Celtic are well behind the position they should be at this stage of the football cycle which started in the summer of 2014. This week’s two defeats are a symptom of that. A year ago, then-new signings Armstrong and Mackay-Stevens contributed to two highly credible performances against Inter Milan, which indicated we were on a positive trajectory, but pretty much every available indication since has pointed south.
Aberdeen were poor in the first half last night, but shortly before their opening goal om 31 minutes I noted that they were defending comfortably, despite our dominance. We had not made a chance which tested them. We often need a lot of possession before the goals flow.
There is a flip side to that ratio. We often lose a lot of goals compared to the possession we allow opponents. All teams take a direct approach to attacking Celtic – get it forward and shoot. Better still, win a corner. Football games are about two things: scoring goals and not conceding goals. Some work is being done on the former but I’m concerned our shape does not accommodate the achievement of the latter.
We’ve kept 4 clean sheets (Kilmarnock, St Johnstone, Partick, Stranraer ) in the 18 games since beating Dundee United 5-0 in October. Only Thistle (1-0), Dundee (6-0) and Dundee United (5-0) have lost at Celtic Park without scoring since…………… Ross County on 1 August.
Records will show that yet again we lost a crucial goal at a corner kick. What will be lost in time is the sheer panic caused by the Aberdeen corners which didn’t result in a goal. I’ve never seen a team defend set pieces so poorly over such an extended period.
There could be many reasons why we’re not in the Champions League knock out stages right now, but I’m sure the reasons we’re not comfortably ahead in the league is that defensively, our shape and organisation is not good enough. We concede too much space in dangerous areas. This is why we’re not miles ahead of a team with vastly weaker resources.
On the way forward:
It’s of the upmost importance we win the league. As it stands, we will achieve this. Colin Kazim-Richards, despite being of journeyman-pro stock, gave us a dimension we’ve not had in 18 months. He, Kris Commons, Ryan Christie, Patrick Roberts and Erik Sviatchenko will all have a positive impact on the remainder of the season.
Ronny has got a lot wrong, but he was right about one thing after the game last night, “The players need the fans’ support”. Those who suggest that anytime is a good time for recriminations probably don’t have a good grasp on the complexities of any given situation. There will be plenty of time for recrimination in June, right now, we need to keep our eye on the prize.
Win the league, then we’ll talk.
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Just been sent this tweet by a sevconian mate
https://mobile.twitter.com/talkingbaws/status/695250669805113345
It should be all the motivation we need.
I relish the challenge
2 bad performances and 2 defeats don’t make us pash … Anymore than an 8-1 victory makes us Brazil 1970!
Faithful through and through
Hail Hail
pyfird
Weet weet
Only 9 million
The huns have 500 million world wide. ..and they are dead
Wet-how you doing?
C’mon,lads. Play fair.
STEBHOY asked a question,a what-if scenario. You can debunk his theory without insulting him.
Me,I’ll hope he is correct-though I doubt it. It’s a much more pleasant scenario than the one I think is taking place.
We have the Green Brigade, but mostly on this blog we have the Peter Pan Brigade – the boys who never grew up.
To them the answer to every question is simply black and white – Peter Lawwell is a big bogeyman and the board are his gang.
Everything they do is not for Celtic, or for good reasons, it’s just for his bonus – pathetic!
GREENSIDEUP-GBWO on 4TH FEBRUARY 2016 9:24 PM
I wonder if Mr. Hay would available to help Ronny out?
HH
gsu
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If RD has only one phone call left, then Mr. Hay would be the best Mhan to call. Sadly, I don’t think that there is a “live” connection between DH’s CFC, and the current incarnation that RD is working for.
STEBHOY
Think with all due respect Ferguson had already done the trick with Aberdeen and had proven credentials as a potential successful Man U manager, don’t think the comparison with RD is in any way realistic
HH
Haha thanks Bobby Murdoch – the meds are kicking in now;)
keep the faith!
9 million fans. Only 42000 supporters unless it’s a big game.
Who was it that got rid of Mr Pasty the last time ?
Mr Pastry
Dont you start as well:)
Enough of this 19th century deference.
Peter Lawell does not deserve 20,000 a week.
