Celtic meekly surrendered a 2-goal deficit against a compact and well organised Valencia side in the Europa League. Lessons continue to go unlearned at this level.
German Lesson
This match was similar to one from Rodger’s first European campaign with the Hoops. In the 0-2 reverse at home to a talented by avowedly European middle-class Borussia Moenchengladbach, Celtic could not find a way through a rigid 4-4-2. Against the Germans there had been 0 shots on target and only 7 in total. There were 2 shots on target against the Spaniards, both in the first 5 minutes and both from low probability distances.
In the Champions League Group game, Celtic had a similar configuration with Brown deeper and Armstrong and Rogic trying to find space in the 8 and 10 positions. The issue Celtic had that day was that with Brown deep and the flanks covered 2 vs 2, the Hoops were outnumbered in the middle and the Germans pressed Rogic and Armstrong effectively on the rare occasions they received possession.
Geometry Lesson
Against Valencia, Brown dropped right of the centre backs and McGregor left. This served to mean there were 4 Celtic players behind the ball at all times whilst the flanks were again matched up 2 vs 2 with Toljan and Izaguirre pushed on. It was a simple numbers game – 10 v 6 in the Spaniard’s favour. With McGregor so deep, Christie and especially Burke were completely isolated and there was no out ball wide. Celtic literally had no where to go.
Rarely has a side played such a disciplined and compact 4-4-2 as Valencia. They maintained geometrically precise distances between themselves and fell back as one when required. They squeezed up with minimal spaces between the lines.
The result was the ball was endlessly recycled through Boyata, Simunovic and McGregor. The Croat completed an astonishing 151 passes, only giving the ball away twice. Boyata completed 125. From those 276 passes only 18 bypassed a single Valencia player. Only 9 passes were to a midfielder and 3 reached the strikers.
McGregor, playing as a left sided centre back in possession, completed only 4 packing passes taking out opponents and 2 of those were to Toljan. As an effective use of resources, it wasn’t even a start.
History Lesson
The dynamism of Celtic’s recent play has usually been when McGregor and Christie are able to receive plenty of the ball centrally and play quick incisive passes. With Christie ostensibly a 10, and Brown and McGregor so deep and split by the two central defenders, there was virtually no connectivity in central areas. The three central midfielders completed 1 pack pass to each other all match, Brown to Christie in the 5th minute that led to McGregor’s shot on target. Surely Celtic should have tried to overload Parejo and Kondogbia in the central areas? Bringing Christie deeper and ensuring connectivity between the three midfielders would have allowed Celtic to play quicker through the central lines with Brown protecting the quick break when it broke down. Christie did not complete a single pack pass.
Spanish Lesson
Both Valencia goals came from identical scenarios. Firstly McGregor, then Brown were tackled in the middle of the Valencia half. 2 and 3 passes later the offside was easily broken and superb timing and execution of final passes resulted in tap ins. Maybe that spooked Celtic into avoidance of the break against but it effectively made the game easy for Valencia to play out.
The substitutions made no material change other than fresh legs and enthusiasm. Instead Celtic went with a diamond formation with Weah in behind Edouard and Burke. It did not fix the central supply issue from midfield.
The Borussia Moenchengladbach game is also memorable for effectively ending Toure’s career. Horrible echoes of that came in the first half as Brown gave the ball away in his own final 3rd 4 times and looked rattled by the intense press. He recovered composure but was unable to play as authoritatively as the excellent Parejo had in the first half.
The more general point is that Celtic under Rodgers are not improving their game management nor strategy in these games. Celtic have been in fine form and Rodger’s is a hyper optimistic manager. He changed little in this match from the league games preceding, but given how Valencia maintained such defensive discipline, he must have identified ways to create overloads in attacking areas. None of this transpired and it is seldom an away side has had such an easy evening in the East End.
Football Lesson
Celtic managed 1 pass into the Danger Zone and bypassed only 9 defenders all night. Their xG of 0.359 is the lowest in ANY game this season. The Spaniards only mustered 7 shots, 5 of which were on target. Being able to retreat to half way then press ball recipients from within a compact framework was exactly how they wanted to play. But this is not European elite, and I’d fancy Salzburg to beat them. There was nothing exceptional in Valencia’s numbers but there didn’t need to be.
