Step forward ma brickie! Juranovic became the latest victim of the current craze for hamstring strains in the Cup Semi Final at Hampden. (Is anyone monitoring these things?). It is doubtful he will be available for any of the remaining league matches. The pretendy award (concept borrowed from another club – credit where it is … [continue reading]
Ralston
Defending the Left
You might have hoped for a political polemic in these troubling times. However, it is the left side of Celtic’s defence that exercises me today. Scottish football tends to be more direct that most. Outside the top two, sides average 76 long balls per 90 minutes. Celtic average 42. How to beat Celtic? On limited … [continue reading]
Ralston, Taylor and Remembering Why Celtic By Numbers Started
In the aftermath of the AZ Alkmaar first leg, Celtic’s home-grown full back, Ralston, continued his “local underdog comes good” narrative arc with a performance that included some notable interventions. Bad Habits On The Huddle Breakdown last week, recorded after the AZ game, (follow the link to listen, and please subscribe to the channel – … [continue reading]
A Glimpse of Ange Ball
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]
Ralston Not Ready. But Don’t Say Never.
Celtic and the curse of the right back! As the Champions League qualifiers progress, Ralston remains the only recognised right back in the squad. Is he ready to replace Lustig? Firstly, let’s remember that Lustig is a highly experienced internationalist who served Celtic for 7 ½ seasons. The 75-time capped Swede appeared in multiple international … [continue reading]
What Do Celtic Have In Reserve?
It probably wont surprise you to know I do try and track the Celtic Reserves performances as best I can. Data is scarce and I am at the mercy of the official site for match reports and line ups, and Celtic TV for highlights. The excellent Videocelts also provides unrivalled Reserve coverage on their site … [continue reading]
Finding Light in Dark Places
As sobering an experience as a 0-5 home defeat is, in the modern vernacular we must “take the positives”. Having captured all the data, believe me, I’ve looked damned hard! There are three performances to draw attention to. Tierney On the defensive side, Tierney was very much stationed at left back, wary of the fast … [continue reading]