CELTS FROM THE SOUTH
MY THOUGHTS AND VIEWS ON CELTIC AND FOOTBALL
Category Archives: Craig Gordon
Posted on February 1, 2017 by Stevie Mac
The transfer window is now shut thankfully! And with it, any player speculation for the remainder of the current season.
Nothing major or unexpected has occurred in January. With Eboue Kouassi the only player drafted in by Celtic, I was more pleased to see some players heading out.
Eoghan O'Connell (Walsall), Jamie McCart (Inverness), Theo Archibald (Albion Rovers), Joe Thomson (Queen of the South), Ryan Christie (Aberdeen), Aidan McIlduf (Queens Park), Kristofer Ajer (Kilmarnock) and Leonardo Fasan (Port Vale) have all gone out on loan until the end of the season. Aidan Nesbitt (Morton) has extended his loan spell, whilst Saidy Janko (Barnsley), Paul McMullan (Dunfermline) Colin McCabe (Stenhousemuir) and Jamie Lindsay (Morton) continue their season long loans.
Moving on is Irish youngster, Michael Duffy who has returned to Ireland to play for Dundalk. For those with Celtic contracts ending in the summer, it is almost certainly the end of their careers at the club as well.
Not going out on loan spells are Kris Commons, Nadir Ciftci or Efe Ambrose…or is he? Commons will leave in the summer when his contract expires and Ciftci still has two-and-a-half years left to run on his deal but he is almost certain to have that cancelled if he fails to find a suitor.
For Efe it looked as though the transfer window had slammed shut on his fingers. Apparently the deal is not yet dead though so we may be bidding farewell to him before the summer.
Even then, I'm sure the club will be sweeping up Efe's debris long after he's gone. He'll be haunting people in the corridors of Celtic Park for years to come!
Slowly, but surely the squad size will be coming down because. This needed to happen, but in turn the quality needs to remain high.
With Moussa Dembele and Craig Gordon linked with Chelsea in the window, it was reassuring to hear they were both staying put. There's nothing to say that, that might change in the summer, but for now they are both still Celtic players.
The lure of London, the Premier League, Antonio Conte's aftershave and a lot of Sky Sports money must be hard to ignore. On planet Celtic though there is a treble at stake and dare I say it a chance to go the whole season unbeaten?
Something special is happening at Celtic right now. We've seen that in almost every game this season so far.
You'd be a fool not to want to be part of it if you are being given the chance. There are some who don't feature in the long-term plans though.
For many of the squad, the season is just beginning as they earn their first minutes on the park under Rodgers. The pack will become tighter as the squad downsizes.
We're not losing quality, just quantity. Some guys will come back and have another crack, some will remain gone forever.
The key thing here is that Rodgers has run the rule over this squad. He's been patient, given many a chance and remained even-handed with his fitness policy.
He made it clear that Leigh Griffiths, although a talented player, isn't doing it right in other areas to be considered his first choice striker. I get Brendan's stance on this and we saw something similar with Ronny Deila, though it failed to obtain respect and support from some of the dressing room and supporters.
Deila imposed a similar regime of health, fitness and lifestyle but his tactics and squad selection would be his undoing. Most of the current squad endured that but it ironically has paved the way for Brendan Rodgers.
Griffiths was one of those players, Commons was another. Only one of them still has a shot at a Celtic career.
I feel for both guys having both served the club so well. It is obvious though that under modern management at a club like Celtic it is becoming a club standard to shape up or be shipped out.
Leigh has a chance and he did seem to take Deila's advice, eventually earning his place after being out of the picture. Under Rodgers the bar has gone up again though.
Whatever Leigh isn't doing right he needs to change. He is a fine player who has already shown what he can do on a Tunnock's diet.
I hope he continues to work hard and demonstrates his willingness to comply. If he does he'll be unstoppable and Rodgers will have a pleasant headache.
Right now though it seems to be Dembele all the way. Until the summer at least.
