With an early kick off against St Johnstone tomorrow, Celtic don’t have time to feel sorry for themselves in the aftermath of the defeat to Leipzig.
Nor do we have time to fret if captain Calum MacGregor, as some are saying, is sidelined for a number of games.
We’ll just have to get on with it.
MacGregor went for a scan yesterday to determine the extent of the injury he picked up, and the results are expected later today. Though it does sound like manager Ange Postecoglou is less than optimistic;
Still waiting to hear, he’s off to see the specialist this morning, so we’ll just have to wait. For him to come off it is fairly significant, as for time wise we’ll find out today, obviously it is not short term but we’re hoping it is not too long term.
That will leave a massive void in the team, as MacGregor will be missed. He’s the leader on the park, and his absence was noticeable on Wednesday.
Although there are capable players in reserve, there is no one who immediately springs to mind as a captain, although Joe Hart might get the armband, one wonders if he can be trusted not to drop it.
Leipzig was a harsh lesson, and the manager pointed out that his charges sort of brought it on themselves….
“We shouldn’t be giving a second goal away as we did, but I felt it was creeping in before that, we were getting negative with our passing and going back to Joe Hart under no pressure and we can’t have that sort of mindset, we need to be more positive
“Our general play was good, we were creating good opportunities and our press was good. We were really aggressive and credit to the players, they took on an aggressive approach.
“At this level, there are fine margins between success and failure and we fell on the wrong line of it again.
Well, it’s time we learned from it then.
And why didn’t he point out the outcome of the negativity to his players at the time, if he “could see it coming ” ?
We did seem to footer about at the back more than usual, and certainly more than we were comfortable with, so it was strange to read that Mauritz Jenz was talking about playing brave football….
We want to play brave football and be exciting. Definitely. It’s the way we want to play. Sometimes things are going to happen in these moments like they did against Leipzig. But you have to have courage to play these passes in these situations.
It seems we may well have lacked a little belief in ourselves, and were indeed trying to play for the draw.
At the half way stage in the campaign, all is not lost, but if we don’t move up a gear soon, then it will be.
According to some, St johnstone isn’t the ideal preparation for such a tough game in midweek, and given the slip up at St Mirren after the last UCL outing, Celtic cannot afford to take them lightly.
I suppose at least it won’t be dull.
Football Insider, one of the plethora of websites that claims to have sources on the ground at Celtic, reckons they’ve been told Celtic have opened talks with Ange Postecoglou on a new deal.
With media outlets touting him for every job that comes up in England, and a few that don’t, this would be a good move, which would send out the right message to supporters, players, and of course, potential suitors.
There might be something in this, not because of where it comes from, but because despite initial misgivings, CEO Michael Nicholson seems content to let the manager just get on with his job, which is in turn the best way to do his own job.
Having found someone he trusts, and who the support adore, then he will surely be thinking about looking after Postecoglou to keep himself out of the limelight, where he seems more comfortable.
Elsewhere, the World Cup takes place next month in Qatar, and it’s possible that Scotland fans won;t be too concerned about missing it, as the rules and regulations were published yesterday….
Sounds like fun….presumably there will be one of these on every street cormer, just in case you were thinking of doing something…
The last caption competition was on Tuesday…how time flies when you’re having fun
Caption: well the TV broke and……you get the rest
Today…..
Cliff contemplates his sh1tty sh1tty bang bang life
As the poor coyote plummeted to the ground Mr Warner came up with a great idea to share with his brother
Caption .
I’m on the top of the ligurian
Looking down on other ranges
Winner.
Caption, deja vu.
All over again.
Just sitting here waiting for the Sevco accounts to be released….
I promise you, Gio, you’ll drop into the Europa.
Caption: After his *Rangers annual accounts machine blows up again Caratacus Potts decides to end it all.
Taking the best car he had left in his showroom out for a spin, Douglas Park gazed forlornly into the Sevco Money pit where all his cash had went
“Giovani’s looking the other way, let the brake off now.”
