23 Apr 2026 09:13:12
“How confident am I? Well, confidence should be high with the team, particularly after the four goal salvo against St Mirren just last week.
That should give any team a major boost of confidence, to know that, well, it was like a throwback, almost like vintage Celtic.
Like throwing away the shackles, just playing with confidence and going for it. In terms of preparation, we’re ready for it. Honestly, it’s genuinely just a game at a time. "
MON reflecting on last Sunday's match and the effect it could have on the team for the remaining 6 fixtures.
I wonder if he realises "the shackles" are Callum McGregor and will he be brave enough to drop the skipper, or at least move him forward?
23 Apr 2026 11:23:49
MON and SM must realize that although McGregor is the captain. he is the main catalyst for slowing down the game either with backwards and sideways passes or getting over-involved with multiple passes, when lifting the head and playing in forwards would be better. Unfortunately the back four have been 'programmed' to this dithering and giving teams an initiative.
Wide players also need to take note of what James Forrest did last Sunday and take more responsibility and if Maeds continues to show that appetite and Yang believes in himself more, we can take the bull by the horns and go for it.
23 Apr 2026 12:15:50
Callum McGregor isn’t responsible for Yang, Maeda or Tounetki constantly turning back or playing backward passes. That is down to manager to tell them to do their job or remove/ don’t play them. How hard can it be, even if through an interpreter, to say this is what I want you to do or I take you off! If that clown Hutton can spot that the entire team choose to go back when forward options are available then it’s down to management.
{Ed007's Note - I totally get what you're saying Chas but this has been happening at Celtic even towards the end of Ange's time here and was the same through Rodger's "horseshoe" in his 2nd stint. When we spoke about it on here, the pod or the live chat I'd say it must be coming from the manager for the same reasons you're saying, if you aren't doing what the manager tells you, you normally get bombed but none of the wingers ever did.
For me, I think it should be left to the winger to decide whether he wants to go inside or try and hit the line for a cross, it gives the defender a choice to make instead of them setting up constantly knowing the player is going to cut inside.
On CalMac, he is the player that is meant to be setting the tempo and driving the team forward, when the ball ends up with the wingers you can guarantee CalMac isn't far away demanding the ball off them, no matter where the ball is on the pitch he's there demanding it, even for him to play a 4 yard sideways pass or go backwards.
Poncing about making pointless sideways or backward passes isn't controlling the midfield and running the game the way our main playmaker should.}
23 Apr 2026 12:50:20
As long as its a manager decision leaving him out and not an injury, am divided Ed with him when jota was playing and khun they were more apt to take the fb on, it seems the modern way hell even the city left winger did it the whole game last night.
{Ed007's Note - It's definitely a "thing" in the modern game.}
23 Apr 2026 18:37:19
Don’t expect wingers to continually run blindly up the line but ours don’t even appear to see it as an option most of the time. They are easily countered because they are so predictable. Yang narrows our attacking options because he doesn’t stay wide.
We are a very frustrating side to watch at the minute when we know we can do better, as our six minute blitz proved. Let’s hope that’s a start of something.