Into the Valley
Deepest darkest Fife has been a happy hunting ground for the hoops in recent years. Sunday proved no different in this matter and in fact I canny remember the last time we lost there. Have we lost there since the SPL began? Remember dropping points on the opening day a few years back and drawing a cup-tie but defeat?
Anyway, Sunday saw us for once taking the game by the scruff of the neck from the start and imposing oor style on the proceedings. Usually we start like a mole digging a hole and feel oor way into the game. This has caused us to start games poorly and lose early goals. This also causes anxiety amongst the home crowd and the increasingly diminishing away support.
I mean we were used to the cavalier charge from the kick off under the mythical Tommy Burns bumblebees. GS men seem to size up the opponents then decide their course of action. Now, if like against the Leith Young Team you are meet with a tornado then this course of action can be troublesome. You can have yer arse felt before you know it. Ditto the diabolical performance in Denmark.
It was with this in mind that for once I read oor neighbours match reports on Sunday and Monday. Never usually give them the time of day mair important things going on to be bothered aboot them but since we are due at the brox on Sunday I thought I would read up.
Now, it seems le goon decided to enforce a pressing game for the 1st time this season, interesting me thinks. Why? He knows that type of game trouble us. He also now knows his team have done it well to good effect once. I for one hope GS took notice of this as well.
If we allow them to get a foothold in the game oor unbalanced midfield will struggle and it could be a case of hanging on and hoping novo has a mare and prso knees giveway. Against Hibs they ran oot of steam and a tactical switch to give us extra numbers in the middle swung the game in oor favour.
We can’t allow them to allow the hordes to roar. We need to make sure the players are mentally up for it, wanting the ball, playing passes and keeping possession in a frantic atmosphere. We need to enforce oor style and pace from the start. GS also has to get us team selection spot on from the start.
We haven’t replaced Stan P. we have tried numerous formations, line-ups, systems and the balance is like an self built Ikea coffee table. Ropey to say the least. Jaro and Tommy G are struggling to adapt to the Scottish game and to Celtic’s style. We have only looked comfortable with an extra man in the middle.
This is where I reckon Sno should come in for one of the attackers. Right, we are in a great position of if we lose it disnae matter, a draw disnae matter and a bloody fantastic position of going 19 points clear before santa forgets to deliver a new bike for ma Christmas. I for one also think that adding an extra man in the middle disnae weaken oor attacking options as we should have enough support from the midfield for the lone man up front.
But whom do we put on up front? Well it has to be the only natural goal scorer we have fit at the moment. The pole that scores the goals get’s ma vote. Maybe he is running aboot like a wet weekend in burntisland his performances have been ropey but he is scoring.
Both him and Kenny are not main strikers. Both would love to play of a numero uno striker allow them to float around. Magic at the weekend bemoaned the personnel changes in the team that has allowed us to develop a more patient style in which he hasn’t flourished. He likes the directness of last season when BBJ was the point to hit.
Magic also stated that the team relied now on individual brilliance rather than a team ethic. While I think that is wide of the mark I think it is more due to the midfield combo not being correct yet. Thing is magic can bring brilliance to any table, he has proved he can and he also have proved he has the ability to score 20 odd goals from a 2nd offensive position.
That’s something Kenny Miller still has to convince us off.
Hail Hail
Anyway, Sunday saw us for once taking the game by the scruff of the neck from the start and imposing oor style on the proceedings. Usually we start like a mole digging a hole and feel oor way into the game. This has caused us to start games poorly and lose early goals. This also causes anxiety amongst the home crowd and the increasingly diminishing away support.
I mean we were used to the cavalier charge from the kick off under the mythical Tommy Burns bumblebees. GS men seem to size up the opponents then decide their course of action. Now, if like against the Leith Young Team you are meet with a tornado then this course of action can be troublesome. You can have yer arse felt before you know it. Ditto the diabolical performance in Denmark.
It was with this in mind that for once I read oor neighbours match reports on Sunday and Monday. Never usually give them the time of day mair important things going on to be bothered aboot them but since we are due at the brox on Sunday I thought I would read up.
Now, it seems le goon decided to enforce a pressing game for the 1st time this season, interesting me thinks. Why? He knows that type of game trouble us. He also now knows his team have done it well to good effect once. I for one hope GS took notice of this as well.
If we allow them to get a foothold in the game oor unbalanced midfield will struggle and it could be a case of hanging on and hoping novo has a mare and prso knees giveway. Against Hibs they ran oot of steam and a tactical switch to give us extra numbers in the middle swung the game in oor favour.
We can’t allow them to allow the hordes to roar. We need to make sure the players are mentally up for it, wanting the ball, playing passes and keeping possession in a frantic atmosphere. We need to enforce oor style and pace from the start. GS also has to get us team selection spot on from the start.
We haven’t replaced Stan P. we have tried numerous formations, line-ups, systems and the balance is like an self built Ikea coffee table. Ropey to say the least. Jaro and Tommy G are struggling to adapt to the Scottish game and to Celtic’s style. We have only looked comfortable with an extra man in the middle.
