Motherwell v Champs, Sun 25-Feb-24 at noon. MIB=Gollum

[Bridie Bhoy]

My only problem with this is once again , at the crunch end of the season we're still trying to see what works.
I've been flying the flag for Iwata all season but now we might have to ease players into the game , theye played so little, been one experiment after another.
We have to play with 2 strikers in these games especially and I agree with you on Maeda in a central role, running on to through balls from midfield.
That we cant field our strongest xi has been the bane of our season.
If we can get that side or most of it even on the field that would enhance my confidence levels.
If we're playing two strikers though we must supply them or it's a waste of time, also must get this half times approaching mentality out of the head, stop losing last kick goals and confidently see the game out , remember who we are and play as such, the half or match is finished when it's finished need to stop switching off in added time and show more intelligence. More twists to come I think possibly starting with hearts though I'm not holding my breath about them I want momentum back with the team.

I totally agree W. Based on what I can see, our current squad personnel are more suited to playing a 3-5-2. IMO, BR would have been better getting the best out of what he had rather than force his style on players that were not suited to it. Plus the tactics he used 10 years ago have long been sussed out by manager's with inferior players.

Assuming we had a recruitment team working with the manager rather than against him, then he could bring in players suited to his style and then implement it more. But they are working to two different agendas which clearly clash on so many levels.

BR genuinely believed he was going to get in 4 first team ready players that suited him in January. A goalie (as we expected, Hart will NOT be here next season so give him 7 months to Integrate into the team), a left back, a dynamic midfielder and a proven goalscorer.

Instead, we got yet another winger who can't beat a defender or cross and a soon-to-be 4th choice bench warmer from a mid-table Championship side with a poor goalscoring record.

I appreciate Iwata has had a couple of injuries, but I simply do not understand the lack of opportunities he has been allowed this season. He usually looks calm & composed, adds much needed physicality & height, allows CalMac to push forward if we are attacking or assists him if we are defending, he can drill an accurate defence splitting pass and score too.

If our midfielders were playing at such a high standard then fair enough, but they are not. CalMac looks like a player who has played more minutes in the last 6 years than just about every other player in the world. O'Riley was unplayable early on but his form has dropped off a cliff since the break/transfer rumours. Hatate has missed most of the season but looked out of sorts when he did play. Turnbull could score but slowed play too much. Bernardo hit a purple patch for about a month but has dropped off again. Holm looks like a prodpect but has hardly played.

So I'd give Iwata a run of half a dozen starts to give him a fair crack at it. But probably what will happen is he comes on as a sub, doesn't set the heather on fire so a lot of naysayers slag him for not being the Messiah and so he slips back down the pecking order again. Meanwhile the same under-performing players are rewarded with start after start.

 

[Bridie Bhoy]

I see we have the man Crawford Allan affectionately calls William refereeing us on Sunday. The very same man the Huns have well and truly neutered.

We have in MIB Collum, a man who is terrified of giving any decision against the Huns and any decision in favour of Celtic.

This weak, lowlife, excuse for a man, will hinder us in every way he can, to pander to his Masonic masters, and to ensure he remains on the lucrative Masonic gravy train. You can bet on it…

Gollum is a disgrace of a referee. He always has been. It is bizarre that anyone has ever watched his slapstick performances and deemed him worthy of promotion. I never believed him to be biased but just pure and simply incompetent.

Every club at every level has evidence of so many incorrect decisions he has made against them. He ruins practically every match he refs. He is a very weak ref who tries to over compensate by showing he is brave and incisive by rushing into big decisions. But too often he is poorly positioned and so guesses and so he fets them wrong and changes the course of the match.

As you say, sevco know this and have taken advantage of his shear and utter incompetence by pressurising this feeble ref into being too frighten to go against them.

Gollum should never have made it into the top tier of refs. He should have bern demoted very early. But instead he has been allowed to ruin dozens of matches over the years without censure and will no doubt retire to become a VAR where he can continue the chaos. Expect more controversy tomorrow.

 

[Frank Owen]

I totally agree W. Based on what I can see, our current squad personnel are more suited to playing a 3-5-2. IMO, BR would have been better getting the best out of what he had rather than force his style on players that were not suited to it. Plus the tactics he used 10 years ago have long been sussed out by manager's with inferior players.

Assuming we had a recruitment team working with the manager rather than against him, then he could bring in players suited to his style and then implement it more. But they are working to two different agendas which clearly clash on so many levels.

BR genuinely believed he was going to get in 4 first team ready players that suited him in January. A goalie (as we expected, Hart will NOT be here next season so give him 7 months to Integrate into the team), a left back, a dynamic midfielder and a proven goalscorer.

Instead, we got yet another winger who can't beat a defender or cross and a soon-to-be 4th choice bench warmer from a mid-table Championship side with a poor goalscoring record.

