23 Feb 2018 07:33:31
Hands Up!
The reason so many of us are so gutted this morning is we believe in our team and manager and last week they gave us something to be proud of.
Lastnight of course was a whole different story. The man between the sticks should never see the light of day again in a Celtic Jersey. Never has been good enough and never will be. Yes BR signed him, however I don't believe for one minute anyone of us can honestly say that we've bever made an error and remember he had done well for BR in the past.
Lustig has been a great servant for Celtic and deserves more respect than some of the rubbish been thrown at him. Yes this season it has been highlighted that he is getting on in years and it is a position that needs strengthened but that guy has the club at heart, so let's not get personal.
Jozo lost his man for the first, he has been at 6's and 7's this season too, however the move by BR to bring in an older head I believe will steady the ship at the back and give Broonie more support.
Overall we have a young squad and they are learning and getting better, consistency comes with age and unfortunately given economics, we need to buy young and develop. We need to keep faith in our team.
BR here for 10 in a row,
23 Feb 2018 08:24:39
The only saving grace was that it wasn’t three defensive and goalkeeping balls ups. After having four windows to sort that area and it being now worse than when he started would not be the kind of judgement bigger teams are looking for in a manager.
Brendan rightly tells his players what they need to do to get to the next level. Well, the same criteria applies to him. He hasn’t sussed what everyone on the planet has, apart from Board members, that thecdefence and goal keeper aren’t anywhere good enough.
We have all known since Ronnies time that we are weak defensively. His inability to improve it is as damning to his future move as the performances of some of our players wanting better things is to theirs.
Dorus de Grief should never play again. Lustig needs a rest and replaced. Hendry or Commpare aren’t the answer. We actually started ok. The confidence, yet again, was drained through defensive balls ups. It’s killing our mid to front as they, like us, have zero confidence in a defence even worse that in Ronnie’s time because we have a totally crap keeper and a great servant in Lustig has got older and slower and has forgot how to pass.
Now we have the prospect of another scramble about in the summer to try and get defenders.
Here’s hoping it’s fifth time lucky for Brendan. The truth is, his hopes for move to a big club has no chance unless he improves a defence that weans trying to get in a close find easy to get by.
Gutted but not surprised in the slightest. And that makes it even worse. Four windows is or should be enough for anyone. Seemingly not when you’re at Celtic, Rogers needs to get his finger out, it’s his fault that defence is our defence.
23 Feb 2018 10:11:53
Agree with your post magic except for the Compper bit, I’m really hoping this guy will be a good player for us. Ajer is not the answer at this point too young and inexperienced. It’s fair to say that the players look low in confidence the next couple of weeks will show us exactly how the teams mind set is. Hail Hail.
23 Feb 2018 11:18:13
Well I’ve had time to digest last night's game! Think it’s obvious we’re just not up to the task in these games. one of the things that stuck with me last nite was when Brendan was asked if the first goal knocked the stuffing out us. his reply was something along the lines of I knew even before the first goal something wasn’t rite! I find that statement incredible by the way!
We’re coming off the back of dominating this team and with a goal advantage, and somethings not rite! I'll tell u exactly what isn't rite, it’s the mediocre half hearted players in our team that isn’t rite! Far to many wee boys in there who go hiding when any sort of pressure is applied! Only KT and Broony aren’t on that list! Far to many who just aren’t up to the challenge IMO! De Vries Jozo and Lustig are done at the club as far as I'm concerned, no where near good enough!
Big Sutton hit the nail on the head a while back and said it last nite again, there’s a major lack of belief in that squad when it comes to these games! I thought Zenit all though a decent team were no world beaters! We had 66% possession away from home and don’t absolutely nothing with it! They had maybe 4 or 5 shots and scored 3 of them!
We went out with a whimper and that’s the most frustrating thing about it! That team needs a serious boot up the arse in the league run in and cups, Starting with the sheep on Sunday! Anything else other than victory will be totally unacceptable! Hi The I.
23 Feb 2018 10:31:30
I am not gutted about last night, with the league we play in this is about the furthest we will get in Europe if we're honest with ourselves.
The thing the Club needs to address though is why we have such a soft centre when we travel abroad. Going back to Neil Lennon's days when we lost heavily to Barcelona, through to this season when we have lost heavily to PSG, we seem unable to make ourselves hard to beat. There is no way we can match these teams for attacking flair so it makes it more important that you don't give away goals cheaply.
Brendan Rodgers is a good coach, but sometimes you have players who can only be coached so far, they reach a level where they don't improve any more, it's then when you have to see if you can get players in who can go a bit further. If you do that it keeps the manager motivated as well, I'm sure If Rodgers realises he's gone as far as he can with a player it must affect his enthusiasm.
Celtic or any other Scottish club are never going to seriously challenge to win a European trophy any time soon, the financial gap is too big, that's why I can't say I'm gutted about last night. All I want the club to do is give the manager the best players they can to let him do his job.
23 Feb 2018 11:26:01
I hope Comparre is the answer. We need one and we need it fast. Like, the last four years fast.
Our tankings in Europe are down to defensive and goalkeeping serial blundering. To go from window to window four times and do nothing that has improved it is criminal. No excuse for it, none.
There are rumours on line that the German is finished with that injury. Now, I never believe rubbish online, but a 33 year old player signed who was cuptied?
The other addition a young guy from Dundee who looks as vulnerable as what we already have?
Not even in the ballpark of good management. The weakest part of the team made even worse with Dorus in there. Hendry not even used?
CL qualification made even more difficult because our defence is still utterly shit. That’s down to Rogers 100%. He admitted it was defensive frailties yet again. It’s his defensive frailties that worry me more. If after four windows you have a rubbish defence then questions need to be asked about his judgement.
He picks the team, don’t blame the players for not being good enough, blame the manager who has done nothing to change his options. Even with every defender fit we are poor. That can’t be good enough and it’s not.