Eagerly awaited
Jeez, it feels like only yesterday we failed to peel those Tangerines, mind you the game was at their midden, and was technically last year, so the chance to set the record straight has fallen pretty quickly which is timely.
As is the weather, temperatures will swing a massive 8 degrees between daytime and nighttime, which is one way of saying it will be Baltic at Parkhead tonight, today, until Spring at least.
While conditions may be poor, there’s always something special about a midweek game under the floodlights. Nighttime games just have a nostalgic feeling, and the pre-match libations usually help deliver a lively support seeking that warm fuzzy feeling that comes with watching us play the Celtic way. How we play, how we are playing I should say, has been somewhat of a source of debate even spilling over into a bit of public spat, which by itself makes tonight’s clash that bit more interesting.
Brendan made a rod for his own back in hitting out (in his own way) at the support, which in turn leads me to believe the support will hit back (in their own way) should the occasion call for it. A Green Brigade banner reminding those in the corridors of power the Celtic support are permanent whilst they are temporary wouldn’t surprise me in the slightest. Dull uninspiring play may well draw statement howls from a support feeling entitled to hit back, as would another bit-part post match lap of honour.
There’s one way to cast all that aside though and move forward, literally and figuratively. A rip roaring performance that leaves no questions, fast free flowing football that’s pleasing on the eye, a plain old fashioned thumping of the opposition would really help everyone to get back on track and send a large message of reassurance that this squad is getting better and the good times will roll on despite our nose being bloodied at Ibrox and the verbal slap down that’s got Celtic cyberspace in a tizzy.
Easy enough then, one really good game to reset the narrative and leave all feeling rosey again, football’s equivalent of buying the missus flowers and/or a box of chocolates. But as some idiot once said, when it comes to chocolates you never know what you’re going to get, and that’s certainly the case in football with its beautiful unpredictability.
Having got my team selection completely wrong at the weekend, it’s time I just acknowledge we don’t have a settled 11 you can hang your hat on, Kasper aside nothing surprises me anymore. I suppose that’s a good thing, we have more depth than any other team, perhaps more depth than any other time from the past, but there’s various angles at play with regards to team selection. I’ve a feeling the manager needs to see his summer purchases really shine in order to continually assure those holding the purse strings, plus the Greg Taylor situation has been allowed to snowball into a potential problem. Here’s my take on that.
Basically KT’s desire to come home would have been known, was known, which lead to no agreed fee to buy Valle, no pay rise to top tier wage bracket for Greg as he will be second choice behind his fellow Scotland International, and EBT Arteta is loathe to help out the Leather Belts by accepting any fee in January. It’s not an ideal situation, was such events are part and parcel of football. But I do hold a degree of sympathy for GT here, any subpar performance will be met by critics saying he’s protecting himself to get a big Bosman, any top drawer performance will be met by critics saying he’s only playing well to get a big Bosman, any backpass rather than forward pass gets met with howls of derision. Its a bit damned if he does, damned if he doesn’t, while the threat of injury and unemployment if injured hovers. But if KT and new back up (he will be needed) turn out better than GT and Valle, then alls well that ends well.
Call me old fashioned in my belief energetic players are called for on a frigid night, call me naive if I say it might be a game to rest a few legs as we approach our biggest European games in years, but given all the current circumstances and side-angles involved, this game has taken on more importance than usual,
Eagerly awaited?
Aye, sounds about right.
By Mahe
sentinelcelts@gmail.com
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Good read Mahe, don’t anyone can disagree with that take.
Thank you chief.
Hopefully a resounding victory against the Arabs – watched the recent Dundee derby, and wasn’t overly impressed with them, despite the fact that they scrapped a win.
Common sense CSC. 🍀
Morning all,
.
Excellent leader Mahe 👏👏👏
Eagerly awaited you said.
Well it most certainly is !!!!!!
I just hope the Green Brigade don’t go OTT and bring out some ludicrous chant or banner to disrupt proceedings.
We need 100% support tonight and hopefully in doing so, the players bring their A game with them.
Conditions will be Baltic, so everyone going, get the thermals on, stay hydrated and enjoy a good game.
