Five at the back is an orthodox defensive shape, it’s not a headcount of defenders, which is the crux of where we went wrong last night: we chose the wrong system.
Consider the space between (debutant) Gamboa and Lustig at the first goal. No one was sure who should have been picking up Messi (reveal: it was Bitton, who didn’t track the run). There was uncertainty – presumably because we tried a new defensive system out at the Camp Nou.
Another consequence of five at the back is that your fullbacks don’t get midfield cover. Instead, Sinclair and Roberts were asked to work 40 yards out. This plan came at the cost of protecting Gamboa and Tierney.
The overwhelming tactical memory I have of our win against Barca four years ago was Neil Lennon doubling up in the fullback area.
Then we had two central defenders with Wanyama (a defensive mid, which Bitton is not) in front. Our two full backs were partnered with a wide midfield player. Diagrammatically that was four at the back, but whenever Barcelona were in possession (80% of the time), seven players were protecting the Celtic penalty area.
The abiding defensive memory from that night it the thicket of legs confronting Messi every time he got the ball. There was no space for him to pass and move into. Last night, he had more space inside the box to run into that he’ll see all season. It was simply the wrong system.
During the game I was pretty annoyed at Bitton, who I blamed for the first three goals, but he’s a deep-lying playmaker, not a defensive mid, and looked clueless in the position. Although even I know you need to track Messi’s forward runs, and my 11-yr-old knew they were about to score the third the minute we conceded a free kick 23 yards out in front of goal. Reveal: barging players 23 yards out is a mistake that gets you spoken to when playing 2004s football.
We had numbers but not a coherent defensive strategy. The lessons from The Beating of Barca in 2012 were lost. Four years ago we twice played them with these back fours:
Lustig, Wilson, Ambrose, Izaguirre
Lustig, Wilson, Ambrose, Matthews (out of position)
None of Wilson, Ambrose, Izaguirre or Matthews (at left back) would get in this Celtic team. They were all pretty standard-grade defenders, but with protection on the wings and in front, it worked.
After we lost the third concentration levels dipped, tired legs after Saturday would have been energised legs if we were still in touch. I’d also tell Scott Brown not to worry too much about giving the ball away. We’re not good enough to plan to regularly retain possession at the Camp Nou.
We’re a ‘two pass then lob it into the box or win a foul’ team at this level. Accept this and concentrate on what’s deliverable – “We are Celtic, try running through this thicket of legs”.
Scotts Brown and Sinclair played well. Moussa will beat himself up about the penalty but it was inconsequential. Gamboa and de Vries looked lost, as all Camp Nou opposition debutants (there can’t be many) and exposed keepers do.
It may have been the biggest loss in Europe but it doesn’t even come close to being our worst performance. It’s not even our worst performance in Europe of the season, so we’ll get over it quickly.
You and I both remember seven goal victories being overturned a week later. This is football. The leap required to deliver a tighter defensive system is not the magnitude it may appear.
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Sipsini
Tickets gone.
Gold dust CSC
HH
CRC
Zbyszek
Glad you got home safe and sound last night. Our prayers in Saint Andrew’s Cathedral seemed to have failed for Celtic and Legia in Europe. :(
Great to spend time in your company, and thank you for the gift from Polska.
” No doubt we are EL level but hopefully the CL 30m kitty will help us move up a level sooner.”
Not sure quite what level you mean but the kind of players required to make the required ie CL difference would:
a)Have to be willing to come to Scotland;
b) Cost ALL of our CL money and maybe not be successful anyway.
In the modern football Market, Celtic are in really difficult place. There is no plausible answer that I am aware of.
JJ
well done leicester
Good Lord, Legia 0-6 at home.
Zbyszek
Feel your pain pal
Legia 0 Dortmund 6
Real Madrid equalise
They should bring on an ineligible player and lose 0-3 :))
67heaven
A bill for £100 for what?
4-0 City
gs – yasmina’s been on – very useful ; thanks
AN DUN…
;))
An Dun
Brilliant!
Turned the tv over there just in time to see Real M score the winner ..
CRC…
No prob mate, I’ll try and source one. HH
September 1939 it was. Now September 2016 and it’s again German ivasion on Warsaw.I wonder what Martin Schultz ‘s explanation is on that?
On more serious mode, Besnik Hasi, Legia coach is the man who managed to make football extremely miserable thing in two months to all in here.
Heartbreak for Sporting Lisbon
4-0 final score. BMG there for the taking.
COYBIG
GARYGILLESPIESHAMSTRING
Sorry, damage to the Celtic Park toilets
Sporting Lisbon fans will feel far worse tonight than most of us did last night
Its the hope that kills you …..
Offski…
This CL is brilliant, win, lose, of draw
It was 0:6 but everyone would fancy 0,7
What do tonight’s results show us?
They are further evidence that success in this tournament is predicated on what league you play in and how much money you have or a combination of the two.
