Celtic Banter Archive December 30 2019

30 Dec 2019 21:36:05
We can all relax lads, just found out that Morelos done the Colombian slit across the throat gesture (which is totally different from the Scottish version ) . I"ll sleep peacefully tonight knowing that 🤣🤣 Priceless.

30 Dec 2019 19:58:28
Makes my blood boil watching they idiots celebrate at the end of the game. Hope the bhoys recover during this break and send it home the next half. Two or three quality signings 👌🍀.

30 Dec 2019 20:07:42
It's even worse when many media outlets spout the ' Going for 55'
bullcrap. I hope our players are as angry and hurting as much as the rest of us and come back stronger and more determined than ever.

30 Dec 2019 18:02:26
Between both clubs Rangers and Sevco, yesterday was the first time they have scored the opening goal at Celtic Park in 15 attempts, going back to 2008.
In the previous 14 games (13 in the league and a Scottish cup tie) Celtic have scored the opening goal 12 times and 2 games have ended goalless.
I think it’s 7 penalties Mcgregor has faced against Celtic for both Rangers and Sevco and he has dived to his left in 6 of them.

The only time he dived to his right was against McGeady. He probably dived to his right for a change because 5 months previous McGeady put it to his right, sending Mcgregor the wrong way.

McGeady is the only Celtic player to go to Mcgregor’s right and both times he has scored. The other 5 Celtic penalties have went to the keepers left and he has saved 3 of them.

30 Dec 2019 17:53:11
We played shockingly bad again yesterday, like all of us after the performance in the cup final, I was expecting us to come out all guns blazing. Both the management and team are to blame for yesterday, I said it before on here that I think Gerrard has lennies number. One thing was terrible yesterday was how easy they defended against us, then broke away with ease. In some instances yesterday they broke up the park with two passes, one long ball between our cb and full backs had us in all sorts of problems .

There was one move where Morelos should have scored at the back post where it was like watching Sunday’ morning football the way we defended . Also for all lennies talk about the players can’t do any more for him, and we played well in all his interviews after recent games. He must be watching different games to me, as we aren’t free flowing against teams like at the start of the year, we barely get a good 60 mins performance now. End up scraping through games .
We need this break to evaluate where we are and what we need to do to start getting back on track, as they are going to keep pushing on now.

30 Dec 2019 20:11:57
One of the things I always expect and respect in a manager is being able to see the same game as the support win. lose or draw.
I would definitely like to see more honesty, although I expect he has one opinion for the media and maybe another for the players privately.

30 Dec 2019 17:51:36
Brian Clough was once asked what his secret was after winning two European cups on the trot in the early eighties this was his reply:

"It's quite simple son when our opponents have the Ball we Defend and when we have the ball we attack".

now I'm nearly seventy and I do get the many formations a Manager can adopt during a match but although the game is a lot more faster these days the basics are very much the same was at the game on Sunday I honestly think our team just need a few tweaks ie our taking of throw in's how many times do we give the ball away plenty, our full backs chipping a ball to our forwards into space for them to run on to, leaving our striker almost on the half way line when our opponents have a Corner, don't have any of our Strikers take a Corner, And get our players to be prepared to carry that ball forward, at pace of course, and this one is for the all Hoops fans the 4x3 trophy campaign is still very much alive Lenny will deliver HH.

30 Dec 2019 16:26:24
Campsiebhoy, adoration from 11 pm and Mass at 12 midnight for the bells down by tomorrow night I hope you can make it! 🙏.

30 Dec 2019 15:07:17
It's like a time bomb this what makes a team there is no excuses this hasn't hurt us it's proved we can't take things for granted and this what makes good teams become better the players know what's needed the manager knows the fans know it's not good enough but what's there excuse for there players behaviour and not being to critical they are lucky to be a good player you need discipline they don't have a manager that doesn't care as long as he wins but when he gets beat he moans like a spoilt child but things will change you can't endorse those muppet gestures to any crowd but he should be hammered and that fanny Kent that's allowed it's wrong but we won't hold our breath too long slippy approves of this because he must.