He takes no responsibility for failure.
Thats why its not on…he should be able to take the flak, considering he is the highest paid person at CP.
Which itself is ridiculous.
He is not worth it.
In any other sphere of business he would have been sacked long ago.
PL should work in a bank….and leave Celtic alone.
HH
Last night was shocking, too many wee non combative men on the pitch. On that surface against a motivated committed team we needed warriors, Ronny played wee fancy players. I still believe we have the nucleous of a decent team, but I don’t think Ronny is the man to lead us
Gordon is not playing well, nor is Lustig yet they are automatic picks every game. JamesForrestt & GMS on together is lunacy unless we are at least 4 up.
Erik looksOK and thenew Turkish boy gives us something we have been lacking , a bit of a physical presence. We have still to see Roberts and Christie. Simo , Kris , Charlie and Janko toc come back..
There is talent there what we need is a manwith the tactil nous to mould them into a team.
Any comparison between ronny deila and any other football manager living or dead are just plain silly.
Ronny is unique. God love him
He is here until June unless. …
WITS,
cheers for the tips,never seen the second race but seems like the jockey
left it with too much to do
twentyfirstofmay1979
I think his wife,Mrs Pastry,came on and showed him up. Highly amusing it was too,she must be the life and soul at dinner parties.
I suspect she’d been at the cooking sherry-or maybe the high-end whisky(!)
Struggling to comprehend some of the views expressed and comments made over the last 24 hours by people that profess to support Celtic. Neganon2 reckons the club is ‘dead’ whilst someone else saying they hope we get beat by East Kilbride on Sunday. God knows how you would cope ‘supporting’ a club like Aberdeen, Dundee Utd or indeed any other Scottish club who didn’t regularly win cups and league championships. If their fans had the same attitude as a lot of the people on here they would have packed up and gone home long ago.
Get real, get to games and get behind the team. Be a supporter.
The Battered Bunnet on 4th February 2016 6:10 pm
A bigger concern is he was driving the train….
HH
TC45
Bada Bing
I’m great pal
Was spending a lot of time at Edinburgh royal infirmary
A dear friend of the mrs got a Liver transplant,doing well
HH
Is it safe to come back on the blog yet … or should I wait until Sunday night
stebhoy
I pondered your “idea “for a while a few weeks ago with a fellow Tim at work. It was a thought process begun after the Motherwell game where I truly thought we could not be as bad unless by design.
The idea of giving a young manager 3 years to learn his trade without the hostile presence of the Orcs seems genuine enough, if a little fanciful. I am fairly certain that their “plan” did not factor in the absence of any CL income or the rabid blood lust in the MSM for any chance to kick Ronnie out even when he was winning the leagues along the way.
I would love it to be true, then again I am a dreamer and I worry that not every apprentice became a skilled tradesman.
Gordy
So I heard. Didn’t back the first myself, had a good week
3 out of 4 in a lucky 15 on Tuesday. Nice little earner but had the 4th come in. ..well
Anyhow going to leopardstown on Saturday, should be a good day out
MR PASTRY on 4TH FEBRUARY 2016 9:45 PM
We have the Green Brigade, but mostly on this blog we have the Peter Pan Brigade – the boys who never grew up.
==============================================================
:-)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lP9MbS1KW0U
David Hay was an immense player for us, a good Manager and a phenomenal scout during the Tommy Burns era. I admire his stance of not knocking us in the manner that too many ex players seem to revel in. That said I think we have to look elsewhere for ‘help’! David Moyes, Tommy Boyd and strong networking guy in the know. Someone mentioned earlier that RD makes a great coach but not a manager. Made me think of the difficult job a manager has when he works with overpaid young men who have sadly lost or maybe never had a sense of reality.
fair point about ferguson and Aberdeen success. his first couple of years there were poor though – from Wiki – The season did not go especially well, with Aberdeen reaching the semi-final of the Scottish Cup and the Scottish League Cup Final, but losing both matches and finishing fourth in the league.
Aberdeen lost the 1979–80 Scottish League Cup Final, this time to Dundee United after a replay. Ferguson took the blame for the defeat, saying he should have made changes to the team for the replay.