Hail! Hail!
Stevie Mac
Posted in Aidan McIlduf, Aidan Nesbitt, Antonio Conte, Brendan Rodgers, Celtic, Celtic Football Club, Celtic Park, Colin McCabe, Craig Gordon, Dundalk, Efe Ambrose, FIFA, Greenock Morton, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Jamie Lindsay, Jamie McCart, Joe Thomson, Kilmarnock, Kris Commons, Kristoffer Ajer, Leigh Griffiths, Leonardo Fasan, Michael Duffy, Moussa Dembélé, Nadir Ciftci, Paradise, Paul McMullan, Ronny Deila, Ryan Christie, Saidy Janko, Scott Allan, Scottish Football, Scottish Premiership, Sky Sports, Soccer, SPFL, The Hoops, Theo Archibald, UEFA	| Leave a comment
Thistle get stung by Celtic
Posted on December 10, 2016 by Stevie Mac
Celtic tucked away a 4-1 victory on Friday night at Firhill. Partick Thistle missed opportunities but they didn't really trouble Celtic enough to alter the destination of the game.
Brendan Rodgers made some personnel changes and the football wasn't as fluid over the 90 minutes as we've seen of late. However, after going out of Europe with a spirited display on Tuesday night you could forgive the squad for displaying some fatigue.
There weren't too many talking points from this game apart from the goals which were all of good quality. Stuart Armstrong sent home his first goal six minutes from the interval thanks to a great square ball by a hard-working Leigh Griffiths.
Armstrong was front and centre once more in the second half as he received yet another assist from Griffiths in the 49th minute. A free kick from the right hand side of the Thistle box was knocked low into Armstrong who controlled and finished calmly.
Griffiths then turned from provider to opportunist a minute later. It was a reminder of what he is great at when capitalising on hesitant opponents by notching up his first and Celtic's third, after some quick-wittedness in the danger zone.
Thistle then pulled one back after a solid header from a free-kick beat Craig Gordon. Celtic were sloppy on this occasion but the a Jags weren't.
The Firhill players then sensed another opportunity and almost did the same again with a near identical free kick and header. Thistle weren't as fortunate with offside given on this occasion, but if they had been the game may have looked very different from this point on.
With Thistle not giving up, Callum McGregor had come off the bench to secure the win for Celtic. A delightful ball in from cut back on the touch-line by Emilio Izaguirre found McGregor who slotted it ball home from close range.
There has been criticism on Callum McGregor and his finishing. Yet, he's scored twice in his last two games and as Brendan Rodgers says, he's always good for a goal.
I think he is a magic wee player who has a role to play. Goals and guile he has in abundance and is a good squad player.
The one key talking point for me in this match was the foul/penalty claim by Ade Azeez. I didn't see much contact when it happened in real-time and when the replay was shown, I couldn't see much more either.
Chris Sutton was keen to see the replay and the different camera angles but he along with the rest of the pundits were convinced Gordon had taken Azeez out of the game. Well, I've looked at it several times and I still can't see any contact in or outside the box and I am by no means in denial.
I don't think any of the replays show contact and for once I'm not hearing too much from the media suggesting that Celtic got away with murder. Despite this not being a polished display, there were some very good performances at Firhill though.
I thought the Partick Thistle keeper Tomas Cerny was great to stop Leigh Griffiths from helping himself to more goals. In turn, Leigh Griffiths was instrumental in practically every forward move.
He demonstrated his full skill set in this match. His footwork is unbelievable at times and has proven time and time again that he can provide assists as well as goals.
That was certainly on display at Firhill. He did so much in this game which at times even includes tracking back which isn't something you get from a player like him very often.
And….that's the difference between Leigh and Moussa Demeble. The French forward has been fantastic for Celtic but there are significant differences between himself and his Scottish counterpart.
They both offer something different to Brendan Rodgers and equally as effective. That is the kind of headache you want as a manager but it remains to be seen if he will ever play them together.
