Nir Bitton

No he really didn't, even though he played very well.

 

Simunovic made more mistakes and looked more nervous. The big man was a pillar of composure.

 

He really didn't, Jozo coached him through the full game and as a complete leader at the back. Was immense from somebody as young as him, some of the interceptions he made were unreal.

Bitton done well but Jozo was the * main man. No shame in that.

 

Aye Bitton was definitely the stronger of the 2 last night, Simunovic was decent but Big Nir was excellent.

 

I think Jozo is our best centre back. But he wasn't against Astana.

 

Bollocks, Bitton done excellent, not taking anything away from him there but Jozo was the organiser, the leader, the guy intercepting, the guy covering when Bitton didn't quite know what position to be in.

For a guy of 22 it's exactly what you want to see. Bitton is getting the plaudits because he isn't a centreback and his contribution stood out. He wasn't better than Jozo there, he done a bigger job for the team though, can be a very cruel and thankless task to step into an unfamilar position, especially in the spine of the team. He done an outsanding job.

 

Couldn't disagree more with that mate, weird how people see the exact same game differently int it?

 

It is weird. We'll agree to disagree.

 

I think accrediting Bitton's performance to Simunovic is just taking away from how good Bitton was.

 

I never done that in anyway.

 

Actually watching the match i thought Jozo's doing well looking out for him. It's a partnership back there but there's only so much Jozo can do to help and Bitton was excellent! They were both equally excellent! I'm away to pick the splinters out my * now!!


ps- Bitton gives us an extra dimension from the back with the balls he can pick out! Means opponents need to be sharpish from here even before ball goes forward to mid.

 

Wont let me upload the image as its too large but from bittons instagram story he got one of those wee slips from yodel in the door and the delivery guy wrote on it "s'appenin bitton" and hail hail well played last night.. class

 

Nir Bitton has offered tentative assurances that he will maintain his make-shift role at the heart of the Celtic’s defence should the need arise in the group stages of the Champions League.

The Israeli defender has been deployed as an emergency centre-back in the absence of the injured duo of Erik Sviatchenko and Dedryck Boyata, a move that was described in some quarters as a gamble ahead of the conclusive play-off tie against Astana.

Turns out that Brendan Rodgers called it right and it remains to be seen if there is another defender added to the ranks before the group stages kick off next month.

Boyata is currently ahead of schedule as he steps up his rehab from a knee injury sustained in pre-season but it will take him some time to work his way back to full match fitness.

“I am just trying to do my best every game I play,” said Bitton. “It is quite a new role for me, but as soon as the gaffer gives me the shout to play I will do my best.

“As I said, it is not about me. It is about Celtic as a team. When we defend well, everyone looks better.

“When the gaffer believes in you and gives you the confidence then you want to show him that you deserve it.

“I got that confidence from him in the last few weeks and I am happy that we could keep a clean sheet and take a good result away from home and into next Tuesday.”

Bitton was composed against an Astana who were ultimately toothless against Celtic on Wednesday evening but he admitted that while he might have looked unflappable, there was a little more anxiety underneath the surface.

“Maybe I didn’t show any nerves to the fans, but there was a little bit,” he said. “These kind of matches are always nervy games. They are pressure games and you need to be at your best.

“I am just happy that we had a good game collectively. As I said, this was an amazing result and hopefully we can now be part of the Champions League this season.

“You try to adapt yourself. Of course, Jozo [Simunovic] Mikael [Lustig] and KT are trying to talk with me all the time because it is quite a new role for me.”

Celtic return to Astana on Tuesday night knowing that barring an unmitigated collapse the tie is over. Given that this is a Celtic side who are yet to concede a goal in the five qualification games that they have played to date, such thoughts are entirely of a fantasy nature.

They will coast their way to the group stages although Bitton was understandable reluctant to admit so publicly.

“It is too early,” he said. “First, we need to go to the Champions League. Secondly, if we get there we need to see the draw.

“But we have talked before that one of things we want to achieve this season is to go to the Champions League. As soon as we get there then we need to take part and we want to go as far as we can.

“Just now, though, it is still too early. We need to go to Kazakhstan and play our best. Then we will see.

“I think everyone saw who was the better team in the first leg and 5-0 should be enough for us. The most important thing was to keep a clean sheet. Now we will try and get an away goal to finish this tie off.”

Celtic boasted match winners against Astana with the difference between the teams coming in the manner in which the Parkhead side carried particular menace in the final third.

Leigh Griffiths was excellent, Scott Sinclair looked like the player of last season while James Forrest and Olivier Ntcham also shone.

“I think Griff had an amazing game,” enthused Bitton. “Sincy got two goals and Jamesy was great too. It starts from the top. When you press them well and take the energy out of the other team then you get a reward for that.

“I’m really happy that we managed to score five goals and kept a clean sheet. After the third goal we took control of the game. We pressed them well second half, took the possession and took them out of the game.”