I might indulge in a few malts beforehand to see me through 😁😁😁
COYBIG 🍀 🍀 🍀 🍀 🍀
Ps
Remember your Superbru predictions 👍
Good morning friends and a Big Happy Matchday to all who post or lurk on this fine site.
Nothing from the last few days affects my own support tonight. Whilst the game is in progress its 100% encouragement to all of our players. As for the GB they remain 300 supporters in a crowd of 50,000. They can bring a special vibrancy to our ground but they rarely ‘speak on behalf of the majority’. And which of their regular songs are actually in support of the team?
Aff oot – car service…..
Great stuff as always Mahe.
It will be a four layer job tonight clothes wise and another slog for the team to break down the layers of Arab defenders blocking the way to goal.
This is the modern game. Football in the 80’s was far more open than what we watch now. Every team we play is fantastically and manically set up to defend as if their lives depended on it – witness St Mirren on Sunday wasting time and committing sleekit off the ball assaults from the first whistle.
I wonder what the Maestro, Murdo, Tommy and Davie would have made of such tactics back in the day.
Leggy
As we sit here with a coffee the GB are in a hall rehearsing the old chant:
Strachan, Strachan GTF! Strachan GTF!!
You heard it here first.
😉
Jobo Baldie
January 8, 2025 8:59 am
‘And which of their regular songs are actually in support of the team?’
###
Perhaps you could compile and analyze a spreadsheet to find out.
Whatever the answer is the players seem to be particularly appreciative of their efforts.
Meanwhile, in other news
https://theshovel.com.au/2020/05/28/mark-zuckerberg-dead-at-36-says-social-media-fact-check/
Here are my thoughts on BR’s system. Feel free to correct me if I have misunderstood.
We have two attacking FB’s but only one is truly inverted. GT inverts into the left and centre midfield to support the three midfielders and the forwards. AJ is really a wingback. He prefers to go on the outside and cross the ball into the opposition penalty box, but he is still an attacking player.
Both of our CBs move wide in order to pass wide. They tend to favour passing shorter to our FBs, rather than directly on to our wide players. Play could be speeded up if the CBs went longer directly to Maeda and Kuhn. However, these passes are more risky. In the event that they are intercepted, Celtic is faced with both FBs up the park and one of the two CBs too wide on the other side of the park. A very dangerous situation…One that has cost us.
In order to compensate for the forward movement of our FBs, one of the three midfielders needs to hang back, centrally. Normally, that is Calmac, but it could be one of the other two. Personally, I think that Hatate is NOT suited to perform that task, but both Bernardo and Engels are. McCowan could but his lack of pace makes him less effective there. This aspect is more complex than described here because midfielders can take turns of covering at the back. Further, because of Maeda’s engine he can cover for GT.
So, here is the rub. Imagine that GT has the ball in the left midfield just in front of the opposition defence. If he plays a pass that is intercepted in and around the middle of the park, the opposition can break forward into space because the left sided CB is wide on the left. It is up to Calmac or whoever is covering GT to break up that threat. Who likes those odds! I seem to remember that Sevco’s first goal in the LC final was an example of this breakdown.
Similarly, if AJ has the ball in the opposition half, it is usually wider than where GT positions. If he hits a poor pass, the break is more likely to be out wider, down the flank. Our right sided CB should be positioned out there, minimising the threat. Although the threat is less, it is still a threat, depending on how fast the opposition is.
I think BR sees all of this, better than I do. Consequently, GT and AJ are coached to be cautious in how they pass the ball forward when they are supporting the midfield. Do not give the ball away! It is more serious if GT does it, because he plays nearer the centre in the opposition half.
Hence, we have a high level of backward/sideways passes as the FBs consider the percentages of completing an accurate forward pass.
There are various ways of fixing the backward pass but they either involve shifting from 433, or using the LB as a wingback. This does not suit GT’s style as he has improved as a player through the inverted role.
I welcome your thoughts. I have a medical appointment in the morning so I shall not reply until later my time…5 hours behind GMT.
