The players, Martin O'Neill and the rest of the management team have to all the blame for the defeat by FC Basel. After the defeat by Rangers in The Scottish Cup Final, I thought surely the management team would learn from this. Our defence and centre of midfield can't handle pace. I also felt let down by Lambert and Lennon who clearly were not fit. Then came the first leg against Basel, they started coming at us with pace, quick passing, stretching Balde and Valgaeren out wide, Lambert and Lennon chasing shadows, which therefore meant no support to Larsson and Sutton. I still find it hard to believe we won 3-1. Larssons penalty miss I see as pretty crucial. Its gone though if not forgotten. Now, to stop this happening, we all at one time or another have mentioned a 4-4-2. But to play Ulrik Laursen and Joos Valgaeren as fullbacks, I'm still finding hard to understand. Surely if your playing fullbacks Jackie McNamara and Stephen Crainey should be playing. And theres a fair arguement to say Craineys more experienced at this level than Laursen anyway. Lambert went of with a knock, fair enough, but theres no way he's been fit. As for Lennon, he's been breathing out his arse for about 6 months. Its not like there isnt cover for him to recover from his knee problem. Although, his cover Colin Healy is moving, little wonder considering he's seeing half fit players, playing in front of him. When we play Rangers in the League next, whats Martin going to do about Lovenkrands. I say he'll play three at the back, and the little turd will rip us apart again. Another thing, fair enough we have the UEFA Cup, but we've a pretty big squad. Well apart from against Rangers do we even need a goalie? We have four centre backs who now double up as fullbacks! About five forwards and plenty midfielders. So Maloney and co might get 10 minutes action a month. Hartson might get 90 minutes a month if hes lucky. Fernandez will want a move back to Livi to get a game. Healy will be picking up player of month awards in the Premiership. And Sylla, Thompson, Petta, Crainey, Smith, Guppy, McNamara and co. will have a hand full of games between them. A big squad for the SPL suddenly becomes a problem. Dare say paying the wages might become a slight problem now. And I dont buy the excuse we are playing in a poor standard of league and that hinders us in Europe. We've just been beaten by the Swiss Champions, Swiss!! Rosenberg last season, Norway!! What are the Swiss and Norwegians doing that we are doing wrong?
They are buying and using players that can pass it along the ground to make chances, whereas we play like an ultra defensive leicester. Basle have spent 12 million to our 4 this season.
Basle took the risk we should have and strengthend their team when it mattered. We were led to believe Martin O'Neill would get more money when we qualified. All well and good if we had qualified!! Wonder if The Board will ever take a risk. I'm starting to see it as risks that have to be taken The Management team are going have to get the players comfortable with more than one formation. Recently even Rangers know exactly how to play against us. I think Martin must be really stubborn. We all know he's not stupid. I think he knows everyone criticises him for using 3-5-2 all the time, and it is as if he's wanting to prove the doubters wrong. Or does he only know how to play 3-5-2? I mean, he's never signed a full back. He's signed a defensive midfielder, about four centre backs, a couple of wingers and two target men upfront. He's basically signed players to fit into the one system. The more I'm thinking about this, the more it starting to bother me. Does it take a great coach to manage the Old Firm? Or is it just a case we can sign the best player outwith the league and within it? I didn't take Alex McCleish long to work out how to beat us! Obviousily, I'm being over critical(am I?) at the moment. But I remember all too clearly saying all this after the Scottish Cup Final, but I convinced myself it was a one off and no way would we play that way again. How wrong I was. We're League Champions, 2 in a row, why the hell am I not confident?
Read this by Graham Spiers, he has got it spot on. He's made a better job of what I was trying to say anyway. http://www.theherald.co.uk/sport/archive/30-8-19102-23-43-39.html
Graham Spiers talking about celtic, theres a new one. basle are at 400-1 to win and are the lowest of all the clubs in the champions league and as andy walker said the better side won over the two legs (obviously celtic have the better players but basle played like the better team) clearly as celtic have the better players it must come down to the manager who got it wrong and he admitted it, I had a link somewhere...