Right On a not that is 33 matchs without a loss at Tanndice. I thought we had spurts in the game where we played well but at times touch was terriable. Not to mention serveral sitters that you can't miss, especialy when you have all day on the ball.
Scottish Premier League Sunday, August 17, 2008 Tannadice Park, Dundee DUNDEE UNITED… 1 (Sandaza 80) CELTIC… 1 (Hartley 51) DUNDEE UTD (4-4-2) Zaluska; Kovacevic, Kenneth, Wilkie, Grainger; Flood (Conway 79), S Robertson, D Robertson (Buaben 65), Gomis; Feeney (Sandaza 65), O’Donovan. Subs: McGovern, Dillon, Daly, McCord. CELTIC (4-4-2) Boruc; Hinkel, Caldwell, McManus, Wilson; Nakamura (Robson 68), Hartley, S Brown, McGeady; Vennegoor of Hesselink, McDonald (Samaras 89). Subs: M Brown, Crosas, Donati, O’Dea, Caddis. a 1-1 draw away to Utd but judging by Celtic cyberspace one would think we'd just lost the league. Tannadice was always going to be a difficult place to go to, especially after Hamiltons victory on Monday night, and so it proved. first half was a tight affair with next to nothing in the way of chances created by either team. after 30mins we started to control the game and looked more likely to achieve a breakthrough as the first half drew to a close. 2nd half we got off to the best start as the impressive Wilson overlapped effectively and swung a deep cross. it travelled through to Naka. rather than swing a ball back in he laid it off to the onrushing Hartley. his shot was decent but took a deflection that steered it past Zaluska and into the corner of the net for his first SPL goal for Celtic. Utd fought back and were getting a lot of joy down our right. strange then when GS made the expected substitution of Naka with Barry Robson arriving. the same Robson who has been struggling with a virus while the excellent young Caddis remained on the bench and would surely have given Hinkel more help and protection. we had a great chance to finish the match with a flowing move that Hesselink could not finish although it was a good save from Zaluska. Utd should have had a penalty when Caldwell felled O'Donovan in the box but Richmond didn't give it. the long ball that led to the chance was contentious as it clearly looked like McManus was fouled as he challenged for the ball at the edge of the box. Utd deservedly equalised when Hinkel was caught out again and the ball was played low to the near post where substitute Sandaza beat McManus to the ball to turn it past Boruc. Celtic still had a great chance to win it but the out of form McDonald missed a gilt edged chance with 2mins to go when heading wide from only a few yards out. so two dropped points? i don't see it quite like that. Utd are a good team and Craig Levein is a good manager. although i do think GS made a couple of errors in team selection, both with the starting line up and especially with the choice of one of the substitutions. mind you, easy to say for me with the benefit of hindsight but i did say it at the time when i was watching the game. honest Marks out of 10 for the team Boruc - 5.5. made a few good to decent saves and had no chance with the goal but he did look shaky on set pieces at times. Hinkel - 3. was caught out repeatedly with balls over the top or inside him. Utd scored through this and time and again they raided down our right. he got forward well once in the first half but for this match anyway, he didn't do enough in an attacking or defensive sense. Caldwell - 4.5 not his best performance. his first dodgy game for a while but he did have errors. one was glaring as he allowed a long ball to carry over him that O'Donovan pounced on but couldn't finish. could have been penalised for a penalty as well with a rash challenge in the box. McManus - 5. didn't do a lot wrong but as the defensive looked rattled in the second half our captain couldn't lift them. poor positioning for Sandaza's equaliser. Wilson - 7.5. my MotM. a great performance by him at LB. got forward at every opportunity and overlapped well. yes Lee. OVERLAPPED. defended well at all times. so much so that Utd concentrated all their efforts down our right in the second half. Hartley - 6.5. our best midfielder. provided plenty of dig in the midfield, and also got forward at times. no more so than when he scored his first SPL goal for the club. worryingly he seems to run out of steam in the last 10-15mins of matches. Brown - 6. a fairly decent performance from Scott. tried to be busy and industrious in the midfield and did to a certain extent without ever dominating the game. i'd still like to see him get into the opposition box more but that may be a tactical element from our manager rather than a flaw in his game. McGeady - 4.5. struggled all game long. typical this happens just when he gets a fullback aching to support him at every chance. his decision making was poor a lot of the time and apart from one shot in the first half he never really threatened the Utd