Rebus
Billy Bhoy,
Could be an interesting night for the chants 🤔🤔🤔🤔
Although it might be too cold to sing anything !!!!!!!!!
Me personally, bet I look like the Michelin Man with all my layers 😁😁😁😁
Rebus67 @11:30
That’s a very interesting post and can’t fault the analysis.
I’ll pay particular attention to the players movement tonight, being at the game you see more of the movements than the telly.
Of course there’s every chance I’ll freeze to death ❄️🥶
Leggy,
It will be a high of -22 where I live. Enjoy your balmy weather 🇨🇦
Rebus
Rebus…I’ve got to say that’s about the most succinct description of how we play! Now, if only everybody on here understood that!! 😉😁
Well that didn’t work.
Went to bed last night trying to still understand, why our Celtic manager, would choose to spoon feed, a hun scum media, animation to fire at our supporters?
Woke up, still none the wiser.
Don’t pretend to know everything that can go on within the footballing world. Still many surprises and even shocking events still exists within the game.
But current events within our club is a new one upon myself?
Anyway as mahe said in his great article, we go into tonight game with a not knowing and unexpected factor involved, for a home game?
Hope all our supporters in attendance, know the requirements from themselves.
Standing ovations for all backwards and sideways has to be shown?
Even if it means our supporters, have to act like happy clapping, green and white yo-yo throughout the whole game.
St Brendan has to be kept happy at all costs, especially as we are to stupid to know any better?
So another interesting night awaits, and main focus is upon getting a positive winning result?
Anything less could make for a rather unpleasant view on show tonight, and wouldn’t like to call the potential consequences of such a thing happening, and don’t believe that it should come to that either imo?
Rebus67
Excellent summary of how we play.
I would add that when GT missplaces a pass, which is often ,his recovery is poor.
Rebus 67
System is too rigid so players rarely look forward as lateral is a safer bet.
Also why is no midfielder considered to receive a forward out ball?
Do our coaches fear our chosen anchor man lacks ability to negate forward surges in this area if we concede possession?
In this case probably wise considering outcomes in recent hun matches.
Also our lack of positive play in central areas allows our opponents to set defensively and wait for hopeful crosses to an overcrowded area.
I think our possession system is outdated with most coaches as once realisation came about that you just have to compact defensive and midfield lines making passing lanes difficult to find.
Our slow upfield movement is a bonus to opponents using the above tactic.
A more modern style possession system with quick transistion required.
An central midfielder who can properly play the anchor role should be our transfer priority.
Elon Musk has been linked with a purchase of Liverpool FC. Ally McCoist says he would be okay with Musk purchasing Sevco ‘for a season ’ (whatever the hell that means).
An important message to everyone going to the game tonight:
As you’re leaving the house stand in front of a mirror and say:
Matthew, tonight I’m going to be….A Swansea supporter.
That tale he told is right up there with the Danny McGrain story he told at the SECC. Over on FF they refer to BR as David Brent (Ricky Gervais character in the office). }*
* a level of detail that was sadly lacking in every MM post! 👍
Seem to have been saying the same thing for years now – I believe the biggest threat to us is actually us ourselves.
No one in Scotland seems capable of challenging our stranglehold of the title, so they (The huns in particular) spend their days praying that we somehow implode. I would be absolutely determined not to give them the satisfaction!
I’ve loved every minute since Brendan came back but I believe he could be smarter with things like this, as we have many enemies in this wee backwater and they are salivating at the thought of us tearing ourselves apart.
When we are all on the same page we are almost unbeatable, but when we are not, we give a real boost to those who want to see us fall out with each other.
No one can tell me who I can sing about, the same way no one can tell me I have to show support for a player I know isn’t good enough to play for us! I understand managers feeling the need to support players they know they are gonna have to rely on, but it’s a mistake to tell the young Celtic fans they can’t sing about one of their hero’s in case anyone takes the hump with it.
Even a happy clapper like me is still entitled to say who I like or dont. I’m afraid Taylor is among the most frustrating players I have ever watched in the hoops. Spend ONE game and just count the number of times he gives the ball away, or puts someone else under pressure because he seems to just want rid of the ball ..and that’s before you even think about the number of times he just plays the ball out the park!