You see – he failed before his success which took 4 years or so. I want to see if Deila can learn!
3pts clear….. We have been in worse positions, I am gutted as the next Celtic fan about last night, in my years watching the Hoops I have never known a team to be so comfortable and so much on top then not win……..Fenerbache, last night, and plenty of other games under Ronny’s tenure, am afraid am still with Ronny, the players have to go from Inter Milan last year to East Kilbride Thistle this year……most of the same players are still there
WITS
Hope you are doing the Ronny Roar at the end of the season, you kept your clothes last year, now you don’t even have to take your hat off……
I do have too take issue with the “worst team they’ve seen” mob or “the we should be miles ahead of them since 2012” who are these themes you speak off ???? Dodgy 1-0 at Starks Park 2-1 defeat at Pittodrie ….. Aye ok then…..give whatever mob you think they are, the oxygen to type
I know what crisis is preferable…… By the way crisis was me being facetious
Cqn good night and God bless……
We really shouldn’t compare Celtic supporters with the internet.
Mon the Seasons CSC
Stars
Ronny or Sally ?
HH
I think there are two from XX on CQN that whine, and still buy tickets.
You decide? CSC
STEBHOY
Fergie won the title with Aberdeen in 79-80. His second season.
I wont bore you all with my reasons for continuing to support Ronny and the team on the park.
Talking about Celtic on here is like Politics, everyone has their mind already made up and no matter which argument you present to back yours up, someone will always find another point to back up their counter argument.
So for me I’ll stay out of the debates on who is best in which position on the park and if you don’t mind I’ll body swerve the debate on Ronny’s plan “B”or alleged lack of plan “A”, because I suspect like me you wont actually be a professional football coach who has managed at a decent level. Like me you’ll work in an other industry, not trying to be snide with that, it’s just if I want to know why my boiler isn’t working I’m not going to ask the window cleaner to have a look at it am I?
Don’t include me in the debate on how Ronny has lost the dressing room, because I suspect you don’t actually know anyone in there personally, so second hand accounts from the window cleaner or the oft repeated Sunday Post fav “overheard on a bus” doesn’t do it for me.
I’ll continue backing Ronny until he is no longer our manager, simple really it’s what I do in all other parts of my life. It may be blind loyalty to some but if you make a decision, unless it’s life threatening, stick with it to the end.
Anyone got a copy of Zyebeks post of the decade? A few could do themselves a favour and get reacquainted with it.
Breaking News: Jose Mourinho has signed for Manchester Utd for next season. (Sky Italy)
There is a Netflix docu about people who feel as though they’ve gone through a hole in the fabric in time. In reality however they just got the messages in from Homebargains on Rutherglen Main St.
One problem Ronny has which definitely is not his fault is that he doesn’t have physical players. They are all there for their ball-skills,no-one is there to win it for them. Check our squad.
http://www.celticfc.net/team
Even our defenders aren’t huge,ffs. Totally imbalanced,and bloody obvious. It’s why euro teams humped us.
Worlds Greatest Mysteries #9
Who told Keanu Reeves he could act?
Wits,
unlucky with the lucky15,
unfortunately its been very slim pickings for me lately,
trying to get a few quid together to have a right good go at Cheltenham
Eddieinkirkmichael,
whats up with your boiler anyway :-))
Tony Mowbray gets a lot of stick. In the season he was with Celtic they played some great football.But—they were kicked off the park, especially against Sevco.That was the season the legned that was Walter told the hun troops,referees,media and the lot,the they needed help.By feck he got it.The papers and the rest of them destroyed a decent man in Mowbray.I think he threw the towel in because nothing was getting in the way of the Deid club.Go back and watch some of the matches and the treatment Celtic especially were getting.The likes of Lafferty knew they could get away with anything.NL put the fight back into the side.Look at the way he was treated in Scotland.Even Kilmarnock got the treatment.Erimenko was kicked unmercifully anytime they played the Norwegian Blues.
Johnjames on his site has called it right .Celtic should have gone for the SFA and the referees after last year’s semi final.He calls the Celtic board gutless–and he’s right.
“I was just an ordinary player with a big heart and a fighting spirit to recommend me.”
Sean Fallon