Out on the wings, it was a pretty quiet night for Celtic. Patrick Roberts looked decent early on but like his fellow winger, Gary Mackay-Steven over on the left, they were both having a largely unproductive match.
The same could be said for Tom Rogic but to be fair, I felt the majority of the play was coming from Cristian Gamboa and Emilio Izaguirre. Some Celtic fans have been quick to judge Gamboa but he came onto a game at Firhill.
It should be remembered that he has barely kicked a ball for Celtic this season and needs time to establish himself before we sound the horn of disapproval. On the other hand, I though Izzy was great down the left and provided a lot of support to the front men.
Armstrong was good throughout as was captain Scott Brown who continues to have a fantastic season. The Celtic defence was steady enough to see off Thistle but in terms of future proofing, Brendan Rodgers will need to establish interchangeable players for central defence.
Whilst Mikael Lustig can play in there, I still think he is better at right back or in a back three. Erik Sviatchenko is a key figure in this squad and will play there week-in, week-out but I am sure he would like to know who his partners are going to be in the long-term.
Jozo Simunovic is being used sparingly for fitness reasons which is fine but I'd like to think we can bring in one more suitable defender to do the same job. Kolo Toure brought steadiness and experience at the beginning of the season but even he is looking short of confidence right now and almost certainly won't be here next season.
As for Dedryck Boyata, I am not sure what will happen with him. I've never really been convinced by him and I'm not sure if Brendan Rodgers is either.
Efe Ambrose has become a spectator and his time at the club will end in the summer if not before. So unless Eoghan O'Connell is deemed to be an option in the long-term, central defence needs another player.
However, a good win for Celtic and good to see some players getting a run out. I'm sure as the season progresses and January looms, availability for places will grow with injuries, suspensions and exits.
Eleven points clear at the top of the league, two games at hand and the rest of the Scottish Premiership in action today. The question remains, will Celtic go the distance unbeaten?
Posted in Alan Archibald, Bhoys, Brendan Rodgers, BT Sport, Callum McGregor, Celtic, Celtic Football Club, Celtic Park, Champions League, Chris Sutton, Craig Gordon, Cristian Gamboa, Dedryck Boyata, Efe Ambrose, Emilio Izaguirre, Erik Sviatchenko, FIFA, Football, Gary Mackay-Steven, Glasgow, Jozo Šimunović, Kolo Toure, Leigh Griffiths, Mikael Lustig, Moussa Dembélé, Partick Thistle, Patrick Roberts, Scott Brown, Scottish Football, Scottish Premiership, Soccer, SPFL, Stuart Armstrong, The Hoops, Tom Rogić, UEFA	| Leave a comment
Celtic's City Pride
Posted on December 7, 2016 by Stevie Mac
Celtic bowed out of the Champions League last night with a 1-1 draw. Brendan Rodgers took his squad to the Etihad Stadium in Manchester to face Pep Guardiola's side one more time before bringing down their European curtain for this season.
The game itself had no impact on qualification places. With Barcelona qualifying in first, City in second and 'Gladbach in third there was nothing to play for but pride for the Hoops.
And Celtic did just that with City loanee Patrick Roberts opening the scoring within 4 minutes. City equalised on 8 minutes courtesy of Kelechi Iheanacho.
Despite no more goals for the remainder of the game, there were plenty of talking points. Top of that was Celtic's performance.
You could argue that with the group placings already decided there was nothing to contest. When Scottish and English teams collide there is everything to play for though.
With Guardiola's players fresh from some weekend controversy and already qualified for the next round, he made some changes. It was mentioned throughout the match on BT Sport that this was a second string Manchester City side but I will come to that later.
In all fairness to Chris Sutton, as much as he is quick to criticise Celtic players for not doing something right, he was equally adamant to point out the talent that was on the park for City, not who wasn't. I must say, Sutton is growing on me as a pundit and what spot on when stating the facts.
I wouldn't say he is biased, he will tell you when things aren't right in his opinion. I will disagree with him from time-to-time, but he ironed out the facts promptly on BT Sport which is more than could be said for the commentators .
Ian Darke and Robbie Savage weren't offering too much in the way of praise about Celtic's goal. Their focus appeared to be more on the constant changes Guardiola makes, this game being no exception, rather than the complimenting the impact one of City's own players had made on them.
In contrast, when City equalised the Darke and Savage were a little more buoyant. They weren't too critical of a lapse in Celtic's defending or that Craig Gordon should probably have made a better effort to save thea shot which was pretty much at him.
Still, by this point in the game it was looking like it could be another 3-3 affair and was developing into a great match. What a way to end our European run that would have been to have won it.
Celtic were in fine form in Manchester. To go down there with no European progression is a tough motivator but the Bhoys gave it their all regardless.
As I said before, playing an English side is generally all the motivation Celtic need. Ironically, the only English Manchester City player on the park was actually playing for Celtic.
Speaking of which, all the talent that was supposedly left of the sidelines by City were replaced by younger players. They may have been up against Celtic's close to strongest team, but leaving value aside for one moment, the age and experience of the Celtic team wasn't given the credit it deserved.
The average age of the Celtic starting line-up was 25 years old. City's average player age in their starting line-up came in at 26 years old.
Yet all I kept hearing was City's young side getting to know each other and Pep's system. Is Brendan Rodgers in any better position at Celtic given he has been in his job the same length of time?
They failed to mention how much some of these City players are on or how much was paid to acquire their services as well. The 'young' lad Leroy Sané cost more than the whole Celtic team alone when you add all the fees up.
However , I digress from what was an entertaining match. For Celtic fans this was a very positive nights entertainment.
From back to front I thought Celtic were great. The passing and movement were impressive.
The team looked sharp and fluid. This was a good sign for the future.
My key men on the night were Jozo Simunovic, Scott Brown, Stuart Armstrong, Tom Rogic and James Forrest. I thought Emilio Izaguirre had a busy night, but he dealt with the pressure well considering.
Erik Sviatchenko looked a little off the pace once or twice, but he too made some timely interventions. Mikael Lustig was steady, but also tested by the young Sané at times meaning he couldn't get forward to support or serve Roberts.
Roberts himself was in and out of the game. Despite scoring, his impact was not consistent but still a valuable contribution without a doubt.
Coming off the bench was Gary Mackay-Steven and Leigh Griffiths. Both players could have won the game for Celtic but City had their chances to do the same.
One thing is for certain about each players performance. Had they been playing more recently rather than on the sidelines, both of those strikes could have been in the back of the net.
All in all it was a fair result where either team could have nicked it. That's despite the match officials having a poor game.
Celtic should have had penalty when Roberts was manhandled on the edge and inside the box. Worst still were the handful of offsides at either end of the park that never were.
Lots of positives for Brendan Rodgers to think about. A good crack at the top flight which he could have been luckier with but this was a tough group.
Take what we have learned from this campaign into the next. A fine effort Bhoys.
A final note to the commentary team. Despite the blatant focus on Manchester City, Ian Darke found time to mention not just the 50th anniversary of Celtic's success in the European Cup in Lisbon, but the proximity of that home-grown squad to Celtic Park and the fact that they were the first British side to win the competition.
Credit where it is due.
Posted in Barcelona, Bhoys, Borussia Mönchengladbach, Brendan Rodgers, Celtic, Celtic Football Club, Celtic Park, Champions League, Chris Sutton, Craig Gordon, Emilio Izaguirre, Erik Sviatchenko, FIFA, James Forrest, Jozo Šimunović, Leigh Griffiths, Manchester City, Mikael Lustig, Moussa Dembélé, Paradise, Patrick Roberts, Pep Guardiola, Scott Brown, Soccer, Stuart Armstrong, The Hoops, Tom Rogić, UEFA	| Leave a comment
Forging ahead
Posted on November 19, 2016 by Stevie Mac
There was nothing scintillating about Celtic's win over Kilmarnock last night. A single goal decided the match, but this was no easy three points for Brendan Rodgers.
