[Official TC Thread] Celtic v. Barcelona, ICC, Sat 30 Jul, 18:00ko, Sky Sports 1

Rogic has to play against Astana. He really looked up for it and made things happen against Barca. Rogic and Roberts in the midfield would be brilliant. Both creative players who have a go.

Dembele looks really strong but the final touch was a bit poor. Hopefully that will come for him soon as I reckon he will do well for us.

 

We cant really complain, beaten by giants of european football...and then off barca today.

 

Paddy Roberts looks more like Messi than Messi.

Somebody should have a word with him about that hairdo.

 

I would drop Dembele and play Rogic just behind Griffiths.

 

Ciftci must have done some work over the summer he looks a lot sharper. Based on the pre-season games he's head and shoulders above dembelle

 

Who knows, you could be right but I'm going to wait till he gets a run of 10+ games in the league before I cast a judgement on him.

He is young and at a new club with a new manager and is just desperate to score, lets see how he gets on when he gets his goal and gets a bit of form/fitness going.

 

Got to say it but I agree and it's purely and instinctive feeling having watched Celtic for decades. I think he makes the wrong choices and once or twice he could have passed the ball but opted to be greedy when there was little to no chance of him scoring. In the past I've watched Celtic players and from the outset I've been able to tell whether or not they're going to be a player (Wanyama) and for some reason I just can't see it with him (as with Effe). Hopefully he will surprise me.

 

I would change the * beer in Spain for my favoured buckfast but that's not really relevant here is it?

 

Agreed.

Griff on the left and Ciftci up top :smiley-laughing002:

 

I am beginning to be disappointed with Dembele. I hate to say it.
But he looks powder puff.
Ciftci must be * he is getting played ahead of him.

 

Apart from fitness, saying we've played Barca, having a support that will fill any stadium and bit dosh don't see the point of these games. Granted didn't see 1st half but 2nd vs Barca youth, but if we're serious about being competitive in Europe, so much work to be done with existing and new players.

 

Ciftci deserves the nod over dembele wed if we are basing it over both their last few games.

 

