Substitute
“You say we look pretty good together” well any neutral watching oor game yesterday would have said Celtic and Hibs looked pretty good together. The teams produced a humdinger of a game that was a great advert for the much-maligned Scottish Fitbaw.
In a week when oor defeat of the mancuian hordes raised oor profile as high as a roadie on Pete Docherty’s tour bus there would have been an unprecedented level of interest in yesterday’s game. So I’m quite glad any passing observer saw a game that may just change the view of some of the Scottish game. As the style of the two teams was anything but Scottish.
It was all pass and move, pace, grit and determination. It was a game when the young upstarts who are visibly bouncing with confidence thought they may turnover the old guard. They thought they had done enough to end a winning streak after going 2-0 up with 25 mins left. But they forgot they were playing a team that doesnae give up and has some young talent of it’s own.
With 20-left oor comeback looked as likely as England batting oot the last day at the gabba and it pishing doon in Queensland. It was looking like oor winning run would be coming to an end, probably deservedly so as we have rode oor luck away domestically, but again this team turned a losing position into one that turned a winning run into, just, a undefeated one.
But it all looked so bleak with GS once again being questioned by his choice of starting 11, Right, we all knew Hibs would start like a tornado, slow doon to Hurricane force then maybe end the game as a gail force wind. Just the same as we knew Man U could pass us of the park. We all knew Hibs have pace in the midfield that would, again, leave us chasing shadows.
So why Jaro in the midfield alongside Lenny? Why not stick with a 4-5-1 until we had imposed oor style and had a chance to get the game playing at oor tempo? Oor starting line up handed the advantage to the Hibees right away. I for one wouldn’t have complained aboot playing a 4-5-1, as I know we always struggle against the Hibs midfield.
We have to learn to handle teams that have pace in the middle of the park or maybe we should buy pace for the middle of the park. Oor destructive water carrying donkeywork midfielders are while guid at their jobs are as slow as a week in the Bar-l. until we add pace we MUST look at playing a five man midfield against anyone with a bit of pace.
Again GS had to pull a rabbit oot a hat and he did with his subs. The introduction of the bhoy Sno added a bit of metal in the middle of the park and eventually calmed an ever exasperate Lenny doon. Poor Lenny as like Keano last year Easter Road was a place when yer lack of pace was shown up. Neil is now a dinosaur in the modern game and while the introduction of Sno bailed him oot also allowed the wee Ulsterman to have a great game in the 2nd half. In fact such a guid game I thought he was man of the match.
Well he was until his wee Lovencrap style cameos after Broon had stuck the heid in him. Right, I thought Lenny over-reacted- I have only seen it once- and went doon like a drunk on a Saturday night. It was pitiful to watch a Celtic player sink so low to try and get a player who he couldnae handle sent off. That’s twice this week Lenny has sunk to a new depth in ma eyes. Again I can see why he makes it easy for the doubters and the abuser to say it’s his style and the fact he is a bad loser.
Luckily for him the bad loser tag didnae wash as his mate the bhoy Sno scored the goal that fired us back into the game. Was more surprised the big fellow actually shot as he seems to have a phobia of having a dig but if he did maybe we would hear the Evander Sno song- to the tune of a “Bonkers” old skool happy hardcore classic according to Mrs G sister, I know, I don’t know what she was on aboot either- more often. It was then up to the other sub to get us a point.
Aiden McGeady or want away star Aiden McGeady as the match report on Sky put it rescues a point after a typical driving run from the wing and a cut inside to unleash a shot which the pole in the other goal was a bit slow to get doon to. Right, I’m glad Aiden came on as his direct style and pace trouble the Hibs defence and he created another few chances but why was he on for Shaun and not Naka?
Shaun was improving; he looked dangerous while Naka was anonymous as the pace of the game was ensuring it was passing him by. I know he is dangerous from free kicks and set plays but when he is not contributing surely he is available for the hook like any other minion?
