Out of the Champions League qualifiers at the hands of a team with a smaller budget than ours, for the second season in succession. Where did it all go wrong? Two shortcomings stand out: team planning and tactical strategy.
I’ll take the latter first. We had 60% possession last night, a remarkable figure for an away European game which was lost. We dominated possession, didn’t score a goal and conceded twice (for the fourth time in five games).
Let me take you back a few years to a Dominik Diamond TV interview with Martin O’Neill, then Leicester City manager, in 1999. O’Neill laid plain his tactical philosophy, “My teams have big guys who know how to defend, they have players who can throw dangerous balls into the box, and players who can get on the end of those balls and put them in the net”.
A year later, when Martin came to Celtic, it was like going to school as we watched the observance of these very rudimentary rules transform our club. His defenders could defend, he had wide players who could throw dangerous balls into the box, and strikers who knew where the goal was. Martin’s teams never dominated possession against a European peer, never mind a team who beat them so comfortably.
It doesn’t need to be explained that there was no team in the world who could score three times from corner kicks against the Celtic team of a decade or so back. Today, team planning has insufficiently focussed on a few fundamentals of the game: know how to defend, know how to translate possession into chances, and have a handful of players in the team who know where the goal is. This is the fittest, fastest, Celtic team I have ever seen, but we looked like busy fools last night.
Ronny Deila’s post-match comments about the team being scared was an instant reaction to the defeat, but it’s worth digging into what prompted this perception. There were actually many occasions when Celtic players showed for a pass, the Uefa possession and completed pass stats conform this, but what we never did was boss the middle of the park.
In yesterday’s blog I asked Celtic to own the park as I have had a worry about this aspect for a while. This is different from covering a lot of ground (we do that), or being able to make a pass (we do that too). We have Scott Brown (runner) and Nir Bitton (passer) in central midfield. I like both but we need extra bite in this area. Celtic’s most effective period over the last decade was when we had Wanyama and Brown central-mid. The role Wanyama fulfilled has been sacrificed for the player in the hole behind the lone striker.
Players of Wanyama’s calibre are not common, and we shouldn’t go 4-3-3 if all we have is a Kayal to fill the additional central midfield space, but Brown and Bitton are not enough in central midfield in Europe. It’s also clear that selection for the four advanced positions (the 3-1) has been so fluid since the start of the season we’re clearly not cohesive in that area of the field either.
For me, if it’s Brown and Bitton, and I think it should be, we need another Brown-Wanyama influencer. Think back to our last Champions League group to consider the prospect of playing a European game without Scott Brown. At the very least we need cover for him, but in Europe we need two in his position. Go 4-3-3.
So much for tactical strategy, what about team planning? For the third August since parting company with Gary Hooper we are hawking around for a striker. Gary’s not a panacea, so I’ll ignore him as a prospect for now, but while Leigh Griffiths has performed beyond the call of duty, we are, again, out of the Champions League without having any idea who our primary striker will be this season.
We are in a loop of mistakes, and frankly, the most likely next action is that we respond by recruiting an identikit of the many strikers who have passed through Parkhead gates in recent years. We know enough about this problem to be aware that it’s our primary challenge, yet we have been unable to overcome it.
In my State of the Club blog at the start of the season I cautioned that we’d swapped Gordon Strachan’s soft spot for recruiting from Hibs, for a desire to see stars at Dundee United. Ciftci, Mackay-Stevens and Armstrong have been our primary recruits for advanced positions in 2015. Only one won a place in the starting line-up last night, leaving us relying on players who struggled to get in the team a year (or longer) ago.
Ronny Deila may well be able to polish Dundee United players into top performers at Celtic, but we didn’t recruit the finished article. We should have known this, and should have been aware that our August cup finals would have made calls on bit-part players from recent seasons.
We will find the occasional Champions League player in Scotland, but you can’t raid a mid-table SPFL team and expect to leap to the very top table in the game. This team planning strategy always looked vulnerable and it’s proven to be.
On the money side, you know my views. Over any business period you pay what comes in, no more and no less. We’re losing to team who spend less than us, not more, and on this occasion a team who picked up a player we discarded.
On just as important matters………
The golfers among you have three days to buy a raffle ticket – for £1 only – to win a round of golf at the fantastic Aberdour Golf Course for four people! Check it out here on ebay. Money raised (by Taggsybhoy) will go to the Foundation. This important work, always needs to be done, win, lose or draw.
