Ive not read any reaction from last night yet but that was incredibly disappointing, Im still really pissed off about it to be honest. Some of the stuff that went on was bordering on criminal and theres a few players who need to have a good look at themselves. Its fine saying their 3 goals all came from set pieces, but dead balls are a pivotal part of the game and you have to defend them properly with authority. Indeed I thought we had the personnel to do so but we were like frightened little kids any time the ball was pumped into our box. The fact that they should have scored a further couple of goals from corners, especially when Allback struck the bar in the first half, says it all really.
We urgently need to come up with a formula to play away from home at the highest level too. 1 draw and 11 defeats in the last 12 away European games is simply not good enough. Again, some of these defeats were to AC Milan, Bayern Munich, Lyon sides with real quality but equally theres been limp and pathetic performances against 4th seed teams like Kobenhavn, Anderlecht and Shakhtar too.
I was advocating a 1 up front formation away from home last night but the other side of the argument was that away goals are critical in Europe and weve a better chance of going through a 2 leg tie by being positive away from home and getting goals. It was pointed out to me that we had already gone through prior to last night due to our head to head record against Manchester United, i.e. being positive down in Manchester and getting 2 away goals.
Fair enough but the way things are going lately we are capitulating away from home in the first half of games. I maintain that 1 up top and a more congested midfield with Naka playing in a central role is the way to go. He can be screened by Lennon and either Gravesen or Sno and can move around the midfield popping passes around, keeping the ball and at least giving us a foothold in the game. I would then have 2 wide players accompanying these 3 in midfield; a selection of 2 from McGeady, Maloney, Gravesen, Jarosik and Miller. Big Jan can perform the target man/lone striker role with the onus being on him to hold up the ball for the breaking wide players. Miller and Magic can then be utilised from the bench in the second half. As for the back, thats 3 goals conceded in each of the 3 away games this season. I dont think any of the 3 centre backs used this season are good enough for the elite level, signing a world class centre back should be the priority for Strachan. I see the guy Alex that plays with PSV is heavily linked but he would be cup-tied if we got him in January. We do actually miss Caldwell despite his horror show in Lisbon, hes the most composed of the 3 and has the ability to take the ball down and play out of defence to set attacks in motion. With the other 2 its all very helter skelter and last ditch type. Theres no problems whatsoever with the 2 full backs (Wilson and Naylor not including Telfinho here!) and Boruc.
My ratings last night for what theyre worth:
Boruc 6: Cant be blamed for the goals. Let down badly by his defence. Their delivery was spot on too so you couldnt have expected him to come out and claim any of the crosses.
Wilson 6: Great to see the young lad back. Not his most impressive of performances but it was his first game in 10 weeks. A solid nights work all the same.
Balde 4: Not good enough for what were trying to achieve. Very slow for the 3rd goal and poor throughout characterised by rash, mistimed tackles, poor distribution etc.
McManus 4: Has had a good season overall but was shocking last night. You might get away with him playing along side a real quality defender but not with Bobo.
Naylor 7: Excellent again. Put in some quality balls from the left, one for Millers header in the first half and one just after we scored that was crying out to be buried. Also played the through ball to Kenny for his one on one where he went around the keeper. One or two hairy enough moments at the back but certainly the best of the starting XI.
Gravesen 5: Very disappointing again and equally so when he moved into the middle early on. Runs around an awful lot but Ive yet to see any substance to his game. Lacks tactical discipline too and the shape of the team is affected when he hares around the field after the ball like a child in the schoolyard. Not surprised to see he was hooked.
Lennon 5: Some hold the view that Lennon is more important in big European home games where he can sit around the half way line and play a kind of continuity role just popping the ball around to the creative players and getting it back and putting in the odd tackle when the opposition tries to break. He does this role to perfection at times but away from home when he really has to get stuck in down in the trenches he has disappointed both last night and in Lisbon. Granted he was exceptional in Manchester but hes 35 now too and we cant expect someone of that vintage to run the midfield with so little support (see Gravesen).
Jarosik 4: This guy perplexes me. Hes so far behind being Celtic class that he cant even see Celtic class up ahead in the distance. Then he pops up with another goal. He flitters around on the edge of the game, contributing fook all and has a casual and lazy attitude. Much like any of you lot in work I guess but I expect much better from a Celtic player. Sell him in the summer to some EPL team wholl give us 2m for him.
McGeady 5: A few forays and runs but overall not a great night for the kid. We struggled to get the ball to him in the first half and even switching wings didnt bring us any more joy. I felt like decking the cooont in Frazers who revelled in abusing the kid any time a dribble was stopped in its tracks. I hate pricks who are almost willing one of their own players to fail just so they can sit there with a big smirk on their face telling everyone they were right. Disappointing last night and in Manchester but hes turned it on at home against the Danes, against Milan and in other big game like the derbies. Its all experience for the kid.
Miller 5: Cant be faulted at all for workrate, effort, endeavour or any other word that means those other 3 words. Always making runs, giving the man on the ball an option and his touch and hold up play, in the 1st half in particular, was spot on. That said, he had 2 gilt edged chances including being clean through on goal and he took neither. A more than useful back-up striker or option to spring from the bench 5 or 6 goals this season isnt good enough. Fowler would have taken one of the two chances he missed!
Magic 5: Tried relatively hard but again had little to show for it. We all thought he missed playing off a big striker like Big Bad John but hasnt impressed either the couple of times hes been paired with Big Jan. Hes 30 now too and Id be looking to get a few quid for him in the summer.
Subs:
Nakamura 8: Sublime when he was introduced. The talk was he had an ankle knock but I think Strachan rested him expecting the physical game that ensued, but also expecting the players picked to deal with the physicality of the Danes much better. Anyway, back to Naka great delivery for the goal, another cracking half volley tipped over by the keeper and got the whole team moving with his passing. The game was very open at this stage but generally the European games suit Naka down to a tee what with there being more space on offer than in the SPL where theres always some feisty left back hacking him down. Absolutely crucial to our chances of going any further in the competition.
Pearson 5: Ran around a lot like he always does (see Gravesen).
Theres an awful lot of work to be done between now and February. I hope we can sign a couple of players in January who are eligible for the competition. Centre back and centre of midfield remain the priorities. I have every faith in our coach to get things right.
Hail hail.