Celtic v Raith Rovers - League Cup Quarter Final Thursday 23 September, Kick-off 7.45pm - all comments here

I know a lot of fans (myself included) moan about Lawwell not completing the transfer of McGinn, but for me his biggest recent transfer blunder was backing out of buying the very affordable - and exceptionally talented natural goalscorer - Ivan Toney who was desperate to play for us but instead using those funds to buy Ajeti instead. And no, hindsight is not required to know that this was a massive error.

But I guess that is in the past now and we have to deal with the consequences of his shit decision and hope that Ajeti finally finds the form he enjoyed in Switzerland and starts scoring for fun for us.
Actually in lennoxtown and his furst choice was us....worse than mcginn that one spot on
 
Like the idea of Abada through the middle against European opposition. Bit more space and he can hit on counter, think he's still too slight for packed defences. Kyogo makes his own space by dragging defenders out and spinning back in himself (exactly why he should have played through middle against Goldson). Ajeti is fine but we need to play to his strengths. When he does leave area no-one fills the space he leaves, wide players don't come in tighter and turnbull and Rogic don't move into the area, so Ajeti stays and I don't blame him because if no-one occupies central defenders he'll get the blame. We're better off getting Abada and Jota to the by-line and actually cutting the ball back, force defenders to face their goal and Ajeti can either hang back and create space or keep them busy and Turnbull and Rogic can get into the gaps. We had that one chance at Livi where Abada tried it for Rogic, lobbed it over Tam's head and disappeared into his shell cos Rogic gave him daggers. Right idea, shit execution.
Ajeti is perfect for Mulgrew and Edwards of DU. They are slow, but good penalty box defenders, but they don't like getting dragged about by someone who moves and who has pace.
I thought tonight we had an issue with the wide players staying too wide and not making the runs inside. Abada coming off the right and into the middle has been a feature of our attacks this season and has given us many goals (several from Abada himself). In saying that Abada did make a great run across the front of the box and took the CH with him to give Turnbull the space to pass the ball into the corner for the 3rd goal tonight.
I agree that neither Turnbull nor Rogic goes beyond the striker if they drop off and takes CH with them. Turnbull did it very well last season but seems to be playing deeper this season.
 
Actually in lennoxtown and his furst choice was us....worse than mcginn that one spot on
Yip. I believed the whole point of employing Strachan Junior was to make sure we closed out the transfer of Toney. Instead it was so he could sit on our bench making pretty pictures on his Etch-a-sketch during games and keep his brother company during the in-house Christmas party.
 
Ajeti is perfect for Mulgrew and Edwards of DU. They are slow, but good penalty box defenders, but they don't like getting dragged about by someone who moves and who has pace.
I thought tonight we had an issue with the wide players staying too wide and not making the runs inside. Abada coming off the right and into the middle has been a feature of our attacks this season and has given us many goals (several from Abada himself). In saying that Abada did make a great run across the front of the box and took the CH with him to give Turnbull the space to pass the ball into the corner for the 3rd goal tonight.
I agree that neither Turnbull nor Rogic goes beyond the striker if they drop off and takes CH with them. Turnbull did it very well last season but seems to be playing deeper this season.
Agree with you on pretty much all of that. Actually glad to see mulgrew go off tonight because he organised that utd defence well against sevco. I know ange won't do it but while kyogo is out just tighten front three and dispense with inverted full backs and let them create width. At least ajeti would gave players to play off. Turnbull is a top ball player. Off it he is miles off. Now as an 8 rather than 10 he needs to waken up and add some determination to do both.
 
Don't know if there's any truth in it Lubos, but talk around me tonight was that our new striker suffered some kind of injury during the warm up. If true I can see the reason for the subs. One fit striker at the club and the game's won. Why risk injury? As I say, I don't know if it's true.
It is apparently his calf and it appears to be so serious that he went straight for a scan. Not good news being left only with Ajeti as our only fit proper striker. I have high hopes for Giakoumakis but it looks like he was rushed to action too soon.

