you were spot on with the lineup except it seems mogga went to lee naylor again. i suppose he's better than wilson albeit not by much and although the result wasn't commensurate with the seperation in class, it was a result nonetheless. one step at a time bhoys
Morton were always going to make it a tough cup tie down at Cappielow. I was intending on going as it would have been good to go back to a sort of good old fashioned football ground. But I'm currrently working in Manchester this week. A couple of lads who I know that went said it was just like the above and it was nice to be back in that sort of old style atmosphere for a change. I wonder if Stenhousemuir will want to switch the tie in the next round to somewhere with a bigger capacity than Ochilview(3776).
St Johnstone - Celtic/Sunday 24th January/3:30pm KO Out injured - Ki McDonald McManus Wilson Fox Caddis Naylor Brown and Maloney are back in training but wont be ready for this one. Hooiveld and Ragne probably wont be match fit either. So a guess at the team... [LINEUP-4-4-2]Samaras, Fortune, McGeady, Crosas, Zhi, McGinn, Naylor, O'Dea, Loovens, Hinkel, Boruc[/LINEUP-4-4-2] I'd like to see Mizuno given another chance up front but I can't see TM shifting from Samaras/Fortune combo.
I'd read that Wilson is injured as well. If that's the case then it would most likely be O'Dea to left back and Thompson brought into play at CB.
and the injuries continue to mount. piling up the goals today was useful and once the offense showed up the bhoys looked impressive. so many scoring chances. fortune looks better when he cuts off the angle as much as possible. the whole complexion of the game changed when paddy came in. honestly i'd like to see him more. aiden didn't look as effective lined up on the left side. all said we finally got the result and have to be happy about that
Funny about that. I was watching until I had to go to work and it was still 1-0 in the 2nd when I had to run out. I was really angry. I saw the highlights when I got home. Good result no doubt but happy? I don't know about that maybe wobbly is a better word.
it was a completely different team after paddy mccourt was brought on. granted we could afford to only have 3 on the back line and went on an attacking spree but the level of intensity and confidence returned. first half, the team looked completely void of focus, confidence and interest but it was a much different story from the 60th minute on. if they can carry this energy on to wednesday, i'd expect another good result
TM made a great move though. He took off Hinkel and then stuck McGinn out on the right with McGeady. St Johnstone were already a man light and had to have three men on the left to counter McGeady/McGinn which left them short in other areas. Paddy then had more space on the left to do his stuff and he did it very well. I've been perplexed at times with some of his(TM's) tactical changes but I thought he got it absolutely spot on. And fair play to him. Three of the goals were absolute belters as well. Fortune can fair hit them(glad someone in the team can shoot from distance with accuracy). The big ladyboy(Samaras) eventually came good with a fine volley. And Paddy's was another peach. Thoroughly deserved for his performance. As for Artur Boruc. He needs to start shaping up(in performance and in physique) asap. That second half comedy moment was cringe inducing. Zaluska has shown to be a good keeper for us when he has been called upon. He may get the nod again sooner rather than later.
we were having a laugh about that saying poor Artur wanted somethin to do back there and that's the only way he could think of to get some work in. In all seriousness, you're absolutely correct. Artur's gotta get his head sorted out in a hurry before he becomes a liability
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/c/celtic/8479233.stm Apparently they've agreed a fee now.
I've heard a fee of £1.8mill. I think we paid somewher between £1-1.5mill for him in the summer but it's a bit of a strange one. Unless TM thinks he isn't going to cut it at the club. He started off well but had fallen away in recent weeks. Surely we'll be targeting a left back because if we end up with Lee Naylor there for the remainder of the season then I'm going to end up with an ulcer.
PRO: he's not the free kick specialist we thought he was. his corners and set pieces are most times dreadful. with ki, we may have found a suitable replacement for naka in that department. i also don't think he has quite the pace that mogga is looking for with his fullbacks and their ability to get from the opposing 18yd box back to their own to support a leaky central defense. if we can get more than we paid for him then it would have to be considered CON: does mogga feel that Lee Naylor, O'Dea or Caddis are a suitable replacement for him? i wouldn't go so far as to say this move would give up on title aspirations but many supporters will, does TM want to have to deal with this? Personally, I think this report is rubbish like basically 95% of the reports that the newspapers have put out. Still waiting for Robbie Keane, Ruud VanNistlerooy or dare I say Sean St. Ledger to turn up. Nobody knew about the Jos or the Rogne signings until Celtic announced them. I think that's the way business will be done going forward and quite honestly i don't mind it.