I hope tonight is the beginning of us putting all this behind us and getting back to putting a long run of results together again.
P.s. If Greg is too sensitive to deal with a little criticism, maybe stop giving the ball away so cheaply and so often, then you will not hear any grumbling from the crowd. Remember, Greg, we have been here long before you were even born, and we will be here long after you are dust. You should be grateful you ever got the chance to wear that strip!
Pps, I’d be a tad worried if Brendan actually believes Greg is a good player.
Warning: plot spolier
is SC doing a Fight Club, and was LiT really BAD’s imaginary alter ego all along!?🤯
just joking pal 😆
Billy,
The midfield of Provan, Murdy, Maestro and TB had everything you could want in a midfield.
Maybe only topped once in my lifetime.
When we played 3-5-2 with Didier, Lenny, Lambo, Stan and Tommo.
Now that midfield definitely had everything 👍
HH.
Fan,
A midfield anchor absolutely should be out priority.
I believe that could help the balance of the team, as it is slightly unbalanced due to the fact one fullback is more inverted than the other, which can leave the defence exposed when Greg inevitably gives the ball away in the opposition half.
We could be a couple of key signing away from being a really good team. I’d be more than happy with KT and a specialist defensive midfielder as our next acquisitions, and then we can look again in the summer at what might be needed.
BAD
This one sentence of “you should be grateful you ever got the chance to wear that strip” is imo the best words I have seen in a while. Some of these guys need to remember just that. Thousands of wee bhoys and now ghirls will never pull one on no matter how hard they try.
On the point of chants it should be noted that the GB are not the only ultra group at Celtic. The Bhoys were 100% responsible for the KT chant on Sunday being initiated. My seats are beside this area of the ground and some of the songs and chants from them are disgraceful to say the least. I do agree however if players listen to them rather than concentrate on the game they are in the wrong club.
Stephen McGinn suggesting Man United should be looking at KT. Given that he could probably be had for a discount, I Would be a bit surprised no other English teams took a flyer on him.
speaking of Man U, at 82 million, is Anthony the biggest waste of money in recent football?
Fan
both those issues need addressed, but a tough all round mid, rather than a defensive specialist, is probably more of a fit. I still think Engels should be tried in that role. Even Bernardo. Give them a run in it,
but that ain’t going to matter if BR doesnt learn and change. At present, we have two strikers, one of whom (Kyogo) relies on hanging on the shoulder of the last defender and making early runs, and another (Idah) who needs cutbacks (applies to Kyogo as well) and crosses into the box. But under BR, Celtic have largely stopped doing either.
at present, too much reliance is put on Kuhn to do something special. He will be attracting suitors. And if he doesnt leave, tams will set up to counter him.
The present pass, shuffle, pass system negates Kyogo’s strength, and both wingers (Kuhn in particular) cutting in on their wrong foot basically starves Idah of service.
renders the strikers toothless, and while Kuhn has done great, Celtic cant continue to rely on him as the key goal scorer. The system ay present makes it too easy for other teams to set up, (double on the outside, the fb forces the winger down the line where they dont want to go, or let NK cut inside to where a defensive mid and.or CB is sitting waiting),
BR’s system, such as it is, works in the SPL most of the time (although Baldermort seems to have figured out that the way to combat it is to press it. In the SPL, they are the only team with players who can do so).
But going forward, and particularly in Europe, it is way too one dimensional. And BR seems either unable to see this, or unwilling/unable to change.
Mike,
Hope your Speedos end up full of sand! I also hope you spill your next five margaritas 😉
Auldbhoy,
Very rare for me to criticize one of our own.
I just feel we can do much better than Greg in his position.
Plus, after decades of following the club, surely I have earned the right to an opinion on.who I like.
BAD
I myself am one of GTs biggest critics. Guy gives 100pc every game. His effort is and has never been in question but for me he is never a left back. That may or may not be his decision to roam but suspect its his instruction. A proper fullback has been needed for a few seasons now but never arrived as we all know.