goal. Nakamura - 6. first game back and was never going to last the full 90 but while he was on the pitch i thought he did fine. looked a little rusty to start with but improved as the first half wore on. we definitely have more and better possession with Naka in the team. set up our goal for Hartley. Hesselink - 6.5. a good productive effort from big Jan. should have scored in the second half but credit Zaluska for a good save. led the line well and is winning more of his challenges and personal battles. setup Skippy for a chance as well and worked hard, right to the final whistle. McDonald - 4. Skippy doesn't look match sharp or fit. his attitude also stinks right now. consistent griping and moaning at teammates isn't doing anyone any good. i wonder if taking the no.7 shirt has gone to his head a bit. needs a bit of time on the bench to regain his attitude and form. also needs to work in the gym to get his sharpness and fitness back. had a great chance at the end and failed to hit the target when he really should have scored. was unluckier with a shot from a JVoH knockdown. Subs Robson came on for Naka and never really got involved. still miffed at why Caddis didn't get the shout as i believe he'd have shored up our right hand side and stopped us conceding. ho-hum. we'll never know now anyway. Samaras came on for Skippy with 2mins + injury time to go. never enough time for him to be able to do a thing in the game. needed to be brought on as soon as Utd equalised. although, by rights, the way Skippy had played, he should have been on long before that. Manager - 4. seems to be picking players that are clearly not in form and its hurting the cohesiveness of the team. Caddis...? no need for me to go over that one again. and surely making a change with 2mins + stoppage time to go is too little too late. onwards and upwards to next week and home to Falkirk.
Are Dundee Utd better than we all think OR are Celtic more ordinary this season? I think it may too early to decide.
alex has pointed out that you already have the answer. worth remembering though that Utd were a hard team to beat at Tannadice. regardless of their previous result against Hamilton i had no reason to expect it to be any different up there this season.
Hello guys, Good report Fraser pretty much got all except i think McGeady done a bit better, i would say 5 or 5.5 - he did lose the ball a few times and run when he should have looked for a pass but he still did give the defence problems and got off a good shot in the first half. Still, he should be doing better with Wilson on for Lee Naylor. Also, i think Samaras needs a start or we risk the factor of frustrating him more plus i think he is better than Skippy and Hesselink he just needs consistent games to get up to scratch we can't expect him to be an awesome impact player all the time or we risk performances like his against Aberdeen when we do need to start him. On that note as well, Caddis needs a start over Hinkel, Hinkel was so bad that game he either needs a time out or a new lease of life about him he should be quicker and stronger than he was. Robson was a bad sub as well, i agree, even though he did well last season doesn't mean he is going to repeat it in the wings we. All in all, we need to think about trying out the new Bhoys before we drop anymore needless points but against, it's only the second match things wil pick up soon enough
Celtic v Falkirk - Saturday 23rd August - 3pm KO - Paradise not sure if i should try and hazard a guess to tomorrow's team. three new bhoys are all vying for contention - Loovens, Crosas and Maloney. but will any of them get a starting spot? i say yes. will Caldwell recover in time from the injury that kept him out of the Scotland match? ditto for Hartley. even if Hartley does recover i can see GS giving Crosas a start just in case he wants to use him next week. at least then he'd have had a taste of the SPL by then. Shaun could also start as Skippy has been struggling for form and Maloney could provide the craft, speed and guile our forwards have been lacking so far this season. mind you, we're only two games in. i'll give it a bash at the first 11 - ----------------------------- Boruc ------------------------------ Hinkel ------------- Loovens -------- McManus ------------ Wilson Nakamura ------------ Brown ------- Crosas -------------- McGeady --------------------- Maloney ----- Hesselink --------------------- i've included all three new signings. chance would be a fine thing that GS picks them all but you never know... Celtic (from): Boruc, Hinkel, McManus, Loovens, Caldwell, Wilson, Nakamura, Robson, Hartley, Maloney, S Brown, McGeady, McDonald, Samaras, Vennegoor of Hesselink, M Brown, Crosas, Donati, O'Dea, Caddis. Falkirk (from): Olejnik, McNamara, Bullen, Barr, Aafjes, Cregg, McBride, Arfield, J Stewart, Higdon, M Stewart, Flinders, McCaffrey, Robertson, Mitchell, Staunton, Gibb, Moffat.
