Official Match Thread: CELTIC v HEARTS - Co-operative Cup QF. ALL MATCH CHAT IN HERE!

Samaras was the only one getting into positions where he might score.
McCourt was unlucky hitting the bar with an outstanding shot, but the fact that the Hearts goalie had only one save to make all night says it all.

 

As tempted as I am to go back to my 'on another day...', I won't. We need some creativity in the middle of the park. Our whole attacking play seems to focus on the full backs and wingers, but we don't seem able to make anything happen from out wide. With Wallace making McGeady his * we became incredibly predictable and one-dimensional. Zheng Zhi could really have made a contribution to the game, but he was subbed (yet McGeady survived a full 90 mins) and we were left with N'Guemo and Crosas in the middle. Both of them seemed afraid to enter the final third of the park and neither we convincing with their tackling or passing.

However, there's still hope for this team if Mowbray is allowed to ship out the deadwood and make his mark on the team. Ideally I'd like Stan Petrov back and a fresh-faced Larsson to partner Fortune, but failing that I'd take a half-decent box-to-box midfielder that can drive the team forwards and a striker that can score goals.

 

bring back henke till the end eh the season plz

 

I was called out late tonight so I never got a chance to see the game so I can't comment on the merits of the team. Just seen the result when I came back in so I am kinda glad I missed it.

I probably would have went ballistic again . :icon_mrgreen:

So i have to depend on you guy's posts to update me.

 

Yes I sat through many of those days and nights and it was soul destroying but there's something different about this team. Yes some of them have always been mediocre and bad as they were you felt their frustration in trying to please the fans. As I have said many times you can't make a silk purse from a sows ear! No something else doesn't sit right......... we now seem to have a team of dead men walking. The heads have gone well down and TM is busy deflecting blame....someone has already provided us with a good analogy in that a bad workman blames his tools..........personally I think he's lacking in professionalism.

 

Is it just me who would like to start Samaras in the next game then?

 

What's the good of creativity in the middle when the striker cannae pit the baw in the net?

At the moment our front men couldnae hit a bull on the * with a stick.

No confidence in front of goal. That showed when Sammy missed a one on one, even though it wouldn't have counted, but he didn't know that, then minutes later he puts a header wide because his was feart he might hit it straight at the goalie again.

 

mowbray isnt good enough! shudda went with martinez or bilic

 

and how do you know either of them would have been any better? Both have less top level club management experience than TM.

 

Not to worry mate, i watched the game. Though it was the same as last week. Which was the same as the week before..

Dominating the game for 90 minutes, can't take our chances, no real attacking threat, lose a goal, pile on the pressure for the last 15. Mowbray saying unlucky good game, the other team "defended well".

...the sad thing is i fully expect the same thing next weekend

 

Where to start

I don't know where to start but here goes....


The problems we currently have IMHO are as follows

1. No invention in the last third (other than McCourt who can only play 45 mins here and there).
2. McGeady is only half the player he thinks he is and is always looking for the foul which he doesn't get as most refs have cottoned on.
3. No real class upfront, McDonald too busy moaning at other players and Samaras is is far too inconsistent and can't be relied on to put in a performance. (Haven't seen enough of Fortune to comment yet)
4. Too many inconsistent players, Brown, N'Guemo, Maloney, Crosas, Caldwell, Samaras to name a few
5. No leadership or motivation on the park - when we go a goal down or struggle in a game there is no one able to grab a game by the scruff of the neck and drag us back into it and lead by example
6. No central defence - The three main players have no real confidence or pace and look like losing a goal at any time.

As you can see from my other posts I am generally a patient fan and not one for a rant but I am starting to become more and more alarmed by performances, results and player attitudes, Peter Grant wasn't a great player but he would run through walls for Celtic, other than possibly Robson I just don't see that in any of the current squad.

I wanted Mowbray as manager and don't know how much of this is to do with him as most of these problems are what have frustrated me in the last few seasons, however with the poor quality of Rangers squads things haven't been addressed or looked at to the level they should have.

 

Thats hindsight pal ,you really dont know what your getting until he is here ,i wanted Coyle but would he have made any difference to the team ,we cant answer that .

 

a horse my kingdom for a horse....who can score

i reckon we were unlucky tonight, we made enough chances to win a few matches....and herein lies the problem. when i saw the line-up i reckoned we'd struggle....so what did the hearts squad think.
can i assume that it is slowly registering that whilst landry nguemo isnt a dud that we should take a miss on him and go hunting a better player as his performances are patchy at best.
as for micks red card. * well deserved. and not the first time he's nearly hurt someone badly this season.
maloney once again was an empty shirt.
caldwell didnt defend badly but his forward passing was gash.
sammi is playing like the kid that he is...oh for a seasoned pro in the sutton mould to teach him his trade.
to look on the brightside.....if we gotta lose.....let it be in that competition as we need to concentrate on the league.
sad thing is...our club should be big and strong enough to fight on all fronts.......thank christ the rangers are * too.
its by no means a certainty that they'll win that tourney now we're out.
c'mon the saints.

 

That was good that * sittin in the freezin cold with a 3 year old .

anyway the chances we are missing just now are horrendous . It's getting to the point where i'm not expecting us to score easy open goals now .

Paddy mcourt is so unfit . He was knackerd by about 65 mins when he came on . Mcmanus is a plonker he gets pumped by alomst every player he comes up against now . Hinkel was brilliant in defence . Mcgeady did ok in short bursts no end product from him . Killen can't play on his own . N'guemo's a tadger . Crosas was alright best of a bad bunch in CM . Samaras wasn't bad can only blame him for missing 3rd 1 .FOX wasn't fit .

HEID . Was solid for the most part but as usual got caught out once or twice.
maloney :Should have been mcgeady taken off not him .
mcdoanld : was alright should have got goal when mcourt could have slipped him in for tap in .

 

i'm embaressed with our fans stop telling mogga to GTF ffs .

 

these players ARE better than hearts!! mowbray isnt gettin the best outta them, they arent playing well under him, which for me says only one thing, mowbray isnt good enough

 

i only saw the second half as i was working but seemed to be the same as it has all season. playing some good football and dominating but a combination of no cutting edge and individual mistakes at the back is costing us far to often.

 

took my 4 year old girl to the game tonight, Thank * i did cause she was the only thing that made me smile the night with her flag and scarf im just so disappointed tonight.

 

only 1 place to start and that is with Mowbray. He is lost. He is out of his depth. He needs to be reomved immediately.

 

Thatll cost you more than a transfer window ,and who comes in while we are in October.