With regards to your opinion I agree having watched Celtic for decades myself from near and far you have certainly earned it.
BAD
It’s raining here, so no beach for me at the moment, so no sand in the speedo! (Bu the way, everyone is going to hate you for that mental image!😆) And Im more partial to pina coladas than margaritas!😆
I am sure there must be a few Elvis Presley fans on here. This is To celebrate what would have been his 90th birthday (only 90? he has been gone for so long, and I tend to forget how young he was when he passed)
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=LwXu3EWPGdg&pp=ygUWRWx2aXMgUHJlc2xleSBrZW50dWNreQ%3D%3D
Mike,
So you like pina coladas and NOT getting caught in the the Rain? 😂
Hope you and mum are having a blast, buddy 👍
Rebus
Don’t tell the opposition you have figured us out! -22 are you in Toronto area?
BAD
as a lover of bad ‘70’s music, including that song, that made me laugh out loud! Brilliant!😂
Some very good posts today.
And now to change that.🤣
REBUS67. Your analysis is spot on. I am convinced that players like Scales and Taylor have been instructed by Brendan to not play a pass unless it has something like a 90% chance of success. Which of course makes them repetitive and predictable. I lost count of the number of times at the Bigotdome that Kaspar threw or passed it out short to the left, Jefte moved infield to protect Propper, and Kuhn was in oceans of space with his hands in the air frantically signaling. We could have found him with one long ball. Instead, we painstakingly did it in 3 or 4 moves, by which time the whole Sevco defence had marshaled.
What is puzzling is that CCV will occasionally hit it long in Maeda’s direction, but we do not vary our play nearly enough.
MIKE IN TORONTO made exactly that point about our reliance on Kuhn, and how his characteristic and also repetitive infield move hardly helps Kyogo or Idah get on the end of cutbacks.
BIG AUDIO DYNAMITE
“No one can tell me who I can sing about,”
—————————————-
True, but folk I know say you canny carry a note in a bucket, and you have a tin ear, so maybe yer better aff no singin’🤣
To be serious for a moment.
There, I think it passed.
I agree with your comments on GT. I like the wee man, he has a great engine, he always gives his all, and I can see why Brendan likes him. He is rarely injured and is apparently good for team morale off the park. However, we all know his physical limitations, and his lack of recovery speed has hurt us in Europe previously. His inability to get past a man either by dribbling or speed basically forces him to pass. Opponents know this, and by cutting off his channels along the wing, they force him to pass backwards or inside. Sevco feasted on this, and we would be best advised to have an alternative plan the next time we play them.
I’m still pissed off we did not vary our formation at the Bigotdome. Newcastle last night went from 4-3-3 to 5-4-1 to 5-5 at the very end against Arsenal. Worked a treat. And still no journalist asked Brendan why he stood there like a potted plant and changed nary a thing. Instead, they feed him daft questions about his post St. Mirren comments.
HH
Iniquitous IV😊
Auldbhoy,
Greg has been very lucky to have played for us during a very golden period in our long history, and if he’s leaving he’d do well to go to a bigger or better club.
I would never dream of booing a Tic player or the team, but I’m only one man with an opinion on a wee football site.
It doesn’t give me any pleasure to criticize Greg, I just think we could and should do much better ..especially if we want to take on the best teams on the continent.
I also didn’t imagine all these teams targeting that part of the pitch all the time, as they know where our weakest link is.
Sorry, Greg, it’s not personal.
I was in a business where criticism was the norm. Professors are evaluated by their peers for tenure, promotion and so on. But most significantly, students provide evaluations (anonymously) of your performance in every course you teach. These evaluations are published on the Web for everyone to see. They can include comments like, “Donald Duck could do a better job!” Imagine having the world read that about you 😀 Overall, though, student evaluations do provide opportunities to improve as a prof. There can be positives in criticism.
I am not advocating this but the approach I try to use is PCP…Praise, Criticise, Praise.
