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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Deila was every bit as ineffective as the players last night
Mulgrew at LB…too slow ..very obviously too slow …didn’t bring Izzy on when we needed to chase the game ..intransigence of stupidity
Johansen …dreadful full game played
Forrest..giving their FB increasing trouble as the game wore on …taken off
VVD …move up to striker ten mins too late
Catalogue of errors
Quonno
I hear what you’re saying and your argument has merit.
What’s still more galling is that despite the parsimony we’ve wasted so much of failed projects. It gets still harder to take when DESPITE that misinvestment we put 11 players on a pitch who should beat Malmo yet spectacularly fail to do so.
At halftime last night I thought we had to really pull our socks up. Instead wur breeks fell Aff.
4 avoidable goals due to errors by senior top players.
I think the point earlier that Euro teams suss us after the 1st leg is telling and rings true.
RD needs a plan b. And/but the players need the guile and commitment to execute plan a.
Last night was amateurish. A shy that ran from the heart of their defence to ours like it was Xavi pass! Joe Handon getting out on his erse when chasing down a man like a spaniel quaffing red bull. And a team tippy tapping the ball around the defence in the 92nd minute.
We really missed Broonie in Europe last season. Boy did we miss him last night. I’m a huge fan. But he was invisible.
Vvd goes up front with seconds to go but gets called offside cos he was too lazy to get back on.
The list would cover prettying every player last night.
Leftie – loved your line about your grandson not caring cos he’s just rating to go on Saturday. Take it from me such youthful idealism wasn’t apparent in a 10 y/o here last night!
He buried his head in a cushion for the last 5 mins in exasperation and disgust!
HH jamesgang
Thinking of our gig in Dublin next year.
http://youtu.be/7LKk9op-RAA
dublin2016@mail.com
HH,
Clogher
Sipsini –
Ha ha. We all have different ways of getting over games like last night and I have no problems with folk having a right good vent. But I think I’ll leave you all to it.
Come Saturday afternoon I’ll be at The Park fully expecting to be entertained and hopefully looking forward to a relatively exciting Europa League.
—–slips back out….
Is it good man man agent to abuse your players in public…particularity when youve had such an ineffective game yourself
Stephbhoy…
You don’t hang out your dirty washing in public.
Our PR department, if there is one is p**s poor.
The southside zombies pay more on PR than they do players.
Apols to typo terrorists.
My previous post was littered with more errors than last night’s performance.
Aff oot. Laters timdom
HH jamesgang
Lennybhoy
What do you think we’d get for him ?
The point about selling our prized assets is that in all cases I remember the players themselves wanted to go. If a player wants to go and will not sign a contract extension, what can you do?. Keep him against his will? Yes of course you can do that but an unhappy player and value dropping as contract runs out is a disastrous situation. The problem is not the selling of the prized assets its what you do with the money and who you replace them with.
Maybe I am a fool but I still think we have a nucleus of a good team, we need a left back and a striker and if Virgil goes a replacement centre half. Also, I think its wrong to dismiss Ciftci at this stage, he needs a regular run of games to get a bit of confidence and then we can judge him,
Lennybhoy.
A couple of really good posts.
PFAyr.
Yes, you are correct outfoxed by those managers too.
Romney’s tactics are obvious and naive..
The worry is he is a one track pony with no plan b.
Don’t even start me with his blind spot on Johannsen, I can’t remember us having a midfielder as undisciplined as him, the question I ask is he playing to instructions?
Ronnie Deila is a glorified fitness instructor and not a good football manager.
Our best player when he took over was Kris Commons.
He had scored 30 goals from an attacking midfield position.
Within weeks of Deilas arrival he had dropped Kris ,and we were being told that he didn’t work hard enough or run about enough.
Where should Lubo get a game in Deilas master plan?
TT
TT
It took him months to realise that Griff was the best goalscorer we had
In today’s environment we buy players cheap, develop them and sell on at a profit. What’s so hard to understand about that business model ? There are no other options until the environment changes.
WC,
Why would FC Porto join dross? They are phenomenally successful every year. They invest and have ambition.
Ah lads
Stop all the ronny bashing
Come on, own up. Who started all this anti ronny stuff
Tinytim,
Lubo seldom got a game in Europe under Martin O’Neil. I think Kris Commons and, maybe Mulgrew, were 2 of those whom it was suggested on here last season, didn’t buy into our manager’s methods. Both are way too slow, imo. I was hoping either last night might produce the goods from their dead ball ability. Pipe dream.
STEPHBHOY on 26TH AUGUST 2015 7:43 PM
What did RD say that was so upsetting??
What a dreadful post on so many levels.
Do think players take regard of opposition wages when they play???
Jamesgang
At halftime last night I thought we had to really pull our socks up. Instead wur breeks fell Aff.
Brilliant. After last night I thought I’d never laugh again !
I remember the “Little General” coming out and slaughtering his players during a post-match interview following a 2-1 defeat to St. Johnstone which put Deidco 12 points behind MO’N’s team early in the season.
Disastrous,trophyless season ensued for the cheats, I’m delighted to say.
Risky strategy, but won’t have a similar outcome for us, I trust.
Still have confidence in Ronny. I hope between him, Collins and JK they have a long hard look at what went wrong and learn hard lessons. I would expect a long team meeting would have taken place today or tomorrow, players included, to determine what went wrong. At the end of the meeting new targets set for the season. The Treble and a good performance in Europa I would think. Roll on Saturday, I can’t wait and hope we batter them and send a message to others who think they can challenge us. Last night was tough but from now the bar needs to be raised higher than it has been.
Sipnini, our dirty laundry was running around the football pitch RD said what we all witnessed with our own eyes, players don’t like it ok go find a smaller club to play for, this is Celtic fc
no sure what sevco have got to do with anything
hh
We are where we are.
