Last night was a strange watch.
Celtic had a central midfield that was an effective fusion of silk and steel.
Consequently, the Hoops won a football match.
Next up is Killie and that will provide evidence if a corner had been turned.
Quite frankly, if David Turnbull and Ismaila Soro disappear from view, then the manager’s recent attraction to failure will be demonstrably incurable.
A central part of this unravelling season has been the Neil Lennon’s touching faith in players who consistently fail to turn up when it matters.
Last night right on the final whistle, a buddy who operates at a professional level in the beautiful game sent me this message:
Better performance tonight, Soro/Turnbull were excellent. Duffy looked like Duffy of old. Laxalt was his usual excellent. Klimalla ran his legs off.
My unqualified and ill-informed response was:
Two things. They played well because of no pressure. The manager has been overlooking genuine match winners for months. Which?
I was gratified that he concurred with my view on Soro and Turnbull.
For the avoidance of doubt, I have no idea if my questions to my buddy are on the money or not.
What I DO know is that Celtic’s managerial issues remain extant and that the current CEO cannot be part of any operation to find a replacement.
Moreover, I do not think I am a lone voice on that front.
For example, is this event still on?
My views on the club’s untitled director of football are no secret to regular readers.
It is a measure of just how abject this season has been so far by observing the degree it which some Celtic fans have seized upon the victory against Lille as evidence of salvation.
As I was writing this himself called and took me through the match in forensic detail.
It was a telephone tutorial for a footie ignoramus.
Overall he was very positive about the team selection and Lennon’s in-game management.
Then he told me that his team for Sunday would be:
Hazard
Ajer Duffy Julien Laxalt
CalMac Soro
Christie (if Frimpong is unavailable) Turnbull Elyounoussi
Eddy/ Ajeti
He thought it highly significant that Celtic “outworked” a young and energetic Lille side.
He put much of this down to Soro as “he won most of his second ball situations”.
I was surprised by his call on the young goalie.
He believed that the youngster had exuded confidence, and this had helped the backline to settle.
This further raises the question on the £5m enigma that is Vasilis Barkas.
I’m told that Celtic had assessed the Greek international over an eighteen-month period.
My information is that one of the things that he demonstrated was good communication with his defenders at AEK Athens.
In recent weeks I understand that he has been having English lessons four days per week.
It is the most important position on the field, and a goalkeeping coach told me that the netminding trade was “90% confidence and 10% physical ability”.
Like Rugger Guy’s number crunching, I’m happy to step aside and let a bona fide expert have the floor.
Neil Lennon has been through it recently, and he deserves a moment to smile.
However, folk who know more than me are watching his decisions on Sunday.
ADDENDUM
It would appear that the Sunday protest is going ahead.
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I don’t think you would need to be a football expert to notice the vast improvement in the Celtic team due to the inclusion of Turnbull and Soro.
Although I would differ on the expert’s opinion on the performance of Duffy who in my view is still a defensive liability.
Agree completely. Soro was outstanding. The most powerful midfield display I’ve see in a Celtic jersey this season.
The irony is not lost on me that Calmac, our most consistent player for several years, had a really poor game……..and we won.
Turnbull looked the player Motherwell suppoters purred about.
Young Henderson was also superb during his hour on the park.
Duffy? You’re right! He still looks like an accident waiting to happen.
I’ve said for many years that when Brown doesn’t play well, Celtic don’t play well. I love Broony to bits, and did when many Celtic fans were still to be convinced, but I think time is now catching up rapidly. He plays such a high energy/intensive game that when his legs go it will be very quickly. I think that is now happening. Soro MUST now play at least as often as Broony does. He looks a likely successor. I’ll tell you though, he has BIG boots to fill.
Phil I think someone needs to start the balling rolling for lawell to take a pay cut? I’m not a shit stirrer in anyway. Just not one to stand by and idly watch the most prolific earner in celtics history under perform and theoretically still get a game every week.
Yes, good to get a win again!
Turnbull could / should become a CFC key player for the long-term.
But, even if we win every game through to next month, NL should still go.
The damage was done before the league started – and since.
And if PL stays in position, then CFC will remain unambitious.
Thought Henderson was outstanding,reminded me of Dalgleish
Steady on Bobby!
Did you actually see Dalglish (note spelling) play?
The bhoy doesn’t need that kind of pressure either.
Oh for a 21 year Kenny, or a Danny. Or preferably both.
Henderson was brilliant.
I’m glad that you introduce a note of caution to the “1 warm winter day trumps a 1,000 years of climate change data” type claims.
We should also keep in mind that Lille played a weakened team, as finishing in the Champions League places (France has 3 and they’re currently 2nd) far outweighs topping the Europa League group and probably getting an easier ko draw.
Nonetheless it was a very pleasing victory, especially with so many “new” young players involved.
Surprised that your expert describes Laxalt as “usually excellent” as he’s not been very convincing defensively ie caught out positionally when we’ve lost goals. That, of course, maybe because of others not filling in for him when he’s rampaging upfield. Its difficult to tell given our recent (and hopefully past) shambles!
I’m not sure about his team for Sunday, as CalMac was the poorest performer last night and hasn’t been up to his usual high standards this season and Christie has been off the boil recently and Turnbull likes a long range shot and we don’t need 2 of them!
I believe the protest is going ahead this Sunday, as just about all the reasons for it still exist and the fences have gone back up to show exactly what they think of the plebs.
From those cold blooded impartial realists, the bookies, the odds for the SPFL title are:
Rangers 1/6 Celtic 5/1
Gulp. They believe there’s a (unbridgeable?) chasm between us and a lot more than 1 fine win is required for a seismic shift in that.
Wish someone would explain to me how this protest will help ANYONE in ANY way. Piling even more pressure on the players is not doing ANYTHING to assist ANYONE. The fans are meant to try to lift the players, NOT weigh them down.