*pssst!* the match is against Falkirk tomorrow. I'd also like to see Maloney up front to add some pace. Let VoH win some headers and have Maloney run through on them. I'd also like to see Crosas get some time, but Loovens may still need a bit of time to get more time in training. I do like Wilson at LB, too.
LOL. whoops. thanks for the heads up. no idea why i wrote that. haven't even had any alcohol tonight.
yeah. i added them all in but i just can't see GS starting them all. i do think Crosas is in with a shout though. and i do think Skippy will be on the bench but he may give Samaras his chance. which is fine by me.
he was injured last week which was why Wilson started at LB and was, imo, our MotM. i'm hoping he retains his place for todays game.
oh ok i didnt know. anyway great performance today..top of the league again as hamilton lose 1-0 at kilmarnock. maloney had a great game and had some brilliant interplay with samaras to set up his two goals..hopefully vennegoor of hesselink is ok..i dont think crosas had a misplaced pass all day. nakamura was brilliant and paul hartley was solid again, hes having a great season so far.
the whole tempo of the match changed once Maloney was introduced. i'll give it more of a recap later as i'm not long in.
Scottish Premier League Saturday, August 23, 2008 Celtic Park, Glasgow CELTIC… 3 (McManus 31, Samaras 45, 68) FALKIRK… 0 CELTIC (4-4-2) Boruc; Hinkel, Loovens, McManus, Wilson; Nakamura, Hartley, S Brown (Crosas 73), McGeady; Vennegoor of Hesselink (Maloney 28), Samaras (Killen 73). Subs: M Brown, Caddis, Robson, O’Dea. FALKIRK (4-4-2) Olejnik; McNamara, Bullen, Barr, Aafjes; Arfield, Cregg, McBride (Mitchell 84), M Stewart (McCaffrey 84); Higdon, J Stewart (Robertson 84). Subs: Flinders, Gibb, Staunton, Murdoch. the new bhoys stole the show today and none more so than wee Shaun. a scintilating return to Parkhead and a more than justified man of the match performance from the little genius. yet it all looked so similar in the opening 25mins. Celtic had started at their usual Parkhead pace, slowly, and Falkirk were working themselves into the match. in fact, although they lost 3-0 and could have lost more, Boruc made a few smart saves at times from the Falkirk attack. Glenn Loovens started in place of the injured Caldwell and Samaras began in place of Skippy, who is now out for 4weeks with a pulled groin muscle. but the new strike force never really got a chance to get going as JVoH stayed down after a challenge with Lee Bullen. nothing malicious in it but the big Dutchman had to be stretchered off and is now doubtful for next weekends Glasgow derby. so on came the prodigal son. and what a difference he made. Suddenly Celtic moved up a gear, more than one in fact. Maloney won the free kick that Naka delivered into the box on 31mins. not sure how much the captain knew about it but it flew into the net and from then on in there was only going to be one outcome. Maloney and Samaras seemed to hit it off right away and this was proven with the next goal. Maloney surging from midfield. now he had options everywhere. Naka to his right, Aiden to his left, but he rolled a perfect pass for George to run onto and round the keeper for the second. Falkirk had a 10min spell at the start of the second half where they enjoyed possession but could do nothing with it. the interplay between Maloney, Samaras, Naka and Aiden was a joy to watch and this quartet was running the show. the third goal was a terrific example of the Maloney/Samaras understanding. Crosas came on for his debut and looked extremely comfortable on the ball. further chances were created for Shaun, Samaras, Killen and even Mark Wilson but the score remained 3-0. a very good performance that sets us up well for next weekend. My ratings Boruc - 7.5: a good performance from Artur. called on to make a few stops and dealt with everything that came his way. nice clean sheet. Wilson - 7: another good performance from our makeshift LB. again showed willingness to get forward at every opportunity and used the ball well. McManus - 7: some nice passing and some awful passing from our captain. got the all important first goal and threw himself into any blocks that needed to be made. Loovens - 7: comfortable debut for our new Dutch CB. never had a lot to deal with but kept everything simple and won most of his challenges. Hinkel - 6.5: an improved performance over last weekend but not as willing to get forward on the right as Wilson was on the left. question being asked by fans is, if we