The Offical Glasgow Celtic thread

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Half time Celtic 2-0 up Van the man and Donati the scorers.

Top of the league ma, top of the league.

Wow theres a surprise Celtic are top of the Scottish League and Rangers second....What a competitive league that is

Thats right, ones a league where one of two teams can win the league, whereas the EPL is a great league where one of four teams could win it!! Yawn.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

The CL proper starts tonight here we go again for another year and more attempts to win an away leg!
13 matches, 1 draw and 12 defeats away from home, not good stats, hopefully we can change that tonight, no injury worries for WGS, and Shaktar arre missing their captain. But it will be hard going against a team who are top of their league and have spent £40 million on players over the Summer!!
Scott McDonald partnering Jan the Man up front, hopefully the recent league goal fests will be repeated in Europe.



Hail Hail[/size]

[Croí na hÉireann]

I'd take a draw, although we should be looking to win this... Is it only on feckin Sky tonight???

[lynchbhoy]

I'd take a draw, although we should be looking to win this... Is it only on feckin Sky tonight???

hear its on sky sports 2

with Celtics poor away CL record, a point wouldnt be a bad result against a team that has won 8 out of 9 league games at the start of this ukranian season

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Agreed, a draw would be a good result away, but this is the one away game I really think we have a chance of taking the points, hope WGS doesn't set the team out with a draw in mind.




Hail Hail

[lynchbhoy]

2-0 to shaktar. celtic once again poor on the road - you cant expect to get results at this level if you constantly give away possession.

yep
that 'home grown' yellow pack defence is not good enough for the CL - it might be ok for the spl and even against epl sides, but not against the cream of europe !
Mistakes like that just show why centre halves need to be natural centre halves not converted full backs - as McManus last night and jamie carragher of liverpool frequently demonstrate

[supersarsfields]

Jeez Lynch I think that's a bit harsh on Jamie Carragher considering he'd be in the top three if not two central defenders in the EPL.

[lynchbhoy]

Jeez Lynch I think that's a bit harsh on Jamie Carragher considering he'd be in the top three if not two central defenders in the EPL.

its harsh, but look at the amount of mistakes he makes against eg arsenal
he tries to play too much football for a centrehalf. You dont get caught out too often, but when you do, its 75% sure you will concede a goal. In the event of any doubt, its Row Z.
McManus is also a full back converted to centre half and while he has adopted the 'when in doubt, put it out' strategy in the last 6 months or so, he is still prone to make the odd mistake as does carragher, that results mostly in a goal. Natural centre halves like lawerenson, hanson, john terry etc dont .

[supersarsfields]

Naw Lynch I'll have to disagree with that. Personally I think Carragher is a typical no nonsense CH. If anything I would say that Agger is the one who trys to play more football. Carragher will be the one to put the last ditch tackle or block in just at the right time. If Carragher was making that many mistakes he wouldn't be in there or part of one of the tighest defences the last couple of years. I know personally I'd have Carragher in my team every day of the week. I see him and Terry as the top two CH's in the EPL. I'll accept others rate Rio higher, but personally I dont.
But to get back on topic again, I wasn't overly hopeful about Celtic last nite. I just don't think they have a cutting edge up front that can do the business in Europe. In the SPL it's ok as they'll create more chances and would hope to put a few away but in europe you could be restricted to a small handful of chances in a game and you need to be clinical enough to take them.

[Gaoth Dobhair Abu]

Naw Lynch I'll have to disagree with that. Personally I think Carragher is a typical no nonsense CH. If anything I would say that Agger is the one who trys to play more football. Carragher will be the one to put the last ditch tackle or block in just at the right time. If Carragher was making that many mistakes he wouldn't be in there or part of one of the tighest defences the last couple of years. I know personally I'd have Carragher in my team every day of the week. I see him and Terry as the top two CH's in the EPL. I'll accept others rate Rio higher, but personally I dont.
But to get back on topic again, I wasn't overly hopeful about Celtic last nite. I just don't think they have a cutting edge up front that can do the business in Europe. In the SPL it's ok as they'll create more chances and would hope to put a few away but in europe you could be restricted to a small handful of chances in a game and you need to be clinical enough to take them.

Would agree with you there ss, we looked sterile in attack, and the mid-field couldn't hold the ball, passing was very poor as well.
We were very disappointing last night, I personally believe that we can play much better, but let's not take anything away from Shakter, they look the business and I think that they will defo take points off both the other teams in this group.
Why in the name of God can Naka not last a full game on the road in Europe??

All is not lost though, 5 more games, we need 10 points to safely qualify, but need to improve by 200%.



HAIL HAIL

[lynchbhoy]

Naw Lynch I'll have to disagree with that. Personally I think Carragher is a typical no nonsense CH. If anything I would say that Agger is the one who trys to play more football. Carragher will be the one to put the last ditch tackle or block in just at the right time. If Carragher was making that many mistakes he wouldn't be in there or part of one of the tighest defences the last couple of years. I know personally I'd have Carragher in my team every day of the week. I see him and Terry as the top two CH's in the EPL. I'll accept others rate Rio higher, but personally I dont.
But to get back on topic again, I wasn't overly hopeful about Celtic last nite. I just don't think they have a cutting edge up front that can do the business in Europe. In the SPL it's ok as they'll create more chances and would hope to put a few away but in europe you could be restricted to a small handful of chances in a game and you need to be clinical enough to take them.

Would agree with you there ss, we looked sterile in attack, and the mid-field couldn't hold the ball, passing was very poor as well.
We were very disappointing last night, I personally believe that we can play much better, but let's not take anything away from Shakter, they look the business and I think that they will defo take points off both the other teams in this group.
Why in the name of God can Naka not last a full game on the road in Europe??

