stunning
before @thedancingbaby time but like this one
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Is that your new pyjamas?
By jaysus, I did ask, and you did foretell. Not winning the 10th in a row, what a blunder
Commentator’s eye.
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Apology to Ange, mate?
I must confess that After the first few weeks I thought Celtic would struggle to finish second … heartfelt apologies to Ange … no heartfelt to starfelt …
3 defeats in first 6 but 30 league games unbeaten since. I think it was important that the huns lost an early game too (at Dundee United) so the deficit was never more than 6 points. Taking 7 points from 9 against them since the turn of the year has effectively won the league.
A newspaper style…”games that won the league” would be:
Beating Aberdeen 2-1 away from home in late September/early October with a late Jota goal after losing those first 3 away games. Celtic hadn’t won an away game since the previous February after the Lennon malaise and Kennedy taking temporary charge. It was an important line in the sand.
Beating Ross County 2-1 away from home in November/December with that 97th minute Ralston winner. There were a few “eh it’s only Ross County lads” comments post game, but it felt important at the time. Celtic were putting a run together and this kept it going. A kind of win that would matter when it came to totting up the points at the end.
Beating Dundee United 1-0 with 10 men via a 90th minute Abada winner after the huns had conceded a 96th minute equaliser to Ross County earlier that lunchtime. A veritable 4 point swing and it meant Celtic had the chance to go top if they beat the huns the next midweek.
Beating the huns 3-0 at Celtic Park. The first half display was as good as we’ve produced under Ange and we blew them away.
Beating the huns 2-1 at Ibrox. Coming from a goal down after a horrible start and seeing out the game impressively in the second half. This pushed the gap out to 6 points with only 5 games left when a win for them would have blown the title race wide open again.
Thank you Ange.
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I’m slightly worried that the huns have figured us out for now. As have Europe, but onwards and upwards.
I would also add the 2-1 midweek win at Hearts in January that preceded the late win over Dundee United that preceded the thumping of the huns on 1 February.
We rolled Hearts over in the first half and went in 2-0 up, through Reo Hatate’s rocket and Giakoumakis’ flick. It was also Matt O’Riley’s debut. Giakoumakis getting fit and picking up the slack when Kyogo was out long term was crucial, as were the January signings. Hatate for his initial burst, Maeda has now become a key player and O’Riley is a lovely footballer. He had 7 key passes, as the stats folk say, in his debut game, including the Giakoumakis assist. Hearts responded well in the second half and Boyce actually hit the post from a dubiously awarded handball penalty that would have made it 2-2. They put Celtic under a lot of pressure but we held out and kept the pressure on. The huns drew 1-1 at Aberdeen that midweek before slipping up at Ross County so a 6-point gap at Christmas was down to 2 before we played them.
There was also the distinction between our signings being able to contribute immediately, mainly because Ange targeted players that would fit into his system. Meanwhile, the huns went for the big statement signing in Ramsey.
@flattythehurdler the huns have definitely learnt lessons from the 3-0. Their pressing was much more co-ordinated in the games since and they tried to make it difficult for the defence to build out from the back. Hart, CCV and Starfelt have very good attributes between them but none is an accomplished passer. We can always be improving via signings. Jullien will probably leave, as he’s entering the last year of his contract and has barely played in 18 months.
We also destroyed them with those rotations between full back bombing on, wide attacker coming inside and midfielder drifting out and they’ve responded to that too by sending a centre back out of the defensive line to stop that interplay further out the field. It kinda feels like we in turn should be able to exploit their moves if we’re clever about it. A centre back rushing out like that is leaving lots of space behind him. We also have the option to mix it up by playing Giakoumakis and being more direct or relying more on Kyogo’s movement. Again, we’ll probably strengthen via signings in midfield and out wide.
Ange’s teams apparently flourish in year two when they’ve another pre-season under their belts and his methods are fully embedded.
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Very surprising. His output has fallen off a cliff between injuries, indifferent form and lack of opportunity. A 3-year contract for an injury prone, ageing winger doesn’t seem like the most efficient use of resources. We’d surely be giving him a much lower basic salary than before with more incentive based clauses, but still.
Edit: Just reading the tweet replies to the contract extension announcement, some bhoy made what I think is probably a valid point. UEFA have that requirement for a certain number of Scottish born and home trained players so he ticks those two boxes.
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He’s been mediocre on the pitch this year for sure. You’d have hoped there would be a local lad or two coming through.
Problem has been lack of pathway from development/academy set up to first team, which Ange seems to be trying to put right. But that little rat bastard Ben Doak did the dirty on us & joined the murderers, who knows what’s going on with Karamoko Dembélé (out of contract soon, I think) and then there’s bhoys like Owen Moffatt who got some first team exposure in first half of season when our squad was injury impacted and smaller pre January influx. I’d say Ange has a few academy lads in mind to push towards first team picture next season alright.
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Yeah I’d imagine it’s a much reduced deal and it allows us to keep him in our European squad because the alternative is we are simply down one player.
The two centre backs Lawal and Murray (who did his ACL) and the keeper look like the best hopes from the current B team. Karamoko might be the other one if he commits to staying but I imagine it’s a long term deal for him or we’ll just let him leave. He hasn’t improved to the point it’s worth trying to entice him with a shorter commitment.
Didn’t know that Murray did his ACL, he acquitted himself well when pitched into the qualifiers last summer.
A few social media posts hinting at possible departures.
Bitton had one a few days ago about the journey or something and his barber has sent a message thanking him.
Rogic had posted up a montage of his time at Celtic. Might be just a random post but it’s being interpreted as a possible farewell.
Neither would be a surprising move and both would probably get more money (and starting appearances) by leaving to finish their careers elsewhere. But both played a lot this year and would need replacing.
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May not have been his biggest fan but Bitton did make 37 appearances so far this season to be fair to him (22 in league), McCarthy for example was at 21 with 9 in the SPFL.
He will need replaced
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Neither was outstanding. Rogic was frustrating I thought. Chipped in vitally at times, but absent at others, and was generally ineffectual as a sub in big games.
Thing is we cannot continue to play Ange ball without a deep squad. It asks too much of players playing twice a week (imho)
I think that’s harsh on Rogic. He has been outstanding in big games over his time at Celtic - some crucial goals against the huns included and was excellent in the pivotal 1-2 win at Ibrox this season for example.
Probably eclipsed by O’Riley since he joined, but he had some fine games this season (and throughout his career).