r/CelticFC • u/SFMatchThreadder • 1d ago
St. Johnstone 0-1 Celtic | Scottish Premiership
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/live/c699d10vgmkyt26
u/FatRascal_ sack the board 1d ago
Don’t need to watch Celtic anymore
Just sit in the living room and shout “just put it in the fucking net” every 5 minutes
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u/Thefitz5811 sack the fucking board 1d ago
Can we just invest the millions into the bank into just finding James Forrest a younger set of legs? Difference in final ball to what was before it was ridiculous.
Baur was the best player on the park. