The first real game of the season was a mixture of good and bad, with a certain amount of optimism radiating the stadium and the television sets at half time, but the full-time whistle came with the all too familiar feeling of Celtic lacking imagination and simply not looking like they were going to score.
And yet the start was so good from the time that the players RAN out on to the field and then LOOKED like a Celtic team with the determination to attack at speed, and Liel Abada in particular looking as if he might be a good signing. Possible Ange’s first mistake was to take him off, when as events proved, Edouard might have been a better choice.
Liel Abada is already becoming a fan favourite at Celtic Park! 🙌
A massive goal from the new signing gives Celtic the lead to the joy of Ange Postecoglou on the sidelines 🍀 pic.twitter.com/N1sX77Q71r
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) July 20, 2021
Let’s point the finger at the two culprits. Bitton was possibly still upset about what looked like a bad injury, but he still should have known a lot better than that, and Barkas’s mistake came at a very bad time. Sadly, it will possibly be the exit door soon or obscurity on the bench and in the stand while we get nostalgic about Fraser Forster or Craig Gordon.
But to the good points. No-one knows what is going on in Ryan Christie’s head about staying or wanting away, but tonight he did himself no harm at all with a stellar performance of the type of which we know he is capable. I hope he stays and he deserves all the support that he can get. Callum McGregor gave a good impression of what a captain should do, and had real hard luck on at least two occasions in the match.
The defence deserves another chance with Dane Murray showing that he may well have what it takes, even though there were a few mistakes in his play in the latter stages when mental exhaustion crept in. Welcome to playing for Celtic, Dane!
The full backs did well, David Turnbull we always knew could play, and I thought that Ismaela Soro had a good start but faded a little, as did the rest of the team in the second half. But oh, we really need a class goalkeeper and a reliable goal scorer. Edouard showed more energy than he did last year, but no more composure, and once again showed his ability to run into trouble.
I think I read somewhere than Ange will really only get one year before the fans turn on him. He might even be lucky to get that. Something has to be done urgently to address the two vital and obvious areas of goalkeeping and goal-scoring. Apart from that, the team is not too bad, and of course we all know that there are another 60 odd games this season.
Ange possibly made two mistakes – one was the taking off of Abada (but then again, Nir Bitton was the man responsible for that!) and the other was in the post-match interview when he talked about “three points” being lost – but we know what you mean, Ange.
It would be nice to beat West Ham on Saturday but it doesn’t really matter. What is more important is that other players get a run for a spell at least, for it would be good to beat these Danes who didn’t hold back and knew how to dive, apart from the chap who was just a little too blatant. I can’t say I remember him playing for St Mirren, and he has the honour of a red card which was even more stupid than Nir Bitton’s!
I wasn’t one of the lucky ones with a ticket, but enjoyed the coverage with Michael Stewart and Chris Sutton who both talk sense. Incidentally, did you know that Premier Sports TV Coverage was a whole minute ahead of Celtic TV?
But at least the season has now started at last!
David Potter
🍀 Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou gives his verdict on his team’s first leg draw against Midtjylland
🗣️ “A little bit of a missed opportunity, but at the same time a fantastic effort by the players.” pic.twitter.com/P5JW0mKMvH
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) July 20, 2021
🍀 Callum McGregor on tonight’s game and Celtic’s focus now shifting to going to Denmark to finish the job next week
🗣️ “We deserved to win the game. Thought we had enough chances to win the game.” pic.twitter.com/i5Idvxt5TH
— Premier Sports 📺 (@PremierSportsTV) July 20, 2021
Sensible words David. We really need the goalkeeping situation addressed immediately. You can play as well as you want but if you leak goals like that, it’s curtains. Either Forster or if that story about us being interested in him again isn’t true, then someone else who is proven. As for attack – yep, we need that Furuhashi badly. And some support for him
Whoever thinks that was a good performance needs an appointment at specsavers, passing was awful, ball control from half that team awful, tackling and marking non existant, fullbacks are not capable of playing as wing backs, goalkeeper who couldn’t catch a cold, a long miserable season ahead.