Europa League v Zenit | Page 2 | Vital Football

Europa League v Zenit

Well, much more nervy than it needed to be. We outplayed them 5-0 to win 1-0. Forrest, Ntcham, Brown, Tierney and McGregor were excellent. Eboue was very good, as well. The effort and ball movement were terrific. The defensive work was disciplined and harassing and worked well. Good game plan and good execution. I just hope the missed chances don't haunt us in Russia.

Hail Hail!
 
welch47 - 15/2/2018 21:56

Well, much more nervy than it needed to be. We outplayed them 5-0 to win 1-0. Forrest, Ntcham, Brown, Tierney and McGregor were excellent. Eboue was very good, as well. The effort and ball movement were terrific. The defensive work was disciplined and harassing and worked well. Good game plan and good execution. I just hope the missed chances don't haunt us in Russia.

Hail Hail!

Hopefully not. Our superior fitness and sharpness 'should' see us through. Us keepeing the clean sheet could also be crucial.

As you say, we deserved much more than a 1-0 win from that game but luck just wasn't with us tonight. We'll go into the return leg with confidence after that dominant performance against them. They will be wary of the pace of our passing and the way we retain possession, not to mention our speed on the counter. Dembele worked hard and held the ball up well but he badly needs to find his shooting boots.

Everyone played their part tonight
 
Sorry I wasn't on last night guys but I was actually at the game! What a result! Atmosphere was fantastic! Totally outplayed them all over the pitch! They were at it right from the off, diving and time wasting!
 
Brendan Rodgers has named an unchanged side for tonight's early (Celtic Park time) kick-off against Zenit.

So tonight's team:

Dorus de Vries
Lustig - Simunovic - Ajer - Tierney
Kouassi - Brown - Ntcham
Forrest - McGregor
Dembele

Subs: Bain, Miller, Hendry, Sinclair, Rogic, Musonda and Edouard.
 
2nd Leg

CELTIC: (3-5-1-1) De Vries; Lustig, Simunovic, Ajer; Forrest, Kouassi, Brown, Ntcham; Tierney; McGregor; Dembele.

Subs: Bain, Miller, Hendry, Sinclair, Rogic, Musonda, Edouard

Same starting XI as the first leg.

Give it your best bhoys!
 
Sell Simunovic asap. He's a liability with the attention span of a brick. Cost us a couple and set the tone in the hertz gubbing, spunked another two v partick and another tonight. Get him dropped.
 
Not a good start and the second goal should have been saved, it moves a bit in the air but its still at a good height to save it and it's in the middle of the goal. At this level, our keeper should be saving that!

Still in this and we started to grow into the game with some better passing but we're just lacking that cutting edge to actually find a way through their packed defence, just like we did last week. We're not pressing as high or with as much intensity. You can see McGregor is playing deeper than he did last week. We're not getting as much time on the ball as last week either, they're closing us down quickly.

Just need to hope this mob tire as the game goes on and we can get on top!

Another dodgy fucking ref tonight as well though. Will be interesting to hear how Kouassi is after that challenge right at the end of the half where a booked Zenit player made another bad challenge and probably could have had another yellow but the ref wanted to know nothing about it because he then blew for half time......absolute bollocks!
Every time they make a foul, it seems that the ref give us advantage and then they don't get pulled up for their fouls.....but if we foul Zenit.....it's never advantage and it's a foul. What Dembele was booked for I'm still not sure! There was no intention to stand on Ivanovic's foot......
 
ht 2-1 Zenit

It's like we've forgotten how to attack and create recently. Attacks are slow, ponderous & predictable - and after a few passes out wide or along the box the ball invariably goes back the way! We've plenty of possession in every game (including tonight) but do feck all constructive with it. Possession alone will win you nothing. The players and Rodgers have fallen into a complacent 'ball retention at all costs' trap of their own making. It's been exactly the same against the poorest domestic opposition in recent months and shows no sign of improving. None. Forget the injuries, the players who have played should be more than capable of humping any and all domestic opposition they come up against.

It's down to the manager fix it.
 
de Vries is just awful. Simunovic is also awful. And I have to say, Dembele has become the laziest forward I have ever seen at this point.
 
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