In the first half Celtic were dominant with good work rates from Callum McGregor and James Forrest in attack. Despite retaining the ball for long periods though, Celtic weren't really penetrating the Kilmarnock defence.
In fairness to the Ayrshire side, they put up a solid formation, but they didn't sit back too much either. They hit on the break and put Celtic under pressure at times and probably could have scored a goal or two had it not been from a lack of composure or better fortune, which in this game would have made things more interesting.
Celtic had several chances themselves, but composure and luck deserted them on all but one occasion. The second half was a little more feisty with several players becoming involved in mini-tussles.
Craig Gordon had a least one blip which could have been worse and Dedryck Boyata, starting his first game under the new manager, looked shaky on more than one occasion. Gordon did recover though but I'm still no more impressed with Boyata than I was when he played under Ronny Deila.
Stuart Armstrong also found himself under pressure in the first half a couple of times. He looked like he was wearing the wrong boots….until he scored.
Armstrong, a growing presence in the Celtic midfield these days, put away a tidy finish after a good run and some neat interplay in front of him. His all round game is becoming more prominent in the team with every passing game and he showed that even after a slip up earlier in the game he can retain his composure when required.
When you have a young talented player like this in your squad, why would you even bother with Steven Gerrard? We already have one senior midfielder in Scott Brown who is playing his best football in years.
And when you consider that Tom Rogic is adding goals, pace and skill in a midfield-attack role, our midfield is looking healthy. Nir Bitton will want to sort out is ailing game and get back in the program because he is slipping down the pecking order and rightly so.
So it is another 3 points for Celtic and the gap is widening. Another clean sheet takes Celtic step closer to obtaining another Scottish league record.
The rest of the Scottish Premiership are in action this afternoon and on Monday night. Four teams will be hoping to catchup with Brendan Rodgers runaway train.
Aberdeen (2nd) have a tricky one away to Inverness (6th), The Rangers (3rd) have and easy one at home to Dundee (11th), St Johnstone (joint 5th) are at home to Ross County (12th) today and Hearts (joint 5th) are away to Hamilton (9th) on Monday night. With Celtic are 13 points clear at the top of the league, only a point separates second, third and fourth/fifth placed teams.
It is that tight and the pecking order could change very quickly. This is an interesting battle as four teams compete to be Celtic's real contender though at this stage it is looking like the best of the rest.
Aberdeen have been that team for a while. Hearts showed their intentions last season.
We'll know by the end of the season just how close The Rangers are to mounting a serious challenge. Right now they are sitting third, but no team is as near as Celtic as they would like to be.
In the meantime, Brendan Rodgers will prepare for Barcelona on Wednesday night in the Champions League. Can he beat the Catalan machine on home turf as his Northern Irish compatriot Neil Lennon did in 2012?
Well, let's put it this way, one win from the last two games is the ONLY way Celtic have a chance of qualifying in third spot. Beating Manchester City away seems like a tough one so why not Barcelona at home eh?
Posted in Aberdeen, Barcelona, Bhoys, Brendan Rodgers, Celtic, Celtic Football Club, Celtic Park, Champions League, Craig Gordon, Dedryck Boyata, FIFA, Football, Hamilton Academical, Heart of Midlothian, Hearts, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, James Forrest, Kilmarnock, Neil Lennon, Nir Bitton, Northern Ireland, Northern Irish, Paradise, Ronny Deila, Ross County, Scott Brown, Scottish Football, Scottish Premiership, Soccer, SPFL, St Johnstone, Stuart Armstrong, The Celtic Way, The Hoops, The Rangers, Tom Rogić, UEFA, You'll Never Walk Alone	| Leave a comment
Focus on the positives
Posted on September 28, 2016 by Stevie Mac
Tonight Celtic face Manchester City in the Champions League at Celtic Park. After a 7-0 mauling away to Barcelona, Brendan Rodgers will be aiming to limit any damage this unbeaten City side can inflict under Pep Guardiola's management.
