Soccer Football - Champions League - Group H - Celtic v Real Madrid - Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain - September 6, 2022 Celtic's Callum McGregor reacts Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith
Brendan Rodgers did not hold back at full time today, did he?
And that was the public face on it.
The private face would have been something else entirely, on a whole other order of magnitude. He said it’s the angriest he’s been in a dressing room at half time in his career. That’s an astonishing thing for the manager of Celtic to say, but not unwelcome.
I want a Celtic manager who expresses his frustration after we’ve played as badly as that. I want a Celtic manager who will not allow our players to fall below a certain standard.
He said at full time that he had emphasised pace and power, a fast aggressive start and what we saw instead was a team which meandered around the pitch aimlessly.
No wonder he was pissed off. Speaking for myself, I said after the game that the first half was the worst 45 minutes I could remember from a Celtic side in years. Years.
That was no exaggeration, and it’s clear that the manager felt exactly the same way. He demonstrated his frustration in public by pulling off Yang. He could have taken off a few others.
As it was, the manager knew what had to be done and he did it.
Off came Turnbull when Plan B didn’t look like it would bear fruit, and once Oh came on and started roughing that defence up the whole game spun. Once Callum scored his equaliser only one team was going to win that match, and I was pleased to hear him talk at full time as well.
He echoed the manager’s sentiments exactly.
As captain, he will not have been quiet in that dressing room and would have made sure everyone knew what was at stake, and when the team needed a bit more than that he personally took the game by the throat and scored that rasping equaliser which swung the pendulum our way.
That was a captain’s response, a captain’s performance overall.
That was a great example of the off-field leader giving the team a much-needed rocket in the dressing room, and the on-field leader showing them the way back out on the pitch.
On days like today you need the leadership to show its stuff.
I think both of them have done that in a big, big way and that’s a massive three points from a place where, at half time, I didn’t see where they were coming from.
Well done to them both, and to the rest of the team as well for responding, especially the subs who dug deep for us and got us over the line.
That’s all you can ask of them.
Good to hear him giving it to them like that though I don’t think Brendan will do it too often in public to be honest…
He can probably afford to as it looks like he’s gonna get a decent kitty in January –
Big win that today after the first half pish poor performance…
You could see what it meant to Brendan and Cal-Mac at Full Time as well –
Hopefully a turning point of sorts but we will need to be on it when Hibernian visit in midweek as they’re always up for it against us anyway !
So we’re was he hiding in the first half
He didn’t do anything.
One player turned the game single handed.
Crazy that everybody missed it.
Exactamundo Jamie Bhoy. Couldnae put it better maself. ???
We have a team with too many inexperienced jounrneymen
Completely agree with you James with regards the first half. Followed our club for around 50 years but that was very very bad, horrendous in fact. Few home truths need to be hit home. Far too many mediocre players in the team. With injuries to others they had their chance but it has been proven that their not good enough to be starting.
In spelling also ..?
Calum McGregor is firstly, a fantastic footballer, and that in itself, means he leads by example. At half time, I have no doubt he and his manager ripped into the team after a dreadful first half performance. It’s testament to his ability and captaincy, that he scored the equaliser and drove us on to to a fine victory. There are plenty of hard fixtures to overcome, till we get to the January break, so his ability and leadership throughout, will be even more important!
I have no doubt, regardless of the criticism that’s levelled at our team, that we shall have the nous and ability to negotiate these games in a positive fashion. The bottom line is, we have a better club, team and manager than the one that is willed on so vehemently by our “impartial” SMSM!
Yes!
Nous is Us!
We are Celtic, always fighting like cripple father in chair!
Always never stopping!
I am often wonder where this same spirit feeling come together, all different but all same, and I am always remember always it come from open desert and open plain, it come from empty nothing and love and loss where we are all come from, friends and hates.
Looked to me like his half time hairdryer had no effect at all until the big Oh bhoy made sure something something happened with that sublime, and ridiculously overlooked, back heel off the bye line back into the area.
Cos that was the obvious turning point of the game rather than through Brendan or Calum, much as the latter helped out after with his stunning leftie blisterer.
Captain’s performance my nutsack, big Oh turned the game with that back heeler alone.
Credit where it’s due, that was Calum’s first shot from outside the box this SEASON due to his being shackled into the awkward 6 where Iwata should be.
Credit where it’s due now, the big boy made that whole turnaround happen, for all th Ernest cottoned on to his brilliance when it was needed.
Big Oh was the Man Of The Match.
Single handed.
I am say no.
But others some am say yes.
Often sometimes I am thinking difference between but who am I come say?
Only man above can come say yes or um no maoist assuredly.
My friend him to say no but I am say always yes.
Unless here now in this space with I am these words here writing, no?
Or yes?
Always I am asking these questions.
Celtic always good come yes!
Always I am happy family happy when Celtic always good come win.
And fuck those horrible Rangers bastards father say from chair!
And I am say too! 🙂
Friend helps
No team has a God-given right to win a game. Professional footballers get paid for effort as much as skill.
The game is 90+ minutes long = and you could certainly say it is a game if two halves if you are devoid of imaginative thought. But it applies… I am of an age where i STILL consider every celtic win is worth celebrating – no matter the opposition or the manner of victory.
If we had blitzed them 3-0 in the first half, and then finished up 3-1 we would have been fawnng over ourselves saying that we were fantastic but took the foot off the gas in the second half, but that’s OK…
As much as it’s not always happening for our bhoys against 11 men defences (plus the unofficial 3) I do not doubt for a second that they are not trying their hardest (maybe trying too hard in some cases) . They got there. Eventually. Let’s not forget the decades that previous teams didn’t.