I wish we'd still bought Nisbet from Hibs too.
 
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Wondered why we hadn't seen the Greek striker, then read that he had picked up an injury in the warm up
FFS, calf injury... :rolleyes:
If they were paid on a per game basis, I think some of these wee niggling injuries, would be played through
Just saying
Mibbe they're putting something in the drinking water these days
 
Wondered why we hadn't seen the Greek striker, then read that he had picked up an injury in the warm up
FFS, calf injury... :rolleyes:
If they were paid on a per game basis, I think some of these wee niggling injuries, would be played through
Just saying
Mibbe they're putting something in the drinking water these days
In the good old days players played through injuries - often they could hide them from coaches as there were no scans which suited everyone as they needed to play to earn their bonuses to pay the bills. Sometimes they got loads of painkillers and/or cortisone injections to keep on playing. Sadly, too many of these olden day heroes suffered once they retired with agonising pain or being crippled afterwards.

These days players at our level are considered too valuable assets to risk further injury by continually playing through the pain barrier.
 
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In the good old days players played through injuries - often they could hide them from coaches as there were no scans which suited everyone as they needed to play to earn their bonuses to pay the bills. Sometimes they got loads of painkillers and/or cortisone injections to keep on playing. Sadly, too many of these olden day heroes suffered once they retired with agonising pain or being crippled afterwards.

These days players at our level are considered too valuable assets to risk further injury by continually playing through the pain barrier.
In the good old days players played through injuries - often they could hide them from coaches as there were no scans which suited everyone as they needed to play to earn their bonuses to pay the bills. Sometimes they got loads of painkillers and/or cortisone injections to keep on playing. Sadly, too many of these olden day heroes suffered once they retired with agonising pain or being crippled afterwards.

These days players at our level are considered too valuable assets to risk further injury by continually playing through the pain barri
Many of us 'oldies' on here were in that mindset, and played the game at a decent level, and the game has changed as we all know
But to get injured in the warm up, to me, means that in some cases, you're either not stretching enough prior to games, training, whatever, and you're not hydrating properly
We have trainers and equipment and the players should have enough in them to want to be at their best for the fans, whenever called upon
But that could be just me
HH
 
Many of us 'oldies' on here were in that mindset, and played the game at a decent level, and the game has changed as we all know
But to get injured in the warm up, to me, means that in some cases, you're either not stretching enough prior to games, training, whatever, and you're not hydrating properly
We have trainers and equipment and the players should have enough in them to want to be at their best for the fans, whenever called upon
But that could be just me
HH
Or just as soft as shite dill 🤔
 
Still seems as if there is a bit of sharpness missing from our play a lot of passes not finding their targets. Turnball sometimes dwells a bit as if he isn't sure what pass to make Ajeti has to pull defenders out of position moving about instead of standing between them Starfelt still looks uncomfortable
Starfelt looks wooden. He just doesn't appear comfortable when he receives a pass. Any pass seems to send him into a mental panic!

I'm calling him Pinnochio, coz I'm positive he's not a real bhoy.
 
We see how we come to a conclusion, sometimes quite quickly, that certain players aren’t up to snuff.
Who scouts these players for us now? Its virtually always at the back that we end up wi the dross?
I know Ive frequently questioned JK and his coaching but surely he doesn’t have input into who Celtic bring in for him to coach?
There is a clear fundamental problem which has gone on far too long at the back..for me its the coaching…it just cannot be a continuous stream of crap defenders over seasons.
 
Big Jock used to say he wouldn't ask a player to do what he wasn't capable of doing. That, to an everyday Joe Bloggs like myself, kinda makes sense. I think a coach has the chance to improve a player if that player has the potential to improve. Conversely, if a player lacks the basics, then all the coaching in the world won't improve him......or her. I'm no coach, but if that mantra was good enough for Jock, it's good enough for me.
 
Scales did nothing wrong and could be a great player. Jota is great. Abada is great. I have a gut feeling that we are on a golden run of victories.
 
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