Let’s not beat about the bush here. Last night’s performance was dire. Bodø/Glimt have obviously been spending the last few weeks getting up to speed not just with their fitness but also on their next opponents in the Europa Conference League, studying us deeply and devising a strategy to combat our style which has up until now been so effective this season.
They deserved to win last night, of that there is no doubt. They gave absolutely everything and were the better team on the night. The fitness and sharpness they showed at this stage of pre-season when their league doesn’t even begin for another six weeks is mightily impressive.
I will be honest. I wasn’t discounting the Norwegians but I was more than confident we would beat them handily. If we had met them at any other time I would have thought it would have been a close affair but the fact they are slap bang in the middle of pre-season led me to believe we would have a huge advantage.
Look at us when we play Champions League qualifiers. Take the Midtjylland double header this season as an example. We were struggling towards the end in both legs. Extra time killed us. Last night you couldn’t tell who was mid way through a season and who’s season hadn’t even begun. They had lost some of their best players and this was the debut for many of their new recruits. They should have been there for the taking.
They weren’t. They started the match full of energy, pressing us and chasing every ball. We weren’t expecting it and looked like we didn’t know what to do. After going behind so soon we rushed everything. At times it felt like last season the amount of passes were going astray. Players we have raved about this season such as Jota and Abada just weren’t functioning. Rogic was given no time on the ball to create. Taylor suddenly looked like the player we weren’t fully convinced by last season.
Ange doesn’t make many errors but I was shocked that Hatate didn’t start. Against a high energy team such as the Norwegians a box to box midfielder would be essential. In fact, the reason so many of us have wanted a proper ‘number 8’ was for these very occasions. They got the better of us in midfield, especially in the first half.
After the highs of the past few weeks last night was a sudden reminder that we are a long way off being a force in Europe once again. We shouldn’t be too disheartened however. What Ange has achieved in his short time with the club has been magnificent. Personally I thought this would be a season of transition but we have already won a trophy, are still in the Scottish Cup and are top of the league. Lets be totally honest. The league is all that matters this season.
As Celtic fans we love watching our team perform well in Europe. I’m sure I’m not the only one who had checked out Tirana just incase we were destined to reach yet another European final on that special date in May. That dream may be disappearing however, I don’t hold much hope of us overturning a two goal deficit on a dreaded plastic pitch. I hope more than anything that we get through that one with a clean bill of health. Last night could actually prove beneficial to Celtic in more ways than one, and if it had to happen at anytime I would rather it have been last night.
Last night will have reminded any player on that pitch that victories don’t always come easy. That if you want to win every match you have to put the work in. This is the sort of mindset we will have to maintain in the title run in because every point will will be crucial.
theRangers will no doubt have gotten a boost from their result yesterday and will believe they can go on a run now. We will have to be fully focused and refuse to drop points cheaply. Incidentally if they progress in Europe and we go out it could actually benefit us. Their squad isn’t strong and a few extra games in their players legs could negatively impact them on the run in. Clutching at straws? Probably, but in a season where winning the tile is everything we will take any advantage possible.
Conall McGinty
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It strikes me that even against mediocre Scottish teams, we never seem to test goalkeepers anywhere near enough for the amount of possession we generally have & the number of chances missed shows a lack of composure both in front of goal & in the final pass/delivery.
Defensively, as well, it tends to look like Starfelt is always one attack away from disaster & Taylor either gives the ball away or fails to close down an opponent. Both were culpable for two of the goals against us last night. I don’t understand why Walsh is not given a run of games or why we haven’t bought in a right back.
Our players in the main seem smaller than most other teams & while our play has generally been good to watch, I think there’s some steel missing. The Norwegian side’s defence & midfield last night were big, strong, quick & generally nullified our attempts to get anywhere near their goals.
I know it’s early days for Ange & the team but we could do with another ‘Ajer’ in our defence, so searching the Norwegian market for a left back in the same mould might not be a bad call.
Ajer was/is a terrible footballer .. we def don’t want an Ajer! Another VVD, Mjallby, Valgaeren, Elliott, Stubbs etc etc .. Yes! & you choose Ajer?
Oops – left back.
Starting Sunday our main aim this season must be to bring the title back to Paradise.That’s the prioity any other trophy is a bonus .
Starting Sunday our main aim this season must be to bring the title back to Paradise.That’s the prioity any other trophy is a bonus .