01 Aug 2015 19:55:21
Not been on for over a week was on vacation in London and just got back late last night still managed to catch both games and all I can say is, oh dear.
My fears for certain players imo have been confirmed. A lot of first team regulars under Ronny so far this season are simply not good enough and yet still get selected game after game which is infuriating when time after time they keep making the same mistakes.
Cifcti still not match fit enough or fit enough in general needs to get leaner but is he really the answer and can he be relied upon? Imo no, never a natural goal-scorer.
I've said it before but seeing that front three of GMS, Armstrong and Cifcti on Wednesday night dampened my mood and I just can't help but feel dismayed and uninspired with that sort of attack and yes a lot of that is because it was Dundee Utds last season it just feels as if we have sank so low. They don't have the bottle imo and ability for that matter to take us where we want to be and play the football that we and Ronny Deila wants to see. I realise just how negative I'm coming across but this is how I feel about us atm.
This is all my opinion of course and yes I believe we can do better even with our financial contraints, a lot better.
Cifcti - Not good enough, not a natural goal-scorer which is what we need on the European stage someone we feel can step up from time to time(Even like Scott McDonald)and get goals against the harder sides like Hooper also done. Plus about half his goals for Dundee Utd I'm sure came from the penalty spot so doesn't score didn't score a lot from open play.
Armstrong - Nowhere near good enough, never a left winger and it doesn't matter how often he plays there under Ronny, him playing there smacks of Ronny trying to shoehorn him somewhere into the team because he can't get him anywhere else, also doesn't have the skill or pace to play there. His passing is generally woeful in so often results in him slowing down and breaking up our attacks giving away possession, not a goal threat either. Stokes was possibly better out there which I'd never thought I'd say and I'd like Stokes to leave. But the fact I'd maybe prefer him to Armstrong out there tells you how bad Armstrong is in that position. But tbh, I don't even rate him centrally for the glaring flaws in his game I have pointed out. Not a fan.
GMS - For all his 'trickery and pace' he doesn't half disappear at times in games, he also isn't anywhere near clinical enough to take his chances in front of goal which is what we especially need in Europe. Usually fails to beat his man and his final ball isn't great either most times and again like Armstrong often loses possession. Better than Forrest but that isn't saying much if we're being honest. Don't rate him that highly, maybe an impact sub to try something different but never a first teamer.
Johansen - Dear oh dear where to begin. For a start the fact he has become an undroppable under Ronny(Regardless of form and much like Mulgrew was under Lenny)makes me so angry and has me tearing my hair out, no player should be undropable, even the captain(I'll get to Brown later). It allows for complacency to creep in and not have certain players being kept on their toes, this is what I feel has happened to Johansen. It seemed like Ronny was always going to find some sort of role for Johansen, he wasn't quite cutting it beside Brown so moved him into another position behind the striker and whilst he has played better there he still has many flaws. His passing is by and large awful, constantly giving away possession, not ruthless enough in front of goal when the level steps up(Europe)and is seen often trying failed pass after failed pass not amounting to anything and breaking up our attack, he's not dissimilar to Armstrong in his play except he adds more goals. But we need more than that, more of an all rounder in behind the striker. Commons for me is a better option atm but I realise he isn't a Ronny type of player.
Brown - Captain or not, he in the middle will forever hold us back as a club, his passing is atrocious imo, especially in Europe, you only have to compare him to what Bitton brings in the middle of the park to see how little he brings. Giving away possession constantly, not creating anything, slows and breaks up our attacks, backward passing, often gives away fouls in dangerous positions for the oposition and generally gets found out in Europe. People say he's great at winning the ball back, the fact is he more than often fouls his way to retrieve the ball back and maybe if didn't give away possession so much he wouldn't have to win it back as often. Over the years the likes of Ki, Wanyama, Kayal, Bitton and Ledley have all been better in the middle of the park than Brown.
Boyata - I'm still to be convinced, he looks cumbersome, clumsey, lazy and error prone at times. His positional sense questionable as well. Still willing to give him more time though although I wouldn't be against Ambrose playing ahead of him atm.
I'm not even going to get started on the likes of Stokes, Izaguirre, Forrest and Mulgrew as I don't see them as being first team players under Ronny this season.
