Let’s start by putting whatever perception lingers from Aberdeen’s result in Hamilton on Tuesday night into perspective. The goal they lost was only the second time they had conceded in six games. Incredibly, both were penalties. They have played an astonishing 617 minutes without conceding a goal from anywhere but the penalty spot.
Including those two penalties, they have conceded only four since Tom Rogic’s late free kick the last time we played them. This is a well-organised football team who have a script ready for Celtic. They will defend tightly, get the ball forward quickly and chase the life out of everything. The defeat at Hamilton was the first time they have dropped a point since Inverness withheld an onslaught to leave Pittodrie with a draw seven weeks ago.
Despite sitting second in the table with an impressive defence, Aberdeen are well below where they hoped to be at this stage of the season. One win from their opening five league games saw them struggle in the bottom half of the table. Clear evidence that their preseason plans did nothing for them in Europe or domestically.
The most surprising aspect of the Premiership table is that Aberdeen have recovered their natural position as Best of the Rest so quickly.
There’s a tangible confidence among Celtic fans right now. It doesn’t necessarily extend to travelling to face A German Team but most of us think we’ll take three points tomorrow. I know Aberdeen fans who were at Hamilton during the week also fancy their chances, especially if we are as wasteful in front of goal as we have been recently.
Brendan Rodgers will need to plan for tomorrow and for Gladback on Tuesday, a game which brings an end of a five week period with five intense sell-out games (and a few others). He used his options well at Ross County on Wednesday, wise selections are needed tomorrow also.
548 Comments- Pages:
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 15
- »
hooray made it
Linda, Sean’s Trust @saoirsefanclub
Still looking for sponsors for our Ghirls Good dinner at Celtic Park on 3 December Sean’s Trust hopes to take 9 bereaved Mums Please share
~~~~~~~~~~++~~~~~~~~~~
A worthwhile cause,led by the widow of ST JOHN DOYLE,sadly missed and not only from these pages
May all our problems be on field selection and tactical ones…….
PAUL67
Aberdeen had won their last four before us.
Their defeat against Hamilton was one of those things,it can happen to anyone-(ouch)
FESS19
Well done,mate.
ACGR will contact you shortly for the forfeit due to glory-hunters,sorry gold medalists.
Do we play Toure tomorrow to give him game time before Tuesday or give the jersey to Jozo to fit in with Erik?
BMCW, I’ll take the forfiet if it involves ACGR’s golden necter
HH
I still think Hearts are better than Aberdeen.
Gladback67Paul67, they are the best of the rest certainly and have recorded two 4-0 before losing out to Hamilton. However I think we have improved considerably in the last few weeks as well. We have been making many chances but missing a good few; I am hopeful that we can exploit the weaknesses in their defence that will give us a reasonably comfortable win.We score early and first and it will change their gameplan I think. They don’t want to be coming out for the second half needing to score 2 to earn a point. I can see that happening!
KTF
I want Eric and Joze to face BMG.I want to see them defend.We know what Kolo brings.But we need height in our defence on Tuesday.It was lacking at Ross County.All being well this looks like being our main central pairing,so its time they were blooded in a big game.As the ad says”You will never know until you go”.
Good Afternoon.
Here is a glib and shameless appeal… https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/10/28/will-you-please-shut-up/
I’ll be satisfied if we remain undefeated domestically at 2pm tomorrow.
I don’t for one second think we’ll go through the whole season without getting beat, we have 9 games in December, 8 of them league games, with the potential for a rearranged match to be scheduled on the last day of November. The winter break when it arrives will be most welcome.
BMCW your are on the ball this morning bud.
THECLUMPANY
I hope you win,mate. Difficult to take the sports press at all seriously after reading your stuff.
Nothing is beyond satire on your patch-no matter how hard they try!
TOMMIE20
Yer back,bud?
Did you enjoy the globe-trotting?
That eejit postman lost my postcard,but thanks for the thought(!)
Probably be back more to the “normal” team for the next two games, although I would like to see Roberts and Armstrong keep their places. Forrest and either Bitton or Rogic going out. For these two games probably Rogic.
Understandable that a proud young Scot like Broonie would answer the call when his country needs him.
He will be welcomed with open arms by the mssm and tartan army but a convenient scapegoat if it all goes wrong.
Personally i wish he wouldn’t .
He’s to valuable as the captain of Celtic.
VFR800A8
One of the Dons 4-0 wins was at home to a poor Ross County side who were down to 10 men when 1-0 down about midway through the first half.
Only player who really stood out was Logan at right back, but he’d plenty of room to work in.
McGinn was poor, Hayes was ok but again had plenty of room to work and Maddison (the on loan player) was quite good too. He likes to go past players, but I thought he was playing to the crowd.
“Oh, look at me! I fell over after shooting for goal!”
You know the p*sh.
If we can keep 11 players on the park we should win.