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HAMILTONTIM on 26TH AUGUST 2015 9:12 PM
I have not overall enjoyed watching us under Ronny’s fast attacking football.
The same tactics in domestic games , yes but even they are getting found out. He is either unwilling or unable to change tactics.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Hamilton
On replacing ronny
2 points
Yes the new coach would be hamstrung financially but at least he would be a new coach.
We have the rest of the season to enjoy/ endure ronny. I can’t imagine he will be paid off or mutually consented.
But he shouldn’t have publicly criticised his players
Club brugge in brugge
Brendan glee son to take the penalty
The manager was a rabbit in the headlamps.
He looked like a man on the edge of a nervous breakdown.
Totally not sure of himself or his team in this environment.
CM — Times up.
After Braga at home I thought he would never play LB again.
However he does and puts in a worse performance.
KC — Times up.
Championship superstar, 23 good games a season when he is playing at home and the sun is shining. As I mentioned last night he got his contract extended on a wave of sympathy and fond memories.
However things are now probably worse than individuals the failure is systemic.
Total lack of football intelligence and leadership.
No team spirit and players only passing to their pals.
Huge rebuilding job required starting at the very top.
PL must go.
Finally – we — the support need to put some effort in.
Malmo first goal at CP and the response from the stands was sullen silence.
Our third goal and the it is full on party time.
Regarding support and atmospere we are consumers not producers.
We take from the team not the other way about.
!!Bada Bing!! on 26th August 2015 9:19 pm
Not heard that but if true I will pay VP to take him down…:)
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Heading off, thinking of the next Celtic game.
Lot’s of things I could say but won’t.
Thoughts and prayers with TCR.
Clogher
Mad itch,
Your at least consistent.
SAINT STIVS
Lol
I don’t like belittling any Celtic player but Forrest’s inclusion baffles me. He’s been praised for his performances against Kilmarnock and Malmo first leg but I thought his final ball was atrocious. Reminds me a bit of Stuart Slatter.
Paul67 et al
You know something, I never really fancied another final in Milan.
Ronnie plays with a lone striker because of strikergate. Ie. due to park/lawwell faikures , we err mmm only have one
Shocking
Why oh why do we award failure at CEO level
Phillbhoy: lovely post earlier. Puts life in perspective. Best wishes to Olivia and her wonderful parents.
After games like last night thoughtful analysis and critique tend to get lost in the rage of defeat and rash comments can be made; so here are mine.
Commons has to go.
If he was half as good as he thinks he is or he actually played like Paul 67 delusionally thinks (sorry Paul)
I would still get rid.
He is not a team player. On the pitch or off it.
Ronny can say what he wants about the players, he is the boss. Shut up and take it on the chin.
His first thought is to try and distance himself from bad performances and throw his team mates under bus.
Remember Juventus? If he had said what he did about anybody but Efe they would have lamped him!
( maybe not Sammy the big gent)
Commons said: ‘Look, the manager picked him. The manager pulled him to one side and asked him if he was feeling OK. He said he was feeling brilliant.
‘If he wasn’t feeling OK then he should have said so. If he felt good then he should have put in a better performance.’
It was just very sloppy individual mistakes – something you’d probably get away with on a playground, not in the last 16 of the Champions League.
‘There are certain individuals who let the team down.
Should have booted him out there and then.
He’s got to go Ronny. He’s too big for his boots and his shorts.
We lost because we listening to the hunmedia and didn’t play Izzi / ‘Efe ….no ifs or buts …….IZZI, for example was on a great run of form, and he wouldn’t have given up like the rest of them …… But, you win some, you lose some …..SPFL title is the priority, as ever …. And we have the EL to look forward to
Any update on TCR
I am beginning to think Paul should have two CQN Blogs. One for those who enjoy being Celtic supporters and one for those who do not. For the sake of balance (very popular in the MSSM!), guests from either side would be allowed a designated ( but very small) number of posts on the other side`s site .
JJ
glendalystonsils
Doc
;-)
WITS
Rosenberg. Fouls. Said to the wee mhan last night in the first half when he was penalised for dunting Boyatta – that’s what we need.
But he gave away a foul says the wee mhan….
Aye but wait you, next time the ball comes in , Boyatta will have one on him and only one on the ball.
There’s fouls n fouls. Rosenberg – clever fouls. Wee Leigh tripping their guy up when he’s boxed into a defensive corner and we’re likely to get an attacking throw in – not clever.
HH jamesgang
Where are all these new posters suddenly appearing …under rocks ?