And Bitton, too, accepts that there has been a considerable maturation within the Hoops team since the arrival of Rodgers.

“I’ve said before that we are much better team now,” he said. “I won’t say much better individuals, but we are a much better team. We understand more what the gaffer wants from us, his philosophy and everything he is trying to do.”

 

Love Niro's attitude.

Erik could learn a thing or two.

 

On Tuesday evening, Celtic will run out under the roof of the Astana Arena in European football’s most far-flung outpost.

Assuming they can defend a five-goal lead, they will once again complete the journey returning the club to the centre-stage of the Champions League group stages.

Barring a collapse of epic proportions, Celtic fans can look forward to an exciting autumn at the elite level for a second successive season. They're not there yet, and they're reluctant to look too far ahead, but many of the players feel that with a kind draw, progression to the last-16 is a realistic target.


"Not Barcelona again!" says midfielder Nir Bitton, when asked who he'd like in the draw - if his team are in it. "When you play Champions League you don't really care. As long as you are in it, you play the best teams, the best players in the world, and you just want to be part of it.

"Last year we were, but this year if we get there we want to go one step forward. We want to fight for second place, we want to fight for third place to go to the Europa League, and hopefully we will do it."

In Brendan Rodgers' debut season, his team went undefeated domestically, but in Europe they finished bottom of a grueling section that was topped by the Catalan side, and also featured Manchester City and Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Despite some promising performances, a 7-0 hammering in the Nou Camp on match-day one was a humbling experience that left Celtic playing catch-up. This time round, they're better equipped, with last week's sensational 5-0 first leg triumph proof of that.



"When the gaffer signed, it took time to understand his philosophy and how he wanted everyone to play, but I think twelve to thirteen months on, we are much better as a team because we understand what he wants from us and the way he wants to play. This is the biggest thing that's changed from last season.

"We knew before the [Astana] game it was going to be massive for the club. We knew that we wanted to take a good result away from home, because it's not easy to play in Astana, and we had an amazing game collectively and an amazing result.

"But the pressure is always there. We all watched the game Barcelona against PSG last season!


"I wouldn't call it a warning but it just shows you that everything can happen in football. You need to make sure that you are concentrating 100 per cent, you don't take your foot off the gas and you just keep going forward, and that's where we want to go. It's never finished and it's only half-time now."

With Erik Sviatchenko and Dedryck Boyata injured, Bitton produced a composed performance at centre-half against Astana, after being publicly and privately backed by his manager. It laid to rest many fears shown by some supporters prior to the tie about his inexperience in the position - which Bitton was well aware of.

"I am the solution now, and I am trying to do my best. You know, I have full confidence in myself. I know my abilities and I know who I am.

"I get a lot of confidence from the gaffer as well, because I heard a lot of people talking before the game, saying 'he's not the answer, he's not a centre-back, I wouldn't risk £30m on him' - well, no-one risked £30m on me, it's about Celtic.



"We have social media, we read the papers and what the guys in the media write and obviously you try to put it away from you, but sometimes, if it's too much, then you think 'what's going to happen?' But as I said, I have full confidence in myself.

"The gaffer spoke with me before the game and gave me the confidence, I had the full confidence in myself before, and I just showed it."

Bitton's evolution into a defensive option comes not long after it looked like the Israeli might be leaving Celtic. With over 100 appearances, the 25-year old has been a consistent, if perhaps undervalued member of the squad since his arrival four years ago. Injury and competition in central midfield meant he made just six appearances in the final three months of last season. With the arrivals of Olivier Ntcham and Kundai Benyu, the fight for a start has only intensified - whilst there are suddenly vacancies in central defence.

"I'm not a guy that gives up. I'm not a guy that thinks if I'm not playing, the first thing to do is pack my things and go. That's not me, I've always fought for my place, and I always will.


"Obviously when you don't play, it's not ideal or the best and you're not happy, but you know you need to accept competition, you have to respect other players, you have to support them and you need to fight for your place, and they accept it as well.

"I'm playing centre-back now, I enjoy it and I hope to continue like that. I had a few appearances as a centre-back before, but nothing serious. Erik got injured, and the gaffer gave me the chance.

"It doesn't matter where I play. As long as I'm playing, if I play right-back, goalkeeper, centre-back, midfielder, I will try to do my best. It's the gaffer's choice to give me the chance to play or not.

"When you play for such a big club as Celtic, you always have competition; it doesn't matter where you play. We have a lot of central midfielders now, but there are different players in the group, and if the gaffer chooses to play a different formation then he has the right players.

"You need to accept you have the competition in a club like Celtic, you need to fight for your place, and when you get the chance you need to do your best."

 

Resurgent *, all because of the Brendan bug

 

I like how he now speaks fluent Scottish. Calling griff a tadger.

 

Such a refreshing guy with a great attitude.