steptoe.
Tallybhoy
21:12 on 7 March, 2013
Wilfred Bramble – old man Steptoe – was also Irish and also gay.
*he was my pals neices godfather, his uncle worked in the film industry
How come when you mention Steptoe I think of sdm
You dirty ole man
TT
You doing well? Getting home anytime soon?
PeterScarff
21:28 on 7 March, 2013
Harry H Corbett never spoke to Brambell for 6 years during the filming of Steptoe.
*But he did speak to Sooty and Sweep :-)))))
peterscarff
21:28 on
7 March, 2013
Harry H Corbett never spoke to Brambell for 6 years during the filming of Steptoe.
……….
Says a lot about him.
ElDiegoBhoy
21:31 on 7 March, 2013
TT
You doing well? Getting home anytime soon?
*been stuck in all winter, no sure about coming home finaces drapped I retired
Strange things can happen – Tottenham outclass a Euro giant
TT
Yeah noticed you had. Seems to have been a bad winter for you guys?
P.O’R retired last year as well.
big-cup-winners
21:12 on
7 March, 2013
Re Efe Ambrose: every single aspect of his game would lead you to the conclusion that he should play in midfield for us.
How about midfield for anybody but us?
Bmcuw.
Cheers mate, hopefully it won’t become a need.
1. It would sicken me to the pits of my bowels if that rancid scum get a rolled up trouser leg jump.
2. My daughter and son would leave me on my tod.then again!!
dublinbhoy,
Are Celtic your second team ? ! : > )
SPF
The deluded fools continue to delude themselves
As I said to one of their number ….why not invent a couple of European Cup wins …what do you mean .said he …..I said while your kidding yourselves on you may as well go the whole hog
Friesdorfer,
Think Stan Shearer posts on here sometimes.
Dublinbhoy
The pub strike happened. Hotel bars were open and Foleys was open – it was where I watched the match- but a lot were closed.
Hail! Hail!
Jimbo
Back to Scarborough, apart from the place heaving with sevcos, also gad the delight of sharing a table with Rod Hull in a Chinese restaurant. I may add my wife was also in attendance.
He was not funny,
is it ok to be 43 semi pished and listening to kate bush ?
tontine tim
21:33 on 7 March, 2013
ElDiegoBhoy
21:31 on 7 March, 2013
TT
You doing well? Getting home anytime soon?
*been stuck in all winter, no sure about coming home finaces drapped I retired
……………..
Let me know if you are coming back.
Try and make it up if you are.
Jackie
Kate Bush bit..hmmmmm
Other aspect ..fine
jackie mac
21:38 on
7 March, 2013
depends if she is next to you…..
Can I Have A Raspberry On That Champions League Ice Cream
Rod Hull.
I’ll refrain from saying you could have asked him to sort the restsurant’s TV Aerial on the grounds that this is a good taste site.
Jimbo
Corkcelt @ 20.58,
“plastic paddy” has nothing to do with anti-Irish racism: your take on it is correct. The term is often applied to my 2nd son by his siblings.
Kojo
Could be right………… then again…………
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/BEyPow_CAAA9dEJ.jpg:large
Anyone still bothering with Sky is off their rocker.
They charge €75 per month for the full package.
I get that package + football from all over the globe and any other sport you care to name for €100 per year.
That slimeball Rupert Murdoch won’t get one red cent from me.
Friesdorfer
If you started in ’72 then you were the year above me if you left in ’72 then your old school FD!!
mighty tim
I have great memories of the place. I wasn’t being serious earlier, and you shouldn’t let the presence of a few of that rabble put you off.
The sewer to avoid is the Golden Last.
Invercelt
it is a derogatory term however you dress it up.
It is used by the sturm und drang wing of Scottish Nationalism and the Tartan Army towards Aiden.
I dare anyone of you brave souls to shout it out in a Celtic pub, at CP, or amongst Celtic fans at an away match.
The sky deal is a pittance
They should have no say ….if they want influence ( not that I want them to) they must pay the going rate
The Huns into top flight football early ……carnage for Scottish football
Btw it may explain Greengo s calm approach to them haemorrhaging cash every month
Spes Unica CSC
Dublinbhoy
Here’s me thinking that’s a decent bloke, and you go and tell us you are a Rovers fan >}}
David Prowse-is it a VIP decoder you have?
SFTB you are of course correct and I suspect Invercelt would also agree. Obviously if used as part of banter within a family it would not be offensive in that context.
I took the term to mean somene being more irish than the
irish themselves. On St. Patricks day there will plastic
paddys worldwide.
jimbo67
21:40 on
7 March, 2013
Can I Have A Raspberry On That Champions League Ice Cream
Rod Hull.
I’ll refrain from saying you could have asked him to sort the restsurant’s TV Aerial on the grounds that this is a good taste site.
Jimbo
Could do with him now, digital aerial goosed.
Tell Sky to GTF