CELTIC MATCH REPORT:  M/WELL  1  CELTIC 1

PRE-MATCH COMMENT: I am looking forward to this match as the corresponding game last year launched our successful defence of the title........I feel that a similar performance will take place again.Travelled up to Port Alcudia (Mallorca) to a dirty, run down, empty bar.

M/well  0  Celtic  3  

BORUC ….……....6  Had no chance with goal and had no saves to make but, for possibly the best Celtic goalkeeper that I have seen, he does keep very few clean sheets.

HINKEL..... ……..6  Was up against O'Brien and coped reasonably well. Just wish his final ball was more threatening.

LOOVENS......... 4  He is not dominant in the air, he is not good enough on the ground and it was he who gave away the needless foul which led to the cross which led in him making a botch of the clearance which resulted in the goal.

McMANUS…. … ..6  Steady enough.

NAYLOR...….……4  Anyone who thought that after his last few performances he was the answer to our left back position should watch the first 10 mins of the second have to realise that the notion is a non starter.

CALDWELL......... 7 MOM  Played in a midfield role and he tried to master the pitch and play the penetrating pass.

BROWN…..…...... 6   Good as he might be he suffers from altitude sickness when he gets near the opposition's penalty box.

NAKA.... ……....5  His amazing skills and ability have not been seen for some time and this is highlighted by his poor (by his standards) use of the dead ball situations.

SAMARAS.................5  Looked more dangerous when he moved up front to partner McDonald but he was generally ineffective and missed a good chance in the dying minutes.

JVOH................4  A complete waste of time putting the jersey on him at this moment in time.

McDONALD....... 6  Cannot be failed for lack of effort and though he should have scored more  he at least scored one!

SUBS:

McGEADY.......... 4   There may have been many supporters who would have had him on from the beginning but he showed no reason to criticise GS's decision to omit him with his lacklustre performance.

REF…………...... (Brines) 4  He made mistakes in giving Celtic decisions they should not have got and the same applied to M/well. A poor performance.

THE GAME ……5 The pitch makes a laughing stock of SPL football management.

GOALS ……….   1. A header won by JVOH should have posed no problems to any competent defence but McDonald took advantage of a slip up and unconvincingly put the ball in the net.

                                2.  As soon as Loovens committed the foul I felt fear starting to build up but when I saw a poor cross go into the box I relaxed until I witnessed Loovens make a schoolboy headed clearance straight to a M/well player and bingo!

COMMENTS ….. 1. My personal "G.S. should not renew his contract" campaign was unfortunately bolstered by to-days result/performace. A few points:

                                    a)  His team lack of goal scoring...........in his first       year (2005/6) the team managed to average 2.45 per game, 2006/7 = 1.71, 2007/8 = 2.21 and this season it stands at 2.04.   In MON's four years it averaged 2.26. a sad indictment.

                                    b)  Each year he has promised a faster moving, attacking type of football with the ball more on the ground.......he has failed to deliver.

                                    c)  He pays 2m+ for Loovens and rightly gives his chance but it is plain to see that he is not Celtic class. Why has he not given O'Dea the same opportunity to impress? Loovens has played 19 times and O'Dea only 7.

                                    d)  Why did he move one of only two players who have played reguarly to an acceptable standard (Caldwell) out of position and put Loovens in, instead of just bringing in either Crosas or Flood?

                                    e)   I do an analysis of each players performance and, although it is only my view, there is a level of consistency. A mark of 5 means the played has peformed to a level of the average SPL player, 6 means a slightly better performance, 7 a good performace, 8 a very good perfomance, 9 an exceptional performance and 10 a "Henrik' performance. This year the average player performance has been 5.11 as compared to last years 5.77. It might not seem a great deal of difference but it represents a 13%  drop in performance! Unacceptable! All this can be viewed on http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=pSwcU-4OOGmHIcms6D7RIHg&pli=1

                                    f)   I think he has "lost the dressing room" and lacks the courage to drop the McManus's, JVOH's, Naka's, etc.

I'm sorry Gordon, you've been very good for Celtic but, as in MON's final year, you have lost the sparkle.

                            

CELTICMATCH REPORT:  CELTIC 0  RANGERS 0

PRE-MATCH COMMENT: After a week of trepidation I suddenly remembered that Celtic are the Champions, Celtic have the better players, Celtic were playing at home and Celtic were two points clear  at the top....................I felt a lot more confident.

Celtic  1  Rangers  0

BORUC ….……....7  Made two great saves and looked as though he was back to his best.

HINKEL..... ……..6  Snuffed the threat from "Scotland's best young player" by some good hard defending and also some calm footwork. Faded a little in the second half.

CALDWELL......... 7 A rock in the middle, he was composed, destructive and constructive.

McMANUS…. … ..6  I was a worried when I saw how little confidence/ability he had with the ball at his feet at the beginning of the game but he steadied and played his part in a rare clean sheet.

NAYLOR...….……7  Another good game from the much maligned full back. It was interesting that he did not have a winger to pass to as Naka had gone wandering inside from almost the start but he pinged some great passes, particularly in the first 45 mins.

