There is no way that Celtic prepared, in training, for a free kick by setting up the defensive wall they way we did last night, and Brendan Rodgers seemed to confirm this.
“Listen, we talked about it inside,” he said. “I like the players to make decisions and there was a decision in the game to change the wall thinking that something else might happen – but you then have to make sure that the wall is correct otherwise you get done.”
So who in God’s name, out on the pitch, thought it was right and proper to discard what the team had been trained and drilled to do? Whoever that was, I hope the manager got a suitable apology. We, the fans, were entitled to one as well.
That was a lamentable moment last night, one of the few in which you could tell that the manager’s orders had been discarded. Until that free kick, I thought our shape, our system and our strategy had been absolutely first rate. We were doing everything right.
Stanley Kubrick is once reputed to have told a bunch of well-intentioned members of his crew, who had a different idea about how to capture a scene than he did and suggested that all their input should count as they were all part of the same team, that “A team is a group of people doing exactly what I say.” This is the why he was such a phenomenal film-maker.
A good football manager has to be a dictator. I like that he gives them a little freedom out on the pitch; when you have good players you should allow them to express their talents or you stifle that creativity and hamper your efforts. But when you work on systems and stuff like this, there’s a reason the manager insists that it’s done one specific way; his way.
The players will learn from it. I daresay he gave them a hard time for it, and reminded them that they don’t work on this kind of stuff for fun. I think that decision is what cost us at least a draw last night. If we go in at half time 0-0 that whole second half has a different tenor to it, and I would have been confident of us getting a result.
To say I’m disappointed this morning is an understatement.
A massive understatement.
I hope the whole team gives itself a shake for the weekend.
The main purpose of any free kick taker is to get that ball on target no matter what is in front of him. He may decide to bend it around the wall, put it up and dip it over the wall, fire it under the wall or just use brute force to blast it through a gap in the wall. These are the options, and the Feyenoord player was able to make his own choice and somehow get the ball into the net. Fair play to him, he successfully took his chance.
I had been thinking of that before he struck it and and afterwards, in my mind, I could not think of a single Celtic player who could do the same. In fact we have to go back to Lee Griffiths since we had anyone capable of doing that and he has been gone for a while now, we just do not have that skillset in our armoury anymore and we really do need to address it. It is a necessary ingredient in any team for someone to be able to do that on a regular basis. We are sadly missing that advantage.
Here we go again cl failure we kid ourselves we can compete in this tournament but in truth we are 2nd best not really a cl outfit. Europa is our level and that’s pushing it we have been piss poor for years in europe
On reflection,
no point in moaning about the first goal – or about Hart for that matter.
Hart is a good enough keeper in a squad created with no European ambition in mind.
And last night confirmed what we already knew:
the summer transfer business was woefullly inadequate,
and we seriously lack strength in depth.
Every team has injuries / suspensions problems at some point in a season.
We might win a domestic double, but 4th place in the CL Group is also likely, IMO.
As Martin O’Neil said , why is the smallest guy on the park on the end of the wall, but we’ll put article
We could do with working on walls… And throw in’s… And how take proper corners… (ala Penalty Tav And Bearsic) who are good at that if nothing else… And being even half decent at deliveries from set plays…
And that’s just for improvement starters !
Words stolen from my mouth, I will only add that the keeper is responsible for the wall and any decisions to change it belong to them and then alone.
What Went Wrong With Celtic’s Wall Last Night?……joe hart directed it….
This goal regards the wall is the most concerning issue over last night, I believe.
If players are going to take it upon themselves to make big decisions at crucial times especially from set plays, is a worry as far as I’m concerned.
Everything was totally wrong about the whole set up, and fail to look beyond Hart for making such a decision, when it should be his reasonability?
Even the positioning of the wall allowed for an open invitation to take the strike on, even moreso with the space Hart left to his left.
Hardly the greatest strike of a ball either to be beating a keeper from that distance, when having full sight of the expected shot on goal.
Actually didn’t think it was a moment of huge concern at the time with being so far from goal, and was shocked to see it actually go in.
The replays showed what a total shambles the whole costly incident was handled.
Not the greatest from Rodgers either by disclosing that players going against his plan’s either, when it should have been kept as an internal matter, especially one so costly.
The question only arises as to what else the players could be questioning in Rodgers methods also?
Our trying to play out from the back, looks rank rotten also, and struggling so badly to beat any lines in order to set up any counter attacks of note, especially when the first ball is given away so easily, leaving ourselves on the back foot far to often.
Placing massive pressure upon our CB, and Hart hardly renowned either with finding passes to beat the press either.
Thought largerman and especially scales done very well with the amount of expectation and pressure placed upon them with a tactical ploy that looks far from secure either.
Now we could make a claim about not being ready for such a match last night, but basic plays and now open disregard of team orders is hardly the best sign’s for moving forward either imo.
Nothing is totally lost upon just 1 game away from home and the other result was possibly the best to take from last night.
Still massive overall improvements have to be found before our 2nd game within the CL.
In order to get them we have to get them going correctly within the SPFL first, and that has hardly been to impressive for long periods within games to date either.
McGregor is the captain, on field decisions are supposed to be his. He is not doing his job if he allowed someone else to set the wall. If he set it up I hope he got a good kick up the A…
The game was a bit embarrassing for me. Team started well but the comedy of errors made us look like we don’t belong near this level. I do question the manager and coaching staff. A Highland league team know exactly how to set up a wall and their places in it. We all know no quarter is given in Europe for certain challenges. The manager and coaches have to have it drummed into players not to make rash challenges in games like this. The wall and sending offs were amateur hour and that is the hardest thing to take. A fair and square defeat by a better team is fine, but silly basic moments cost us the game. A lot of work needed behind the scenes. Who passed Hatate fit to play in this game, he was miles off fitness levels required
The wall was set up with the keeper leaving more room to his left to encourage a shot to that area and usually expects it to go over the wall, He did this when Tavpen scored at Celtic park. on both occasions he has to gamble that that is where it is going and make a move to that side as ball is about to be struck. A bit like a penalty, Had he done this he would have gotten to both. Does not excuse Kyogo nor anyone not aware of the player bending in front of him. You Tube is full of keepers making this type of save, after all it wasn’t a Nakamura.