Well, looks like all those "Celtic have one foot in the secound" round comments were very premature, predictably enough. Lots of work to do yet.
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Well, looks like all those "Celtic have one foot in the secound" round comments were very premature, predictably enough. Lots of work to do yet.
But the other foot was always in the grave. It was torture to watch such a leaden arsed, right from the kick off, arthritic performance. You could draw parallels with Ireland in Cyprus, a couple of bad errors and the the whole team gets infected with the jitters. Pearson was consistantly the wrong player at the wrong time.
I'd still expect a showdown performance against Man U. In scoring 3 goals the advantage has shifted to Benfica with a home game against Copenhagen.
Funnily enough I predicted 3-0 to my friends after the Celtic Park result. I had a feeling they'd be a little too silky at home and could've got 12/1 on it yesterday except I don't like betting against my teams.
Poor performance though and the pressure is very definately on now. 2 draws will do though or 1 win I think assuming Benfica will beat Copenhagen at home and lose away to Man Utd.
I always expected a Benfica win tbh. Last night was worse than I expected though. A 2-0 defeat would have been fine but 3-0 added to Man U losing means it couldn't have gone much worse. I wouldn't expect less than a draw against United though and Benfica have little chance of getting anything in Old Trafford. Copenhagen away will be tough now but Celtic are still favourites for 2nd. Benfica lost a home match which puts them on the back foot.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
Playing Pearson was such a bad mistake. His touch and passing are woeful and his positioning looks like that of a headless chicken. He should have gone 4-4-2 with Zurawski or 4-5-1 with Jarosik. I know neither are in great form but Pearson has a lot of shortcomings as a player and is not good enough for 90 mins at such a level.
Aye, I never rated Pearson. Kilbane is a much better player than him which says it all. I would have played McGeady on the left with Maloney off Miller. Plenty of teams play with 2 wingers and 2 up front. Sno and Lennon should have enough to cover while Naka and McGeady will always get back when not in possession.
Benfica were excellent off the ball I must say.
alright folks, not logged on too much these dayus currently off travelling and in an internet cafe in Yichang, China.
Was looking fairly good since I've been away, league form was good and great home win against Benfica until an hour ago and I've just read the match reports on Weds game. Defeat not unexpected but I wish we didn't gift the opposition these head starts making everything doubly difficult.
Tough game tomorrow against Hearts, hopefully we can bounce straight back!!
Hail Hail
PS: Is McGeady fully fit now?
Yeah, McGeady will almost certainly start tomorrow.
McGeady should have started in Portugal in hindsight. What has happened to Malony this year?? Easily our best player last year, not quite happening for him this year. Apart from the lovely ball for Miller to set the goal against Benfica in Paradise, not much else from him??
Also...Pearson obviously started to protect the left wing...however did you see how far away from his man he was when the cross for the 1st goal was swung in? He was in no mans land. McGeady this year has shown as well as going forward that he's well able to cover back, and I don't think we would have conceded that goal if he was playing.
He's only started a handful of games since returning from injury. Give him a chance, he'll come good again.
Yea I know he will, but he was injured for the start of last season, played a couple of reserve matches on his return and burst back into the senior side with that wonder strike in the old firm. He never looked back after that and went on to win Player of the Year!!
Go on the Celtic!!! nothing like leaving it late to keep the excitement!!!!!!
Paddy Power pay out on Celtic in November!!
Seems that other bet companies are willing to do the same following this
w-e's results...
Celtic come back with 5 mins to go to beat Hearts 2-1.
Rangers lose to Dundee Utd by same score.
Stokes bags another hat trick.
My Sunday team wins in the cup 4-2.
Great f*cking weekend!!
I couldn't believe the Rangers result last night. Confidence must be horrendously low to be beaten 2-0 at home to a first division side. Paul Le Guen has obviously underestimated the Scottish League and the in yer face attitude of most teams.
There's no way he'll be sacked I think as he has a good pedigree with Lyon (albeit with a lot more cash than the other teams had available) but the players he has signed have been poor and don't seem interested in battling to win a game which you have to do in Scotland. Interesting how they are doing well in Europe where you don't have to scrap and get more time on the ball.
I expected a lot better from his Rangers team as his arrival was widely heralded as a huge coup. Early days I know but there's no doubt now that he has a huge job on his hands to turn results and confidence around.
agreed , i think le guen thought he could fancy dan his way to the title but he paid no attention to the fact that celtic are tough too , as you have to be in the SPL
One of my least favourite people, Chick Young, said the following as the SPL season opened:
I am prepared to push the gamble button and suggest to you that the persuading of Paul Le Guen to succeed Alex McLeish at Ibrox will win the title.
It remains an impressive appointment. People in France are still staring into their pastis, stroking their moustaches and making Gallic hand movements about the wonderment of one of their most talented young coaches taking a job in Scotland. Allez Les Bleus, right enough
Wonder what he thinks now!
I have to admit, I thought Le Guen was an excellent appointment based on his success at Lyon. When you see how well Houllier is doing though it can't be a tough job. :) I don't rate Houllier at all.
Personally speaking I think that Le Guen has been an excellent appointment ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
The man will need time and I think that eventually he will prove to be a good manager for them .
Don't know if he is capable of it or if many managers are able to turn them around. They appear to be skint, with pitiful TV revenue coming in, a deal with JJB for shirt sales that seems to at best short sighted and their only real hope of a cash injection for desperately needed new players is Vlad inploding everything at Tynecastle and giving them a leg up into next seasons Champions League qualifiers (even then I can't see how they will qualify for the group stages.)
Rangers have a youth acadamy but; a) you can hardly expect a couple of young players to come in and turn things around.
b) I have not seen much in the way of real talent come out of it.