I worry Leipzig will do well at Celtic Park, they are an improving team. We will miss Calum against them but there is an opportunity for others to step up. The squad is strong and domestically will do the business. Leadership on the park is important, I do not think a keeper is a good bet on a regular basis but Hart has been a leader since he came. Who else? CCV when he comes back apart from him no one else is obvious.
Listening to Ange I think he is right. Rather than footballing ability letting us down, it’s mindset. The players need to believe that they belong at Champions League level. Need to be more resilient and positive in their play. Play without fear and nervousness. It’s in their heads not their feet. Work has to be done to get them to believe in themselves. The ability is there the mental toughness has to be learned.
Terrific, and IMHO correct BB. I noticed on another Tim site, probably what you’re on about, Ange on 2/3 occasions said “they’re physically alright”. I felt he was saying more about what he was NOT saying, if that makes sense?
Abada being allowed to drop out for ‘religious reasons’ is absolute farce to me, as is religion in general. I’ll get the uneducated, brainwashed pelters on here again for saying what I believe in but small minds and all that……
BTW, the said “pelters” will all be by anonymous non-contributors to a once great site.
Fell down there where you asserted your right ‘saying what you believe in’ but denying him his. Leads to the premise of not signing people of certain religions. We had an example of that in Scotland. I’m not for copying them.
Tic Toc pulled the same one on Joe MC Hugh’s site earlier.
I pointed out Celtic is a Club for all faith’s and none.
It doesn’t care for intolerance, Neither should we.
For an atheist, the guy’s obsessed with religion, JimboH. He bangs on about it in every second post yet complains when people go off-topic with caption entries. Tedious stuff. As you say, tolerance of others faith or none is the Celtic way.
@TicToc
And he spake this parable unto them, saying..
the Ange bus reaches a crossroads
Strange comment.
I’m not sure that Ange signing a new contract is really that positive news, as this can simply mean specifying the compo when a manger leaves rather than a long-term commitment.
I’m not holding out much hope for the remaining Euro games, as not just our away results but also our home ones are lousy, even against modest teams.
Leipzig and Shakhtar are a class above a lot of teams who’ve gubbed us at home and they won’t be fazed in the slightest.
In fact, they’ll be happy to sit in and wait for us to blow ourselves out before looking to win it themselves.
Hopefully, it can click, and we do become ruthless rather than toothless in front of goal, to give us a chance but there’s no great evidence it will, and we know what hope usually does. 😉
Before that we’ve got an important game tomorrow and 3 points are necessary as, as much as we laugh at the Huns, they’ve only dropped 2 points (outside of ourselves) and that to a last min goal when they were down to 10 men, so they’re basically going to win virtually all games against the rest and we need to do the same.
Caption: “I’m okay, god’ll save me!” He said as the car, in pic, offered him a rope. He repeated it to the giant, friendly Anaconda who’d offered to save him from his precarious perch and also to the helicopter (both out of view).
Gust of wind, he drops. Deid. Goes tae pearly gates.
Says tae WTF saint was workin’ “I put my absolute faith in god, why did you take me from my life on Earth?”
Saint (WTF) gets on his mobile tae god. “Aye, got that god, thanks.”
Turns tae styoopit appearance and says “Look Pal, we sent you a vintage car with a rope, a friendly Anaconda to wrap round you and bring you safely back; FFS, we even brought in a helicopter. You refused all.
You’re now going to drop even further, but worry not, it’ll be much warmer and you’ll be heartily welcomed, except they don’t have hearts down there, they’re all huns.
Caption,The last of the Four lads had a dream realises what he just started
Caption: Ange “one more negative pass and that’s it!”
Contemplating a jump start
Caption…
Distraught driver bemoans being singled out so soon for a second time by the eTims National Publication (sic).
“ WTF, are there no enough Tories fuxin up the country tae pick from.
The Economy’s tanking, leccy prices are through the roof, inflation’s going stratospheric bit naw pick on me again Jist because I’m the only one in the street not driving an Electric Car. All I said was whit will ye’s all dae when you can’t afford a Power card for the meter’.
