Pretty nice performance. I think the team was a little nervous and constipated in the first half. Stokes's goal settled things down. We go need players who can carry the ball forward when the opposition keeps so many men back. Maybe Tonev can help. I'll twake this performance any day, though. :emoticon:01
vs St Johnstone
- Thread starter wee_od_88
- Start date
wee_od_88
Vital Football Hero
3-0 at FT
Berget and Boerrigter looked more like the sort of players who can come in and be good squad players (won't call them more than that!). Nice goal from McGregor to round it off, it was worked well and it was just the power he managed to get on the shot that helped it through the keeper's legs! McGregor again showing that he has the ability to be in this first team squad this season!
I don't think any fan watching that game tonight will be getting too excited though. St Johnstone were able to make some chances and a better team could have made more! We still look a bit exposed at the back but certainly a bit more solid tonight than we have looked.
We still need some real quality up front! Someone with pace as well! Tonight, as so often under Deila so far, we got up to their box and then it all just stopped, there was no space to shoot and we couldn't move the ball quick enough to create shooting opportunities!
Berget and Boerrigter looked more like the sort of players who can come in and be good squad players (won't call them more than that!). Nice goal from McGregor to round it off, it was worked well and it was just the power he managed to get on the shot that helped it through the keeper's legs! McGregor again showing that he has the ability to be in this first team squad this season!
I don't think any fan watching that game tonight will be getting too excited though. St Johnstone were able to make some chances and a better team could have made more! We still look a bit exposed at the back but certainly a bit more solid tonight than we have looked.
We still need some real quality up front! Someone with pace as well! Tonight, as so often under Deila so far, we got up to their box and then it all just stopped, there was no space to shoot and we couldn't move the ball quick enough to create shooting opportunities!
TicV"Establishment"
Alert Team
Pretty much sums up tonight, mate.
3 goals, 3 points and we weren't crap.
It appears Deila wants the team to pass back and forth, control the ball and move it around. It's too deliberate for my taste and the players don't appear comfortable doing it. We lack pace up front but also need the kind of physical target man to hold the ball up like Wanyama or even JVoH used to do.
It's definitely not an emphatic win despite the scoreline and there are many unanswered questions. Also nothing to panic over in terms of league results. We do need much better for Europe, obviously, and that means even Europa League play. Would we be better with Tonev, a more match-fit Forrest and Brown back? Sure. But we still need more up front.
Stokes showed nice touch on his goal, but he lacks pace. He almost seems out of shape and lethargic. And it's not really clear what anyone's assignment is up front.
It's definitely not an emphatic win despite the scoreline and there are many unanswered questions. Also nothing to panic over in terms of league results. We do need much better for Europe, obviously, and that means even Europa League play. Would we be better with Tonev, a more match-fit Forrest and Brown back? Sure. But we still need more up front.
Stokes showed nice touch on his goal, but he lacks pace. He almost seems out of shape and lethargic. And it's not really clear what anyone's assignment is up front.
TicV"Establishment"
Alert Team
Can't disagree with any of that, David. Game could've gone either way up until our penalty award and the sending off. We did very little with the possession we had and more often than not gave it away with a poor pass. The high tempo passing & pressing game is fine when the passes don't go astray or when the player is actually closed down/pass stopped or intercepted. But when it doesn't work it invariably leaves big gaps and vulnerabilities and, as Warsaw ably demonstrated twice, better teams will hurt us time and time again.
I saw no evidence tonight that Deila is taking that on board or adapting his 'philosophy' to suit the players we have.
I believe that he thinks the players are new to this system and fresh off a month of loafing and will adapt. It's frustrating because, really, all he had to do was use Lenny's system and spend the Forster money and a bit of last season's cash on a good forward and a good defender. Gordon looks pretty good in goal and Tonev should be a nice midfield solution. I'd like to see even more than that come in, but a fresh spine for about pounds 9 million and a familiar play style and we're in business.
Instead, he has to get his paws all over everything and change it. That's the earmark of a big ego. We'll see how it goes.
Instead, he has to get his paws all over everything and change it. That's the earmark of a big ego. We'll see how it goes.
The Daily Mail is alive with a story that Celtic breathe a sigh of relief because bad calls handed us a win. Um, St. Johnstone had one (1) shot on goal. VvD's play in the penalty box was never a penalty. Did Boeriggter dive? I need a replay. If they want to say the third goal is only attributed to them being down to 10 men, fine. They still lose 1-0.
I love the media when it comes to Celtic. "Och, aye, the farst goal was lucky and second wisnae a penalty and the third would'nae happen without the man advantage. If everything had gone oor way the way it should, we'd have won the match."
