SENTINELCELTS

I love Italy as a country, been there several times and touch wood shall return, and would happily dine out there for the rest of my days.
Nearly everyday I should say, because tonight the Itailians are planning Celtic for dinner.

We all like to believe that once that whistle blows anything can happen, and once in a while that actually happens, but one of footballs realities is that preparation usually succeeds. Atalanta have well prepared for this moment, and I’ve gotta tip my hat to their strategists. From nobody really to European finalists and occasional pace setters in SeriaA within the space of a decade. Two reserve teams out playing, and most admirable of all they didn’t try to ‘out-Italian’ their domestic game, they adopted an attacking approach to the beautiful game which has obviously served them well. For years they’ve honed their game and specific areas, fine tuned to the point that a lesser opponent should be easily dispatched, their sights look upwards not downwards.
And they are at home.

The general consensus was targeting 9/10 points and grabbing a play-off spot would be not only the target but an excellent achievement. Losing games like tonight formed that consensus. Defeat should be no surprise, but clearly it’s the manner of defeat that’s debatable.

I note the calls for something different, but I’m sorry I must disagree. More importantly Brendan does also. These words might come back to haunt me but there’s a chance the group actually took lessons away from the Dortmund drubbing. If we stop conceding goals in clusters that would help. Don’t commit too many forward and constantly check both your positioning and your direct opponents. Get tighter when called for, sit deeper, but not too deep, when danger lurks.
And TAKE YOUR CHANCES WHEN THEY COME! If we are playing 4-3-3 full time then so be it, it’s worked so far Dortmund aside, I’m for letting everybody getting used to their roles and the level that is needed to step up, and keeping those who can.

On that, we have been poor recently, and it just feels like terrible timing. Kyogo seemed to have developed a good grasp of Brodge-ball late last season. It pains me to say (given when he’s on song he’s eye-candy) that he isn’t firing on all cylinders, but he does have a real desire to score in the CL plus he did net at the weekend.
Oh, and Bernardo’s usually good in Europe.

That’s about all the hope I can muster up, because the rest are just too erratic. I’ve seen Scales and Trusty beaten several times, GT will drift too high and get caught out, Maeda is either dynamite or anonymous ditto Kuhn, Engels remains an enigma (and I fear what another absolute tanking would do to his commitment), and whilst I believe AJ is certainly a step in the right direction at right back I cannot count on him to be the difference maker.
Which leaves Callum who is an excellent footballer but often gets lost in the heat of battle, ditto Reo.
Maybe Big Cam could start/return, but as good as he is, that won’t cut the mustard at this level.
It’s actually the perfect time to play Celtic, Brendan’s only two windows in and are not sparkling as a team recently.

I’m sorry to be the harbinger of doom but I just not cannot fill ‘you’ full of hope when there’s little.
Statistically Celtic will pull off a decent result away in Europe at some stage of our remaining days, but tonight in Italy?
Mama Mia makes a damn fine coffee if anyone needs to wake up.

By Mahe sentinelcelts@gmail.com