[Matchday] Celtic V The Huns, Sunday 29th December, KO 12:30, Sky Sports football

Fully agree. Another point is I think the league cup final win actually hindered us, we took a false sense of security into Sunday thinking even if we play our worst and down to 10 men we'll still win. Was a wake up call that we needed and we'll use it as a kick up the * to come back all guns blazing.

 

As long as Lenny learned a lesson over the last two games against the zombies and don't play the same formation as slippy seemed to have sussed that and we need something different going into the next zombie game in march .

 

Oh the blue room is bare
Cause there's no trophies there
And there's no Mr Sheen
Cause there's * all to clean

 

I actually thought Lennon had worked out how to play them when we won at Ibrox. He then inexplicably changed it for the next 2 games. It's actually quite simple - go back to the aggressive high press we used at Ibrox then didn't use in LCF or Sunday.

 

I'm not convinced that Lenny has learned a lesson, any lesson should have been learned after the cup final, instead what we got was a repeat of that performance. A rookie manager has taken him to the cleaners twice and he had an opportunity to correct things at half time, but when the awol Forrest reappeard for the 2nd half I gave up at that point. It is well established that we have by far the strongest squad in the game but they were bullied all over the park. Bringing in new blood is a gamble if the manager can not get the best out of the squad he has, again a very strong squad. I hope he proves me wrong but the advantage right now is with them and I'm hoping that they will slip up at some stage in their run of 4 home games ??

 

some of yous are really clutching at straws here , we were pish from start to finish and we should've been down to 10 men when Julien got on the wrong side of that hun *, we didn't deserve anything from the game. But it seems the main concern to take out of the game is we shouldn't be saying 'orange *', holy *

 

You know how to use a door?

 

Couldn't disagree with anything he says, what do you disagree with ?

 

So I'm in the house on my own all afternoon and, because I'm a sad case, I decided to watch the first half again to see just how bad it was. Obviously, Gerrard said after the game that they dominated the first 30 minutes and that's been the media narrative in the last few days, but I'm not so sure.

They definitely edged it, because they were much calmer on the ball and every single one of their players was willing to scrap for every ball. We had a few players who weren't getting their body in and being aggressive, and far too many players were guilty of rushing and misplacing passes when we had a chance to attack.

Rangers were constantly going long and trying to force us back. They'd often ping it down the sides and give something for Morelos to chase, and he won so many free kicks for them this way which helped them get up the pitch. When they had the ball in midfield, they'd just work it side-to-side without doing any damage. I'd be showing their full-backs inside to stop them playing into the channels, and instead forcing them back or into playing a riskier pass into someones feet.

When their midfield three were pressed high with their backs to goal, they gave the ball away and we should have made more of those chances. I'd definitely be looking to let their central defenders - especially Goldson - have the ball.

They'd crowd the centre of the pitch and leave our full-backs completely free. Boli and Frimpong were able to advance quite far up the pitch pretty much unchallenged. When we quickly worked it wide, stretched them and then came back inside we were getting a bit of joy, but Christie gave up possession cheaply a number of times, while Frimpong & Forrest weren't clicking.

Our whole team in general was guilty of rushing things, especially when we won the ball in midfield and looked to break, and they all looked like they were all different wavelengths. There were a couple of instances in particular where if we;d shown a little more composure we'd have been through.

It's all hypothetical, but if we'd scored that penalty it might just have settled us down. We probably should have looked to get on the ball and calm things down earlier on instead of encouraging a more frenetic tempo, I don't think that really suited us.

 

Their aggressive press knocked us of our usual calm passing and moving , we hurried passes while in possession , I noticed broony was trying to restore the passing game and take the sting out their press , this usually works because there is only so long you can keep chasing and pressing and eventually someone doesnt pick up their man and your in , but wen not in possession they seemed to drop back and compress the space 25 -30 yards out , 2 banks of 4 which stopped us being able to play through , and then they would press and swamp the area the ball was going .

 

Our passing - for the most part - was erratic amd sloppy, and you're right we gave them far too much posession.