We have a big squad. Need another striker and CB.
We should concentrate on a run in the Europa League.
We can have some great nights in Europe this season.
A final in Basle.
We shooda hudda goal………..
MNCELT,
I agree re buy low, sell high but are these the only type of recruits that we should buy?
I think a few experienced players would have helped us. These can be obtained for a modest signing on fee.
Rebus
LENNYBHOY on 26TH AUGUST 2015 7:38 PM
thetimreaper on 26th August 2015 7:27 pm
I would agree with you on that. In fact I would go as far as to say I would sell Johansen.
Keep the Faith!
Hail Hail!
A bhoy who travels with the first team squad occasionally,told me ,he is surprised Johansen can get his head inside the front door at CP.He pals about with VVD,who i’m sure will be telling him the sums on offer down south.I would sell him and play Stuart Armstrong in that position.
PFAYR and WITS.
You guys were right about Ronny one year ago.
You`ll still be right about him in a year`s time IF we win the league.
It`s always painful to identify the root cause of a problem and see nothing done about it.
The financial loss to Celtic is disastrous.
Will the Board act?
Googybhoy,
players that are better tend to command better wages and the evidence of their ability is usually obvious on the football pitch where results follow unsurprisingly
that has not been the case when looking a celtics performances in Europe recently, like it or not!!!
brown is allegedly on 20k per week is his ability equal to his salary??
johanson, sepovic, derk,mulgrew, , commons and stokes are all high earner but offer the subtotal of nothing
griff is a lower earner but offers much more
simple
Macjay
I have to say to say ronny has done lot better than I expected. I genuinely thought we would fail to win the spl around this time last year. He began to grow on me and obviously it was great to win the league. But with the financial advantage that celtic now enjoy in Scotland how big an achievement is it for us to win the league. It’s an absolute necessity but. …
Anyway I await the howls of derision ” oh you have a hunnish sense of entitlement” etc etc ad nauseum
….PFay
It doesn’t matter what Ronny does, you’ve never taken to him and if I remember correctly were calling for his head last year.
You will always find fault in anything Ronny does I guess in some ways you must get off on a Celtic defeat.
You’ve probably been a fan for as long as me and throughout those years from 1974 onwards, with 1 exception, Europe has been abject failure.
Our away performances have been, on the whole, dire. I wonder if you would be as scathing about our manager in season 74/75 when we were beaten 2-0 away then held to a draw at home against a poor Greek side.
Getting humped in Europe is something I learned to deal with years ago, when I was immature I usually looked to blame someone for Celtic’s failing but as I’ve matured I just accept these results are part of being a Celtic fan. Even our hero’s have got their tactics wrong on the European stage.
Even as hero’s on the playing side, McGrain, Dalglish, Jinky, Billy etc have had off night’s.
So while the pain never gets easier, I just tell myself there’s always next year and who knows maybe then we’ and if we don’t? Well there’s always the year after that.ll do something in Europe
Stephbhoy…
We all know how bad we played last night, it just didn’t need Ronnie saying that he thought the players were scared.
The manager is meant to instill confidence in the team, not slaughter them in public.
As for the sevco mention, I was highlighting how their PR is in overdrive and as TT stated and others we would be fools to underestimate it. HH
NL second term in charge we got a by into Europa league after an Sion clerical error in the qualifiers (3-1 away defeat! in the team that night were Forster,Ledley,Ki,Sammi,Hooper).
We went on to win 1 game in the group stages of the Europa.
To be fair we have downsized since those lofty days.
Bada bing, about Johansen.
All the passes he tries with the outside of his boot and wee back filcks which rarely come off, indicate to me thinks he’s better than he is and has a high opinion of his ability . I’m probably one of many who don’t share his opinion about his footballing abilities.
He has scored goals and had assists but only when he does simple things simply.
The penalty squabble at the Stjarnan game , despite him knowing Griff was the nominated penalty taker, sullied my opinion of him. He has done very little to change my mind since.
Maybe the player of the year award has increased the size of his ego.
Might I take this opportunity to wish our Financial Director Eric Riley and his family every best wish on his imminent retirement due to ill health.
I have, through a friend of his, had the pleasure, on more than one occasion, of enjoying his hospitality at Celtic Park.
The guy has worked tirelessly for over 20 years to improve and stabilize the finances of the Hoops and he will be badly missed when he goes..
Best of l;uck to you Eric.
Hail! Hail!
Terrymac
Some bhoys mentioning that we need to look for a couple of experienced signings. Well, there is a fair bit of experience in this list of free agents:
http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/statistik/vertragslosespieler
I think some would be worth a look…
Rebus – I agree. We need a mix. We need a long hard think. An experienced operator might have made a difference last night.
Eddie….
I can see that
I am disappointed as most supporters but I think we are going in the right direction ( in the current setup) & like you I NOW dont get up tight like I did
But I also dont blame supporters for feeling let down
KTF
STEPHBHOY on 26TH AUGUST 2015 8:28 PM
Googybhoy,
players that are better tend to command better wages and the evidence of their ability is usually obvious on the football pitch where results follow unsurprisingly
– See more at: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/where-did-it-all-go-wrong/comment-page-8/#comment-2663845
We pay our players the going price to win the SPL.
We do not pay them the going price to win the CL or possibly the Europa League.
It is a fact of life.
Better tactics and performance beats Malmo.
In fact had we played them in the second leg at CP we would have gone through.
The margins are thin.
JamesGang, WiTS, stoap tryin’ tae make me laugh, it wullnae work a tell yeez.
StillnohappyCSC.
Awfy sair.
Away fur a shandy:-)