19 Sep 2020 18:40:39
3 at the back or 4 at the back. until the midfield is sorted we will always give chances up.
I have said for a while something is missing.
Am no expert but to me its a box to box and a ball winning midfielder.
To often we are second to 50/ 50s. to often we are loosing our runners to very average teams.
Rangers bossed the middle of the park in the last two games and for me nothing has changed.
We have to find a partner for McGregor.
Brown is warrior and has been a leader on and off the field but its no shame to say he has lost a bit of edge. mother nature is taking its toll.
Hes still got a major roll to play this season but surely at home against Livingston was the stage for Turnbull to fill the box to box position.
19 Sep 2020 18:46:13
Agree Jungle John. Brown should have benched and Ntcham or Calmac played in his role with Turnbull pushing on. Way to pedestrian ìn possession and very predictable.
19 Sep 2020 19:13:19
Jungle jum and chinks . celtic midfield tackling is very poor and has been very poor for quite some time.
McGregor gets away with it more as he is expected to be a deep lying oit ball and his size means that we don't expect him to snarl his way in to tackles
Brown WAS that man and he would often lift others BUT that is not really in his locker either these days . brown went through a period of missing the ball by feet and hauling the player down . now he misses the ball by yards and the player. a non tackling Brown in that midfield equals a passenger as the question is, IF he is not fulfilling that role, could someone else?
We keep saying he's a leader, well he doesn't lead us in to timely tackles
Christie can do that incidentally. he and Turnbull are probably about as close to orthodox midfielders with an ability to mix it
Ntcham not so sure
Moi no way
Frimpomg no way and Forrest couldn't tackle a fish supper
Incidentally, his ATTEMPT to stop that last minute cross ( noting he was a sub with bags of energy ) was a complete JOKE. he should get a rollicking for that. it was inept and lazy and we can do without it .
There is something missing . I think its quality and hunger. not easy to find
We have quality but for too long we have said we are STACKED in midfield and that may be true, but we are not rich in tacklers and that is a key part of the game
Nor are we MAXED on players that can take a player on and go on to change the dynamic in a moment . possession is done when you can do it Barcelona style where everyone is moving and where everyone can actually play a killer pass . that is not us
We need someone to drop the shoulder or head and dart here there and everywhere from time to time just to create the opportunity for something to open up
Ajer can do it . and does do it but it starts too deep. maybe Turnbull
Forrest should be doing it
Frimpomg can and does
We move on
Cmon the hibees.
19 Sep 2020 19:21:45
I remember the first time we went for 10 in a row, we had the better players, we had the momentum but well we know the rest.
This Celtic team are no where near the level of the 74/ 75 team but neither are the main challengers.
I think the problems Lennon has is the exact same as Big Stein, there are many ways to win this league but only one not to.
That may sound stupid but the new club in Glasgow seem to be playing with no pressure unlike us.
It brings back memories I hope this time will be different.
19 Sep 2020 20:01:41
I'll leave the technical stuff to others who are more able to work out the different systems and formations better than me, but I can't understand how every player in the team is liable to be dropped other than Scott Brown.
This is no criticism of Brown as he has been crucial to our success ever since he joined us.
The fact is though that age does look as if it's taking it's toll and he is the one player more than anyone who would benefit from playing fewer games.
There is something drastically wrong if we can't take on Ross county, St mirren, and Livingston without Brown in the team, in fact it's quite worrying.
19 Sep 2020 20:04:56
I agree Lubomir; I have been saying for years that we have a midfield of small ball-playing footballers and no muscle or bite (Broony apart) and we have maybe not been outplayed - but arguably - outfought by Sevco in recent games.
The balance has to be perfect in all great teams and we don't have a happy medium of graft, guile and flair at the moment or even a settled formation or preferred first eleven?
19 Sep 2020 21:08:36
The new team from Glasgow has had many relatively easy games at home . Every season we have Celtic fans after a handful or so of games talking up Rangers2012 and every season when the heat is on, Gerrard and his men slip up and their challenge disappears . This season will be no different, we haven’t hit any sort of form yet and we are top of the table.
20 Sep 2020 08:37:47
Ayer in middle hh.
20 Sep 2020 14:38:49
Celtic mad, agree
Jic, interesting
Old man Chris . that complacency will lose us the league and I say that after their 2 2 with the hibees
Let's wait and see
Guile
Grit
Flair
We need a blend!