Macjay
If as Paul says we spend what comes in then why didn’t we spend some money on a player on the expected sale of VVD?
We all know he’s leaving so why didn’t we plan ahead and sign another striker at the very least?
Lennybhoy
I think domestically we’ve improved but Ronny hasn’t learned to adapt to Europe.
Another team in green and white hoops have fallen apart tonight – Sporting Lisbon…
They were winning 1-0 as well…
Jamesgang
Agree about clever fouls and stupid fouls. .but Rosenberg should have been yellow carded early in the game
Five yellow card offences he committed
Ah JJ,
The enjoyment of losing to Malmo. What ecstasy. We aren’t in a Stalinist blog where all must agree.
Rebus – Sure, but even that model has rarely produces success. Lubo is the one glaring exception, but Celtic fans are incredible fickle and signing an oldyin would be met with inevitable criticism on his first bad pass.
I am very happy with where we are at the moment. I want to see us do better in Europe but I don’t expect it because I am always disappointed. I thought the comments on yesterdays match blog were hunnish in the extreme and will never chose the blog again when I am without tv coverage myself.
I’ve been tempted by the Stuart slater comparison a few times.
But I really thought he wasn’t the worst player we had, he might be up there as one of the unluckiest.
He had a brilliant performance against the old hun team , and still ended up on the losing team.
He wasn’t the worst.
And was probably a better player than jamsie.
Lifts tin hat from arm rest of the recliner
JJ
I don’t think there’s any genuine Celtic supporter, even on here, who doesn’t enjoy being a Tim despite any reservations or misgivings they may have.
HT
It’s because we don’t spend what comes in on players
We so end it on largesse wages for non footballing employees…and debt reduction
We are so risk averse that we’ve lost £25m+ in two years ….our current business model is destroying the quality of the team
As long as the accounts are acceptable to the decision makers …the rest is irrelevant ..including the football it would seem
Its bloody dark dark here all ready.
Summer over, nights drawing in.
Until we meet again…
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Last night was one of the poorest displays I have seen for a long time. We are in the Europa league which is where we probably belong. We must make the most of it. Hopefully we get an English team to add a bit of spice and some decent crowds. The board have to be careful, this time next year I don’t think there will be a Virgil to sell. Therefore the only thing that will fill the commercial void will be champions league football which will require some top notch scouting and a considerable investment. Them coming back will not make that much difference to the bigger picture for us. Keep the faith.
Wits/ Jamesgang
Rosenberg bullied our players …they’re too soft …a decent CB would have stuck one him for his carry on …can’t imagine Bobo or Mjallby letting him away with his carry on yesterday
The Scottish Media has been saying for some time now that van Djik would be leaving anytime soon. With our defeat last night, they talk/write as though it has already happened. The Celtic Manager say van Djik is a Celtic player and he, the Celtic Manager, hopes he, van Djik, remains one for quite some time.
The question is, who do YOU trust, the Scottish Media or the Celtic Manager? Posts on here show very strongly that the Scottish Media is by far the more to be trusted by CQNers.
JJ
….PFayr supports WeeOscar on 26th August 2015 9:40 pm
You asked me earlier how much did I think we would get for somebody, who were you talking ?
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
Switched over to the everton game, extra time.
3-3 each so far.
Lennyhoy
Johansen
Pf
Hard to disagree with your post about the accounts being acceptable to the decision makers,
However surely said decision makers must realise that the constant reduction in quality on the football pitch will have a detrimental affect on the accounts in the long term. Whatever any might think of Dermot Desmond, and I have mixed views on him, he is not a stupid man. Some entrepreneurs are stupid of course and success in the market place can be down to hard neck and chicanery but Desmond is a smart cookie. Maybe his investment in celtic is so small that he doesn’t really pay any attention
JJ
Info doesn’t just gone from the MSM
Pfayr
I wouldn’t expect us to spend all of the money. However, if we expect £10m for VVD then surely collectively the management team and the board could have released, say £3m of it on a striker.
It’s shockingly short sighted planning in my opinion.
JUNGLE JIM HOT SMOKED on 26TH AUGUST 2015 9:45 PM..
I don’t think it’s a case of posters trusting the smsm, more a case of knowing how our board apply themselves re an asset. Sell.
JJ-Hope you are well,i think questions must be asked of the manager,players and PL,after a disastrous result for the Club.The majority have been well thought out,and not resulted in personal insults about individuals.How long would you give RD ? HH