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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Just listened to shortbread and the polis are not happy with the newco derby game on Hogmanay, well solution is easy. Stop it , may cost Der Hun extra polis cost on 1 or 2 Jan , whit a shame :0)
DELANEYS DUNKY on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016 10:42 PM
Macjay
You confirm what my late father told me about both those foes. :)
==============================================
Now , that`s a compliment.
:-)
WITS
Did you have a correct score bet of 7-1 for Barca?? :))
Sounds like some people believe a Tony Pulis/ Graham Taylor style of football might suit us in Europe.
You cannot ask or expect a manager like Brendan Rodgers to play that style. He was selected for the job at Celtic because of his record and his approach.
None of us on CQN has a record of managing or coaching that gets us to a level wjere we can advise Brendan.
We can, of course, share suggestions among ourselves on the blog but we should not expect the manager to be scouring CQN for tips.
Or else we’re in worse shape than I thought.
We enjoyed some relative CL success under the muscular style of MON (with added Henrik), with the pragmatic to the point of boring WGS, and with the slightly more entertaining pragmatic style of NFL.
And, the majority of fans hated it and stayed away, especially when there was no Rangers to energise us.
We were desperate to get a more open, bold and adventurous style of football, hence we got Ronny Deila, and, when we did not like how that bravery looked when we did not have Virgil and Jason there to stop the looks, we got the same style but with an upgrade to Brendan Rodgers.
Now, I would be happy to go back to a more pragmatic style. It would suit my style and outlook better. But, based, on what I read here and see elsewhere, I have severe doubts that the larger part of our fanbase would like it even if they were granted this wish.
We will stick with this open, adventurous and bolder style until we sack Brendan because we have got fed up with him.
There will be no return to a playing for a draw with a chance of a breakaway goal. Not with this coach and manager.
Delaneys
If he scored the penalty it wouldnt have been 7 1
Barca probably would have won and possibly comfortably ..but not 7
Goals change games,give teams a lift etc
1 all at half time ,,,who knows
Anyway Dembele for Scapegoat ??
WHAT IS THE STARS on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016 10:49 PM
If only Dembele had scored that penalty !!!!
===============================================
I preferred your old mantra.
“Ronny out.”
:-)
Macjay
Who is this Ronny character of which you speak
I am on the Dembele bus now
“stop the looks” should read as “stop the leaks”
I blame the spellcheck in my typing fingers
Ruggyman
I was buying it until you picked Armstrong and/or mcgregor
Sadly like all of our players were far too predictable in our set up, our passing and sadly our inability to defend, coaching can only do so much, at European level we need better players
Parkheadcumsalford on 14th September 2016 7:09 pm
Tontine Tim,
Bob Kelly’s idiosyncratic interventions probably cost us quite a few trophies……………..Hmmmm.
*History and Big Jock have been kind to Bob; however, he did have Celtic and the game at heart.
He also made a good observation on TV killing the game but his was based on armchair fans and not the OZ/USA citizen’s avarice which has completely ruined the EPL and the game as a whole, a bit like bader who in the pursuit of greed ruined ours.
It should be noted that the latter and EBT ogilvie were behind the current champions league fiasco, seems to have backfired on them as we are coining it in now.
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016 10:55 PM
So , a bleak , 1984 sort of future .
O me miserum.
WITS
You cannot make a kid who has just scored his first senior hat trick and just turned 20 a scapegoat, surely?
Looks more like DDV is filling that role in conjunction wi big Nir, from what I have read on here today.
Hope this new UEFA President from Slovenia sorts out the rotten cartel that is European football, but don’t see how he can until people around the world (including Scotland) stop paying to watch the ECL and EPL (as if that’ll ever happen). Tonight was another predictable borefest. The ECL only gets interesting at the semis now, albeit even watching some permutation of Real, Atletico, Barca and Bayern going at it is starting to wane…
Still, completely hypocritically, I’m delighted to have the money it brings in to completely dominate at home and deliver the ten in a row that will crush all of our enemies…
COWIEBHOY
Sorry i’m late getting back to you, fell asleep dreaming of the lions.
Hope you are feeling good over there and enjoying yourself, you’re
right about how many days there are to St Patricks day but we’ll
probably have many more ” halfways ” lol before then, any excuse for
Celts to meet up and have a party, and your all invited.
K.O. AT 3. Bay Hotel Mornington. the one with the massive tricolour
hanging down the front facade.
H H Mick
P.S Love to Laura from both of us.
Watch Broony at the first two goals:)))
EscapeGoatCSC
Delaneys
No only joking
Bitton was the main scapegoat the other night
Dembele is everyones darling and rightly so.
PS I dont beleive in scape goats
Delaney’s,
Agreed, by this stage in his tenure I had RD marked as someone who doesn’t learn from his mistakes.
BR has shown a ruthless intolerance of players making repeated errors by jettisoning them from the squad or even worse, sending them to Barnsley.
Interesting that Boyata, whom I assume is fit, didn’t make the bench last night,whilst I am not convinced by his ‘ welcome back Jozo’ statement, and I suspect both will be dumped.