30 Dec 2019 13:19:39
In my opinion I think it's time we looked at a different formation. For me I would do away with playing a number 10. I would much rather see Ryan Christie in beside Broony and McGregor and driving forward from midfield, much in the way Petrov used to do, than sitting in the number 10 role. A lot of the time yesterday he was receiving the ball with his back to goal and their midfield was quick to close him down. This would also allow us to play a second striker.

30 Dec 2019 18:04:22
I would like the manager to recognise when our formation isn't working and make changes quickly or even better use the experience of just playing a team and adjust the formation to counter theirs but I don't like the mostly used 4231 I saw wee Strachan talking about the 10 role and how it's not nearly as effective as it used to be.

30 Dec 2019 12:35:59
The usual over reaction to a defeat, heard it all before over the last 2 seasons, remember being told on here at this time 2 seasons ago that Rangers are a serious threat and before we beat them with 10 men at Ibrox there were supporters wetting themselves. Same again last season when we lost Derby match before winter break supporters pissin there pants. Getting told I was in denial when I refused to admit The Rangers are a threat. Now we are getting it once more, our biggest obstacle to overcome this season is our own negative support. Yesterday was a horrendous atmosphere from the first 5 mins, moaning disgruntled supporters all over the ground, you get the feeling they were willing us to lose so they could say I told you so. there's a new breed of Celtic fan nowadays who turn up feeling entitled to win every game and when things are not going well turn on the team . don't often agree with Slippy but his comment after Ibrox game about home advantage can play against you in these games is spot on, players start playing with a nervousness when they have half the crowd on their backs for a sideways pass. This is a team that has won the last 10 trophies up for grabs and the last 8 titles but the negativity coming from the support is horrendous.

{Ed007's Note - I have no doubts in my mind that we'll win the league but we're making it a lot more difficult for ourselves than it should be. Losing to Livi and drawing with Hibs were stupid and sloppy points to drop and we can't afford lapses like that.}

30 Dec 2019 13:24:28
Good post mate. Far to many think we have the Devine Right to win every game. We lost a game not the league.

30 Dec 2019 13:26:28
Yes sloppy points to drop Ed but there has always been results like that over the course of a season from every team world wide since football was created, even in our invincible season we had 4 sloppy draws.

{Ed007's Note - 👍

30 Dec 2019 13:29:45
I think a factor this season is the lack of real competition and threat from the rest of the SPL - so far - as they have only lost one game (to us at Ibrox) ; whereas we have now lost just twice.
Any other season 'til now we would have seen Hearts, Hibs, Aberdeen and more recently Kilmarnock, taking points of both sides.
The way things are going - until they hit a bad run - it will be decided on the last two Sevco games.

30 Dec 2019 13:41:47
Was thinking similar c_m, this season could be a first where 100 pts might not win you the league. I expect both teams to have over 100 pts.

30 Dec 2019 16:26:50
It's been the same for as long as I can remember up to December point in league, some ropy results then come January we start to pull away at top of league.

A few new faces January and clear out of some dead wood and we will be fine.

Katic goal was unfortunate and could of been prevented if we had a player on the line. They will drop points over next few games it's a certainty.

30 Dec 2019 11:38:08
The last thing I was feeling like hearing from Neil Lennon this morning is that it's 'not the time to be overly critical'. I beg to differ it is more important that there is a critical analysis of the merits and faults of yesterday's game than at any point in the last decade both in terms of management tactics and player performance. We weren't outplayed yesterday we were outthought and outfought Neil. Why? If it was because of your tactics then learn the lessons and if it is because of available resources and the team needing freshened up do it in the January transfer window either way both are your responsibility. Celtic supporters have backed the club for the last 10 years when there has been no challenge but now is the time for Dermot Desmond and Peter Lawwell to invest and repay our faith in the club. We are the ones that should have accumulated a war chest to secure the 10 yet it appears there is more of an investment in Govan to stop it. The kidding has to stop. The 9 and 10 are there to be won. They are no world beaters but our issues need addressed. Over to you DD and PL. Neil if you're not getting backed speak up because it's you that carries the can.

