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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thetimreiper
Good for you.
Apologies if I was hard on you but we were taking a bit of a kicking from our own on this site.
I live and work in Scotland. I am married to a Scot and have 3 Scottish children. I have not forced Irishness on any of them. If they come to love the old country whilst remaining Scots, I will be happy.
I am far from believing the country of Scotland is wholly bigoted, that is a nonsense belief, but we do have a problem in accepting people with Irish AND English roots. We need to acknowledge that. I do not hold Ireland up as a paragon of virtue; it, too, has problems of racism to address.
Tet.
According to Google the term can be appropriated to either…the significant amount of Irish police officers in New York or the amount of Irish citizens lifted.
Prefare black Maria myself.
jude2005 is neil lennon \o/
22:48 on
7 March, 2013
I went to Paisley once. It was closed
>>>>>>
It still is!!!!
Who do we go for now that J R has broke his leg?
jude
I saw shots and blocked shots from Ledley, Commons, Sammi, Forrest, Hooper and Kayal. They did try to mix it up. With that surface, it would have been criminal not to.
See thon Wayne Rooney’s coat’s on a shooglie peg!
Kojo
I gave you my opinion, I also gave you a very credible knowledgeable report to support my opinion.It would seem to make your own thoughts on Ledleys performance baffling for anyone who has a scintilla of nounce about the game
My wife watched the game as well, she thought Sammi had nice hair.
All about opinions
Setting Freethe Bears
You are bound and Determined tae be the “Grand Interpreter”… of awe things
Kojo.
Pal. gie it up. fur.
That is wan Joab. that is Far too Big fur You tae Attempt..
Jist..
Read whit Ah write.. and ..well.. Leave it at that.
Kojo
Still. Laughin
setting free the bears
Its just plain silly!
TET
Thers always 2 yokes in ur eggs!! o)
Posting from a pals phone in the pub, O.K. he is posting on my behalf. Asked the question here about where Paddywagon name originated. An American gentleman has informed us it was from New York and funnily enough not because it was used to round up drunken Irishmen but because it was operated by Irishmen as the majority of the New York Cops at that time were Irish, so how about that.
stbf
We tested Bufoon once.
Talk of an exodus from Celtic becoming a bit tiresome. Lets not forget we’re in a position of strength and should only sell for overall long term improvement. Oh for the under achieving English Premiership bubble to burst or Sky to pay the going rate to improve the Scottish product for its Scottish viewers.
sipsini
I think it started with taking them to the jail, but a bit like the chicken and egg I suppose.
I seen an Egyptian jail wagon one day, must have been about 50 on it, the majority were handcuffed to the outside, quite a few were getting dragged along, lost their footing on the running boards, dreadfull stuff, just brought back memories of old films.
Still off the fags, was tempted earlier, resisted, feeling chuffed so I am, how sad, but anything that helps.
HH
ziggydoc1
The CEO and the manager have pro actively put this on the agenda by their statements today.
Its managing the expectations.
Jude
Only 2 yokes when they start to lay, then they just fall in with the rest……
HH
My dear dear dear dear frauds same azmazel @ad infinitum
Az youse maze knowz or notI’z been sufferen the AZ 67 Alkmaar allzy poos fur quite sumtime noo. Zee laatste nieuws is that as jokolism goez I’ll be pounding more of zee pish on the zenile ol keyboard as I cannae make up my mind if mee vernacular is pre industrial rezoloution dutchmeister or some Sir Walter Scott Red Clydesider amalgam. Doo (funny hehehe like ma pijun English) to zee progressive deterioration o ma condishun I will occasionally lapse into mee oan true right wing fascismo obliterato defaulto personalito and sputteringz of Lennonism even though he didny get rubberstamperism at the outkast mandy mammy bowler hat eating mincerooni.
However, I will endeavour to continue illicit fondness from awe mah beloved colleagues here on CQN by submitting the most inane repetitive drivel possible in my imaginary vernacularizmo.
Tet.
Well done mate.my time will come to give it another go.
No point until after April as me and the mates going to mursia for jolly.hh
David,
You know how the rugby inflamesvthe passions of the most docile of Sharkey patrons.
Notthebus
Why canny ye jist accept the REALITY.. and the FACT.
That.
People, dae look at Things ,and Form Opinions.. Based oan their Own. Criteria, regarding the subject at hand.
It is obvious that You and I hold differing opinions oan How Ledley Performed in Last Night’s Confronto..
Howevahhhhhhhhh..
The fact that My opinion Is Different from Your Own.. in that Regard..
Does Not give You the Right..
to Denigrate My Knowledge of the Beautiful Game..
Now.. Diz it?
If that is the way you see it.. then so be it..
But.. Tae me…It does seem a rather Harsh and Judgmental Conclusion ,oan Your part… tae Mock Me ,in this manner.