This is where I reckon Sno should come in for one of the attackers. Right, we are in a great position of if we lose it disnae matter, a draw disnae matter and a bloody fantastic position of going 19 points clear before santa forgets to deliver a new bike for ma Christmas. I for one also think that adding an extra man in the middle disnae weaken oor attacking options as we should have enough support from the midfield for the lone man up front.
But whom do we put on up front? Well it has to be the only natural goal scorer we have fit at the moment. The pole that scores the goals get’s ma vote. Maybe he is running aboot like a wet weekend in burntisland his performances have been ropey but he is scoring.
Both him and Kenny are not main strikers. Both would love to play of a numero uno striker allow them to float around. Magic at the weekend bemoaned the personnel changes in the team that has allowed us to develop a more patient style in which he hasn’t flourished. He likes the directness of last season when BBJ was the point to hit.
Magic also stated that the team relied now on individual brilliance rather than a team ethic. While I think that is wide of the mark I think it is more due to the midfield combo not being correct yet. Thing is magic can bring brilliance to any table, he has proved he can and he also have proved he has the ability to score 20 odd goals from a 2nd offensive position.
That’s something Kenny Miller still has to convince us off.
Hail Hail
posted by Keving at Wednesday, December 13, 2006
11 Comments:
Is big JVoH definately out for Sunday? I was kinda hoping that GS was keeping him under wraps till then. If we could go in with Jan & Majic then replace Majic by KM in the last 20min, I would feel pretty confident about the 3pts.
Otherwise, we could be looking at a share of the points - knowing that this is like cup final for them.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
G--oof!
I think Celtic`s opponents always play as if it`s a cup final. They may be hungrier but we don`t like to lose no matter the lead.
I don`t think JVofH will make it but the run of games coming up would be helped if he and Shaun were available. Perhaps Riordan will be able to help out too! :-)
I think tickets are available at CP for the Motherwell game on 30th December at 12.30. I am tempted!
I've been following the Tic long enough to know that against them you've always got to play your strongest team - on Sunday don't even give them a sniff of hope of clawing anything back & a draw is obviously a minimum.
Our central defense is a worry at the moment and without big Jan I'm not convinced about our main attcking options. As you say we've got too many 'same type players' and I would add 'too many lightweights'. With big Jan we put constant pressure on their central defense, going a long way to taking it off ours. Without that physical presence upfront, we are definately not as potent (altough our 'goals for' tally suggests I am talking mince...).
Anyway, it seems that PLG is taking no chances about having his strongest team available for Sunday, by resting players tonight against Partizan. I had to laugh though when I read this:
"It is impossible to play two massive games with such a short time between them. We must cope with the situation."
I didn't hear us saying that when we had to come back from tough European games to play them on a Saturday lunchtime and still cuff them.
"Impossible" "partizan - massive?" - just wait till they get a decent team to play in Europe!
The UEFA cup groups are just as important as the Intertoto cup and about as interesting. Fair play to the darkside though. :-)
I only cringe at the thought of when we are in the UEFA group games, hopefully not for a while yet!
The centre of the defence is not only our worry!
Incredible thing though is the coefficient points a team can get from UEFA cup group stage is the same as in the Big cup: beating Man Unt is worth the same as beating Haifi Unt. Makes a farce of the whole system. Especially when there's about 40 times more teams in the wee cup...
Still there's about 40 times less dough as well -- see tonight big money spinner as typical example :o)
Against my better judgement I saw the last 5 minutes from Ibrox. The left back Smith was booked for an X rated tackle and Partizan made a very good chance which was well saved. Also they had some half wit with a trumpet playing God Save the Queen. How sad is that?
I am led to believe that this was their usual back four, so it isn`t just Celtic who have problems.
The after match comments only strengthened my belief that BBC Scotland need to sort out their coverage of football. How many ex Rangers do they employ?
Up fot the draw!
I live in darkest France - so I don't get to many Tic games now & I keep up to date through the internet mostly. I usually browse thru the Herald - this morning I read Spiers's preview of the draw -how negative can you get ???!!! You would think it was torture and not fitba we're talking about !
Hope we avoid Lyon as they are pretty awesome - don't want Chelsea, mainly because of their fans.
Valencia could be a good bet - it would probably be a Benfica type draw - two 3-0, with extra time at the end and them going thru on penalties 5-4...
In any case, I am guaranteed 2 more 'behind the sofa' nights - maybe it is torture we're talking about after all :o)
They are worse than Livorno !!!
only joking :o)
Great draw!
We`ll be able to have a joint YNWA at both games.
I`ve got the Kaka voodoo doll!
Ian- the BBC coverage is biased and unashamedly so. I had a look at a few of the red tops this morning and on the front pages are “bring on the celtic” quotes by Le goon.
Ye mate, bring it on.
Only saw bits of the game but the park was like a tattie field.
They do have a poor back 4 and JvoH would have a field day but we just have to hope Magic or Miller are up for gieing them the run around.
Six- yes mr Speirs was a bit negative this morning but I widnae expect anything else. When we qualified he bad mouthed us as well called us lucky.
Hopefully I won’t have any behind the sofa nights this time:-)
Post a Comment
<< Home