The Wise man of the S0uthsiders has spoken
“The worst thing you can do is panic buy in January.”
Presume Garner and Senderos mean he is all for it
in summer
http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2016/10/28/incomings-likely-mark-warburton-gives-insight-into-glasgow-range/?
Reggie on 28th October 2016 12:47 pm
“…we have 9 games in December, 8 of them league games, with the potential for a rearranged match to be scheduled on the last day of November. The winter break when it arrives will be most welcome.”
———————————————————————————————————————————————————
Wouldn’t it be ironic if it snows heavily from the end of November through to New Year, then a sudden thaw is followed by an unusually mild January. That’ll test the old fixture computer to the limit!
‘Twas a shame that they couldn’t come to a financial arrangement with Joey yesterday and that the suspension rolls on.
Not all bad news though.
Thy have paved the way for the Barton Army to retreat to Barnsley during the January porthole.
At least it has been ” muted”(sic”) in the Daily Mail.
Gladback are ….back
Goals in first 19 games
Moussa Dembele: 13
Henrik Larsson: 10
Chris Sutton: 9
John Hartson: 7
Leigh Griffiths: 7
PHILBHOY I expect a reasonably comfortable win; hoping for 3-0.
!!BADA BING!! on 28TH OCTOBER 2016 1:16 PM
GladbackA German team are ….backThe supporters of that German team which we find so fiendishly/childishly difficult to spell probably speak better English than many of us.
Shorter words,for starters.
!!Bada Bing!! on 28th October 2016 1:16 pm
Gladback are ….back
***********
Do you think they are Glad to be Back?
Hail hail
Matt
A song for Joey.
BMCUWP the joke is here.
KTF
Couple of very interesting games coming up: Aberdeen and Gladbach.
Interesting to see how Aberdeen change in order to compete better than they managed in the 4-1 humping in August. Doubtless McInnes will try a couple of things with an eye on the League Cup Final next month.
Watching Aberdeen against Sevco recently, I was struck by how much respect Aberdeen’s players gave the opposition. Their midfield players were rarely in the game, allowing Sevco more time and space than could be attributed to tactics.
Put me in mind of what I used to say to my own boy when he was playing at youth level: “They’re just wee boys in Rangers strips”. The current Sevco team are little more than the grown up version, and of that wasn’t understood by everyone playing in the SPFL then, it surely is now.
In facing Celtic though, Aberdeen’s players know what’s coming at them, and it’s a hell of a challenge. If Aberdeen are going to win trophies this season, this is the team they need to figure out how to beat. What has McInnes’ high-powered fitba’ brain come up with? Whatever it is, each of his players need to figure out how to compete with the opponent, and his team needs to contain Celtic. We’ll see tomorrow lunchtime.
On balance though, his main hope will be that every player plays at the top of his game, Celtic’s forwards have a poor day, and his side take the odd chance they get.
Looking to Gladbach, Celtic are in a similar position to Aberdeen, being that Brendan needs to figure out how to make his team compete with a side who were demonstrably their betters last time out. In some respects, the score will be less interesting than measuring the distance travelled by the players and the team. What have they learned? How, if at all, have they improved? From that perspective, I’d like to see Jozo start. Until he’s measured against the European Standard, we won’t know what he’s got to offer, and it’s the European Standard that counts for Celtic.
Two good games to enjoy, one after the other, the script sub-texts being mirror-images.
BigRussianMoonshineGladBach.Wits the problem?.
VFR,
Firstly, thanks for the info on Berlin….got back early this week…still recovering mentally and physically….over-indulgence in the extreme.
Made the football there on Wed night. Not much to say there but sorry to Delaney’ Dunky for not being in touch. Recovery mode and 05:30 rises being the excuse.
Noticed your comment on the last thread about McPhee…but couldn’t find the context. Were you referring to wee John in the GP3? If so, I can say he has a lot more serious issues than the thumb! Nothing life threatening I believe, but he’s not out of the wood yet with the internals.
VFR800A8
Aye,I know. I saw it a fortnight ago now,same as everyone else.
Believe it or not,I knew a funny joke once. I had to stop telling it as everyone had heard it before.
mon the hoops – massive game tomorrow – maintain points advantage, build momentum for tues and manage any changes br makes. Also t’s the good times at the moment so we gotta enjoy it too.
Who is the mib tomorrow please?
McLean.
Philbhoy in all honesty does it really matter? Just win by 2orr3 goals – job done. H H Hebcelt
Rodgers team talk every game.
” Take the ref out of the game”.
For those heading to Monchengladbach (from JPT)
http://cdn.celticfc.net/assets/downloads/Fan_Info_for_Monchengladbach.pdf
HEBCELT
If I know who the ref is I will tell you how many goals we need to score.
Silly!
:-)
Saw your post earlier, hope you are recovering well!
Take care!