All is not lost though, 5 more games, we need 10 points to safely qualify, but need to improve by 200%.

HAIL HAIL

we will agree to disagree SS - although I would accept most would not side with my opinion there! JC is at the better nd of the scale than rio, and agger is somewhere in between.
None of them are fit to lace the great Lawro's boots though !
as said, back to topic - Celtic's prob is that they sent out a 12million team to go toe to toe with a 60million team.
Strachan is guilty of staying loyaly to his current team (never change a winning team) which is admirable, but remembering artmedia bratislava, I hoped GS would also think if this and play a more cautious 352 or 451 rather than go 442 and try to slog it out away to a team that is top of their league.
Tactically naive again from wee ginger. He has also been found out for not buying two decent full backs and a decent Reiper-esque centre half.

[Lamh Dhearg Alba]

McManus is also a full back converted to centre half and while he has adopted the 'when in doubt, put it out' strategy in the last 6 months or so, he is still prone to make the odd mistake as does carragher, that results mostly in a goal. Natural centre halves like lawerenson, hanson, john terry etc dont .

Ive never seen McManus as a full back to be honest lynchbhoy (he's always been a centre half anyway as far as I know) and as things stand he is the best defender at Parkhead, quite incredible the progress the boy has made over the last 2 years. His performance in Paris last week was outstanding.

Celtic made a shocking start last night which you just cant do at this level. Lee Naylor looks a pale shadow of the guy who was so impressive for Celtic last season and has been poor so far this term, maybe he's not the bargain everyone thought he was. Was also surprised to see Killen on the park last night, he'll do a job in some SPL games but isnt a CL player.

[tyroneman]

I thought the game was running away from us at one point. I came with two strikers, which might have been naive, but I thought we could have got a win.

WGS on bbc website

Genius.................................

Once again the same old failings came out to play last night however several points remain to be answered:



1.    Why has our defence not been addressed over the summer- despite clear evidence it is not up to the job? Caldwell and Naylor in particular are liabilities and McManus needs a steady hand to guide him through matches – he can't be relied upon to marshal the defence, he is a follower not a leader and has the positional sense of a drunk crab.

2.    What's that skippy?? Some kids have started a football match and you're playing up front? His namesake would be more productive, and prolific. £700,000odd bargains come once in a lifetime. 99 times out of 100 they play like £700,000 suggests. And he's out first choice to partner JVoH

3.    Let's not buy into this beaten by a 40mill team either. The chances created home, and in particular away, by teams in the SPL against Celtic are frightening. It's down to pure good fortune that the OF have snapped up any decent  SPL level strikers thus preventing most other SPL teams from capitalising on the numerous chances we give them. It's no big surprise that SD nailed us.

4.    Naka – rightly subbed, at long last (WGS I finally applaud a decision). Again a passenger away from home. If only Special Teams were allowed a la NFL.

5.    Tactics – sexy football? Where? Lump it up to the big man and hope. Again.

6.    The big man......... one of the laziest front men I have ever seen. The movement from Hartson in his final season was positively hyperactive in comparison. Keeps his place 'cos no-one else is there to challenge. And how does he consistently get outjumped by smaller defenders??

7.    Options......... chasing a game what do we have??? A lumbering free transfer from Hibs and...........................

8.    McGeady, mercurial certainly but looking less and less like fulfilling all that potential.(When exactly does "potential" finally stop being an excuse for poor play?)


The sad thing is that we have money to spend. I can't believe that not one decent player couldn't have been persuaded to come to the SPL.

Much like Ireland once we go behind to decent opposition almost all hope flickers out. That's inexcusable for a team with such history and dreams as we have

[illdecide]

Lucarelli had Bhoys option
Shakhtar striker held talks with Celtic
By Mark Buckingham   Last updated: 19th September 2007


Lucarelli: Celtic talks

Cristiano Lucarelli claims he had the opportunity to join Celtic at the end of last season.


The Italian striker left Livorno for Shakhtar Donetsk over the summer in a big-money transfer which surprised many in his homeland.

Celtic were rumoured to be among the clubs interested in Lucarelli and he showed the Scottish giants what they missed out on in Tuesday's UEFA Champions League tie.

Lucarelli scored a fine header in Shakhtar's 2-0 win and he confirmed he had held talks with The Bhoys.

"In May I spoke to the director of sport for Celtic for playing in Glasgow, but it was no," Lucarelli told Sky Sports News.

And when asked if he could have moved to Parkhead, Lucarelli replied: "Yes."


No regrets

The 31-year-old admits he does not regret choosing to move to Ukraine as he was eager to play Champions League football.

He added: "I don't regret leaving Serie A. I moved to Shakhtar to play Champions League football.

"To do that regularly in Italy you need to play for Milan, Internazionale or Juventus.

"Players from other clubs need to leave the country to do so, like (Massimo) Donati at Celtic."

[wesaysanchez]

can you hrear me billy vconnolly, rod stewatrt , gerrry  adsma neil leenon, tony fearon, micghael from the fields of antherny, pope bendict can you hear me?  youre bhoys took a hell of abeating so they did. jan venegor of heselink, evnader snow, gordon starchan gerry adams (can you hear me gerry sadam), oyu're boys tookm a hell of a beating. John reid, martin mcguiness john hume, the cardianl ( id ont' no his name), mark sdebottom, jreome quinee, logie logan, derek desmonf, martin oneill, malky mackay, all fenians can you here me for i ahve this to say so i do.  Your bohy took a heel of a beating.

By the way, how did Rangers do klast night. I ca'nt get the result anywhere so I can't.

Foolw, foolw.

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