I love the media when it comes to Celtic. "Och, aye, the farst goal was lucky and second wisnae a penalty and the third would'nae happen without the man advantage. If everything had gone oor way the way it should, we'd have won the match."
wee_od_88
Vital Football Hero
It does look as though Boerrigter dived a bit, certainly the contact didn't cause him to go down. But he was through on goal so I'm not even sure why he would have dived, unless he didn't fancy his chances of scoring from the angle he was at.
Regardless, we didn't play that well but I still think the better team won in the end. The fact we got a penalty and they didn't for very similar situations was always going to mean there were questions asked over whether we deserved to win or not. Big difference was that even if there was contact in both instances, VVD wouldn't have been sent off, McKay would have! I think his red card will be dropped to a yellow anyway.
It was interesting to see that last night we almost played as a 4-4-2 but with our wingers playing further up and Commons dropping deeper so almost a 4-2-2-1-1. It was going back to a bit more what we are used to playing, but somehow it was a lot more open still. I think our CM is the problem at the moment. Neil McCann said after the game, he didn't feel Biton or Johansen did anything in the game, and I actually kind of agree. They both looked best when they actually got forward, biton was making some nice passes too but he also had a couple of bursts forward and was good when he did. Johansen is not a great holding midfielder but going forward he can be quite useful.
It's a bit like the Joe Ledley situation, he came to Celtic as someone who got into the box and contributed with goals, then Lennon used him more defensively but when he did get forward, he was better! Last season, Lennon used Johansen in a CM role but he was allowed to attack, playing on the left of the central midfield.
Biton is better as a holding midfielder, he's still got a lot to learn but at the base of a 3 man midfield, he's pretty good. If he gets a good run of games, we'll see the best of him.
Up front is a strange one because as welch pointed out, we need someone with a bit of physicality as well as pace. If we are going to play with just one striker, he will need to be more like a Van Persie or Benzema sort of build. They are both quick enough to outrun defenders but also have decent strength and they are tall enough to be a threat from crosses.
Deila doesn't appear to be too willing to change his philosophy but from what he said in previous interviews, that's not surprising.....it could however be rather stupid! As we've said before, only time will tell!
Regardless, we didn't play that well but I still think the better team won in the end. The fact we got a penalty and they didn't for very similar situations was always going to mean there were questions asked over whether we deserved to win or not. Big difference was that even if there was contact in both instances, VVD wouldn't have been sent off, McKay would have! I think his red card will be dropped to a yellow anyway.
It was interesting to see that last night we almost played as a 4-4-2 but with our wingers playing further up and Commons dropping deeper so almost a 4-2-2-1-1. It was going back to a bit more what we are used to playing, but somehow it was a lot more open still. I think our CM is the problem at the moment. Neil McCann said after the game, he didn't feel Biton or Johansen did anything in the game, and I actually kind of agree. They both looked best when they actually got forward, biton was making some nice passes too but he also had a couple of bursts forward and was good when he did. Johansen is not a great holding midfielder but going forward he can be quite useful.
It's a bit like the Joe Ledley situation, he came to Celtic as someone who got into the box and contributed with goals, then Lennon used him more defensively but when he did get forward, he was better! Last season, Lennon used Johansen in a CM role but he was allowed to attack, playing on the left of the central midfield.
Biton is better as a holding midfielder, he's still got a lot to learn but at the base of a 3 man midfield, he's pretty good. If he gets a good run of games, we'll see the best of him.
Up front is a strange one because as welch pointed out, we need someone with a bit of physicality as well as pace. If we are going to play with just one striker, he will need to be more like a Van Persie or Benzema sort of build. They are both quick enough to outrun defenders but also have decent strength and they are tall enough to be a threat from crosses.
Deila doesn't appear to be too willing to change his philosophy but from what he said in previous interviews, that's not surprising.....it could however be rather stupid! As we've said before, only time will tell!
We didn't play that great, but in the final analysis, we scored one goal that had nothing to do with referee decisions or a 10-man opponent. They had one shot on goal and it was well saved by Craig Gordon. The gme was open and St. Johnstone got some ball movement, but they didn't really pose a threat to the net beyond that one shot. So, yes, the better side won. If we win the league by goal differential of two, then the pundit can whine about injustice.
Now Boeriggter may get a two-match ban for diving. How else can we embarrass ourselves this month. Fuck sake. We deserved the win, but this is not the bullshit we need.
What we need is a the team to decide that they are tired of being in the barrel for undeserved Champions League honors and questionable penalties and get out there and give us an emphatic win. I want a foot in the ass of the Tange.
What we need is a the team to decide that they are tired of being in the barrel for undeserved Champions League honors and questionable penalties and get out there and give us an emphatic win. I want a foot in the ass of the Tange.
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