The fact is that all four of our attacking players up top are not good enough, Unless Ronny grows a pair and admits he's got it wrong with a few and finds a way to bring in better players to replace them then he's dicing with his job imo. I wouldn't trust these players to take me through these qualifers so I'm not quite sure how Ronny does, if we don't progress this Wednesday then Ronny job has to be questioned but even if we do progress these players have to be replaced as they're not good enough and will see us embarassed in Europe should we somehow progress.
I'm sorry to come enough so negative which I know I am doing and I'm sorry for another lengthy post but haven't been on for over a week. We need better and fast.
Players I like are the likes of Griffiths(Domestically, not Europe), Commons, Lustig, Ambrose, Virgil Van Dijk, Gordon(Not better than Forster, but decent replacement), Baily(seems decent back up), Rogic(Promising), Janko, Fisher, Henderson. So it's not all bad lol :-).
Also before I finish this post, dare I say it, but I wouldn't fancy our current 11 to dispose of Sevco comfortably should we face them this season with our current first 11 in one of the cups. That's the most damning thing I can say about us as with where we are I should be feeling comfortable about us hammering them if ever we play them this season but currently I don't.
01 Aug 2015 20:27:55
Do us a favour and head back to London or find a team you can support
It's becoming like Eastenders this site with constant negative comments even when we are winning.
01 Aug 2015 20:46:35
Worse post I've ever read, I'll never get that time back again! In case you have forgotten we are 1 leaugue game into the season, the players are nowhere near up to speed yet. Without doubt we are not firing on all cylinders, but should we be at this point. I don't think so. That being said we will qualify on Wednesday and ultimately qualify for the group stages.
01 Aug 2015 20:21:56
This had to be the worst post I've ever read! Time for another "vacation"
01 Aug 2015 20:44:24
Deary me, think some of you guys got out of bed the wrong side this week.
It's no secret I'm no fan of Ciftci or playing 1 up front particularly at home.
The team Ronny plays are his best players! We've had the conversations season after season about this and when most of these players are dropped, we are worse and the results do not go our way.
If anyone can put forward a different starting 11 and say confidently they are better than the players Ronny picks - feel free.
01 Aug 2015 20:54:53
Are you sure you are a celtic fan mate?? That is a very doom and gloom post we are 1 game into our season domestically and 3 games into European and won all 4 ,you can pick hole in every team in Europe but to do it after 4 games that we've won is mad c'mon mate get behind them faithful through and through 😀
01 Aug 2015 21:15:06
This is what I was talking about earlier! People suddenly think its all doom and gloom at Celtic. I think Johansen can be slack in possession, but the work he does in closing down and winning the ball back means he gets possession more. Brown has been a class above the past 3 seasons and I think looks like he could play at a much higher level. Obviously everyone has complaints about players and opinions which I have too and have voiced.
Does anyone know why certain people (and in no way am I meaning all posters) are being so negative at this particular time? Celtic are playing ok and winning! They used to say a team that can play poorly and win is a good team.
01 Aug 2015 21:31:23
Its very easy to criticise and many of us find fault with one or two Celts from time to time . I have rarely read any Celtic poster criticising so many of our players and manager in the one post .
I must remember never to visit London as it may have an adverse affect on my mental reasoning .
01 Aug 2015 21:39:52
Some people imo need to wake up and smell the coffee and realise that a lot of our players are not good enough, which explains why there has been so many slack poor passes, little creativity and poor finishing. It all comes down to a few individual players not being good enough who are contributing to the poor football we are seeing. You can't just look at the results, you have to look beyond that and ask yourself if we can do better, imo yes. With better players(within our budget which are out there)we would have disposed of these teams much more comprehensively and played much better football on top of that. This team currently are not worth the money a lot of fans are shelling money out for. I've lost count about how many fans I've spoke to who are disappointed with the footall they're watching and the same players making the same mistakes game after game. I'm repeating myself now but we have an attack which started for Dundee Utd last season playing in our most important games of the season, actually let that sink in and process that for a second. We are an absolute shadow of the side we had under Lenny and that was only a few years ago.
