Celtic v Motherwell 26/12/2024

[texanwellfan]

13 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

Yes, there will be changes next month. Some players will need to move on but SK knows that. I can foresee us strengthening central defence, midfield and the striking department. 

Agree about top 6. A step too far for us this season. Personally I'd be very happy with 7th or even 8th place as that would represent progress. 

Disagree. Top 6 is achievable. Not much between the other 10 teams. 

[FirParkCornerExile]

1 hour ago, Kmcalpin said:

Yes, there will be changes next month. Some players will need to move on but SK knows that. I can foresee us strengthening central defence, midfield and the striking department. 

Agree about top 6. A step too far for us this season. Personally I'd be very happy with 7th or even 8th place as that would represent progress. 

There's quite gulf between wanting to move some on and achieving it. I don't see people queuing up to take some of our players. I'm not sure how many are out of contract in the summer mind you and frankly we are not enhancing Lennon Miller's reputation the way we play. We are dragging him down a level. 

[texanwellfan]

I can see where we might want to be a bit more cautious against the uglys but all other games we should be attacking 

[FirParkCornerExile]

4 minutes ago, texanwellfan said:

I can see where we might want to be a bit more cautious against the uglys but all other games we should be attacking 

I really don't get this argument. We set out with no intention to win today.  We had no options to stop us from being pinned in. We played like that to stop us getting pumped??? St Mirren have just scored a 93 minute winner cos they had options on the counter. We have fuck all like that the wY we set up  and Rangers will horse us and they are shite because we "want to keep it tight" 

[wellsince75]

Appreciate not wise to go all guns blazing against the OF . That being said there should be more games where to should go out to win rather than not to lose .

Today we simply hoped we’d keep it tight . Step 1 would and should be keep the ball as much as possible but our ball retention was awful .

 

[FirParkCornerExile]

21 minutes ago, wellsince75 said:

Appreciate not wise to go all guns blazing against the OF . That being said there should be more games where to should go out to win rather than not to lose .

Today we simply hoped we’d keep it tight . Step 1 would and should be keep the ball as much as possible but our ball retention was awful .

 

Correct, I'm not saying we should be beating Celtic today but we should be giving them a harder game. Not single shot on goal is a disgrace. Our game is have the midfield sit right on top of our defence so when we get the ball only option is boot itong, it comes straight back on us, rinse and repeat for 90 mins. We have no guile about hitting on the counter and the shape we employ gives us no chance of it. Two shots in 90 mins neither on target is frankly disgraceful.  Christ a piss poor Hibs team had 14 efforts 9 on target against Celtic at Parkhead. 

[Kmcalpin]

15 minutes ago, wellsince75 said:

Appreciate not wise to go all guns blazing against the OF . That being said there should be more games where to should go out to win rather than not to lose .

Today we simply hoped we’d keep it tight . Step 1 would and should be keep the ball as much as possible but our ball retention was awful .

Step 1 will be to stiffen the midfield so that the opposition have to work damned hard in order to see the whites of our defenders eyes. A combative strong running midfield wil be a start. 

[FirParkCornerExile]

5 minutes ago, Kmcalpin said:

Step 1 will be to stiffen the midfield so that the opposition have to work damned hard in order to see the whites of our defenders eyes. A combative strong running midfield wil be a start. 

And a midfield not set upto play 3 feet in front of the defence. Sadly we don't have those kind of midfielders, weakest part of the team. We have shown that winning the second ball in the midfield is not our strong point. I'll be amazed if Rangers don't pump us. Delighted but amazed.

[FirParkCornerExile]

2 hours ago, texanwellfan said:

Disagree. Top 6 is achievable. Not much between the other 10 teams. 

Oh it's achievable but I don't think we will. 

[stv]

51 minutes ago, texanwellfan said:

I can see where we might want to be a bit more cautious against the uglys but all other games we should be attacking 

Hold on a minute . Can i remind you the manager is Mr Kettlewell . That’s just never going to happen. I wish it would tho.

[Big Stall]

Given we have turned up in quite a few games recently with zero intention of putting the opposition under pressure (Ross County, Hibs & semi final spring to mind) then absolutley nobody should be surprised when we try something similar away at celtic.

Kettlewell has done a decent job. We are doing fine. But...... he is learning nothing from his mistakes

[SteelmaninOZ]

I’m very much in the get into them camp. 
No more hoof ball.

[wellfan]

Anyone who expected Kettlewell to set up a team to win this game hasn’t been watching, and we should expect more of the same negative crap against Rangers. Quite simply, we don’t have the players, brains or bravery required to try to achieve anything else against better teams. 

[0Neils40yarder]

Fine margins in that 1st half...I felt that we completely nullified them, and if it wasn't for that penalty (which I felt was incredibly soft) then the game plan would have worked to a tee.

[Kmcalpin]

Just watched the Tv "highlights". What a pathetic defensive performance. Ok, we know that Celtic are the best team in the league and would probably win anyway but why do we have to make it so easy for them. Even before they scored we were opened up far too easily.  SK really needs to look closely at goals 3 and 4. Yes, by that time time were were tiring (74 minutes in), but had 10/11 men behind the ball and the scorers were still afforded acres of of space and all the time they wanted, on the edge of our box.  Midfield were competely AWOL.  We were just lucky Celtic weren't at their best.

