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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C1st
Maybes a tad unfair then….but if that’s all we get, and it looks like it, sorry, it’s not enough, far from enough, it’s insulting to the support imo, if that is the sum total of the objection.
………………….
JJ
All the suits need to do is grow a pair, we have everything to lose by doing nothing, and everything to gain by growing a pair.
Tim Malone Will Tell
11:00 on
8 March, 2013
Did Longmuir or Ballantyne not raise an objection to it and as a board member this held sway and the motion was binned?
Ssn have FF leaving too
Why does it pain the media so much to be in anyway positive about CFC
the honest mistake loves being first
10:48 on
Agree, noticed that a while back, I scroll on by now.
Do we think that the custodians of our club are doing nothing behind the scenes?
Do we think the custodians of our club know how a large section of our support feel about what has went on? do they think if they say nothing it will all blow over?
DD made a statement a few months ago and was very complimentary about the huns, Thought to myself at the time, that is just a sound-bite from Desmond, now I am not so sure.
PF Ayr
We might as well just shut up shop next year.
Morning all. Grey and wet and wild down here today.
Did anyone else see the BBC4 programme Pagans & Pilgrims last night? During a sequence about the destruction of St Andrew’s Cathedral, the presenter suddenly started talking of Scottish culture and then introduced footage of an orange walk. He said that Catholics too had their walks and that during the walking season there were a 1,000 altogether. I wonder if there is 1 Catholic one. Republican, a few, I’m sure but Catholic? Doubt it very much. Never heard of any apart from pilgrimages and they are usually to places like Lourdes. Who did his Scottish research and were they trying to even things up, as ever.
Is Ogilvie up for re election soon ?
THE EXILED TIM
11:34 on
8 March, 2013
After we make a public statement stating the SFA are corrupt and inhabited by the spawn of the devil
What next in the strategy
PFayr
Big Fraser said he wants to play in the epl,someday, but only if he is guaranteed first team football, he is not wiling to be a number 2.
So I doubt there is an opening, unless Liverpool get rid of Reina.
….PFayr
11:41 on 8 March, 2013
Ssn have FF leaving too
Why does it pain the media so much to be in anyway positive about CFC
___________________________________________________________
The media and the Establishment ULTIMATELY want division.Listen to the New Testament.
….PFayr
11:41 on
8 March, 2013
Ssn have FF leaving too
Why does it pain the media so much to be in anyway positive about CFC
The manager publicly praised SKY on air
THE EXILED TIM 11:34 on 8 March, 2013
“All the suits need to do is grow a pair, we have everything to lose by doing nothing, and everything to gain by growing a pair.”
What do you propose Celtic do?
I’m as frustrated by the corruption that exists in Scottish Football as you are – but Celtic can’t really do much about a decision that doesn’t directly affect our club.
Obviously Celtic were one of the clubs who lost revenue and silverware because of the cheating that was going on at Ibrox, and in the full knowledge of those who are supposed to run our game fairly, but the enquiry was not into events at Celtic which makes it difficult for our club to do much about it.
The enquiry found Rangers guilty. They imposed a fine that will never be paid on a club which no longer exists. The ‘punishment’ stinks the place out, but it has nothing directly to do with Celtic despite what lunatic Huns claim.
I think the best we can now hope for is the removal of Ogilvie and Bryston. But all the clubs who lost out to systematic cheating have to get together on this and issue a vote of no confidence on this pair of chancers.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2vntBg5uWKg
lionroars67
All depends on the reaction.
The can of worms would be well and truly open.
But I would wager that there would be others who would stand by our side, if not, it really doesn’t matter, we would have told the world the truth.
Nothing they could do about it.
If you are happy for the suits to do and say nothing, your choice,
Lionroars
The sky coverage of the CL was different from any other coverage we get …complimentary and appreciative ….
The text must be done by the usual dobbers
Maybe Lenny was just being nice …or he was taken off his guard by their politeness
lionsroar you simply hound them through the courts.
Ruthlessly. Relentlessly.
You hold them up to ridicule. Demand explanations. Take them to the Supreme Court. Attack the Scottish Justice system and Salmond for their insistence on Scottish judges on Scottish cases in the UK Supreme Court.
Imagine if Britain insisted on English judges for English cases in the Court of Justice of the European Union or the European Court of Human Rights.
People know they’re being shafted, but there’s no-one to lead.
“The great appear great because we are on our knees.”
I’m not afraid of these institutions and people. I’ve seen them up close. They take to flight remarkably quickly.
TET
Stoke signed Butland ….loaned him back to Brum until the summer
Must mean Begovic is away …possibly to a top EPL team …there aren’t many vacancies in the EPL top clubs right now
PF Ayr – Ogilvie is indeed up for re-election soon. As I understand it, any nominations had to be declared by end of February.
Makes you wonder about the timing of the whole LNS charade doesn’t it?
swatson – not sure why then no confidence vote got binned. What surprises me though is how we can go from open revolt at an SFL meeting to Ogilvie being a shoo-in for another tenure.
Stinks !!!
Stein….
It does directly affect Celtic.
The sfa have admitted through Bryson that players were not registerd correctly, the sfa issued licences to the huns knowing that the huns were not entitled to said licences, they allowed newco huns a licence against all the rules, these thing directly affect Celtic.
….PFayr
Swansea? Do Spurs need a top keeper. Is their keeper not 40?
It doesn’t really matter to Celtic. We have to take top dollar for our players when offered. We will get a replacement.
Not sure FF will leave this year. I reckon he will have one more year at least at Celtic.
