Michael o'Neill has a decent record there since he went but if they go down he will have to take the blame given that he has been there since November, has had a transfer window and had the lockdown to get even more work done. He has not helped Collins developmentOriginally Posted by tommy_c12000
Good to see Aaron Connolly and Jason Knight staying in their starting line ups for their clubs. However, Norwich have dropped Pukki and replaced him with Josip Drmic, ignoring Idah's contribution the other night. Very disappointing. Drmic has one goal in 17 league appearances this season so it is not as if he has provided a compelling reason for inclusion over Idah.
Connolly deserved it for his efforts against utd. Think he should start for us and let him get games to develop. I remember duff taking a good while to be impressive at senior level for us
Connolly didn’t do much. He does get pretty poor service. One big chance, Klose blocked his shot potentially destined for bottom córner.
Idah with 20 minutes. Looked sharp and strong again, one excellent glancing header off post at the end. He will start the next game, Drmic was terrible.
Knight played out wide left for most first half. Typical busy performance, without too much inspiration. Taken off around 60 minutes, had changed to the right wing.
I watched Molumby and Cullen last night. Molumby played the advanced role with Woods sitting. I really don’t think he’s an advanced midfielder, had minimal impact, his off the ball runs weren’t good, looked a bit headless. Subbed at half time. I do think he’s best playing deeper and linking things with his dynamism. Cullen played as sitting midfielder for Charlton, did okay without dominating. Strokes the ball around nicely. I do think Molumby is better longer term prospect with more explosiveness and energy. But right now, Cullen is the better option internationally. Molumby still has a lot to learn.
Derby and Millwall still in contention for 6th place
Molumby is an out and out 6. Not a 4 as he is a little too dynamic to be willing to sit and you could play him 8 if you are being conservative and need a sitter. But he is a 6. The player he most reminds me of, as I've said before, is Roy Keane. Gets his foot on the ball when he has and does not have it.
He had a booking and maybe a knock last night so I forgive him the substitution.
Not sure what all the numbers mean, but agree on similarities on Keane. He was playing too advanced for me last night and seemed a bit lost. Better off a bit deeper. Similar to Keane role yes.
Yes he was carrying a yellow, but I didn’t see any convincing knock. Thompson who replaced him really didn’t impress as well, however, I wouldn’t be surprised if Molumby was dropped for next game or 2.
Interesting to see Will Ferry on the bench for Southampton tonight. Didn't come on but might get a run before the end of the season.
Good going to get that near to the first team at 18, to put it into context he's almost two years younger than Will Smallbone.
He also had a bad injury, which is why he missed the Euro U19 championships last summer. Pretty sure he only returned in December, so he missed 6/7 months.
Just reading here that the SPL reserve league may not resume until January 2021. Sources close to Celtic have told the Athletic that "they are worried Celtic are considering temporarily disbanding their development team for 2020-21."
After a pretty fruitless season for Luca Connell, Jonathan Afolabi and Lee O'Connor, that could be a worrying development. It would also leave Armstrong Oko-Flex and Barry Coffey in a difficult position given their relative lack of senior game time.
I have an awful feeling that the move has gone Pete Tong for the former trio. At least Afolabi has managed to nab his first senior goals during his loan spell at Dunfermline. And all 5 are 20 or younger. However, they should have very busy agents at present seeking loan or permanent moves.
Well Celtic, as well as quite a few other SPL teams, didn't bother with the reserve league last season anyway. The general opinion is that, like most Scottish football, it's worse than useless so no point to it when you're beating Dunfermline reserves 9-0 and the likes. They just played friendlies at reserve level instead.
That said, yes the Celtic moves have been exactly as disastrous as might have been expected for those three. Connell hasn't had a kick of senior football, O'Connor went from looking good in his Ireland debut to a dreadful loan spell in a terrible Partick team and Afolabi was passable and no more at Dunfermline. He looked considerably poorer than his strike partner Nisbet. To cap it off the man who was instrumental in bringing them there has left the club and one of the most overrated managers in British football remains in charge. Think Roy Keane but without the entertaining punditry outbursts. Hopefully this will serve as a lesson for other Irish footballers who consider a similar path. Okoflex has also fallen away badly since going there and Coffey just isn't good enough anyway.
Why any Irish youth player would consider Celtic when there are so many top English academies on our doorstep is beyond me.
Maybe they are not that good !
Maybe not, but how will we ever know if they continue in the situation they are in at the moment. Certainly Connell looked impressive at Championship level the season before, despite playing for a team in free fall. Afolabi was named as centre forward on the team of the tournament at the Euro under 19s last summer, no mean feat. O'Connor looked good when capped for Ireland and when playing for our under 21s didn't look out of place next to O'Shea, Masterson, Molumby etc.
I would rank all three a little below our top level of young players that we have coming through at the moment. That was, at least in O'Connor and Afolabi's cases, why they were available for free to Celtic last summer. But they strike me as three players who, in the right environment, could be developed into professional, international standard players for us. Celtic's track record at doing this is not particularly good.
And if they signed for Celtic purely because Damien Duff was there they have either been ill advised or not thought through their decision. Coaches and managers come and go without a second thought for the players they leave behind, players only get one shot at their careers and need to go where the best structures are in place for them to develop. Glasgow is not that place.
Hopefully all three can get loans to SPFL clubs for the coming season because, with 10 in a row on the line, they won't be getting much game time at Celtic. Some talk of Celtic signing Martin Boyle from Hibs with loan players going the other way in return - maybe there might be an opening there. The Scottish lower leagues don't start until late autumn this year so no route to football for them in the Scottish Championship right now.
Bilic seems to bloody love Dara O'Shea. He is always keen to express how much Dara impresses him on all fronts- technical, tactical, physical, mental.
'He is the present and future of West Brom' - Bilic hails Irish youngster O'Shea https://the42.ie/5143732
Idah missed a sitter from 5 yards out to equalize today. Has to take chances like that
Can't find it on Twitter but apparently Dara O'Shea has scored a good header from a corner to put West Brom 2-0 up.
Utterly dreadful marking but hats off to him. He's getting great reviews on the WBA fans forum: http://westbrom.com/forum/index.php?...seen#msg718378
Most appear to want him to stay right back in the near term. I assume centre half is his spot long term.
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