Celtic 1 Dundee Utd 0

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/scot_prem/8523293.stm

No consistency

Celtic seem to have a pretty big squad of players all who get a fair bit of first team action, as in the main, their abilities are around a similar level.

However instead of creating competition - it just seems to be the opposite - no one is playing really well, so no one is holding down a first team slot, so everyone gets a chance and the team therefore changes pretty frequently.

You can almost predict the Rangers team every week, and get say 10 of the right every week - Regardless if thats due to squad size of whatever, good (succesful) teams have a consistent spine

Celtic have a different Centre half/Cenre mid/Centre forward pairing every other week.



On a quick check of our last six games ......


4-4 Aberdeen

Central Defence - O'Dea Thomson
Central Midfield - NGuemo Brown
Strikers - Keane Fortune


2-0 Hearts

Loovens Thomson
NGuemo Brown (and McGeady)
Keane Fortune (and Kamara)

4-2 Dunfermline

Loovens Thomson
Crosas NGuemo
Samaras Rasmussen


0-1 Kilmarnock

Loovens Hooifield
NGuemo Ki
Keane Fortune


1-0 Hamilton

Hooifield Thomson
Zhi NGuemo
Samaras Fortune


1-2 Hibs

O'Dea Thomson
Crosas Zhi
Samaras Fortune

Aberdeen 4 Celtic 4

By all accounts Saturdays debacle was a nightmare for our backline. It does appear, regardless of the players in possesion of our defensive jerseys, that they are all far too capable of causing opposition goals.

I could well imagine so of the worst perpetrators of these errors going to another club and performing well. We seem to have quite a collection of defenders who are temporarily rated by the fans/media who then decide they are not good enough, and indeed in turn, there performances are not good enough.

We have brought in several options at the back now, but it still looks to me like we are lacking pace and aggression when attacking the ball.

Perhaps it’s a confidence thing, perhaps it’s just been the coincidence and we just haven’t had a settled pairing who will complement each other. Regardless, it’s not good enough. We have enough in our locker (and certainly on our wage bill) to be able to do enough against some of the team who have been taking points off us, that we really should be turning out 3 points even when not playing at the top of our form.

I genuinely think there are guys who have been playing that are or should be, really good players. Caddis, like O'Dea doesnt look the same player he was when he first got first team exposure. Perhaps that’s what happens when you are starved of football for 2 years as a young player. Not only does it stunt their growth as a player - they have actually gone backwards. I blame Strachan predominately for that. These boys were both GREAT young players, and now even with first team football from now on - they don’t look like they will become the players their potential initially suggested they could be. In the past month when Mowbray has relied on both of them, and neither has really given their chances of an automatic start a boost.

Mowbray obviously rated the guys like Hooiveild, Braafhied, Thompson, And Rogne - but none of whom seem to have stemmed the tide in their brief outings so far.

Would a change in formation give more of a difference than change in personnel has?

Is it just a failing in our manager and coaching staff?

Its no longer worth sacking Mowbray if the board/fans wanted to because the league is over and it would be more prudent to try and keep costs low en route to the end of season.

On that note - Id try and cancel the Keane loan, with no champions league place for finishing second it really doesn’t matter if we come second or third in the grand scheme of things.

An ambitious gamble that didn’t pay off - cut our losses

I still am not saying for sure that Tony Mowbray can’t be a good manager for Celtic. But it would have to take one hell of a turnaround from where we are now

Celtic 2 - Hearts 0

I was a bit dissapointed 70 grand or so a week cant buy you a goal with those chances, but to be fair to Keane, he seemed to be doing the right thing and it just wasnt going for him

I was giving fortune hell in the first half - but he looked tremendous in the second - full of pace, power and threat. McGeady looked like the ball was stuck to his feet in some of those dribbles, and Kamara has a great touch. Plenty of options middle to front these days.

Loovens goal was a belter, the wee pirouette and the smash into the net is something Samaras would struggle to do once in 100 times of asking.

Hearts looked very poor

Scott McDonald

Watch 'that' interview after we won the league in 2008

Two consecutive home hattricks, a good scorer against Rangers. THAT goal V Man Utd. His ability to sniff out chances, get in the right place, and do it regardless of the opposition - Milan, Moscow ect.

Cracking finish V Vienna this season at home, and an unbelievable strike rate against former club motherwell - trying to do all he could to make up for THOSE two goals.

McDonald is a Celtic Hero.

Hope he does great at Middlesbrough Hibernian

Craig Balloon Burley

Craig Burleys best comment from Saturday - Mowbray really has to find out if this board are gonnae back him

Then when pointed out by the commentator that they had (quite significantly) he continues, "I mean properly back them" "you dont know if these were his first choice or not, theres no point in buying guys on the cheap, "

Commentator again says, I really think they have spent a fair bit in this window.

The diddy Burley pauses but you know he cant let it go - he says "aye but its not exactly signings that have the fans lined up London Road for"



Whats your point caller.





How to Argue Burley Style

1 - Make ridiculous comment

2 - Ignore when you are proved wrong

3 - Try to make another point different to the 1st to pretend you are making the same point

4 - Repeat number 3


Brilliant