What I noted in the game was how much they lookee like they had an extra man in midfield - I'm assuming this is because of how narrow they were playing, but at the same time taking advantage of spaces in our full back areas by having Kent or Aribo drift out wide, or the PlayDoh muncher chasing the ball into wide areas.

Again, we failed to have any real credible threat on their defence (other than our deflected goal) simply by leaving Edouard isolated up front on his own without any runners from our midfield backing him up (anytime you watch the highlights you literally see Edouard running into 2/3/4 of their defence. Their backline is atrocious, we need to play with someone who has some physicsl presence up front alongside Eddy to split their defence open and allow Edouard space.

Their midfield 3 is compact and aggressive. We allow them time on the ball they are usually tidy with their passes. Press the likes of Kamara and Davis in possession and make THEM make the mistakes, whilst having one dedicated midfielder there tp track the 3rd of their midfielders who's going to make the forward runs (most cases, Jack).

I get Frimpong was in form, but I'd have liked to have saw a more defensive full back played - Elhamed. Frimpong wasnt good defensively, and Boli was worse. Both of them attacking at times left us vulnerable to long balls out wide which they used to full advantage.

They play the same system all the time, nd we need to switch ours slightly to (imo) a midfield diamond.

4 at the back is fine as long as we have a defensive full back, our 2 CB's SHOULD be able to deal with thw single threat of Morelos.

Sitting midfielder dictates tempo - McGregor should be the one.

Brown and (say Ntcham) can be the ones to go and break down the play from Kamara and Davis, whilst Ntcham can run further forward with the break of the play.

Christie or Forrest can be the one in the "10" role that gives them free reign to go left, right or stay centre

A partner up front for Eddy is imperative for me, hopefully someone more physical, but if not, someone there to back him up attacking their defence, or at least drawing full backs in tighter allowing space out wide.

Last but not least, need to press these * at ALL times. Theh will press us at every opportunity until they get it back in their own back yard - Gerrard has literally done nothing spectacular here with "his" use of tactic, he has literally copied the model we have used on them every game within The Banter Years.

We have the better team and players, we need to play with the better mind set at all times, and NEVER lose in such a manner to this Scouse clown again...

 

Gerrard changed his set up at Ibrox when we won at Ibrox. Everyone was bemused by it, even them.

 

Pretty much mine and my dad's thoughts during the game.

Our passing was so slack it was embarrassing. As soon as we got into their half, we gave it away. Sometimes it was with minor pressing. We had a man free but we literally passed to the opposition.

This result flattered them. MASSIVELY. I still don't believe they outplayed us. It was smash and grab for them. As soon as they scored, they sat back. I don't blame them but we definitely had chances to not only draw, but to take all three points.

 

They outplayed us in the two games mate.
We were poor in both games and we paid for it in the second.
Imo unless lenny sorts this out (our lacklustre aporoach when we play them)i fear we could have more of the same next time we play them
Im hoping some fresh faces in the squad might bring a bit of competition in the squad, and result in some improvment on the pitch

 

It’s quite clear that they outplayed us in both games. No point deflecting from it

You've always got to fight for the right to play in these games, and they had more fight than we did, and we’re thus able to play their game while we struggled to implement our own.

 

like the final , I was trying like fek to count them i was sure they had about 14 of them on the pitch .

 

I'm not disputing the cup final. They outplayed us but we got the cup so I couldn't give a *.

We had 57% possession at Parkhead. Outside of the goals, Morelos should've scored. So that's a grand three shots that were or should've been goals.

We missed a penalty and had the ball cleared off the line twice. You don't take your chances, you get punished as was proved in the cup final.

We didn't play well but them 'dominating' has been massively exaggerated.

I think Lennon will now just get us in amongst it next Glasgow Derby.

You're right about new faces needed.

 

Shame you gave up at half time. You miss many of our wins?

 

Their set up was very similar with similar players - main differences were Kent for Arfield and Morelos for Defoe but similar shape. It's our approach to the game that has drastically changed - the exact opposite tactics in fact - standing off and surrendering possession in their half when they have possession as opposed to pressing them aggressively in their half at Ibrox.

 

I'd watch what you say.....the truth hurts bad in here.