In saying that, I think that with decent coaching both of them could come good.
WHAT IS THE STARS on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016 10:57 PM
Macjay
Who is this Ronny character of which you speak
I am on the Dembele bus now
================================================
Unmentioned in dispatches.
Your Dembele point is right , of course.
Probable gamechanger.
Bring oan the heilanders.
TONTINE TIM on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016 11:01 PM
Do you remember a guy called Ryan late `50s ?
My ould uncle was convinced that the only reason he got a game was because Mrs. Kelly thought he was a nice boy.
Apocryphal tale.
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/sport/rangers/14743177.SFA_chief_Regan_calls_on_Scottish_football_to_unite_and_stamp_out_Old_Firm__quot_misbehaviour_quot_/?
Psssst……….Stewart , if you listen really carefully next time, some of the songs those ‘Rangers’ fans are singing are really not very nice.
Perhaps you missed those?
WITS
I know. You believe in wind ups though. :)))
In times of need call big Jim…
http://youtu.be/bxYO06TDHoc
“and the capital of Nebraska is Lincoln.”
CCB
Hope you are correct. From what I have seen of the season so far, Brendan has the knack of improving players.
Macjay
“So , a bleak , 1984 sort of future .
O me miserum.”
Really?
Have you ever read the book?
Did you even read my post?
Living in the real world does not equate to being miserable. Not for me, anyway.
Once you realise you are not the next Kenny Dalglish, Jock Stein or Barcelona, you start to enjoy what you are. You do not feel the world has ended or that you are living in a totalitarian state.
Your ability to find reds under the beds in strange places was surpassed in that reading of my post.
Was on the phone to An Tearman earlier. Him and my two sons fancy a bet on Ross County at doomdome on Saturday. Anyone know the price for a RC victory?
DELANEYS DUNKY on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016 11:27 PM
“…Anyone know the price for a RC victory?…”
Fenian bassa yi! ;))
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016 11:25 PM
Not about me , mate.
It`s about Celtic.
============================
You said:
“We will stick with this open, adventurous and bolder style until we sack Brendan because we have got fed up with him.
There will be no return to a playing for a draw with a chance of a breakaway goal. Not with this coach and manager. ”
.
.
.
.
Bleak. No ?
Baba
Hahaha.
There will be about 10 fenian bassas playing for RC on Saturday. :))
S.F.T.B.
BTW.
Yes.
I have read 1984 and Animal farm .
What`s that got to do with Celtic ?
macjay1 for Neil Lennon on 14th September 2016 11:08 pm
TONTINE TIM on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016 11:01 PM
Do you remember a guy called Ryan late `50s ? My ould uncle was convinced that the only reason he got a game was because Mrs. Kelly thought he was a nice boy.
*A Dublin lad who had 3 seasons with us before departing for Love Street
TONTINE TIM on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016 11:40 PM
Thanks.
I`ve often wondered about him and what happened to him.
The punters used to give him a hard time.
Your encyclopaedic knowledge of Celtic is impressive.
Macjay
“Bleak. No ?”
Correct! – It is not bleak. I am looking forward to the open bold football- aren’t you?
” Yes.
I have read 1984 and Animal farm .
What`s that got to do with Celtic ?”
No idea. The question is best answered by yourself since it was you that mentioned 1984 in your 11.02 post to me.
3rd place is defo up for grabs.Win at Celtic Park,draw in Germany.Done deal.
Into Europa where we belong.
SETTING FREE THE BEARS FOR RES. 12 & OSCAR KNOX on 14TH SEPTEMBER 2016 11:45 PM
Macjay
“Bleak. No ?”
Correct! – It is not bleak. I am looking forward to the open bold football- aren’t you?
=======================================================
An ” E ” for comprehension.
No. I`m looking for improvement and regular C.L. funding.
Bold open football later.
MARGARET MCGILL, i agree with you,finally i dont think we should play in cl as we are on a hiding its no good for moral and we certainly dont have a forward thinking board i wish we could get rid of this board and make an attempt at progress.
S.F.T.B.
I have read 1984 and Animal farm .
What`s that got to do with Celtic ?”
No idea. The question is best answered by yourself since it was you that mentioned 1984 in your 11.02 post to me.
=================================================================
In relation to your ” Bleak House ” view of Celtic`s future under Brendan.
Another allusion.
macjay
Now you’re confusing me.
Are you now wanting to advocate a bleak future of boring football?
Were you accusing yourself?
I think the lack of comprehension must be mutual because I know you have misread, as a bleak and miserable statement, what I said.
And I have no current idea what point you are making and in what way it is any sunnier and less totalitarian then mine.
Bleak House now on top of 1984???
Are you allowed to have recourse to legal proceedings, however lengthy, in this totalitarian future you believe I am depicting?
Is there any internal consistency in your allusions?
Will the trilogy be completed by:-
The house with green shutters?
100 years of solitude (best left to Cliftonville in 1979)?
Fahrenheit 451 (Celtic’s formation in flames)?
or Cormac McCarthy’s The (Springfield) Road?