Thankfully, we can all stop pretending we’re interested football that takes place outside of the season, as the final meaningless match took place at the weekend.
And Celtic played Maribor in a friendly as well, with Brendan Rodgers seemingly giving deila’s regulars one last chance to prove they can pass the ball anywhere else but sideways.
The game finished 0-0, and there was little in the match to instill any confidence that things are going to be any better this year than they were last year.
Thats why I don’t bother with friendlies, as all that happens is players, supporters and management find something to moan about.
Its also why I didn’t bother with the Euros, except for one drunken night in Wales, as to be honest i think next time they should just put all the names into a hat, and then hide the hat. Which would save endless hours of tedium and piss poor jokes about the English.
Though one does have to spare a thought for the French, and all the work that went into this…
Anyway, back at the ranch, and even the official website, not noted for being negative about performances, struggled to make the Maribor game sound good…
DESPITE controlling most of the match, Celtic had to settle for a goal-less draw against NK Maribor in their final game of the pre-season tour of Slovenia.
Stefan Johansen and Tom Rogic came closest to breaking the deadlock for the Hoops in the Stadion Ljudski Vrt as Brendan Rodgers used the exercise to give most of his squad further time on the pitch ahead of the start of the UEFA Champions League campaign on Tuesday against Lincoln Red Imps.
The manager made just the one change to the team that started in the 2-1 victory over Olimpija Ljubljana three days earlier, with Ryan Christie replacing Liam Henderson. The 21-year-old lined alongside Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele in a front-three.
Despite the match kicking off at 7pm (local time), conditions were still sweltering as the Bhoys took the field and it took some time for them to find their tempo.
In the seventh minute an incisive move down the left saw the Scottish champions carve out their first sight of goal. Kieran Tierney sent Christie scampering clear and goalkeeper Jasmin Handanovic could only parry his powerful cross to Johansen but the Norwegian failed to make a proper connection and dragged his effort wide.
Although the Hoops gradually took control of proceedings, dominating possession, they struggled to plot further routes through the home rearguard, with Maribor content to mass bodies behind the ball and hit on the break.
As play became bogged down in midfield and punctuated by fouls, Nir Bitton and Scott Brown saw yellow for the Bhoys.
The home side had not posed much of an attacking threat, registering their first shots on goal around the half-hour mark and both Gregor Bajde and Dino Hotic were off target and never troubled Craig Gordon.
Celtic’s rhythm was also disrupted when Johansen was forced from the fray with a knock. Callum McGregor took his spot in midfield.
After a largely uneventful first-half, the Hoops looked keen to take the initiative after the restart, with Christie embarking on a weaving run into the box before McGregor tested Handanovic from distance.
Dembele also lashed a shot across goal after holding off his marker as Celtic began to make inroads into the hosts, who had made 10 changes at the interval. Sintayehu Sallalich was one of those to enter the fray and the winger injected some vigour into the Maribor offence. His cross-shot forced Gordon into his first save and then he lashed a drive beyond the post.
Back came Celtic, though, and Dembele saw a shot saved by Handanovic after Janko had raced to the byline, with Maribor shot-stopper doing enough to prevent Christie from reaching the rebound.
Just past the hour-mark, Brendan Rodgers, recognising the need to give his full squad match practice, sent on nine players from the bench, including Rogic who didn’t take long to try his luck, blasting wide from the edge of the area. Patrick Roberts also lashed a shot past the post from long-range as the Hoops’ continued to search for a goal.
But the visitors were almost caught out in the 74th minute when Dare Vrsic curled wide after being supplied by Sallalich.
Celtic finished strongly, however, and Rogic forced a late save from Handanovic after a rampaging run into the box, with all attention now turning to the start of competitive action next week.
CELTIC (4-3-3) Gordon; Janko (Lustig 63), Ambrose (O’Connell 63), Sviatchenko (Ajer 63), Tierney (Izaguirre 63); Johansen (McGregor 29), Bitton (Armstrong 63), Brown (Rogic 63); Griffiths (Roberts 63) Dembele (Ciftci 63), Christie (Forrest 63)
Not Used: Bailly, Fasan, Lindsay, Allan, Fisher, McCart, Henderson, Ralston
NK MARIBOR (4-2-3-1) Handanovic; Hodzic (Pusaver 46), Denis (Mertelj 46), Suler (Uskokovic 46), Janza (Viler 46); Hotic (Bohar 46), Vrhovec (Kabha 46), Pihler (Ogrinec 46), Bajde (Sallalich 46); Tavares (Novakovic 46), Omoregie (Vrsic 46)
Not Used: Obradovic, Cotman, Rahmanovic
You’ll see how they claim Stefan Johansen was “forced from the fray with a knock”…as Brendan Rodgers confirmed ;
“Stefan is fine. We’re sending him for a scan. It’s a precaution. He felt his ankle in warm-up. There was nothing in training yesterday. We’ll see how he is in the morning.”
Just in case anyone from Galatasaray was watching the game.
The manager wasn’t so calm about the slovenian full back, who committed the most foul of acts, and its good to see him stickong up for his players…
“‘The full-back spat at Leigh Griffiths.
“Disgrace it was. A disgraceful act. Leigh challenged for ball, used his body — and the full-back turned and spat at him. He shouldn’t have been on the field.
“The referee didn’t see it. I spoke to him at half-time, then again before the start of the second half. He didn’t see it. The linesmen didn’t see it.
“These are competitive games, but friendly by nature. That shouldn’t happen. Not in any game, least of all a friendly. I haven’t seen the Maribor manager to talk to him about it.”