I appreciate Iwata has had a couple of injuries, but I simply do not understand the lack of opportunities he has been allowed this season. He usually looks calm & composed, adds much needed physicality & height, allows CalMac to push forward if we are attacking or assists him if we are defending, he can drill an accurate defence splitting pass and score too.

If our midfielders were playing at such a high standard then fair enough, but they are not. CalMac looks like a player who has played more minutes in the last 6 years than just about every other player in the world. O'Riley was unplayable early on but his form has dropped off a cliff since the break/transfer rumours. Hatate has missed most of the season but looked out of sorts when he did play. Turnbull could score but slowed play too much. Bernardo hit a purple patch for about a month but has dropped off again. Holm looks like a prodpect but has hardly played.

So I'd give Iwata a run of half a dozen starts to give him a fair crack at it. But probably what will happen is he comes on as a sub, doesn't set the heather on fire so a lot of naysayers slag him for not being the Messiah and so he slips back down the pecking order again. Meanwhile the same under-performing players are rewarded with start after start.

Terrific points, from yourself and Winter, BB. ( As is normal ) My concern though, is that we really shouldn't be experimenting at this juncture of such a vital season.

I'm beginning to really bore myself with my negativity. Maybe I should give it a rest. Pure dead scunnered.

 

[Bridie Bhoy]

Terrific points, from yourself and Winter, BB. ( As is normal ) My concern though, is that we really shouldn't be experimenting at this juncture of such a vital season.

I'm beginning to really bored myself with my negativity. Maybe I should give it a rest. Pure dead scunnered.

Absolutely Frank. It it is ridiculous to even be suggesting experimenting near the end of February. To me, a lot of this was so obvious back at the start of the season but too many poor performances where we still picked up 3 points papered over the cracks and allowed this to fester.

But what do I know? I am a sofa-sitting expert and Rodgers has won us a shelf full of trophies!

 

[Vigobhoy]

It is beginning to look like a lack of a plan. There seems to be no link up play with origins on the training field. It isn't just the lack of imagination from our set pieces (tap it short to a colleague 5 feet from the ball to trundle forward then play a square or backwards pass to a teammate under pressure), but also no obvious moves during open play where it looks like players have rehearsed things beforehand.

We just seem to line players up in general areas, tell them to be risk averse so we keep possession no matter what and then hope that some individual skill creates and opening. And if that doesn't work then just keep repeating until we run out of steam and pray that we can hang on to avoid defeat.

The BR system defined.

 

[Smelltheg-love]

I honestly believe this is the day we will get our act together and start playing the way we like it, hopefully till the end of the season. Going for a 3-0 Celtic.
Cmon the hoops

The weed must be good up your way

 

[TTQtKK⚠️]

I've never understood this Tony Ralston love in by some of our support.If Johnstons fit he should slot straight back in but his standards have dropped from last season.

Tbh Marti I’m struggling to understand the clamour for AJ to be in the team. He’s had a honking season so far.

 

[Smelltheg-love]

Terrific points, from yourself and Winter, BB. ( As is normal ) My concern though, is that we really shouldn't be experimenting at this juncture of such a vital season.

I'm beginning to really bore myself with my negativity. Maybe I should give it a rest. Pure dead scunnered.

Formations in Scotland when you are Celtic are almost mute points against the dross

The opposing team sets up 11 men behind the ball to counter
And all our players bar Kyogo sit in front of them passing the ball bank and sideways

Our problem has been zero service from wings and when it does arrive in box they have 8 defending and we have 2 or 3 in box including a couple of midgets

Meat and drink to these teams

Our best performances this season have come against teams that don’t sit in

After 3/4 of a season Rodgers still hasn’t figured out a way to beat the bus parkers, which is where every point has been dropped to date

 

[Smelltheg-love]

Tbh Marti I’m struggling to understand the clamour for AJ to be in the team. He’s had a honking season so far.

Spot on
Taylor gets the stick while being far better than AJ this season IMO

My old bhoy says last week
we finished a game with a back 4 of ralston, scales, Welsh, bernabei. That’s looking for trouble

 

[Imatim]

Gollum is a disgrace of a referee. He always has been. It is bizarre that anyone has ever watched his slapstick performances and deemed him worthy of promotion. I never believed him to be biased but just pure and simply incompetent.

Every club at every level has evidence of so many incorrect decisions he has made against them. He ruins practically every match he refs. He is a very weak ref who tries to over compensate by showing he is brave and incisive by rushing into big decisions. But too often he is poorly positioned and so guesses and so he fets them wrong and changes the course of the match.

As you say, sevco know this and have taken advantage of his shear and utter incompetence by pressurising this feeble ref into being too frighten to go against them.