If it was a one off I wouldn't be so concerned but these traits are evident week in week out. Revamp of midfield and defence can't start soon enough. We really are desperately short of character and leadership on the pitch.

[SteelmaninOZ]

Kmcalpin just watched this…..

 

[joewarkfanclub]

3 hours ago, Kmcalpin said:

Just watched the Tv "highlights". What a pathetic defensive performance. Ok, we know that Celtic are the best team in the league and would probably win anyway but why do we have to make it so easy for them. Even before they scored we were opened up far too easily.  SK really needs to look closely at goals 3 and 4. Yes, by that time time were were tiring (74 minutes in), but had 10/11 men behind the ball and the scorers were still afforded acres of of space and all the time they wanted, on the edge of our box.  Midfield were competely AWOL.  We were just lucky Celtic weren't at their best.

If it was a one off I wouldn't be so concerned but these traits are evident week in week out. Revamp of midfield and defence can't start soon enough. We really are desperately short of character and leadership on the pitch.

I think our problem yesterday was that the players needed to make any fist of the game cant play 2 games in 3 days at the moment. That being the case you prioritise one of them, and that has to be Rangers at home.

I expect us to be more competitive on Sunday, albeit the result isnt a given as they also have better players than us.

I agree with your general point though, that we need a more combative midfield if we want to surrender possession and defend our box adequately.

[Orinoco]

Dodgy penalty, watt getting in the way of kaleta goal attempt and deflected goal. I think at this point we realised it was not going to be our day. You need luck to beat them, and with the official being card happy towards our players, it's no wonder heads and effort went down.

I think it's very harsh to have a go at the team under the circumstances. 

Looking at football in general, unless your an elite team, and even then, there are very few teams who constantly get clean sheets. Sure we have what 1 in 100 games or what ever, but even teams of our standard are hardly that much better than say 4 or 5 in 100.  I personally don't care about clean sheets as long as we outscore the opposition. 

Outwith Celtic, don't think there is many clubs where their fans are totally behind the manager and their tactical approach to the game.  Money, technolegy and negative coaching, ie where are the flair players? has given us a modern game which is as someone said is like a boring chess game.

 

 

[FirParkCornerExile]

16 minutes ago, Orinoco said:

Dodgy penalty, watt getting in the way of kaleta goal attempt and deflected goal. I think at this point we realised it was not going to be our day. You need luck to beat them, and with the official being card happy towards our players, it's no wonder heads and effort went down.

I think it's very harsh to have a go at the team under the circumstances. 

Looking at football in general, unless your an elite team, and even then, there are very few teams who constantly get clean sheets. Sure we have what 1 in 100 games or what ever, but even teams of our standard are hardly that much better than say 4 or 5 in 100.  I personally don't care about clean sheets as long as we outscore the opposition. 

Outwith Celtic, don't think there is many clubs where their fans are totally behind the manager and their tactical approach to the game.  Money, technolegy and negative coaching, ie where are the flair players? has given us a modern game which is as someone said is like a boring chess game.

 

 

Hibs are utter pish and they managed 9 shots on Target in 90 mins. I don't go expecting to win but I cant stand this "dont try to win" mentality. I do expect more than ZERO shots on target in 90 mins.  Id rather have lost 6-0 trying than 4-0 barely crossing the half way line.   

[texanwellfan]

6 hours ago, Kmcalpin said:

Just watched the Tv "highlights". What a pathetic defensive performance. Ok, we know that Celtic are the best team in the league and would probably win anyway but why do we have to make it so easy for them. Even before they scored we were opened up far too easily.  SK really needs to look closely at goals 3 and 4. Yes, by that time time were were tiring (74 minutes in), but had 10/11 men behind the ball and the scorers were still afforded acres of of space and all the time they wanted, on the edge of our box.  Midfield were competely AWOL.  We were just lucky Celtic weren't at their best.

If it was a one off I wouldn't be so concerned but these traits are evident week in week out. Revamp of midfield and defence can't start soon enough. We really are desperately short of character and leadership on the pitch.

I thought we had contained them very well up until they scored. I think Ox had 2 easy saves plus the breakaway they had because Miller slipped on his arse. The second goal being a deflection just turned it into another heads down game. 

[texanwellfan]

21 hours ago, FirParkCornerExile said:

And a midfield not set upto play 3 feet in front of the defence. Sadly we don't have those kind of midfielders, weakest part of the team. We have shown that winning the second ball in the midfield is not our strong point. I'll be amazed if Rangers don't pump us. Delighted but amazed.

We need a new Miller, McVie, McLaren

[texanwellfan]

Or maybe an Aitken, Martis, McCann if you want a wee bit more skill. 

[grumpy]

1 hour ago, texanwellfan said:

We need a new Miller, McVie, McLaren

Miller, McVie & McLaren would last about 20 minutes between them today.

[smiddy]

20 minutes ago, grumpy said:

Miller, McVie & McLaren would last about 20 minutes between them today.

How long would gregor stevens last then 🫣🫣

[cambo97]

6 hours ago, smiddy said:

How long would gregor stevens last then 🫣🫣

He probably wouldn't make it out the tunnel