The Midtjylland Champions League tie was our first serious glimpse of Postecoglou’s playing philosophy under the stress of real competition. I believe we got more that we bargained for, and there were a few surprises! Starting Approach As expected, the team set out 4-2-3-1. None of the defenders were those we’d hope to have in … [continue reading]
Midtjylland
Abada’s Debut
Liel Abada followed up a perky debut against Preston North End with a 44-minute full first start against FC Midtjylland. What did this tell us? Starting Position Abada started wide right in a nominal 4-2-3-1. This aligns to the majority of his start for Maccabi Petah Tikva (40 of 47 starts as a right winger, … [continue reading]
The Welsh / Bitton Partnership
As highlighted yesterday and evidenced in preseason, defensive options are limited for Celtic ahead of tonight’s Champions League qualifier against Danes FC Midtjylland. The continuing absence of Jullien is a huge blow and his partnership with the soon to be transferred Ajer was the bedrock of the highly successful 19/20 season. Without endlessly debating the … [continue reading]
Ange’s Choice
The Preston North End friendly showcased the paucity of resources Postecoglou has to work with. The line-up was (perhaps) as near as injuries permit, to that to face Midtjylland. The Ghost of Disasters Past In thinking about context for this piece I looked back on the starting XI’s for each of the disasters to befall … [continue reading]