Hibs had huffed and puffed and blew themselves oot but this time. We had the chances after that to go on and win the game. Aiden created a few half chances, Kenny was one on one and produced a save from the pole in the other goal but in the end WE deserved the draw.
Right, oot played for 60 mins, we made tactical errors and oor system didnae cope very well with Hibs but we never gave up and came back from 2 doon. We had a massive week and now have kept up oor unbeaten run after CL games. We got a draw in a place others have faltered. We have to look at how we have started the last two games but we are 12 games unbeaten and in ANY league in the world that is a guid innings. Yesterday proved once again that this team couldn’t get written of. It was a point gained at the end of the day rather than 2 dropped.
Ian Crocker yesterday roared after Hibs second goal that this was Celtic being put in their place. By the end of the 90 we had probably just put the rest of the SPL in their place.
Forza Celtic
In a week when oor defeat of the mancuian hordes raised oor profile as high as a roadie on Pete Docherty’s tour bus there would have been an unprecedented level of interest in yesterday’s game. So I’m quite glad any passing observer saw a game that may just change the view of some of the Scottish game. As the style of the two teams was anything but Scottish.
It was all pass and move, pace, grit and determination. It was a game when the young upstarts who are visibly bouncing with confidence thought they may turnover the old guard. They thought they had done enough to end a winning streak after going 2-0 up with 25 mins left. But they forgot they were playing a team that doesnae give up and has some young talent of it’s own.
With 20-left oor comeback looked as likely as England batting oot the last day at the gabba and it pishing doon in Queensland. It was looking like oor winning run would be coming to an end, probably deservedly so as we have rode oor luck away domestically, but again this team turned a losing position into one that turned a winning run into, just, a undefeated one.
But it all looked so bleak with GS once again being questioned by his choice of starting 11, Right, we all knew Hibs would start like a tornado, slow doon to Hurricane force then maybe end the game as a gail force wind. Just the same as we knew Man U could pass us of the park. We all knew Hibs have pace in the midfield that would, again, leave us chasing shadows.
So why Jaro in the midfield alongside Lenny? Why not stick with a 4-5-1 until we had imposed oor style and had a chance to get the game playing at oor tempo? Oor starting line up handed the advantage to the Hibees right away. I for one wouldn’t have complained aboot playing a 4-5-1, as I know we always struggle against the Hibs midfield.
We have to learn to handle teams that have pace in the middle of the park or maybe we should buy pace for the middle of the park. Oor destructive water carrying donkeywork midfielders are while guid at their jobs are as slow as a week in the Bar-l. until we add pace we MUST look at playing a five man midfield against anyone with a bit of pace.
Again GS had to pull a rabbit oot a hat and he did with his subs. The introduction of the bhoy Sno added a bit of metal in the middle of the park and eventually calmed an ever exasperate Lenny doon. Poor Lenny as like Keano last year Easter Road was a place when yer lack of pace was shown up. Neil is now a dinosaur in the modern game and while the introduction of Sno bailed him oot also allowed the wee Ulsterman to have a great game in the 2nd half. In fact such a guid game I thought he was man of the match.
Well he was until his wee Lovencrap style cameos after Broon had stuck the heid in him. Right, I thought Lenny over-reacted- I have only seen it once- and went doon like a drunk on a Saturday night. It was pitiful to watch a Celtic player sink so low to try and get a player who he couldnae handle sent off. That’s twice this week Lenny has sunk to a new depth in ma eyes. Again I can see why he makes it easy for the doubters and the abuser to say it’s his style and the fact he is a bad loser.
Luckily for him the bad loser tag didnae wash as his mate the bhoy Sno scored the goal that fired us back into the game. Was more surprised the big fellow actually shot as he seems to have a phobia of having a dig but if he did maybe we would hear the Evander Sno song- to the tune of a “Bonkers” old skool happy hardcore classic according to Mrs G sister, I know, I don’t know what she was on aboot either- more often. It was then up to the other sub to get us a point.