There was a game last season, I forget which one, where Griffiths wandered over and kneed an opposition player in the centre circle, and my memory is not the best, so it may not have been the Maribor game, but one wonders of the two incidents are connected…
On the game itself, Rodgers was a little more upbeat;
“Maribor, for five of the last six years have been Slovenian champions so it was really good exercise for us and the players coped and adapted really well in what were very hot conditions and the preparation for the game on Tuesday was perfect.
“They have qualified for the Champions League recently and ran Chelsea very close here. They are a good side and when they play at their own ground, they are very hard to beat. I thought our players were excellent.”
But, of course, all the messing about stops now, as its that time again, and Celtic must begin their assault on the Champions League, with Lincoln Red Imps waiting in Gibraltar. The winners face the champions of the Isle Of Man Sunday League, before being thrown in with the big guns from Whereveristan, Neverheardofitgrad, and Whothefuckovenia.
Countries that aren’t even in Europe, Teams that shouldn’t be in Europe and playing in bloody July, when its too wet not to wear a jacket, but too warm to put one on.
Anyhoo, the important thing is that the team are ready, so are we , Brendan ?
“It’s been an excellent tour for us It’s only been 20 days since we have been together. I felt we left Lennoxtown, having worked well, and at the end of this 20-day period, we travel to our first European qualification game as a team.
“I have been overly pleased by the attitude of the players. There is still a long way to go before we are perfect but in terms of the attitude and what the players are trying to take on board, I have been delighted.
“It will be a tough game in Gibraltar but we are ready as we can be. We have piled as much work as we can into the last 20 days out here both on and off the pitch and we are ready as we can be for it.
“In terms of what I saw over the four games, we have only conceded one goal from open play over games, so our defensive organisation and our pressing has become very good. We will get better offensively as time goes on and we work together.”
He doesn’t know, does he ?
In the real world, this should be little more than a game of shootie in, but the pressures involved are enormous. Failure to reach the group stages is seen as a disaster, both for finance and for prestige.
The manager, already showing signs that he might not quite be the messiah we all thought he was, is under pressure. He needs two comfortable wins against the Gibraltans, and he has the same choice to make as Ronny Deila before him.
Does he stick with the Deila style and players for now, or does he stamp his own authority on the team.
One could be deemed as the safe option, the other as being brave or reckless depending on how things turn out.
The starting eleven against Maribor should be a clue, especially as it is an away game, and the players who lined up on saturday at the start all know what its about at this stage.
Maybe its better to go with players who understand the stakes here, and that ahead of the game makes sense.
But if it goes pear, then he will be blamed for not trying something new, like fielding a Jo Unge Berget , or whatever his name is.
On the transfer front, there’s little movement, and when you read or hear a story about a player coming in, its worth noting what a well known agent says about this time of year…
Things change dramatically in this kind of business. One minute is ‘yes’, two hours later is ‘no’ and ‘yes’ again and ‘no’ and so on…
Which I’m going to store away and see if it works in court.
As far as we can make out, from our man hiding in Slovenian bushes with a bottle of imported buckfast, this is the latest from the camp, and bear with us, as we have had to decode what was an encrypted message…
Players really happy with Rodgers and asst manager Davies.
Davies really impressive. Sets out training, makes clear expectations and is highly intelligent but also down to earth.
Players love Rodgers. He’s been up front with them about his expectations and has already told some, including Commons, Efe and others they are not part of his plans.
He wants to sign Joe Allen and Allen has made it clear he wants to play for BR. Trying to do a deal with Liverpool and ultimately depends on what can be done if anything. If she needs to break £6m transfer record he has the funds and approval to do so.
Large variety of systems / shape undertaken in training and pre season games although his preference is 4-3-3 with one sitting / holding mid. The two other mids must be athletic and skillful to support attack and defence. Armstrong, Allan and Christie all ecstatic with him but Griffiths and Bitton think sun shines out of his backside!
Players workrate has been outstanding and Rodgers really impressed…so much so they are allowed a beer in the evening while they have a wee sing song with the gaffer!
Toure looks a cert and Duffy in discussions. BR wants Izzy to stay as backup to Tierney. He’s thinking it over.
Team travelling straight to Gibraltar from Slovenia.
Btw Rodgers has a big budget….of MON proportions to spend this summer.
And thats not all. Over in the USA, another of our spies has some very interesting news…
| Was buying celtic style stuff here on holiday for me and weans and wife and the lass in the store says “theyre all going mad for Celtic lately”…i said “Yip..everyones behind Brendan and cannae wait!” |
There is most certainly a buzz about the place, but perhaps there is also a little nervousness, as the desire for the new man to do well is caught up by the memories of previous failures…
Also on TV yesterday was Scotsman Andy Murray, who won a game of bat and ball, and may also have given a hint as to how coaching from the sidelines could become a realistic possibility in football, when it was discovered he smuggled an advisor into his kit bag…
One or two of you may have been subjected to marching bands over the last week or two, and again, think about others who have it worse.
In Ireland, loyalists will be celebrating the victory over the Ivory Coast in a bygone battle from a bygone age…
We also here that our players will be taking expert advice on how to deal with the media…
Speaking of our friends in nature, isn;t it a shame that the big scary bird-not the one in the picture-who attacked a young Margaret Thatcher didn’t get the rest of her hair, or indeed, her head.
Saturdays caption competition was diffcult to judge, but one quip did emerge ahead of the others…
Caption: After the first big rainy day hits a dilapidated Ibrokes, the referee has to use transport to get to the centre circle.
Caption competition for today, go on then…
Right, I’m away to finally get an MRI scan, something I googled to see what it was like…
I’ve seen that before somewhere..
Its a stargate, and if you go in there you end up in a whole new world full of vile and offensive creatures… with their own distorted take on reality…
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Fuck.
Say a prayer for me.