With many injuries but such squad depth that they were able to bring on a £40m winger from the bench (Guedes). The Mestalla will be an unforgiving place. Was it ever thus for those unwilling or unable to learn.
Steven morgan says
Excellent again
Rabbhoy says
Agree, we are learning nothing in Europe, in fact we have provably disimproved
LennyK says
Sorry to say you’re correct although I’m amazed that the Celtic backroom team can’t improve on these tactical misjudgements. Some of BR’s quotes following this defeat sounded quite naively optimistic.
Duncan says
I have spoken about this quite a bit elsewhere but there seems to me to be a pattern emerging with regards Brendan and tactics.
For me the issues this Season have mainly been down to poor management of the players we have available for Selection and a severe lack of tactical awareness against these better sides.
I personally thought we should have went with a 3 at the back and pushed the wingbacks up the Park a s would have meant Ajer Boyata and Simunovic with Toljan and HAYES in the advanced position.
The main issues for me though was the fact yet again McGregor was moved to the left side of the Brown pairing which for me makes no sense given he’s performed so well on the right side as has Brown?
Putting him on the left meant he was naturally going to pass it out wide rather than spin like he has been and producing quick ball forward.
As a result it went out to Izzy and ultimately got recycled back to Simunovic over and over and over again.
Up top he deploys 3 wingers and leaves a £9m striker on the bench.
This resulting in no out ball because with all the will in the world none of the 3 attackers selected are able to hold a ball up.
So even going long was not a viable option and as a result the Valencia back line had the pipe and slippers out all night.
Brendan tried to take Valencia on with the same tactics as he did StJohnstone.
Which if you think about it is utterly ridiculous given the fact our defenders do not have the ability to play it out from the back for 90 minutes against a high press and quality attackers.
Hibs proved it under Lennon what made Brendan believe it would work against the quality of Valencia?
I’m sorry but he’s just not cutting it in Europe at Celtic he’s not adapting to the jump up or deploying common sense for me.
By the way chucking money at the problem is no guarantee either with Brendan because if you look at the level of Investment amd side he had at Liverpool he never made it past this round in the Europa there either?
After 2 attempts.
The likes of Lenny and Strachan were far more pragmatic in their approach to Europe and they had less money and arguably weaker sides too going into it.
He’s no cutting it for me at this level sorry.
He’s also not learning by his mistakes either.
If Celtic are serious about Europe I think we need to be looking at a replacement because I don’t see Brendan getting us any further than where we are at.
Great stuff again Alan
HH
Duncan says
It would appear that not only was deploying 4 at the back a disaster v Valencia but that also Izaguirre was played even though he was carrying a bad injury whilst leaving a fit Hayes on the bench!
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Patrick says
another analysis which will never be tarnished by coming into contact with reality (or are you the manager of a club playing in europe?). remember those games of football you played at school where the two best players would each pick a player in turn and so you would get two roughly even sides? the equivalent now for celtic playing in europe is that the other team’s captain would get to pick the first 9 or 10 players in a row before the celtic captain got to pick his first player. the players we get excited about joining us can’t get anywhere near the first team of a major club. the ball’s burst and your greeting about it won’t change a thing. and if it hurts that much, well now you know how the other scottish clubs feel about playing us. i dread the day brendan leaves us to coach somewhere else.
Duncan says
Why?
Are you suggesting there are no Managers out there capable of winning Titles with a Celtic side that costs 3-10 times as much to run as our challengers in Scotland?
Neil Lennon would and could no danger and get a tune out of them in Europe.
Graeme Mcmillan says
I hope you have not grown weary of the analyses you have shared with us.
I look forward to more of your insightful articles and have missed your voice lately!
celticbynumbers@btinternet.com says
Very kind of you to ask Graeme. Back in the saddle today with an article on the ole right back problem.
Two games a week is very difficult for me to keep up with recording the data which is very manually intensive. That is the main reason for the hiatus other than normal life and work being quite busy plus the odd holiday. With the international break in place for another week I intend to get a few articles out.