HARTLEY........... 6  Showed a lot of energy and commitment and did not allow the Mendes/Ferguson axis have any influence.

BROWN…..…...... 6   Was seen in a more holding role but still managed a couple of surging runs.

FLOOD.... ……....6  Handled his Celtic debut well, particularly in the first 45mins. Set up the best chance of the game with a perfect cross for McDonald. Was rightly subbed in the second half as he tired visibly.

NAKA.................5 Amazing that he played the full 90mins after his travels of t.w. He once again disappointed in his influence on these derbies. 

JVOH................4  He tried but with no sign of any success or ability. To think Celtic reportedly turned down a 5m offer from Feyenoord for him!!!!

McDONALD....... 4  Mad a real hash of converting a relatively simple header and had no impact at all.

SUBS:

CROSAS ............ 5  Replaced the injured Brown but not on long enough to apply his calming, passing style.

SAMARAS...........5 Replaced the ineffective JVOH but frustrated rather than inspired.

McGEADY.......... 5   I like every other supporter was impatient for him to come on and bring some skill to the game but he was hardly seen.

REF…………...... (Murray) 4  He toed the 'party line' by trying to even out the bookings (to book from as a result of Naismith's stranglehold was ridiculous, to give Celtic a corner after Samaras clearly put the ball out was typical of his inability to show some matureness. He saved his worst error of judgement by allowing only 2 mins of extra time when not only 5 subs had been used but to cheat the supporters out of an extra 5 mins of play was so reminiscent of how the Right Rev did the same thing at Ibrox last season after Thompson had lain injured for fully 5 mins. There was actually 5 mins and 50 secs of hold ups at Celtic Park due to Brown's injury, Lafferty's cramp and sorting out the free kick.........................a disgrace!

THE GAME ……4 As Celtic supporters we will continue to support our team onto 4 in  a row but the fare being served up at the moment is dreadful.

GOALS ………. 

COMMENTS ….. 1. We won the banner competition hands down but the old gripping atmosphere is slowly ebbing away.

COMMENTS ….. 1. I fail to understand why Celtic did not get the paperwork in on time re. the Flood transfer or deliberately delayed it to allow him to play for Dundee U against Rangers.

                             2.  "Another game without a goal. I mentioned a few weeks ago that, whilst I think our defence is weak, Celtic's greatest weakness is in attack. Our style of play does not lend itself to the goal scoring exploits Celtic supporters are used to" This comment from the ICT game applies to this one also.

MATCH REPORT:  ICT  0  CELTIC  0

PRE-MATCH COMMENT: Big hope is that the ref awards Celtic a penalty(although that would be highly unlikely as Ref Richmond has only awarded 1 in previous 21 games) and then I'll just sit back and watch 10 players fight for the ball ......... just hope that Artur gets the nod.

Was disappointed that Crosas was dropped as he brings a more footballing brain to the team.

BORUC ….……....6  Had to pull off a great save in the first half and an important tip over in the second half.

HINKEL..... ……..6  Played well enough but I'm looking for a better final ball after one of his good forward runs.

CALDWELL......... 6 He did what he had to do.

McMANUS…. … ..6  He had a great chance to score in the final minutes but just put it over the bar. He had another rash tackle which rightly earned him a booking.

NAYLOR...….……7  MOM  Had a very good first 45mins hitting some good long passes and maintained it for the second half culminating in a great cut-back which set up Brown.

ROBSON........... 5  Those who wanted Robson on for his bite saw very little of, those who wanted him on for his skill saw very little of it but when he moved over to the right wing he got involved much more.

BROWN…..…......5   Was nearly invisible for the first 45mins, stepped it up in the second but not one of their best.

McGEADY.... …….6  Sent over a couple of good crosses in the first 45mins and also in the second 45mins but I think he will be disappointed in his overall performance.

NAKA.................4 Never got into the game and was rightly subbed.

SAMARAS................4  Maybe he is much better coming off the bench as he had no real impact on this game.

McDONALD....... 4  Hasn't got the pitch to blame for his poor ball control but he was still our best option to nick a goal.

SUBS:

CROSAS ............ 5  His appearance co-incided with a more composed style of play.

JVOH..................4 Replaced the ineffective Samaras but was equally ineffective.

SHERIDAN....... 3   Not amazed that he came on but amazed that he took off McDonald. Sheridan showed very little ability when given the chance.

REF…………...... (Richmond) 7  How the ref can book Robson for 'persistent fouling' after 3 fouls and not book Black for the same thing is beyond me. 

THE GAME ……4 As a game of football it was very poor. Little skill, very few goal opportunities and a game which Celtic failed to make the ICT goalie make a save.

GOALS ………. 

COMMENTS ….. 1. I fail to understand why Celtic did not get the paperwork in on time re. the Flood transfer or deliberately delayed it to allow him to play for Dundee U against Rangers.

                             2. Another game without a goal. I mentioned a few weeks ago that, whilst I think our defence is weak, Celtic's greatest weakness is in attack. Our style of play does not lend itself to the goal scoring exploits Celtic supporters are used to.