Let's face it, this is a tough group for Celtic. They have a few things going their favour tonight though.
Leigh Griffiths
The Scottish international has returned from injury after missing four matches including the match in Barcelona. Despite Celtic not suffering too much in front of goal though, the return of Griffiths is a positive selection headache for Brendan Rodgers. If Dembele isn't on his game it is good to know that Griffiths is available.
No Kevin de Bruyne
Manchester City may be laden with Premier League superstars such as Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling amongst plenty others, but they will be without one key player at Celtic Park. Kevin de Bruyne (along with Vincent Kompany) is in Barcelona being medically assessed by Pep Guardiola's favoured doctor. This doesn't mean City will struggle because they have so many good players but de Bruyne has been so influential for the Premier League table toppers and Celtic must take confidence from that.
The Paradise atmosphere
You don't have to be Celtic supporter to know about European nights at Paradise. Just ask anyone who has visited Celtic Park as a player, pundit or away supporter on a Champions League evening. You don't always get the result you want, especially when a good team comes to visit. What you can be sure of is that the Celtic players will have the vocal backing of the entire Celtic supporter and they will all sing their lungs out until they can sing no more. There's no other atmosphere quite like it.
Craig Gordon
Brendan Rodgers has already stated that Gordon will play in goal against City. He dropped the former Hearts and Sunderland keeper for Dorus de Vries in the game against Aberdeen several weeks ago. Since then, Gordon has made one appearance against Alloa Athletic, where he was lucky not to see red, then at the weekend when he replaced de Vries at half time against Kilmarnock. Although Gordon has been collating faults following a highly commendable first season, he is still number one for me. De Vries has shown me nothing to suggest Gordon is finished. The fact that Rodgers has chosen him ahead of de Vries for the game against City tells you all you need to know. Overall it remains a position of weakness for Celtic, but right now Gordon is our best man.
Celtic's goal threat
Whist Celtic have been seen to haemorrhage goals in all but three competitive matches this season, going forward and scoring goals has been very productive. In all competitions the stats look something like this:
P 15 W 10 D 2 L 3 F 41 A 22 GD +19
Take away the Barcelona anomaly and it looks even better! Celtic should be aiming to utilise their firepower on Manchester City particularly with home advantage. City might have the marquee players, but if any of our free scoring players such as Scott Sinclair, James Forrest, Moussa Dembele or Leigh Griffiths take the initiative there is every chance Celtic can get their first goal(s) and first point(s) in Group C tonight.
The Northern Irishman has already shaken things up at Celtic. Of the few additions he has made, Scott Sinclair, Moussa Dembele and Kolo Toure have made a huge difference to this team. However, you only have to look at Scott Brown, Stuart Armstrong, Tom Rogic and James Forrest to see the influence Rodgers has had on them. They look fresher than ever before and with many players still on the fringe of the team and still to get back up to full fitness, it's safe to say I have faith in Brendan's ability particularly with his experience in the English Premier League.
Celtic may not qualify from Group C, but I would not criticise the effort that has gone in so far from everyone. This is season one under Rodgers and the club have fallen behind in development these past two or three seasons.
Now we are seeing Celtic getting back to where they should be after a lull in progression. This experience is invaluable for Rodgers and his players and the Champions League is just hotting up so let's keep the faith.
On nights like these anything can happen. Believe.