Aiden McGeady or want away star Aiden McGeady as the match report on Sky put it rescues a point after a typical driving run from the wing and a cut inside to unleash a shot which the pole in the other goal was a bit slow to get doon to. Right, I’m glad Aiden came on as his direct style and pace trouble the Hibs defence and he created another few chances but why was he on for Shaun and not Naka?
Shaun was improving; he looked dangerous while Naka was anonymous as the pace of the game was ensuring it was passing him by. I know he is dangerous from free kicks and set plays but when he is not contributing surely he is available for the hook like any other minion?
Hibs had huffed and puffed and blew themselves oot but this time. We had the chances after that to go on and win the game. Aiden created a few half chances, Kenny was one on one and produced a save from the pole in the other goal but in the end WE deserved the draw.
Right, oot played for 60 mins, we made tactical errors and oor system didnae cope very well with Hibs but we never gave up and came back from 2 doon. We had a massive week and now have kept up oor unbeaten run after CL games. We got a draw in a place others have faltered. We have to look at how we have started the last two games but we are 12 games unbeaten and in ANY league in the world that is a guid innings. Yesterday proved once again that this team couldn’t get written of. It was a point gained at the end of the day rather than 2 dropped.
Ian Crocker yesterday roared after Hibs second goal that this was Celtic being put in their place. By the end of the 90 we had probably just put the rest of the SPL in their place.
Forza Celtic
posted by Keving at Monday, November 27, 2006
7 Comments:
A lot there to work through.
I don`t think that Lennon and a forward positioned midfielder such as Gravesen or Jarosik cover enough of the centre of the field but we tried Lennon, Sno and Gravesen together against Man U and that wouldn`t work without an `out player` such as Maloney or McGeady. So Sno for Magic was a good move but was probably needed more in the first half than the second.
The centre of the Hibs defence must have been celebrating before the match when they saw that JVofH wasn`t available. I think that Magic is pushing himself down the order, that`s two in a row where he`s lasted only 45 minutes. I think that Riordan or Beattie (who?)can come in his place. Just look at the scoring record of our strikers this season.
Rangers players are coming out with things our players would never. That is `we can win the league` stuff. Typical press! It`s up to us to keep our lead intact, personally I am thinking our lead to be 3 points rather than 13. Bring on the Dons!
Two wide? We have that in most games but Naka canny run and has to wait on the Telfmeister. I suppose if Naka and Shaun could tackle we would have had less problems yesterday.
Lack of pace? That is a problem. Look how Rangers and Hearts played against us at Celtic Park. They came at our slower players. Take your pick! ICT came charging at us and the Red Sea parted! Yikes!
Hey! How did we get so far in front?
Aye right enough, we are quite good but not too arrogant to believe that we are perfect or anywhere near it.
Come on the Celts!
Maybe this worry about being bossed by teams playing at twice their normal pace is misplaced.
I haven`t seen the incident with Lennon but I think that a player on a yellow card should react in a way that will not provoke another yellow card.
How come we get hammer throwers against us at Celtic Park and we barely get a free kick never mind seeing bookings handed out?
i don't think lennon did anything wrong. his booking was a shocking decision as jones ran straight at him and he just defended himself.
the incident with brown, brown was definetly the one who's head went towards lennon and brown ended up holding his face as well so again no case to answer.
i would agree hibs have improved and that was without zemamma and killen but they do totally fall out games midway through the 2nd half and panic if they lose a goal.
i think lennon played well when sno came on but for me mcgeady changed the game and deserves to be starting at the moment ahead of maloney.
i like him but think magic could do with a wee few weeks rest and riordon should be given a start upfront on saturday.
can't agree mate i would have done the same at that ridiculous penalty and im glad we have players that are bad losers as teams with people who are happy to be losers normally win hee-haw.
brown made the contact and also held his face so if anything his actions were worse.
i think lennon does as u say and there aren't many in the spl that have won the war against him in his time here if any.
i think the delay in the penalty being taken helped to unsettle an already nervous saha so again i am glad he done it as it helped us get the 3 points.
as lubo says lennon is "mr celtic"
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