The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[Canalman]

Steep  and harsh lesson for NL and his team.

While watching the game we  were actually discussing  at nil - one down  in the 2nd half  whether Celtic should accept the result  and drop back as Juventus would do likewise. Cavalier attacking by them killed the tie stone dead in the 1st leg.

Have to say I thought the Juventus defence were well entitled to battle the ground in front of the keeper at deadball situations and that the pundits etc were just being hysterical. From what I saw the defenders had the hands out/ palms wide open at all times and there was never going to be a penalty. The Celtic lads just got outmuscled/ outsmarted as the Italians obviously had their homework done.

Celtic are great to look at but I think their fortune favours the brave type luck just ran out.

You are talking about professional footballers here, they are not wired to take a one nil defeat, that would have been madness considering they were playing at home against a world powerhouse in Juventus.

Fortune favors the brave? they played Barca twice, beat them once and but for a last gasp goal by Messi they would have taken a point in Spain, that's not luck, (well maybe a wee bit) that was intelligent game management and absolute and total commitment to the jersey and the fans in the stands.

Stew,
1-0 down going to Turin after a nightmare start............. Celtic would imvho anyway have a good chance of progressing.
Instead we have a 3 goal deficit and the tie over.

Only said in my post what I , my mate and my brother were chatting amongst ourselves about with 20/25 mins or so to go. We all thought that NL would take off a striker and put on a midfielder but didn't happen.

We'll agree to disagree so.

[Main Street]

If Celtic were playing 2 strikers, Lennon would have been mauled if he replaced a striker for a midfielder with the score at 0-1 in the first home leg against a top Italian team.
Seeing as Celtic only had one striker, to replace him with another midfielder, with the score at 0-1, Lennon would have no place to hide, he'd even be thrown out of the confessional box.
At 0-1 the tie is already dead in the water if the game stays like that. To surrender to a 0-1 scoreline is already accepting that fate.

[camanchero]

Abrose is there for his pace. He is a tremendous athlete and covers off very well.
However, this was a mistake wating to happen as Ambrose and a few other Celtic starters all too often give the ball away needlessly through bad passing or poor control.
A lack of experience and a hugely different style of play (at a much higher technical level) doesnt help.
Celic playing week in week out in spl then have to metamorph into a side that competes with CL teams. thats not easy.

IMO Samaras missing was a disaster for the team. Hooper does not fit well into the lone striker of a counter attacking team. he has scored goals , but it a 18 yard box poacher more than a lone striker. A fit enough Stokes or Samaras the ideal candidate for that role.

Forster not as sharp yet as he was due to only just back from lengthy lay off from inj didnt help.
thought the Forster before Christmas would have saved the first and one of the other subsequent goals (cant rem which one).

The sooner Celtic get into the epl the better. Swansea have paved the way for this!
Even if they do have to start in lower divisions...

[T Fearon]

Easy to be wise after the event, but surely the obvious thing to do, after going a goal behind at an early stage at home in a Champions League tie is to go after it and try to level and then get a win, so that you dont absolutely need to score in the away tie?

Anyway I see Pirlo is not dismissing Celtic's chances. He remembers being in the AC Milan side that had a three nil lead against Liverpool in a Champions League final once upon a time!

[Main Street]

Abrose is there for his pace. He is a tremendous athlete and covers off very well.
However, this was a mistake wating to happen as Ambrose and a few other Celtic starters all too often give the ball away needlessly through bad passing or poor control.
A lack of experience and a hugely different style of play (at a much higher technical level) doesnt help.
Celic playing week in week out in spl then have to metamorph into a side that competes with CL teams. thats not easy.

I think Ambrose has been performing very well in the games that demand it,  CL qualifier/group games and the Africa Cup where he got on the team of the tournament. I'd say there is little doubt that the edge of the (poor)  split second decisions he made, was the effect of post tournament/travel/no recovery time  and not because he's prone to poor decision making in the big games.

His mistake for the 3rd goal,  turning into a clutter of Juve players around the edge of the box was the worst I've seen in Celtics' cl campaign, there's little doubt that by that stage of the game, his brains were mush.

[camanchero]

Abrose is there for his pace. He is a tremendous athlete and covers off very well.
However, this was a mistake wating to happen as Ambrose and a few other Celtic starters all too often give the ball away needlessly through bad passing or poor control.
A lack of experience and a hugely different style of play (at a much higher technical level) doesnt help.
Celic playing week in week out in spl then have to metamorph into a side that competes with CL teams. thats not easy.