Posted in Alloa Athletic, Barcelona, Bhoys, Brendan Rodgers, Celtic, Celtic Football Club, Celtic Park, Champions League, Craig Gordon, Dorus de Vries, FIFA, Football, Glasgow, James Forrest, Kevin de Bruyne, Kolo Toure, Leigh Griffiths, Paradise, Pep Guardiola, Scott Brown, Scott Sinclair, Scottish Football, Scottish Premiership, Soccer, Stuart Armstrong, The Celtic Way, The Hoops, Tom Rogić, UEFA, You'll Never Walk Alone	| 1 Comment
Killie dispatched, now City come to visit
Celtic were in mesmerising form on Saturday. The 6-1 thrashing of Kilmarnock was a welcome boost going into Wednesday's Champions League tie.
In the aftermath of the Massacre of Matchday 1, Celtic managed a 2-2 draw at Inverness in the Scottish Premiership followed by a 2-0 win at home to Alloa in the League Cup. In truth Celtic should have won the game against Caley Thistle with several chances missed whilst the Alloa match would have been a high scoring win on any other occasion.
So beating Kilmarnock by such a large margin, Celtic have their shooting boots on again. Just in time for the arrival of Manchester City this week.
I only saw the highlights of the weekend's game but Celtic looked comfortable and at ease. This was a good warm up with Wednesday's game in mind.
Leigh Griffiths returned and scored after replacing Moussa Dembele who had helped himself to a brace before making way for the Scotsman. A fine effort by James Forrest, a trundled goal by Tom Rogic and a Scott Sinclair penalty all added to make this a healthy scoreline.
Sinclair kept his scoring record alive and on course for equaling and possibly beating Jimmy McGrory's record. Dembele's tally continues to grow as does Griffiths' but save some praise for James Forrest who is looking like a new player these days.
He's clearly enjoying his football under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic. In fact, the same can be said for most of the players at Celtic right now.
I always knew this team – made up largely by the previous managers – was capable of so much more. The few new additions have helped compliment the many who have been at the club for a while.
For Rodgers this is good news but this is far from the finished article. There us plenty of room for improvement.
What we're seeing now though is breathtaking at times. We've not seen this kind of ruthlessness from a Celtic side for so long.
What still needs attention is goalkeeping and defending. We must be just as mean at the back as we are clinical in attack.
In time that will come I'm sure. With the added expectation and pressure of the Champions League there is little time to get that ingrained into the mentality of the team.
When Pep Guardiola brings his unbeaten team of all-stars to Celtic Park on Wednesday we could be brought down a peg or two once more. City are a high-flying team right now with one, if not the most, respected managers in world football at the helm.
The team sheet is laden with superstars thanks to being bankrolled by the very generous TV rights kitty in England and of course a very wealthy owner. By comparison, Celtic operate in a less lavish climate despite being the best team in Scotland by far and with solid business model in place.
When Celtic went to Barcelona nobody expected a result. We didn't expect a hiding either but then we were up against the best three-pronged attack in world football.
City offer something different though. They aren't world beaters but they are superb.
Celtic have a chance though because they have home advantage. It can count, but Celtic will have to dig deeper to stave off such a potent force.
Brendan Rodgers has instilled confidence into the Celtic team but he must sort out the goalkeeping position and organise his defenders. Dorus De Vries was subbed at the weekend, claiming he had a chest injury.
In stepped Craig Gordon for the second half. From what I've seen of De Vries, he has very little more to offer than Gordon does.
I'd rather Rodgers went with Gordon on Wednesday. It has to be said though that this is a position that must be dealt with swiftly.
Gordon is a decent keeper, but his form has slid since his debut season and I was already of the opinion Celtic might need to bring in someone new. De Vries was drafted in to challenge the Scotland international but I'm not impressed.
I'm not bothered by the fact he is three years older than Gordon. What I am concerned about is that we've brought someone in who is supposed to be challenging for the number one jersey and has so far failed to impress.
Whoever plays in goals on Wednesday night they need only do one thing – their job. In the short-term we will need to make do with the current set of goalkeeping options but looking ahead, something will need to change.
Beating Manchester City remains a tall order. They have a great squad, manager and are in top form.
