{"id":8539,"date":"2016-01-25T08:29:57","date_gmt":"2016-01-25T08:29:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/etims.net\/?p=8539"},"modified":"2016-01-25T08:29:57","modified_gmt":"2016-01-25T08:29:57","slug":"dont-look-back-in-anger","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/etims.net\/?p=8539","title":{"rendered":"Don’t Look Back In Anger"},"content":{"rendered":"

Charlie Saiz has drawn breath and looks back over the first part of the season.(Note, this was written before the St. Johnstone game. )\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

I have a tendency to look back on a season at the start of January as I feel it a good time to reflect on what has transpired,where it has us and where we might be headed as a side.
\nNormally by this time arguments have formed,debates have raged and subsequently opinions based on the outcome these debates then become online fact.
\nThing is we all tend to see things through different eyes,we all perceive things our own way but the ultimately the facts do tend to speak for themselves.
\nI approached this season with some quiet confidence but also with more than a hint of trepidation.
\nThis mainly due to the fact that although last season was a minor success at home and in Europe after admittedly what was a very bumpy start in we were a much improved team come the end.
\nIt seemed on the whole the managers plan had taken shape as well as bearing some fruit? A League and Cup Double secured and also marked improvement in Europe.
\nNot a bad haul for a first season given the changes to both systems and approach I thought.
\nThe trepidation came by way of losing 2 key players in defence,the same defence that the bulk of last seasons success was built on.
\nBoth Denaayer and Van Dijk had dovetailed well at the heart of our defence and as a result a 96 year League Record was taken…17 goals conceded over 38 games.
\nCoupled with not conceding a single goal on the way to lifting the League Cup just rubber stamped it.
\nTheir subsequent departure this Summer has had (as expected) a massive part to play in our poor form so far this season.
\nThe system, any system for that matter , is dependant on good defending and a solid foundation at the back so to have lost that partnership in the summer and to also have sustained injuries to Mulgrew,Lustig and (Van Dijks replacement) \u0160imunovi\u0107 was a massive blow to replicating that solid base formed last season.
\nWhilst Janko (also injured early on) and Boyata have both have ability the fact is they simply do not have the experience or quality yet of those who they are looking to replace in the first team.
\nThis as a result left us with a constantly changing back 4 which of course in turn had a knock on affect on Craig Gordon in goals.
\nIt is no coincidence his early form was far more erratic by comparison to last season.
\nThe only upside in defence has been the emergence of young Tierney who I think many would argue has strengthened that area of the pitch.
\nOur overall performance in Europe has been poor as a result though I would argue not as big a disaster as many seem to be claiming?
\nIt boils down to expectations, expectations are generally high at Celtic and while that’s no bad thing I feel a bit of a reality check is needed when it comes to where we stand in the big scheme of things?
\nIt is my own belief we have regressed as a force in Europe in the past 3 years due to the new signing policy at the Club.
\nWe do not replace quality with quality we now replace quality with potential.
\nAs a result we are weakened in that area of the park.
\nThe defence has been the major issue for us this season what I feared might happen has happened and given all the above it has come as no suprise at all.
\nIn midfield the loss of form of Brown,Johansen and Armstrong has also caused us issues ultimately though poor defending has cost us in Europe as we went on to concede 17 times in 12 games.
\nI believe had we had a settled back 4 and these 3 key players fit and “at it” I doubt very much whether the results would have been the same.
\nThe issues that have plagued us in Europe have also plagued us in the domestic games,so much so in fact the manager decided to ditch the zonal in favour of man marking in an attempt to improve things.
\nTo a certain extent that has worked as we are now seeing less mistakes being made individually or on set pieces.
\nThe team has failed to get out of 1st gear this season there have been so many flat performances which I think is mainly due to injuries to key men but also in part due to fatigue setting in.
\nWe have played over 30 competitive games up to the 1st Jan with little break over the summer for those involved at international level this has had I think a very visible affect on energy levels but especially those who operate in the midfield where of course much of the running is needed to play the quicker style of football we wish to play.
\nIn fact these guys are essential to that being possible.
\nI think now as I have throughout the past 4 months that this has had a serious effect on Ronny Deilas plans this season and has also seriously impacted any thoughts of kicking on from last.
\nIn effect the manager has been on a hiding to nothing as they say.
\nYet despite all of these issues the side has managed to sustain and maintain a healthy position both in the League and Cups (we are still very much involved in all 3) goes to show that the much maligned system and approach instilled by Deila is still producing results.
\nThe one area where there seems to have been little or no impact is in attack but again the detractors have been keen to dismiss the system that plays with 1 main striker.
\nThe results over this season would seem to suggest that all is well in that department given have hit 60 goals in 22 League games a feat that has not been achieved since season 2003-04.
\nWhilst I know that is hard for some to take it is a fact none the less.
\nIn days gone by we had two maybe three good front men to choose from and were heavily reliant on them scoring as a result.
\nNot so this season even though Griffiths has been on fire (27 in total) he has still only bagged less than a 3rd of total goals scored…a high percentage have come from the midfield.
\nThe 8-1 destruction of Hamilton last week emphasised that point beautifully.
\nWe had finally come out of 1st gear and proceeded to shift through some more with ease.
\nOn reflection I think Europe was poor and in the league we have gained results without hitting the heights set last season..
\nAs a result the Manager has copped a fair bit of stick from within our fanbase and elsewhere in the media (no shock there).
\nSome of it warranted I feel but much of it not so as too many mitigating factors have been casually ignored to make a point.
\nI think with a bit of clever operating in this window we will see a much sharper more effective Celtic in the run in much like we did last season which I hope brings the rewards that are very much still on offer.
\nA settled defence which is has been bolstered this week ,a return from injury of key men and a return to form of others then we could be set up for a proper go in Europe next time of asking.
\nWe have seen the difference in one game as both Armstrong and Mackay-Steven hit their stride again. (Now two after saturdays match -Ed )
\nSure Hamilton were not up to much in thend but the fact we so comprehensively destroyed them without the likes of Brown,Johansen and Commons on the Park tells me at least we have several more levels to find.
\nWe also have another window in the Summer to add that bit of quality that’s needed at the next level time will tell if we do of course but as always is the case in football patience is the key.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Charlie Saiz has drawn breath and looks back over the first part of the season.(Note, this was written before the St. Johnstone game. )\u00a0 I…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":8540,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/etims.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/01\/let-us-not-look-back-in-anger-or-forward-james-thurber.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p2J7If-2dJ","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8539"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=8539"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8539\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8541,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8539\/revisions\/8541"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/8540"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=8539"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=8539"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/etims.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=8539"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}