In terms of the league before the split the rest of the teams managed just three draws but no wins against the leading five sides all season. So it’s really a matter of collecting those points, playing the first two head to heads against rival big guns and then getting to the split to fight it out for the title.
A three horse race excluding Celtic
At the moment it looks very much like a three horse race for the trophy between Hibs, Glasgow City and theRangers with Celtic FC Women and Hearts contesting fourth spot. Is that acceptable? It is certainly a regression especially from a side that are current Champions.
Celtic FC made over well £400,000 from the UEFA Women’s Champions League which ended pointless but with heads held high after home and away defeats to FC Twente, Real Madrid and Chelsea. That incidentally is a huge amount of money for a SWPL side to earn.
The club’s response was to sell Caitlin Hayes in January and so began a steep decline.
It’s embarrassingly easy
Tactically Celtic appear to play three at the back that turns to a four when pushed back. The three includes just one central defender, the veteran skipper Kelly Clark who has been powerless to stop a succession of goals conceded by simply punting the ball into the six yard box to claim an easy reward. It’s embarrassingly easy.
In the Scottish Cup defeat to Glasgow City Celtic were 1-0 ahead and playing well before two instances described above turned the tie and knocked Celtic out of the cup. A trophy-less season beckons and what is worrying is that in all three competitions Celtic FC Women haven’t even come close.
The stats don’t lie
Celtic’s season has been scarred by a failure to beat any of the top sides in the country on a consistent basis. The stats don’t lie, theRangers are unbeaten against Celtic five games, Glasgow City have not lost to Celtic since the second game of the season. Hibs have taken four points so far this season from Celtic FC Women and Hearts have taken six. The results are showing a bit further down this article.
IMO if Brian Graham was coaching this team then we would be challenging for the title , a good coach maximises strength and minimises weaknesses ,imo this coach does the opposite , shes a legend in her own head , sad but true , Hail hail .
They are not the team they started off this season as, they were confident and playing harassing football attacking the length of the pitch. Since the Champions league campaign pitered out they haven’t been the same not sure it’s a confidence thing or what but they have been getting mugged for the ball time after time because they seem to be afraid of putting too many bodies up the field.