Celtic must use home advantage, keep things tight at the back and have the fans in top voice. This isn't an impossible task but it is a difficult one.
I would expect Celtic to concede as they have in all but three games this season. Scoring goals hasn't been too much of a problem though Celtic have yet to get one in this group.
I am confident we will score against City. The question is, how many will they score against us?
Posted in Bhoys, Brendan Rodgers, Celtic, Celtic Football Club, Celtic Park, Champions League, Craig Gordon, Dorus de Vries, FIFA, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, James Forrest, Kilmarnock, Leigh Griffiths, Manchester City, Moussa Dembélé, Pep Guardiola, Scott Sinclair, Scottish Football, Scottish Premiership, Soccer, SPFL, The Celtic Way, The Hoops, The Scottish League Cup, Tom Rogić, UEFA, You'll Never Walk Alone	| 3 Comments
Celtic bounced back from midweek Champions League disappointment with an….er….2-2 draw in Inverness on Sunday afternoon. Okay, so not exactly what we were all hoping for, but dropping points against Caley Thistle on their own patch is not uncommon for the Hoops.
Yes, I thought Celtic might turn Thistle over, but they didn't. I never saw the game (some of us have to work some weekends you know!) though from what I've heard, read and viewed there were plenty of chances to go several goals ahead.
I take nothing away from Caley Thistle, they're trying to pull their season together after a poor start. Celtic have for the first time in the Premiership seen just how their defensive frailties can cost themby dropping points.
There are plenty of positives about Celtic right now though. Attacking play appears to be one of them.
Brendan Rodgers weakest area is conceding goals. Whether that comes from the defensive set up or the goalkeeping position it must be rectified pronto.
I don't think we've got a top drawer keeper right now. Just able, experienced keepers.
Dorus de Vries has replaced Craig Gordon and if I'm being honest, I'm not seeing any improvement with this move so far. Among our thirty something trio of keepers (including the injured Logan Bailly) we don't seem to have the quality of a Fraser Forster or an Artur Boruc.
We don't even know if young Leonardo Fasan can do a job. Knowing Celtic's history we'll probably punt the Italian and he'll end up having a highly successful career in England.
It's not all goalkeeping of course. The defence must do their job as well.
We have healthy individuals in defence, but the organisation must be better and more decisive. Kolo Toure, Erik Sviatchenko, Mikael Lustig and Jozo Simunovic are all more than capable of fulfilling the centre back role so the correct partnership needs to be established so that others can follow.
Players like Eoghan O'Connell can't be expected to step in when guys much older than him can't show him how it's done. Brendan must establish a solid line of defence especially with so many tough European matches coming up.
Sunday was a blip but Celtic remain unbeaten. Tonight they face Alloa Athletic in the League Cup at Celtic Park.
A clean sheet should be targeted here and decent amount of goals for the Hoops as well. The course hasn't changed – full speed ahead.
Posted in Barcelona, Bhoys, Brendan Rodgers, Celtic, Celtic Football Club, Champions League, Craig Gordon, Dorus de Vries, Erik Sviatchenko, FIFA, Football, Fraser Forster, Inverness Caledonian Thistle, Jozo Šimunović, Kolo Toure, Leonardo Fasan, Logan Bailly, Mikael Lustig, Scottish Football, Scottish Premiership, Soccer, SPFL, UEFA	| Leave a comment
Let's get rocking!
Christie, Eddy and Sinky
Celtic squad need to click once again
The end of the year is nigh…
@Celtic_FR That explains it 1 day ago
@Mej04041992 @BrandonM67__ I was thinking the same... 1 day ago
@UltraFootyFacts @DirtyFootbaIIer Messi, Mané, Modric, Ramos and Ter Stegen 1 day ago
@20MinuteTims The Coca-Cola kid 2 days ago
Lets get rocking! celtsfromthesouth.com/2020/01/15/let… https://t.co/L5e7C415eN 2 days ago
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