If Hearts weren't bent on self destruction they would have a fair chance of establishing themselves in as one of Scotland's top two for the next few years.
Celtic are through to the next round of the CL. It's impossible for them to be overtaken by both Benfica and Man U. Yes!!!!:D
the players should have been wearing masks last night, i'd say man u are still in shock , brilliant
I've been supporting celtic for 20 years and I think last nights victory is the sweatest I have experience. To beat the most overrated english side since.....well they're all overrated!! Man U think they can come to celtic park an win....ya right!! Come on the BHOYS!!!
Still smiling at the thoughts of the last 15 mins.
Credit to Strachan for making 2 changes at half time, contributed to a much more competitive 2nd half even if the subs didn't do a lot.
Lennon still managing to hold the midfield together.
Both free kicks were soft decisions.
What a goal, what a fcuking goal. Even when he was winding up for it, I was thinking, "go on, drop it on Balde's head at the back post". Shows what I know, then a penalty save to top it all off! According to Sky Sports, the Neviller knew Saha was going to miss, so why didn't you take it yourself you sap??
United played well in the first half, without ever really looking like threatening, reminded me of an Old Firm game a few years ago in Ibrox, in their own half they were allowed to pass and play the ball to each other, as soon as they crossed the half way line, tackles were flying in and players were pressurised.
Playing Rooney on the left was Sir's first mistake, playing Giggs through the middle was his second. Buying Carrick, and believing he could replace Roy Keane was his third!!
Hoping for a favorable draw now, and a Benfica win in 2 weeks. Incidentally, who believes Strachan will play a second string side, or at least not his strongest starting XI away in Denmark? Topping the group should be a priority, but there's no need to pick up needless injuries or bookings now that qualification is achieved. On the other hand, Celtic are running away with the league, even now, and should try to perform as best they can in the Champion's League
Delighted. Naka just won't miss a freekick like that. There's nobody in the world better than him at freekicks in that position. Fair play to Strachan for changing it at half time. I can't believe how close Miller was to replacing Naka before the goal, only to be told to put his top back on. :eek:
Do the group phase bookings carry over to the knock out rounds?
No....Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
I was actually thinking that it was a little too far out to beat a keeper of VDS's size and stature! You won't see many better than that. I think it caught most of us by surprise that Celtic were through. I certainly didn't realise it and both Lennon and Strachan were surprised when informed after the match!Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
When there's that much tension involved you forget about the simple facts!
I knew a 1-0 or 2-1 win would have Celtic through before the match. I was suprised nobody at Celtic knew. Lennon had to tell the players in the dressing room.
As for Naka being too far. You're reminding me of listening to John Cole commentate on Channel 67. :) Naka was in a similar position to last night and John says "It's too far in ey?". He bangs it into the top corner. If Naka is lining himself up to shoot then you know it's definitely not too far. ;) Obviously the wall is there for a reason but when you're up against Naka from 30 yards out you should just stand in the middle of the goal.
Quote:
Originally Posted by eirebhoy
Somehow I knew that you would know. ;) :D
There's nothing for Celtic to lose now in Copenhagen (except a game of course). Copenhagen are glued to bottom spot regardless of the outcome. Celtic can go hammer and tongs for the victory. Luxury, isn't it.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
I think they have really go for the win in Denmark. Playing the 2nd leg at home will make a huge difference imo.
The first half performance in the last 2 games have been poor.
The difference in the 2nd game was that Man U failed to score in first half and Strachan acted emphatically at half time.
Talk has shifted away from "solid" Telfer.
Sno and Lennon at CM doesn't seem to work. Graveson is a poor man's Petrov, easilt outpaced but at least he does a full nights work.
Bobo did a lot of good things, the passing will get sharper but the attempted tackle from behind in the penalty area is the kind of nightmarish stuff that he invariably does.
Overall Strachan has done well in the CL with a lesser team than O'Neill had garnered.
You'd almost forget about the £1.5m for Virgo and the presence once of Du Wei in a hooped shirt.
Bobo's passing won't get sharper. He's an absolute nightmare on the ball.
Brrrr, Du Wei. :eek: That sent a shiver down my spine. 45 minutes at the Broadwood Stadium on a cold January day and Du Wei turned inside-out by a man now in Millwall's reserves. No, I don't think any Celtic fans with a half-decent memory could ever forget...Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
:ball: PP
First I'll have to forget about the 5m+ for Rafael Scheidt, then I can work on forgetting about Du Wei
100% agreed on that. I think Sno will be dropping down to the reserves for a while now. He doesn't have a natural confidence so is a completely different player when full of confidence.Quote:
Originally Posted by geysir
I don't agree with that. Petrov went missing in plenty of games for Celtic, Gravesen will never hide. He's probably not the best tackler but he certainly gets himself around the pitch, a bit like Gattuso. He's much more technically gifted than Gattuso though. I'm delighted with Gravesen so far. I watched that lad Tymoshuck that Celtic have been constantly linked with last night against Roma. He would be the ideal replacement for Lennon and an excellent partner for Gravesen.Quote:
Graveson is a poor man's Petrov, easilt outpaced but at least he does a full nights work.
He'll always be terrible on the ball, now mainly because he knows all 60,000 fans in the stadium dread when he has the ball. The pressure must be unreal for him. :) The tackle on Ronaldo though more than made up for it (albeit with a bit of help from Boruc) and was a typical Balde tackle. He's very fast, excellent in the air and very good at judging a sliding tackle. He just has no football brain at all and needs Mjallby in there to guide him.Quote:
Bobo did a lot of good things, the passing will get sharper but the attempted tackle from behind in the penalty area is the kind of nightmarish stuff that he invariably does.