had a good enough LB would Wilson now be starting ahead of Hinkel at RB... McGeady - 7.5: good showing from Aiden today. seemed to find more room and used it well. still not firing on all cylinders but much better, but there's still more to come. looking forward to seeing him hit top gear again. Hartley - 7: lasted the pace better this week and kept everything simple and straight forward. won the ball and moved it on to the flair players. much like Neil Lennon himself used to do a few years ago. Brown - 7: Skoosh is showing signs of improvement as well. carried the ball well at times today and still snapped into his challenges. was strangely booked for a challenge that didn't seem to warrant it. Nakamura - 8: i love watching Naka. doesn't matter where you give him the ball on the pitch and how many opposition players are in his vicinity. he'll always try to play a pass and almost always succeeds. he enjoyed himself today playing with players on form such as Maloney, Aiden and in the latter stages, Crosas. Samaras - 8: first goals of the year for one of our strikers. a calm finish for the first one and a beautiful interchange with Shaun for his second. another who thrived in the football we played, especially in the second half. Hesselink - 3: Big Jan started ok and had a turn and shot in the first few mins but was stretchered off in the 27th min and is now doubtful for our next game. Subs Maloney - 8.5: he couldn't have scripted it any better. MotM for sure and his arrival had an immediate effect on the way the team played. won the free kick for the first goal. assisted the other two for Samaras and could have scored himself. outstanding return to Celtic Park for the prodigal son. Crosas - 7: Marc was only on the pitch for 20mins but in that time he showed his willingness to take and retain the possession. wanted the ball at every opportunity and used it well. almost set up Killen for a 4th with a lovely through ball and made some exquisite cross field passes to Naka. Killen - 6: back from the olympics and did alright when he came on for Samaras with 20 to go. was unlucky not to get on the end of a Crosas through ball and then used his strength well to fashion out a chance for himself but the keeper made a smart save. Strachan - 8: GS could have put on Killen for the injured Hesselink and gone like for like but he went for Maloney and it paid off handsomely. the kind of football he has talked about achieving was starting to shine through today in bits. hopefully there's lots more to come.
Glad to hear that Loovens & Maloney had a good debut! Wow, 2 goals from Samaras - that should give him a lot of confidence!
Maloney what a player i am glad to see him back in the hoops, i have always knew he was a good player and while he was a villa i followed his progress, no that he is back in the hoops he will just get better and like everone is saying he will give us a lot of pace skill and class, he was quick to point out how much mcgeady has improved and i think he will push himself to become a better player.
Celtic v Rangers - Sunday 31st August - 12:30pm KO - Paradise first Glasgow derby of the season. after last weeks result and performance we'll be looking to continue our winning ways and clean sheets at home. ref Dougie McDonald will be under tremendous scrutiny. because of this we'll need to be careful in our tackling and players such as Scott Brown and Barry Robson will have to be careful. i'd love to see us come out with the same team that played most of the game against Falkirk and with Scott McDonald and Jan still struggling to shake off injuries then it could well pan out like that. Shaun, Aiden, Naka and Samaras could have a lot of joy against Weir and co at the back. possible starting 11 - --------------------------------- Boruc ---------------------------------- Hinkel ---------------- Caldwell ---------- McManus ---------------- Wilson Nakamura -------------- Brown ---------- Hartley ---------------- McGeady -------------------------------- Maloney --------------------------------- -------------------------------- Samaras --------------------------------- Celtic (from): Boruc, Hinkel, Loovens, McManus, Caldwell, Wilson, Nakamura, Scott Brown, Crosas, Hartley, McGeady, Vennegoor of Hesselink, Maloney, McDonald, Samaras, Killen, Mark Brown, Robson, O'Dea, Caddis
oof. Rough one today. I can't think of a single Celtic player that looked especially inspired today. Even Boruc looked horrffic today. Ugh.... I'll post more after I sober up. I just want to kick someone now.