A SPIRITED showing from Celtic was not enough to prevent them from going down to a 3-1 defeat by Barcelona in the International Champions Cup in Dublin.
Arda Turan clinically put the Catalan giants in front at packed Aviva Stadium with their first shot of the game but the Hoops levelled through the prolific Leigh Griffiths – a goal they thoroughly merited.
An own goal from Efe Ambrose and a close-range strike from Munir put the Spanish champions back in charge before half-time.
There were no further goals in the second half of an entertaining match but the thousands of Celtic fans in attendance signalled their appreciation for their side’s efforts at the final whistle.
Brendan Rodgers made four changes to the team that started away to FC Astana on Wednesday night: Saidy Janko, Emilio Izaguirre, Nir Bitton and James Forrest all came into the side at the expense of Mikael Lustig, Kieran Tierney, Stuart Armstrong and Moussa Dembele.
And the Hoops almost gave the massed ranks of green-and-white inside the ground something to celebrate with only 10 seconds on the clock.
Pressing Barcelona straight from the kick off, Patrick Roberts seized upon an errant pass around 30 yards from goal. He needed little invitation to drive into the box and take aim, his curling shot flying inches beyond the far post.
It was a passage of play you would normally associate with the Catalan side, along with a dominance of possession and Luis Enrique’s side were soon seeing plenty of the ball.
But the next opportunity again fell to the Hoops after a dazzling piece of wing-play from Roberts. Leaving several Barcelona defenders for dead, he burst in from the right and flashed another drive past the post.
The Spanish champions had failed to test Craig Gordon in the opening stages yet they took the lead with their first attempt on target. Aleix Vidal showed some sublime skill to evade James Forrest on the byline and cut the ball back for Turan who found the top corner from the edge of the area with an exquisite finish.
Lionel Messi had been relatively quiet by his high standards but a clever pass from the Argentinean superstar sent Camara galloping into the box but the left-back could only find the side-netting.
As Roberts continued to cause havoc with his trickery and movement, Celtic almost levelled through the unlikely figure of captain Scott Brown.
Closing down Jeremy Mathieu, the skipper pounced on the defender’s pass and forced Jordi Masip into action with a low shot after racing into the box.
The mercurial Messi was becoming livelier and Janko did well to get back thwart the playmaker as he looked to collect a return pass in the box.
And just before the half-hour mark, Celtic drew level through a defensive mishap much to the delight of the vast majority of the Aviva Stadium.
Centre-half Jose Martinez attempted to collect a pass across his own goal but his touch let him down and that allowed the ever-alert Griffiths to lash home from close-range.
But as the Hoops faithful were still celebrating, Barca regained the advantage when Camara’s low cross was turned into his own goal by the unfortunate Ambrose.
That didn’t deter Brendan Rodgers’ side who were still attacking with plenty of confidence and swagger, and another slick passing move saw Izaguirre get a sight of goal in the box, though the Honduran couldn’t generate any power in his final effort.
On the balance of chances, the Scottish champions didn’t deserve to be behind, but five minutes before the interval they found themselves two adrift. Messi began the move with a precise cross-field pass and it culminated in Suarez cutting the ball back for Munir, who applied the finish.
Celtic made wholesale changes for the start of the second half, sending on Leo Fasan, Kristoffer Ajer, Tom Rogic, Stuart Armstrong, Scott Allan, Nadir Ciftci and Moussa Dembele for Craig Gordon, Eoghan O’Connell, Bitton, Brown, Roberts, Callum McGregor and Griffiths.
The reshuffled side made an encouraging start as Ciftci fired narrowly over following Dembele’s lay-off. Rogic was also into the thick of the action and he flashed an effort wide from 25 yards after being found by Forrest.
Fasan was called into action for the first time in the 58th minute when he made a smart save from Denis Suarez. Straight up the other end, Rogic embarked on a solo run but he was crowded out in the box before he could pull the trigger.
As both sides made further changes, play became less structured though Celtic persevered and could have scored on several occasions - Armstrong had a shot saved by Masip, Ciftci curled a free-kick over and the impressive Rogic lashed wide.
The game may have ended in defeat for the Bhoys but the manager will take plenty of encouragement from the performance ahead of next weeks’ crucial return match in the Champions League with Astana.

 

our homegrown players have inferiority complex stamped on there genes

 

It's strange how everyone is expecting Dembélé to be off and running straight away. A kid. A 19 year old kid. A 19 year old kid who has just arrived at the club. Give him a break.

 

Barcelona ball retention was really good today, although you could see that they were scrappy when moving the ball forward which we finally over the years got on the end off with the gegenpressing. Hopefully we keep learning from this over the next coming months as it will be key to our progression in the UCL (if we qualify).

Few individual performances could be better, especially Ambrose (which is impossible as he is a disaster waiting to happen and it demonstrated today) and Gordon with the pressing on the third goal, don't know why he never came out for it.

It was disappointing when we gained possession in our own half majority of the time as we never broke through their passing lanes or made an attempt, instead we used the safest possible option which was either short to Gordon or out wide to Izaguirre/Janko. Gordon recycled the ball by hitting it route one constantly which forced us to defend, we should be doing a lot better.

Rogic seems to fit well into Rodgers set up, was impressed with his impact when he came on. Dembele needs to pass when he is in the final third he is far too greedy. I thought Bitton and Armstrong were out their depth.

Our whole shape is coming through with more games we get under our belt. I think we will put out Astana in the home leg.

 

He should be bursting the net by now.

 

how many * strikers have we bought in the last few years ..spend a few bob on a recognised striker ,would even have rooney from aberdeen than dembele at the minute, hope the boy proves me wrong and bangs in 20 goals plus this season

 

Because they are taught to hold on the ball when pressure is applied to them. Read Pep Guardiolas "Juego De Posicion". When the opposition applies pressure to Barcelona it leaves a extra player open for them creating space.

 

Hopefully the money men will finally realise how much we have regressed over the last 3 years and give the manager the money to take the team forward and probably clear out half the first team squad as we have been carrying too many passengers for too long .