I hate being one of those people that says a friend of a friend but... A good friend of mine told me today before he'd seen any internet reports that Fox could be for the off if he agrees personal terms. A person he works with is close to a Celtic player that played on Sunday and the info came from him. I know, I know. But just putting it out there. If he can agree terms then I believe he is for the off. I doubt with the players we're bringing in that we'd sell him unless we had a replacement outwith the current squad in mind. At least, I hope we wouldn't.
I hope we don't go after St ledger. I'm not 100% convinced by him and I'm not sure how much value for money we would be getting on him. Championship clubs aren't selling too cheaply these days.
4 mil quid for St. Ledger is way too much money, which is what the requested price has been reported to be. I might pay 1.5 but that's about all. Once Rogne is match fit, it seems as though Mogga is comfortable putting him in the starting XI. As I sit here and type this, Sky Sports is reporting Thomas Rasmussen is in Glasgow and is finalizing a deal pending a medical conducted tomorrow and could be playing against Hibs on Wednesday. But can he put the ball in the net? Is he a first striker? We have 2 "second" strikers that play in between the midfield and where a forward should play (hell, Samaras plays there, defensive midfield, wingback, whereever).
Yes he can put the ball in the net. He looks like a big, penalty box striker. Hopefully just what we need.
Celtic - Hibernian: Wednesday 27th January: 7:45pm KO Paradise [LINEUP-4-4-2]Fortune, Samaras, McGeady, Crosas, Zhi, McGinn, Caddis, O'Dea, Thompson, Hinkel, Boruc[/LINEUP-4-4-2] Subs - Zaluska Naylor Hooiveld Ki Rasmussen McCourt McGowan Should be a great game. Gutted I'm stuck in England and not in my seat.
Feck me. What a frustrating season this is turning out to be. Up and down and all over the place. We got off to a flying start tonight and were looking good until a howler from Artur Boruc(yep, another howler) gave Hibs an equaliser and we lost our momentum. Chances were again created and spurned. Not least by Samaras. His percentage of goals from the chances he gets must be in single digits. He scores the odd cracker but he's averaging about 1 goal for every 6 or 7 good chances he gets. Not nearly good enough. Rasmussen came on in the second half but is clearly not match sharp. Both him and Hooiveld need to get to that level, and quickly. I thought Paul Caddis had a decent game at left back again and also thought Fortune worked his socks off and took his goal well. We have got to dig in and get on a run of wins and try and apply some sort of pressure on Rangers. NGuemo will be back for the next match. Ki got 30mins tonight in the second half. The choice is there for TM to make changes. Perhaps he should start with the goalkeeping position...
all due respect. Artur had maybe 2 great saves and the first goal that was let in was not on him. O'Dea was outside the 6yd box leaving a man clearly unmarked on the front post. He's not the problem at all, if it was Zaluska that's in the score'd be the same. The defense and O'Dea specifically is brutal. O'Dea is not fit to wear the strip, clearly. Samaras is a total joke and also not fit to wear the strip. If he was quality at all, surely there'd be at least one team making inquiries about him but there are none as he is clearly pish. He has no instinct, no ability to finish, he's far too meek in the penalty area, he is never ready to recieve the ball, he's not a striker. He's all over the pitch and he has a terrible first touch. I'm so tired of him and if anybody should sit its him. Granted he scores goals but you can't tell me he scores enough to make up for the liability that he otherwise is. The play just before the half where he goes flying into the keeper, what are you thinking son? I thought Caddis had a decent game considering. The new bhoy didn't impress me at all and i'm hoping that it's just him not being match fit quite yet. Aiden is a disaster, his decision making is awful. He's far too greedy with the ball and he can't even shoot the ball on net. He's believing what he reads in the paper and it's all rubbish. The refereeing continues to be brutal and certainly biased against Celtic. The play against Ki before the goal was scored was 50/50 but from what I saw the Hibs player was offside before the goal was scored. Either way that's no excuse, O'dea was so close to Thomson in defense they could have been wearing the same pair of shorts. Were you marking the same man or what lads? Unacceptable! The team had no shape, no organization in the second half. They were playing from clear desperation with no real finishers up top to capitalize on opportunities. The midfield was constantly out of position and outclassed for much of the last 30 minutes. Infuriating. Ki didn't impress me much with his corners and set pieces tonight, perhaps he's not fully healed yet. We definitely miss N'Guemo and his return will be much needed. All in all, I'm sorry to say but this season is over. There's still the Scottish Cup but at this point, if we keep playing this way, we'll be lucky to finish 2nd in the SPL. At this point, we might as well sit some players who aren't performing but again, I think you're way off in critisizing Boruc when the defense he has in front of him is absolutely atrocious. I'm so frustrated I can't even stand it.