I think Ambrose has been performing very well in the games that demand it,  CL qualifier/group games and the Africa Cup where he got on the team of the tournament. I'd say there is little doubt that the edge of the (poor)  split second decisions he made, was the effect of post tournament/travel/no recovery time  and not because he's prone to poor decision making in the big games.

His mistake for the 3rd goal,  turning into a clutter of Juve players around the edge of the box was the worst I've seen in Celtics' cl campaign, there's little doubt that by that stage of the game, his brains were mush.

Ambrose's speed and athleticism usually save him, but the bit in bold - he has been a bit of a bombscare on a few occassions home and away to spartak and away to Barca.
he is not on his own there, but Celtic defenders are not the accomplished footballing centre halves.
However I'd prefer to see them hoof it out if in doubt. Reiper and Mjalby etc would never have hesitated. Safety first as a defender or when defending.
my thoughts I think are on record prev in this thread about giving the ball away too easily. I also am always an advocate (not advocaat) of safety first for defence!

Undoubtedly Ambrose was affected by the trip back to Glasgow. Lennon risked him and it didnt work.
I personally woudl play Rogne who is damn fast, but he doesnt seem to gel well with Wilson when they play together, which is prob why Lennon went for Ambrose too. Mulgrew a good all round player, but not a natural centre half and too left footed for there in the big games imo - if not lacking a bit of place for the CL there too.

[T Fearon]

I have no doubt that had Ambrose not been selected and Celtic had suffered a two or three goal defeat, Neil would have been facing criticism for not selecting an "in form African Nations Cup winner whose confidence is sky high"

While disappointed by Tuesday night I am more than happy with an excellent overall campaign back in the Champions League for the first time in 4 years.

[Main Street]

I'd beg to differ on that. I'd say 99.9% of fans were shocked or surprised by Ambrose's inclusion. It was already generally accepted that he wouldn't play. Ambrose exhibited an admirable quality to get back and play.
I wouldn't impart any blame on Lennon for including him but maybe he could have had a plan B on the bench or taken him off some time.

[T Fearon]

I too was surprised that he started.As for having a Plan B,Ambrose never put a foot wrong (the missed goal opportunity doesnt really count as defenders normally fluff opportunities like that) between the first and third goal,which was nearly the entire match really,and the implementation of a PlanB would have been too late.

Lessons to be learned but no need to be too harsh.The Champions League campaign has exceeded the expectations of the most die hard Celtic fan,and the priority must be to get back to the group stages next season.

[stew]

I too was surprised that he started.As for having a Plan B,Ambrose never put a foot wrong (the missed goal opportunity doesnt really count as defenders normally fluff opportunities like that) between the first and third goal,which was nearly the entire match really,and the implementation of a PlanB would have been too late.

Lessons to be learned but no need to be too harsh.The Champions League campaign has exceeded the expectations of the most die hard Celtic fan,and the priority must be to get back to the group stages next season.

I'd say the priority should be to focus on winning for the rest of the season and making sure Hooper and Victor re-up.

[T Fearon]

Seriously doubt whether either will be with Celtic next season, but they will command big transfer fees in the summer and this added to the money made from this year's Champions League campaign, should allow for further strenghtening of the team and overall squad for next season.

[Main Street]

I like the look of Ambrose and Wilson at CH.
Considering all those who have come and gone in the last few years, this partnership looks gold standard in comparison.
It's an ideal situation for Lennon to have, in order to improve upon.
Nothing more difficult that to try and fix a dysfunctional CH partnership, mixing and matching different possibilities.
Izaguirre is showing belated signs of the poty form of last season. Lustig is a gem and Mathews - hard to credit he's only 21.
For Celtic to buy 5 players of that quality, it would cost a tidy fortune.

I don't know about Forrest, maybe I haven't seen him on a good day, but I have my doubts.
Commons, I just love the style of that player, would have been the icing on his cake for him to have dispatched that bicycle kick into the net, past a static Buffon.

[T Fearon]

Commons and Wanyama should rake in close to £20m.Forrest has already proved himself to be far better than Mc Geady,he has pace to burn,scores regularly and can cross the ball.Sadly due to injury he hasn't played too much Champions League football this season and can be excused for a quiet performance the other night.

[Main Street]

I can't recall anything of note from Forrest in any of the CL games.
McGeady at 21 was lording it Celtic Park against Spartak and later against Milan.

Maybe water will turn into wine, I don't rule it out for Forrest, but you'd think he would be able to get into that crappy Scotland team if he had even 20% of what McGeady had.

[T Fearon]

Well I'd sooner have him in the team than Mc Geady,even today.As far as I'm aware that was his first CL start.He has already been capped by Scotland and is a tremendous prospect who has already had some great games domestically.