I'm a Celtic fan but and want us to desperately succeed but I can't help but be critical with what I'm watching and that doesn't make me any less of a Celtic fan. I've already gave a list of players I quite like at the club but there are a number whom I also don't deem good enough.
01 Aug 2015 21:44:04
For someone called celtic forever you seem to not like anything about celtic?
01 Aug 2015 22:23:07
Hmmmmm birminghambhoy, well then you've clearly ignored the part where I've mentioned the players whom I do rate and like because it's there.
01 Aug 2015 22:27:34
Look the reality is we don't have a Larsson finisher , a Nakamura/Moravcik creator or a top defender such as Johan Mjallby but we have a squad , a system and a quality manager that will take us forward given time.
We all know the team standards have dropped compared to the O''neill era but I believe RD will make us good just like Basel, going far in Europe working with youth and sticking to 1 system.
Played 4 , Won 4 you can't get better than that
01 Aug 2015 23:46:27
I'm get a lot of your post but the Armstrong and johansen bits I don't get for me Armstrong is one of the best most promising young Scottish players we have signed in the last 20 years and as for you talking about brown (who may I add I am not the biggest fan of) giving the ball away and fouling that is all I see commons doing I'll get stick for saying this but most fans have the green tinted glasses on when it comes to him and brown too to some extent but brown does give us a thousand times more than commons does for me it is still looking ok and one up front is what most if not all European teams play 442 is a thing of the past and people should realise that sorry didn't mean to moan but a lot of people can't see good players because they are blinkered because they see a step over or two and a long range strike that goes in the net after every 80 they try
01 Aug 2015 23:49:12
I am sure Ronnie expects when you integrate two or three of DunDee unit players with our good attacking players can both those that came from Dundee Utd and our own players will improve . Resulting in far better frontline attacking players than either club ptrviously had . Stay off the high horse, it's early in the season yet ,
Give Deila and his players time .
01 Aug 2015 23:52:16
Celtic forever - I agree with some of your points about the players flaws but they aren't as poor as you made out but definitely under preforming in certian areas. We are a few games in and have won them all. Brown was rusty in the the last qualifer , I'll admit that but he isn't the reckless tackler he once was. Gms easily is one of the most technically gifted players in the squad and in my book has done enough so far to give him a bit of slack. Remember how much everyone used to winge about naka disapearing in games? He compensated with his superb ability but It still was just in flashes in some games. Armstrong yeah has looked a bit lost at times but I refuse to write him off, he just isn't in the mix just now. SJ bottles it sometimes with a simple 1on1 with the keeper but is regularly on the score sheet. Cifti looks way off match sharpness but really isn't getting enough service. Think rd has had a word in his ear about positive attitude ( he spent more time clapping his hands for poor balls in than he did getting on the end of anything)
Its far from perfect but I think the squad can and will improve with game time.
02 Aug 2015 00:01:46
Stephenm- on the money mate
02 Aug 2015 14:58:19
You have covered a lot of points and observations that I have made over the past two seasons and because you have lumped them all together in one post, you will get dogs abuse from many of our fellow posters and Celtic supporters.
We do have many deficiencies in the squad and there are players at the club who would have had to buy a Celtic strip like the rest of us in years gone by, but things will not change immediately under the current regime and mindset.
When before we took class players and European qualification for granted, we are now in a 'lottery' situation with early qualifiers, while we find fitness and form.
We cannot hold onto any top players and either build around them or use them to lure other top players - and we have severe financial restraints due to our location, league ranking and 'small club mentality' emanating from the Board.
There are some things I did not agree with involving Brown and Johansen; I know they have their faults/limits, but over the whole of last season, they (along with a solid back two) contributed immensely to retaining the title and they give 100% in every game whether they are on form or not - and that can't be said of too many at Celtic park these days.
RD has had a season to mould, plan and implement the team and so far we seem to have lost some momentum and definitely lack quality in certain positions, but if he fails to progress and improve the team and is not backed by the board then the fans will be very quick to express their feelings.
02 Aug 2015 15:16:43
I can only assume that the OP does not watch celtic on a regular basis. Some of the descriptions of players are ridiculous, bordering on attention seeking.