If I were handling recruitment at Celtic, I would set a deadline of at most one week for GT to accept/reject an offer. The window is now open and recruitment should consider plans for qualifying for the CL next season. Depending on what is happening with KT, I would consider Penrice at Hearts as an option. Assuming that GT does not sign and KT is coming in the summer, rather than now, get Penrice in. He is a McCowan type of signing, slow developer who has hit good form. KT/Penrice would be less expensive than KT/Taylor as a bonus. The KT/Penrice combo would allow one of the two young LBs to develop.
Personally, I think GT is trying for a big payday, which is his right, but he has played the “will leave unless…” card too soon. Now he either has to leave or have egg on his face.
Rebus
Mike,
I now can’t get that bloody tune out my head! 😂
Celger,
Toronto? No, I am in the Ottawa area. February is the worst month where it can get to -40. Strangely, it is not the temp that really matters, it is the wind. The wind can freeze exposed flesh very quickly.
Winter in Canada is the season when everyone loses their gender, ethic origin, and their identity. All you see are parkas with hoods that sprout arms and legs! ☃️
Rebus
IQ4,
You’ve obviously never heard me singing my Ottis Redding songs! I like nothing better than just sittin’ on the dock of the bay 😉
on Greg ..
It’s worth remembering that Greg isn’t exactly young either, meaning he is unlikely to get much better than he is right now. Team always comes first for me, so it is natural for me to want the very best we can get in that position.
There is zero chance of me ever booing Greg – as it is something I have never done in Paradise – but I ain’t hurting anyone by having an opinion about his abilities on this wee site.
I genuinely wish him nothing but the best.
AFTERNOON ALL AND JIM AND MAGUA just came out of hospital at lunchtime, the doctor said your in great shape now, you’ll outlive me, FFS the guy is 95😎😎 hade some scans done and all the usual rigmarole that a 71 nearly 72 year old goes thru, hope you all are well, now reading back one thing keeps popping up Kieran Tierney, much as I loved him as as a player, and a very good one at that, he is not in the same class as tommy Gemmell or danny McGrain ,we would be paying a lot of money for an Injury prone player to sit on the bench, but hey thats just my opinion❤❤
Greg Taylor gives 100% effort in every game he plays.
No question about that.
My gripe about him is this. We line up in every game in 4-3-3 formation however as soon as the whistle blows Greg starts roaming all over the pitch – as instructed – and so we are effectively playing 3-4-3.
If BR wants to play 4 in midfield (which we effectively DO) would it not be better to play either McCowan or Bernardo from the start – in addition to the usual 3? They are both far more effective in midfield than GT.
The one place you won’t find GT is LB. Witness the space and time Cerny had when he advanced on Kasper and hit the post. GT was AWOL.
And they scored from the resultant corner!
😠
I stuck a few initials in there in case anyone is missing MM.
I’m not one of them though!
Wow. Just read EBT Arteta blames the ball they play with in cup being the reason they lost last night. How long before Clement uses that one.
I always believed top footballers could play with any ball.
Guess I was wrong again.
Mahe
I really enjoyed that leader. Many thanks.
Big Packy
Have been off the blog for a while. Thanks for your kind wishes. Glad to see that you received good news from the doc. Best wishes to Joan.
Hail Hail.
Magua hi pal missed you on here as did wee Joan hope you are well another true story 👍 😎
Aff oot soon to Celtic Park, to support the team and the manager, to hopefully go 16 points clear…….which obviously isn’t good enough for some.
Big Packy
Good news is always welcome – pleased for you. Is it true you’re so old that when you were young the Dead Sea was only sick?😄
Sol did I ever tell you I went to ardrossan once and it was closed 😎😎😎 hope you are well buddy 👍
I don’t know why so much attention is being paid to GT’s adequacies as a Celtic Left Back. Since Tommy Gemmel I would say only KT and slightly lesser extent Emilio Izaguirre since 1967 came anywhere near meeting that standard.
We lived regardless.
BP,
Glad you’re getting good news re your health.
I look forward to many more years of true stories.
Did you not go to a particular European game at Parkhead one night? Some team called Voi ..Voji, …Veggy …erm, somethin’ beginning with a V?!
HI BAD vojvodina never heard of them 😎😎 hope you are well buddy👍👍