This is the have’s, have more’s and have too much league.
You get used to it and accept it or you try and change it.
We already know who the last 16 will consist of.
It’s really rather boring.
Gearóid 98: Search for All-Ireland tickets getting desperate now. Any help would be appreciated.
Re the games at Ibrox
We played Hibs in the SC Semu Replay – won 3-1 on the way to TB’s and Van Hoydonk’s big day against Airdrie in ’95
FC copenhgen draw at Porto. We’ d be delighted at that and they have less budget than us
I’m also sure we played Hibs at Ibrox on the 60’s but I was just wee then :-)
Hi Paul67,
Interesting piece… good solid analysis…
While watching last night’s game a fellow Tim and myself had a disagreement on Brendan’s System for the game.
You have come down firmly on his side…
For me, with Barca deploying a(n awesome) front three, for us a back Five was necessary… I even think under the circumstances we kept our shape well.
What we were missing IMO were the personnel with the necessary commitment and ability to make the System work.
Having said that I thought half our team equiped themselves very well and did not look out of place in that Company.
StilI, I don’t think Brendan will learn much from the game that he didn’t already know…
For me he took a punt on Gamboa and Roberts down the right hand side… Of course this didn’t work, changing that round with Lustig and Forrest might have been worth doing early doors but in all honesty we are still a work in progress and we are only talking degrees here… making the beating a bit more respectable.
MOONBEAMSWD @ 1:56 PM,
“Q1. If we continue to qualify for The Champions League over the next 5 years and earn in the region of £150 million or upwards from it, Sevco keep on keeping on zombying, we dominate the league with Saturday type results and we get football lessons like last night every year in the CL, will we be happy to accept that?”
Personally no, but I don’t think we have to…
Many have speculated about why we have upped our spend and radically improved our Management and Coaching staff and are in the process of doing this with the Squad.
Some say it is because of the return of the “Old Firm”. Some say it’s because DD was offended…
I say it’s because European Football is going through a shake up… Now we all know that this is going to favour the big leagues but the fact is whatever way they slice it, to give European Football credibility they will have to involve big Clubs from minor Leagues.
Celtic plan to be one such Club and know we’ll have to be regularly playing UCL Football and performing at that level. We need to if we are going to be a “Player”.
So expect incremnental but marked improvement in our squad and performances going forward.
“Q2. In you opinion will the PLC back Brendan by giving him the money earned from The Champions League qualification, money they do not budget for, spare funding so to speak, to strengthen the team, or not?
The PLC have failed to do this in the past with Managers but as I stated in answer to Q1, these are different times… we will see a magnitude of difference in squad investment from the TM, NL, RD era…
In fact depending on the format and the “rewards” of the New UCL set up, we could see a huge acceleration in Squad investment, last seen in the MO’N era. IMO of course:)
Hail Hail
Back in the day we played our semi at ipox and they played at hamdump
67heaven
Are they only paying for the bog paper they nicked?
Almore
Had one from Ulster schools for Lower Davin but had already swapped for a Hogan for the Hurling.
Will try that guy O Brien but as ,you well know, when the Dubs are involved it’s a nightmare.
At the Hurling it ended up plenty of tickets going at face value @glynns and meaghers. Promise will do my best.
HH
Snake,
Would imagine very few folk would disagree with you, sadly.
MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016 9:20 PM
JUSTSHATERED on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016 9:13 PM
We also played St.Mirren at Ibrox in`62 .
First big game my old man took me to. Got separated from him briefly at the end, with bottles smashing all around me. Scary experience for a kid, especially since it was our own supporters.
My dad wouldn’t take me to another big game for years but thankfully relented for the 65 cup final!
Open question to CQN.
If 7-0 drubbing is “ok” from Barcelona for most Tims (ok maybe half) because we should be thankful for the CL £30m since we are mere provincial Tims in a cultural and football backwater; then why are some Tims anti res 12?
Is it an OF hun loving criminal take it up the orifi thing?
Gearóid 98: Cheers. At least there is the Celtic match to fall back on if I can’t get one.
JINKYREDSTAR on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016 9:45 PM
Re the games at Ibrox
We played Hibs in the SC Semu Replay – won 3-1 on the way to TB’s and Van Hoydonk’s big day against Airdrie in ’95
…………………..
We played them in a League Cup semi. We won 4-2 and I think had to come back from going down 2-0 in the first 20 minutes. I was about 14 at the time. I got into Ibrox just after kick off. Everyone around me was dressed in green and giving Sean South big licks so my pal and I joined in. Next thing Neil Martin scores for Hibs and all around go mental. Neil Martin also scored the second goal to the same effect. The Hibs support were good guys in those days and very tolerant towards two young fellas when we celebrated the Celtic come back and ultimate victory. Funny thing is I can’t remember who scored our goals.
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