[Official TC Thread] UEFA Champions League Third Qualifying Round 1st Leg - Celtic v Rosenborg, 26/7/17, 7:45pm.

Than Rosenborg? Admittedly it's only based on last night but the Norwegians looked defensively stronger and better on the counter-attack.

 

Our lack of sharpness is worrying, as was our inability to play without a natural forward, but they are not a very good side. If we play anywhere near half our best, we win. The worry is how off colour we looked last night, that we managed to give them chances through sloppiness and basic errors, that will give them hope.
If we played them in the middle of our season it would be a stroll, unfortunately we play them now. What is worrying is where we are in terms of fitness and sharpness.

 

Had a nice through ball in the first half that completely took out their defence but other than that I thought his passing was sloppy tbh. One instance sticks out in the 2nd half were Lustig had acres of space on the right and he lifted the pass, overcooked it and bobbled out of play when Lustig couldn't control it. I can't fault his application, I just thought he looked a little rusty.

 

They were decent enough tho.. type of team that can easily turn you over if you're not on your game. And they nearly did.

With a focal point up front it may have been different, we will need to play lots better to get through tho.

 

The way the game worked out last night played into their hands tactically, they were able to defend along the 18 yard line with nobody getting in behind. So often the spare man was Lustig on the right hand side and he, like nearly everybody else, had a shocker. We didn't adapt to playing with a 'false 9', we weren't sharp enough in our passing and there was none of the usual intensity.
We made them look a lot better than what they are.

I think Ntcham should have been hooked sooner. I am sure he will be a big player for us but he didn't look ready, he was very static off the ball and sloppy on it.

 

Absolutely, but you expect decent at this stage, especially from a team halfway through their season.

I also don't think we can play any worse, with or without a striker.

 

That's true so many big hitters off their game..

I love Sinclair but he was very poor last night and was quite poor towards the end of last season too, including the cup final.

KT, Broonie and Lustig too all were below the standard we've come to expect from them, surely will be different in the 2nd leg.

 

I have said it elsewhere, but the tactics from both teams last night stagnated Sinclair. Rogic was marked by a defensive midfielder for most of the game, meaning they had two centre backs free at the edge of the penalty area, one was then able to back-up his full back against Sinclair while they other barely broke sweat while being made to look world class.
They fact that their defence 'leaned' to our left meant the space was on the right, most noticeable when Lustig pushed on, but as we could tell after ten minutes that Lustig wasn't going to do much with it, it became very easy for them.

 

Imo it took BR too long to change it up it was clear it wasn't working but they got their tactics spot on.

 

It did, but we had no real plan b, which is why I would have liked Ciftci registered and on the bench.
One change I did think of was shifting to a back three, playing Armstrong and Tierney as wing backs and playing both Sinclair and Forrest as forwards, or taking Forrest off for Mcgregor and playing a 5-4-1. It wouldn't have changed our passing or lack of focal point, but Armstrong might have exploited the space better.

 

If we were trusting enough of Ajer then why wasn't Aitchison involved? Obviously we don't see him in training but he's an out and out striker and has looked competent every time I've seen him play.

 

Could be playing against Newcastle tonight in the Whitby Town Challenge Cup.

 

Why?

 

Maybe that's why he didn't play last because he's playing tonight.

 

Development squad game??

 

Yes.

 

Have to agree 100%, He went with the experienced Pro's and rotated them around the striker role, it didn't work, therefore surley trying a striker as a focal point (Aitchison) would have been better. Provided a little more balance, a strikers natural movement would have given the wingers some more space and the midfielders a target.

Seen the note from Notorious advisisng that Aitchison was planned for the Development Game in Newcastle, but we knew a couple of days ago that we had no strikers, so I think we missed an opportunity

 

The truth is Brendan doesn't think he is ready.

If he wanted him to play against Rosenborg he would have played, never mind that a development game was scheduled. He'd have pulled him into the squad if he thought he could do a better job thna Rogic as a false 9.

 

I said he could be playing against Newcastle then a game against Town or AZ Alkmaar on Sat in the final.

 

Brendan wasn't to know last week we wouldn't be without Leigh or Moussa.