Gollum should never have made it into the top tier of refs. He should have bern demoted very early. But instead he has been allowed to ruin dozens of matches over the years without censure and will no doubt retire to become a VAR where he can continue the chaos. Expect more controversy tomorrow.

I’m not sure Collum in awarding a penalty against Celtic when looking the other way reconciles with him being a complete incompetent…

 

[Bridie Bhoy]

I’m not sure Collum in awarding a penalty against Celtic when looking the other way reconciles with him being a complete incompetent…

But every club has so many instances of bad decisions against them by this clown. All the Sheepie fans up here are 100% convinced Gollum is an uber-Tim even though there are plenty of examples of terrible decisions against us when we've played them.

I still think he is terrible and incontinent (or incompetent - either way, he is pish). It is just that these days he is terrified to give anything against that lot in case he gets thrown off the lucrative gravy train.

 

[lennono]

Our best performances this season have come against teams that don’t sit in

That's why we will beat the huns

 

[Espiritosanto]

A think it’s about time brendan and the players and officials of celtic stopped giving interviews to the press,they’re only playing into there agenda of slaughtering us on any subject!!!even big Sutton’s starting to get on ma tits way his constant slagging,,we all know it’s not happening for us and the multiple reasons why,but every fuckin day is getting a bit over the top,.forget the January transfer window for a minute,how can a club in Scotland get slaughtered for having £67 million in the bank??insane?

 

[Imatim]

But every club has so many instances of bad decisions against them by this clown. All the Sheepie fans up here are 100% convinced Gollum is an uber-Tim even though there are plenty of examples of terrible decisions against us when we've played them.

I still think he is terrible and incontinent (or incompetent - either way, he is pish). It is just that these days he is terrified to give anything against that lot in case he gets thrown off the lucrative gravy train.

I hear you, but I feel calling any of these cheating MIB’s incompetents is a get out of jail card for them.

They may on the odd occasion make an honest mistake, but when it comes to Celtic they know exactly what they’re doing…

 

[Winter]

Absolutely Frank. It it is ridiculous to even be suggesting experimenting near the end of February. To me, a lot of this was so obvious back at the start of the season but too many poor performances where we still picked up 3 points papered over the cracks and allowed this to fester.

But what do I know? I am a sofa-sitting expert and Rodgers has won us a shelf full of trophies!

It's perhaps the single most frustrating thing about this season other than our lacklustre poor performances we've seen.
I cannot recall every, a Celtic side where we don't know our best starting xi, aye its also down to missing key players but this is why we have a squad of players and not 12 with 2 keepers like back in the day ( last century if you like) .
We should know , ages ago who is the best option/player as back up if our regular/no1 in any position is injured or form has dropped off.
Could that be down to the fact we have a bloated squad and so many options for Hatate's back up where none have truly staked a claim? I doubt that given our management team are working with them daily.
Iwata repeating for the hundredth time on here , looks the only one who has when called upon , showed best.
I agree Bernardo has been Turnbull-esque in his displays , excellent then anonymous repeat. I'm fed up ( used all the oxygen available) calling for Iwata, along with many others, I can't be bothered repeating it all the time, if it's his training performances holding him back how come his actual appearances don't reflect that
This Motherwell game is huge for us , though I'd still say not season defining should we not take all 3 pts but as close as we can get.
They're hearts game means nothing to me, would be great if hearts get a point and shock them, not beyond them but meaningless if we cannot regain the momentum we need.

We have a run of games before we visit mordor that on paper at least are as favourable as we could hope for while they have a far tougher (on paper mind) run up.
Win these games and it just possibly could come at the right time for us and give us that momentum.
They'll be calling for postponement of a league game for Benfica as per usual and probably not get it again as usual , so , as usual crayons will be out.

 

[TTQtKK⚠️]

I still think he is terrible and incontinent (or incompetent - either way, he is pish).

hilariously spot on

 

[Magnificent 7]

Terrific points, from yourself and Winter, BB. ( As is normal ) My concern though, is that we really shouldn't be experimenting at this juncture of such a vital season.

I'm beginning to really bore myself with my negativity. Maybe I should give it a rest. Pure dead scunnered.

Same here Frank your not alone mate.

 

[Winter]

See the diets have provided the usual rollover at mordoor 3 nil approaching ht

 

[Brimcbhoy]

Terrific points, from yourself and Winter, BB. ( As is normal ) My concern though, is that we really shouldn't be experimenting at this juncture of such a vital season.

I'm beginning to really bore myself with my negativity. Maybe I should give it a rest. Pure dead scunnered.

Same here Frank your not alone mate.

Don't desert us now bhoys ( I know you urny). We need you's. We've been here before, its not over yet.

 

[Humf]

I know it's perverse, but a one nil 89th penalty to us would be great and drive them mental!

But I know it wouldn't be good for the heart!!!!