Current XI – Turnbull, Walsh, Forrest are the only survivors of the current XI for me. I really enjoyed Kenny at the start but he’s been woeful for a clutch of games now. Same with Laxalt who was a belter to begin with and has severely fizzled out and is going to back to his parent club. I fully appreciate that loan players are used as stop gaps but a coaching issue has to be addressed on these matters. There’s no way that you can’t string two or three games together at Celtic level especially when you come the likes of AC Milan and Everton. Kenny had a really good spell with Schalke in Germany.
Next Generation – I don’t know what the likes of Dembele, Soro and Connell & Co have to do to get a game. I fully appreciate we’ll have a strong budget to spend given the fire sale of our current XI in the summer but there’s no need to spend a kings random across the park. There’s more than enough blood to bring in from our academy.
Goalkeeping – How on earth has Bain become our number one? When you had Hazard who when played, organised and commanded the box much better. A young player no doubt but he had the nuts and bolts to become a very good player over-time. should have been him and Barkas fighting for competition together.
My woes – I’m really sick to the back teeth of the friends zone of McGregor and Brown. I’ll be so glad to see that partnership broken up. McGregor is never a defensive midfielder in a month of Sundays. He should be played further up the park. Eddy is absolutely finished in terms of confidence. He’s just not wanting to play for us anymore. Everyone wants to be a Larsson but they don’t want to give Larsson performances when required. Christie, Rogic should never merit a sub place. Happily let them go over the summer.
Imagine a Celtic side that played with natural wingers. A side that plays it wide instead of shrinking the park playing it “inside”. I really like MJ but he’s been severely mismanaged throughout the occasions he’s played in. Both by Brendan and Lennon. Kennedy’s biggest issue is he can’t think for himself. Team sheet is same every single week.
JamesPearson8 – A Well-known member on Celtic Noise
Bain (get rid) – decent mid table SPFL goalie.
Kenny (get rid) – woeful. Can’t run, can’t pass, can’t cross or defend.
Welsh (keep, for future) – Sad that he’s been flung into such a poor team. Even sadder that he’s probably on a fraction of the wage of the guy he’s had to cover.
Ajer (please god, keep) – Our best CB and attacking threat at the same time. What a box to box midfielder he would have made.
Taylor (back up) – decent mid-table LB. Kilmarnock was his level. Big heart and will fight for the club but just not enough.
Forrest (keep) – We’ve missed him. But needs players around him to perform.
Brown (legend) – “Perfect end to Brown’s Celtic career. Nutmegged from the buffalo who then scored, ran ragged all match then subbed” was what my Zombie mate texted. To which I replied “he’s haunted your dreams for 10 years mate so shhhhhh. Such a shame that it ended this way. He shouldn’t have started.
McGregor (keep, play in correct position) – still quality in there. Played out of position. He would have been quality this season in Christie’s position.
Turnbull (keep) – think he will get better.
Elyounoussi (Goodbye) – I hate him. Didnt want him back for 2nd loan. Coward. All about himself. Doesn’t care about the team. Attempts wee tricks and loses the ball ,then gives up.
Eddy (hes off, I’d keep) – our coaching and tactics have ruined him. Playing on the left of a striker is his best position. Never a loan striker. Could have been a Celtic legend.
Barkas (get rid)…. laxalt (get rid)…. Ralston (get rid of Kenny. Give him a chance)…..Christie (get rid)…..Ajeti (get rid)…..Mickey (give a chance)…..Soro (should already be in starting 11)….Bitton (decent back up)……Griffiths (keep).
Lubo’s left peg – a Well-known Member on Celtic Noise
I think Soro showed more in his sub appearance yesterday than brown has done all season. He should be playing as our defensive mid, mcGregor playing more advanced. Ajer is never a CB, the way he ducked from the ball at the second goal showed him up. As poor as Duffy is, he would have put his head on that.
Kenny is terrible, not much more to say about him other than how the hell is he valued at £6m. Taylor does try, he’s just not very good.
Bain is rubbish, Hazard flaps at crosses like a 7 year old girl. I just wonder what the hell has happened to Barkas? An international keeper who had a great season at AEK the season before, Celtic coaches get a hold of him and he canny get a game ahead of Bain. Shocking.
We definitely have to appoint a manager this week to start sorting the team out.
Glasbhoy 81 – A Well-known member on Celtic Noise
With 10 men we were still decent going forward. Had Moi’s rocket gone in who knows but our defence looked like they’d only met for the first time in the Ibrox tunnel.
Johnston on for Eddy when Eddy needed a partner up front was a brain fart of a decision from JK and surely signals the end of Griffiths time in a Celtic jersey. He’s had more lives than a cat at Celtic. JK is Lennon in disguise.
We didnt play to our strengths again . This 1 striker routine has cost us long enough. I knew that we would have a man sent off. Broony and McGregor were chasing shadows. I dont think Eddy was as bad as others are making out but he was badly isolated . How we’ve lost 4-1 IDK but the 10 men helped.
Johnston hasnt kicked a ba’ for so long yet he’s in front of Griffiths and Ajetti to replace Eddy? That’s truly awesome mismanagement or lack of managerial skills. Johnston can only play in a winning, free-flowing Celtic side and has never offered anything when the chips are down. Hes had 2 years to eat his porridge and bulk up but still looks like one of the bhoys in the playground across the street at lunchtime.
Sentimentality has no place in football and that was evidenced when Soro replaced Broony. Disaster of a season made worse by the fact we haven’t turned up against them bar once. Pathetic, pityfull and wholly rank rotten.
Winter – A Well-known member on Celtic Noise
I think the team next season should be:
Barkas or a new keeper
New right back. New centre half. Julien (Welsh or Bitton standing in till his return). New left back
Soro. McGregor. Turnbull
Forrest. New striker or Ajeti. Johnston or new winger
Subs: Hazard, Ajeti, Welsh, Bitton, Taylor, etc.
GTF: Eddie, Ajer, Christie, all the loans, Bain
That means we need to sign about eight or nine first-team-ready players.
People have likened this to a MON-rebuild but we only signed about four key players that summer (and already had a spine of Mjallby, Lambert, Petrov and Larsson – all internationals playing at their peak, all leaders of men. Who could we say that about now?) In terms of numbers and the quality needed, this is more like when WGS came in. Oh, for the quality of Boruc and Nakamura!
Larry7 – A Well-known member on Celtic Noise
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It must all start with the new manager & which players he wants to bring to Celtic Park in order to start a new era. I don’t think that is going to be an easy task to find the right person to restore Celtic pride & success. Let hope the board get the right man.
I fear it will be 2 or 3 years before we are back challenging, the reality is we see around 7 or 8 players leave, and good ridence to them, we have about 4 or 5 left who are good enough so we need at least 6 decent players brought in and then try and mould them together by the new manager whoever that is.