30 Dec 2019 11:58:10
Lennon will never speak up. He's a poor manager that will except everything the board tell him.

30 Dec 2019 12:42:42
Lennon is Mr Marmite to the fans. He got the team and tactics all wrong and never changed it. After 20 minutes we all could see the midfield was a mess. Out fought and over ran. No threat from our wide players. Ajer getting the blame is garbage. Yes he made a mistake and wasn't at his best. The guys only 21 and will learn from his errors.

30 Dec 2019 13:16:00
JFP I can't behind the suggestion they have invested more money in their squad than us.

I was actually pleased with the last transfer window bar another striker. I think we do need a couple more in January but the team we put out yesterday should have been more than capable of beating them. It was formation and tactics that found us out.

You hit the nail on the head with 'outthought and outfought' Lennon sat slouched in his seat with his arms folded and a look on his face that suggested he had no answers. When he turned round and called Griffiths to warm up my heart sank. A player so far out in the cold he shouldn't have even been on the bench, but that tells its own story.

The player's need this winter break. Hopefully the management use it to reflect on how tactically inept they have been in the last two derby games.

30 Dec 2019 11:14:28
{Ed's Note - Ed001 has posted a new article entitled, Review Of The Day 30th December 2019

30 Dec 2019 10:56:47
It would seem after yesterday's performance we learned absolutely nothing from the betfred cup final. I've seen quotes from Lennon midweek saying" we will see a different Celtic than the one we saw in the final". Bull###t, then we get Forrest saying " we know the feeling from defeat last Christmas at ibrox and don't want it repeated". absolute clad coming from him considering he'd have been aswell already being in Dubai yesterday for all the input he had in that game. I'm fed up hearing how we've played X amount of games etc etc, these guys are paid handsomely and u can accept maybe 1 or 2 not at the races in any 1 game, but yet again in this fixture 80% of the team never bothered to turn up. I can accept defeat and it hurts but I'm also big enough to accept when we're well beaten, but what I can't accept is the lack of effort, the lack of fight, the lack of spirit, especially in that fixture, totally unacceptable. They must've played in the region of the same amount of games as we have yet looking at the past two encounters you wouldn't think that. This window could be historic for us. If we make the right signings in key areas and get them in quickly ( not the final day of the window) then we can kick on, but for these fans that think we'll strike this second half of the season, they'll fall away while we'll beat everyone in our path, where is the evidence so far to suggest this The past month or so our performances have been average at best, yes we've gotten results but if those performances continue and don't vastly improve we will inevitably slip up along the way. You can call that an over reaction, panty wetting etc etc but it's true, and let me say this, had we lost that betfred cup final and lost yesterday again to that mob with those performances, what would these fans with the blinkers on be saying then.

30 Dec 2019 17:57:15
If they lose Morelos they will drop a fair few points in the 2nd half of the season. They will be confident of winning the title now though so might hold of selling with the hope of Champions League money next season. If not the title will go to the wire and at the moment they look hungrier.

30 Dec 2019 03:07:20
So just wanted to point out for the ones that think we will still walk this league and win it by double figures.
Since Lennon has came back in last season, We have won 74 Points and they have won 76 and they have a game in hand but hey I'm ckassed as a panic merchant.

30 Dec 2019 08:16:21
I agree, and in final and since our most creative player has been Frimpong. Worrying that all our flair players seem to have hit a sticky spell together.

