Celtic v Elfsborg - CL Qualifier - Wednesday 31 July 19.45pm (NOT ON TV)

Clearly 27000, timmy!

 

I really dont think we give our team enough credit sometimes. We just bet the Swedish champions (Swedens top flight is a better standard than ours and Malmo helped show that by utterly destroying our countries Scottish Cup finalists) I believe that if you were to combine the Scottish and Swedish top flghts we would finish top then there would be a cluster of Swedish sides inbetween us and the next best Scottish side and also its only our 3rd competitive game of the season and we have just lost arguably our 2 best players. Very professional performance tonight and I for one am a very content tim at the moment.

 

We were the only home team in this round not to concede.

 

Only team in the CL not to concede tonight

 

* listening to a few on here tonight we are out,and ready to go bust cause the crowds are down without that dead parrot club

 

Game was frustrating at times, but it's a good clean sheet! I'd like to see more killer passes to take the other team out of the game and let us in behind. I know we don't posses the quality of Barcelona when other teams are sitting back and defending well, but I think we need a playmaker (maybe Rogic can fit the bill?) and another striker.

Bangura had a good match I thought. Held the ball up well at times and looked pacey - could've caused us problems if they were pushing forward more.

 

:smiley-laughing002::smiley-laughing002::smiley-laughing002:

Didnt think me mate even knew I was on this site

 

Good enough win, link was * terrible to watch, could hardly make out the players most of the time.
Samaras MOTM for me.
Stokes, the less said the better.

 

We didn't play well and won and kept a clean sheet. What does that tell you about Elfsborg ? They are halfway through their season and they looked burnt out in the second half. They will come at us in the second leg though.

 

A one nil win is a strong position for us to be in going into the return leg next week, however they are unbeaten at home since September 2011, that being said I still think we have enough in the tank to beat them.

The one thing that was clear to me after tonight's game is that we still need a dominant centre forward for Stokes to link up with and be able to feed off.

 

Im pretty sure last year Helsinki also had a great home record and hadnt been beat at home for ages either... we turned them over without breaking sweat.

 

Happy with the result considering we are still in pre-season mode.Always great to have a clean sheet as well...

 

Shame to break their wee record next week then

 

Ok, I suppose I'll give my tuppence worth.

First Half, I thought was poor. We made a lightning start, Stokes having a chance in the first minute, but after that we took a while to do anything. Yes we hit the bar and had a goal chopped off(at the time I thought it was tight, but the right decision) but Our passing was slow, we looked dodgy at the back, and we were very predictable.

Stokes and Commons were like statues at times in terms of movement, The delivery from wide was on the whole, poor. I think in the first half Ambrose and Wilson let Bangura bully them. Samaras was about the only player i was impressed with 1st half.

Second half was better, we took a while to get going but in the last 20 minutes, the passing was crisper and we finally looked dangerous. They couldn't handle Samaras and resorted to hacking him down at every opportunity. Brown played better, Ledley looked good, Commons was livelier and the full backs were more effective. The defence coped better also. The goal was a great right footed cross from Izzy, Commons couldn't miss.

I was disappointed in Stokes, Kayal and Forrest 2nd half, Kayal wasn't involved much and didn't offer himself for a pass as often as he should have, Stokes was static and his decision making was poor and Forrests delivery was honking at times. I did enjoy how we dominated the 2nd half though.

Overall I was satisfied despite the below par 1st 45. I think 1-0 is a good result to take away as I can't see this mob beating us by 2 clear goals, at very best they'll get a penalty shoot-out I think. I'm disappointed that Watt and Balde didn't come on to replace Samaras(when he went off) and Stokes, Watt is full of energy and Balde has height that would've been useful.

For the second leg we need to look at our tempo, we seem a bit lethargic and we could do with stepping the pace up a notch, closing them quickly and moving the ball quicker through the midfield.

Samaras was Man of the Match

 

In the away game id play

Forster
Lustig Wilson Mulgrew Izaguirre
Kayal
Forrest Brown Ledley Boerrigter
Samaras

Perfect for that game, pace on the wings, Samaras to hit with long balls and Mulgrew will deal with anyone in the air, Ambrose cant head a ball straight although he wins most headers and Wilson isnt comfortable in the air.
​

 

Fancy us to win in Sweden.

 

That team is the best we can field just now

 

Playing Sammy up front himself could work because I reckon Stokes could cause some real problems coming off the bench.