The players stock will never be higher. Neil lennon’s stock may not ever be higher. SSN is all about the EPL. They want the best players in it. That speaks volumes about what we have achieved this season.
LB
noon post
Livibhoy – Spurs have got Lloris as their number one. Cant see them as being a FF destination.
Ntassoola…
“They take to flight remarkably quickly.”
Coming from you that’s rich Mate…
So about your Donegal wind up what was that about??
THE EXILED TIM 11:57 on 8 March, 2013
“It does directly affect Celtic.
“The sfa have admitted through Bryson that players were not registerd correctly, the sfa issued licences to the huns knowing that the huns were not entitled to said licences, they allowed newco huns a licence against all the rules, these thing directly affect Celtic.”
I pointed these things out in my post. It does have some affect all the clubs that lost trophies and money, not just Celtic – but what exactly do you think we should do?
The only club that can appeal the ‘guilty’ decision doesn’t exist anymore.
I’m not too clued up on English football. I thought they still had the American guy.
There will be demand for our players in the summer. It’s all about getting the best deal.
Better players have left in the past and we have found replacements. The players that will probably go have served us well and go with my best wishes. We look for the next superstars and what they bring to the Celtic.
LB
Steinreignedsupreme
If Ogilvie and Bryson remain in situ what is the point of Scottish football.?
Confirmed cheating and partiality in favour of RFC …totally unacceptable
Irish Republicans of little formal education, confined to prion cells with no access to the necessary materials, have taken on the establishment and shamed them into applying their own laws.
Is there even a modicum of that fighting spirit left amongst us?
THE EXILED TIM
11:51 on
8 March, 2013
Im sure at the SFA Celtic’s position ref certain executive holders and the LNS commission is well known, i am also confident that Celtic will pursue that position of looking for change within the corridors of power with other like minded clubs, it may not be the CG method of playing to the gallery and Amen to that this Celtic supporter says, unfortunately as part of a UEFA committee verdict in 2007 Scotland somehow tolerates this nonsense.
I have not seen any evidence that Celtic support the present SFA president or agreed with the LNS commission verdict, so see no reason to withhold season ticket money from the club i support, i see logic in not visiting grounds away from Celtic, and certainly not supporting any SFA team or competition
Celtic never cheated me, the SFA did
Livibhoy
Vorm is Dutch international keeper at Swansea
Lloris and Freidal are at Spurs…
Ntassoolla
11:55 on
8 March, 2013
What about UEFA rules ref clubs taking their associations via the legal route, didn’t work out well for Sion FC
Lionsroar, if Ntalassieloo’s knowledge of the legal system is anything like his knowledge of romantic languages, i’d give that big burst of advice a wide berth. Unless he’s the ghost of Ronnie Biggs.
thomtheleedstim @ 8 29.
Juve preparing ——-
Heard a radio interview with Conte in the build up to the game at Celtic Park —–
Interviewer asked him re watching Celtic —— Conte told him that he and the Juve squad had watched and dissected all of Celtic’s CL games [ including the qualifying games ]
Interviewer then made the point that there wasn’t much point watching Celtic’s Scottish games [ given how poor the opposition was ].
Conte really dismissed that and said there was much to be learned from watching the defending of a team who had almost total dominance of the ball .- You get to see where they are vulnerable/ – you get to see who is prone to making mistakes / you get to see where the left back is when the right back is attacking etc.. My players will know what to expect . We will be ready.
Steinreignedsupreme
I can’t answer that properly without knowing all the facts.
But I would call out the sfa publicly for the issuing of licences, that would be enough to get the ball rolling.
Problem as I see it is if the club don’t do or say anything, things will only escalate, they will do as they please, when they please.
They will be fastracked through the leagues without reconstruction, the referees will see to that, and when they are back in the spl, they will, with the help of the referees win the spl, without euro cash, they can’t survive, so they will have access to it.
I suppose it’s all about what we are willing to accept.
That at the end of the day is the choice.
Tim Malone
Ogilvie has no shame ..audacity isn’t strong enough
CFC have to tackle the SFA …if he seeks re election were out …call their bluff…
If CFC resign from the league all the sponsorship will leave ….SPL clubs are already in a parlous financial position
I’m sure the fans would support the club in this
new article posted.
We might as well get the current under 20 players ready for next season, as almost all the current first-team squad will be leaving in the summer.
HH!!
Parkheadcumsalford
11:44 on 8 March, 2013
____________________
You are right to say that NONE of the 1000 ‘walks’ in Scotland is a CATHOLIC walk.
Not ONE, as far as I know.
You did though remind me of my childhood in the 1940’s when Fr.Michael Ward (later of St Mary’s in the Calton) was the PP at OHR in Clydebank & every year organised a huge procession from Dalmuir Park along the main road to the ‘chapel’, a distance of about 1.5 miles. The entire parish turned out. Led by pipe bands, every school in the area & every Catholic organization & every parishoner took part in what was an eagerly awaited event each summer. There was of course no trouble & it was respectfully policed by the local ‘plod’, at the front & back of the possibly thousands of walkers.
I can not remember any opposition being voiced to the event.
Fr.Ward also raised money throughout the year & took every school-child on a FREE trip to Saltcoats each Summer, which would be the ONLY trip of any description that most youngsters would ever experience in those harsh days.
Great memories.
Rest in Peace, Fr. Michael Ward.
SoT
And sadly do they were …very ready
Btw …I was very impressed by Juve …I think they have a real chance in the CL this year