30 Dec 2019 10:15:21
Once again our 'big' players and match-winners went missing and we can all debate personnel and formations, but if James Forrest, Ryan Christie, Odsonne Edouarde (and the lightweight Johnston) are not up for a game like this - we are in serious trouble.
Once again in a big game too many went missing or only had flashes of their true form and at the moment we may have better players (on paper) , but Sevco have a better organization and work ethic.
Over the whole game we were not outclassed and had several chances to score, with clearances off the line and some great saves - (even a PK) , although, Sevco had more possession, but few chances.
Our defending of both goals could be questioned, but what was blatantly obvious was the difference in attitude and confidence.

30 Dec 2019 10:31:57
Jonbhoy I think we have got complacent thinking if we turn up we win but you need to earn it first . Anyone who makes excuses for yesterday has to take the blinkers off the team selection was wrong the tactics where wrong and Lennon takes the blame for that in my eyes as for people saying we have played a lot of football is nonsense so have they and they ran over the top of us . It’s the last game of the year before you have a 3week break against them with 60thousand fans cheering you on you have to give it your all and leave everything on the park with the knowledge your getting a good rest after that one game . What more encouragement do the players need?

29 Dec 2019 23:06:38
Without pressing the panic button I think January will define our season. We have the cash and it's time to flex a bit of muscle in the upcoming window.

Forster and Ellyounoussi - Thrash out a deal with Southampton and get both deals done NOW.

We have missed the outlet Ellyounoussi provided with Edouard. For me we have not been the same team since he has been out.

In my opinion we need the same on the right hand side. Forrest was at his best when there was competition for places. Now he has no competition he seems to be complacent. Shved was meant to be the man to push him but has been nowhere to be seen. Loan out Shved to an SPL team to see what he's about and go and sign Paddy Roberts. The boy is class. He can carry the ball, create goals and score goals and would bring out the best in Forrest. I am told by a close friend he would walk it back to Parkhead if offered the chance.

We need another striker ASAP. If the boy Sporar is the man let's get the deal done. Decent age, good goal scoring record. It pains me to say it but Griffiths looks finished. If not Sporar then Cosgrove. There was about 7 or 8 times today Frimpong could have hit the byline and got a cross in but chose to come inside instead. It seems this was instructions from the manager as we have no aerial presence up top. If we had a player like Cosgrove we would at least have a plan B in games like todays.

If available I would sign Benkovic on an 18 month loan. I think he is better than both Ajer and Jullien and I actually think all 3 could play in a 3-5-1-1 or 3-4-3 formation.

Wanyama- no brainer. If he is available get him in whatever the cost. He would provide a bit of Steel and muscle in the middle of the park allowing Brown and McGregor a rest to get the best from them. They will burn out eventually. If Brown got an injury I'd severely worry about our lack of fight in the middle of the park.

I know it may seem nostalgic bringing back a load of ex players but all are proven, know the club, would take little time to settle and in my opinion would bring a lot to the playing squad.

The outlay would be high but would be offset a lot by the exits of Sinclair, Gordon, Kouassi and maybe Rogic, Ntcham (who personally I would keep but fear he still wants to go) , Griffiths and 1 or 2 other fringe players.

Doable in my opinion. Thoughts?

30 Dec 2019 04:13:19
That would be some window. Not seen the highlights yet but from what my brother said Wanyama wouldn't go a miss. Looks like the league is on. Thought we would show up after league final show, however nothing lost as yet😁.

30 Dec 2019 07:39:09
Echoing Bribhoy, that would be a statement of intent. Totally agree about Allyounousi: a lot of the dynamic and direct play that marked the opening of this campaign had to do with what he can offer (and of course allowing Forrest to play on the right rather than neutralizing him on elsewhere) . A player like Wanyama would prevent yesterday's performance being repeated, I think.

30 Dec 2019 08:09:20
I think your panicking, Gerard had it sussed, you just need to let Scott Brown have all the time on the ball he wants, as long as you put extra men on the more creative players, Brown won't create much on his own.