I disagree. Stokes wasn't picked up but he didn't make any sort of run to get into the position to score. Which was about two yards out standing in front of Boruc. Anthony Stokes. Not some huge behemoth of a striker. I'm expecting my keeper to react to that not be on his heels and then flap aimlessly at a ball that was never going to reach him from his starting position. But that's always been his problem hasn't it? End product and lack of. He can go past a man with ease but he needs to deliver when he gets into dangerous positions. More and more it looks to me like he lacks football intelligence. For me Ki took a dive and the Hibs winner was onside. Only just, but still onside. Way off? I think I'm entitled to an opinion on it, as are you and anyone else on here. Artur Boruc has been an excellent keeper for Celtic. If we had him in nets when we went to Seville then I'm certain we'd have won the UEFA cup but he's making more and more errors. We call for other players to be replaced when they aren't performing. Why should Artur be any different? Is the league over already? I don't think so. I wont be chucking in any towels yet. Rangers are favourites. They're winning matches when they aren't playing well. A sign of a championship winning side. But there are still plenty of points to play for. I'll chuck it when we've ran out of them and not before.
After looking at the replay, I agree that Artur should have done more there. However he did make several fantastic saves as well. Of course we're all entitled to our opinion on the matter and I would never say that you are not. If my comment came off that way, that's not what I intended at all. I'm just here to vent. I don't think Artur is exempt from calls for his replacement. But I think he should be replaced only when I feel as though having Zaluska in would have meant the score would have been different. I can't say that after today. Having Zaluska in would have resulted in the same score. Further, I find it unacceptable that the high powered, attacking strategy that Tony Mowbray was supposed to bring can only muster 1 goal against Hibs at home. This loss isn't Artur Boruc's fault. He made a bad play on the first goal but there are 7 other positions that I can directly point to that came up well short and had everything to do with the loss, including the entire midfield. This team could have scored 5 goals and didn't. It isn't Boruc's fault that Wee Aiden can't put in a decent cross and is glory hunting instead of just making a simple 5 yard pass. It isn't Boruc's fault that Samaras can't put in a wide open header from 4yds out and sending a sitter from 10yds out way over the crossbar. It isn't Boruc's fault that Crosas doesn't have the heart to make the simplest of tackles, schoolboy stuff. I look who should sit from a pragmatic standpoint. By sitting Boruc are we that much closer to winning games. I say no. We are tying and losing to inferior teams 1-1, 2-1. If we were losing 5-4 or tying 4-4, I'd say we need to sit Artur immediately. But that simply isn't the problem. This team lacks the ability to convert chances and put the ball in the net. After looking at the replay, I'm not sure if Ki was a dive as the defender had his hands all over him but the Hibs winner was onside. It looked WAY offside watching it live. Just unbelievable I'm still in shock. I admire your commitment to the league not being over, and I may be able to get my heart back into it but I am absolutely gutted right now. To be 10 points back in January? Baffling. I don't think Mowbray is the problem, oddly. Aside from the fact that he continues to play Samaras, his substitutions were good tonight and the strategy was there to begin with. I think we have a group of players with loads of talent and no brains or heart. Would sacking Mowbray at this point help the cause at all?
I'm not trying to lay all the blame on Artur Boruc. But in my honest opinion, he did have a part to play in our defeat tonight. As did many other players in the team. But I do certainly believe that the Artur Boruc that has been performing over the last couple of seasons is not the same Artur Boruc that was playing for us in his first few years at the club. I firmly believe that he is in a comfort zone where he perceives himself to be untouchable. TM may be partly to blame for that as he stated that Artur and Aiden were untouchable. No player in that team should be given that consideration. Aiden and Artur are not performing at the levels they should be. Losing their place in the team could be the kick up the backside they need. I don't think it would. Tony has been given the money to spend and now we must let him see it through. I still think at least one more player will arrive before the end of the window. And then, once he has a fuller squad to choose from, he needs to get on a winning run to make Rangers start looking over their shoulder. At this minute in time when they look behind them, we're nowhere to be seen.