Owing to the Fact.. that I. Kojo..
Am quite willing to accept .. that You Hold a Diverse and Contrary Opinion oan
Last Night’s Performance of Joe Ledley…
and you are more that welcome. tae dae so.
Kojo
Still, Laughin’
My second and last pub post. Despite Unionist & DUP fielding joint candidate to avoid splitting Unionist vote in attempt to win Mid-Ulster By-Election, Sinn Fein will hold seat comfortably according to text recd from guy in Cookstown. Actual Result due around 1pm. Go on Natasoola ask me what has that to do with Celtic.
corkcelt
23:12 on 7 March, 2013
Is the Sinn Fein candidate a Cliftonville supporter?
For my part the CL performance from our club, considering pre qualifying rounds, was brilliant and, for that, I thank the club.
Biggest disappointment for me was Neil’s admittance last night that we are basically a vehicle for identifying talented footballers and selling them on at a profit.
Is that what we want from our club? Is that why we offer our support?
setting free the bears
My dad was the same, he didnt want to ram irishness down my throat
either, but if you know your history. They came over to escape the
sectarianism of home and found out it could be just as bad over here.
He took me to see Thistle before he took me to see The Celtic and that was
because Thistle were playing Celtic in the league cup. My love affair with
Celtic began there amongst the jags fans celebratring their victory.
Hail Hail
Kojo
True.
I just question your own “criteria” if thats how you judge an “unacceptable ” performance
Bob crow speaking strong and well on question time.
Kojo
True
I just question what you mean by “you” and “I” ?
Very interesting. Do you think posession and shots were such (partially at least) as we were playing Barca who have notoriously high possession stats?
estorilbhoy
No, it’s not what we want, but the club embarked on a business model a couple of years ago, and this is it.
We have a sugar daddy in the great moustachioed one, but unlike 99% of sugar daddys our wan keeps his cash to himself……
We really have no choice, we have no money, a few extra mills this season is just that, a few extra mills.
Not that I want DD to open the biscuit tin, I would rather he used his considerable influence to get us the feck out of the rancid sectarian shithole we are playing in.
HH
I only mean in footballing terms btw.
Jings..! Crivvens..! Help M’Boab..!
Ah’m Finding Myself Agreeing Wi’ Bob Crow..!!
*Withdraw From The EU…
* Potential Migrants Should Be Required To Gain Work Permits….
Before Being Granted Entry To Our Enchanted Sceptred Isles….
(As Is The Case With Australia,Canada,…..And Cuba!)
Ah’ll Be Pinkety With Oor Ernie Next…?
[Not In A Million Years……..Ed]
Oh………..And Melanie Philips….
Simply Magnificent…!!
setting free the bears
The Italian press seemed to feel that Sammi was our best performer with Forrest and Commons highlighted too.
Er, ok.
And they would have had their eyes trained on our players throughout, yes?
I love Sammi. He was total crap last night. Forrest/Commons – good, but nothing special or game-changing.
Wilson was our best player by a country mile, while Ledley, Mulgrew and Kayal also played very well imo.
notthebus
Agreed. It’s been on the agenda for most of the season. We’ve probably not been in a position of having this volume of sellable assets since the seventies.
tictalker
Apart from missing Sami in the first leg, we made the mistake of playing both Forrest and Commons.
CELTIC FACTS… Kelvin Wilson had Celtic’s highest pass completion % throughout the CL group & knock out stage, 250 attempted passes completing 173. Resulting in 69%.
Notthebus
You question My Criteria oan the subject under discussion..???
Pal… Ah am afraid ye are going too deeply intae this discussion.
Suffice tae say..
My Criteria is Different than Your’s ..when it comes tae Judging ,if a Player is giving
an Acceptable Performance or Not..
And leave it At that.
Kojo
Still. Laughin’
Craig ‘in ma humble opinion’ Burley on ESPN, talking more p1sh than usual. Trying to bring his experience to bear on the Rooney situation, what an R Sole!
100 years ago today Arthur Throbishire, the lyricist responsible for ‘The Hokey Cokey’ was buried. The ceremony took two days, they put his left leg in, took his left leg out….
Hat&Coat!!
Kojo.
I usually agree with your opinions on most football matters.
To me ledley is used as a closing down player by lenny.
A lot of his work goes unobserved, therefore some see him as not in the game.
To me a good team needs a player that can afford to be workhorse rather than a glory hunter.hh
TET,
Thanks for the reply.
I appreciate we are where we are ( hate that but needs must ).
By our footballing manager to accept this means to me that we are now much more a business and less a football club.
To me the balance is wrong. Not dissing the good financial figures, just questioning the value of having good financial figures and these driving the club strategy as opposed to retaining our best players and building on this to improve the future for us.
Hail! Hail!