‘
Never a dull moment in sunny Perth – heart attacks for us and heartbreak for the Saints. That second half was about as ugly as they come but we had the grit to get there in the end and that’s what counts. We’ll have to ratch up our game at least three or four notches to get the right result on Tuesday night but if we can show more quality and a higher level of concentration at the back I think we can do it. It should be an exciting game anyway.
“Phew, that was close”, as they say in the movies…..the horror movies. I just cannae understand why so many over-hit passes ruined good attacking moves…what do they practice in training?
Sometimes we’re our own worst enemy and give the opposition hope when we should have finished them off earlier. But all credit to the team for fighting ’till the end and “never stopping”.
I don’t think my heart will take much more of games like today’s though.
I can imagine the effect that 95th minute winner had on those watching of an Ayebrokes persuasion…that in itself is entertaining…so close and yet so far lol.
The wee baldy linesman did his best to shackle us..he never missed the opportunity to raise his flag for offsides..even when there wasn’t one. Funny how such an eagle-eyed wee creature missed the hand ball…talk about blatant corruption.
Now come on ye Saints.
The sensación and emotion felt when Big Giaco’s goal went in was very reminiscent of that magic moment when Ralston’s 97th minute header flew in against the Staggies last season. The sort of stuff that wins you leagues but definitely not recommended for the health.
Yoker, my thoughts exactly. “They” were all joyfully writing us off last season and Ralston’s goal was a kick in the haw maws for the “impartial” media and a pivotal moment in the race to the title. The players felt it, and the fans felt it.
But we need to stop wasting good attacking opportunities with those over-hit passes. Hopefully we score first and early on Tuesday and put the pressure on Leipzig. All teams eventually go through a sticky patch of a few games, but hopefully we’re coming out of ours and the goals will flow again.
liepzig will bum us. no problem
“us”, aye, sure, yer baws.
The second last minute turned the team from villains to heros. I don’t doubt this squad’s talent but you can’t create character and it’s games like this where character is built.
Caption
The doom masters consider their future after Gio scores in the 93minute.
Well that was a dramatic game, should have been over and done by half time, but chances cannot be put away.
minging again.
Keep your personal hygiene condition to yourself
St. Johnstone Football Club are looking for crowdfunding on the GoFundMe platform for dedicated youth who will retrieve and supply footballs to Professional Scottish Football Players.
Make the Scottish Football game an experience of fixity perpetuities.
SFA, with their inalienable gyrating of the game.
It is fear.
May our Blessings behold you, Frank.
Jesus on a bike, ffs, someone with birth-right at Celtic tell that cvnt Andrew Francis Walker, here take one of these.
A representative sample fractionates from the kitchen. He must get prawn pieces at Celtic Park.
Mickey Finn that bassa.
here, *
Caption:
1st class sevconian Seville scat souvenir royal mail delivery.
Dear Prudence, won’t you come out to play.
sevco FC David Graham, has been replaced by Bungalow Bill.
sevco newcomer luggage FC.
Awaiting an of rubber approval. Cut of quest.
What a shame Mary Jane had a pain to be laughed at.
Kokomo spoilt, that is Celtic watched.
Where are my bloody boots?
Shall Scott Robertson get a game? If Jamsie has still got it
Oliver said,eff it
CATAPULT…fire for free.
Canny wait till Giorgos is swinging of the crossbar. Ball off the corner flag and for a throw-in.
Everlovin misery
off*
of*
Wreak of a directive board still lingers at Celtic Football Club.
2 bob at the equivalent of a toss of, am I not?
Och,well,thought. Start again…
is Isis Lulu still a cvnt ?
Has some-one from the SFA to be implemented for the truth. Mockingbird bought a diamond ring.
Canada is enabling the Masonic Temples thoroughfare cessation.
Help them, we need to.
The beautifulness of the game is we can all play better but who has watched a repeat of a defeat and looked at the perfection of the grounds lime lining?
Gotta luv Celtic chaos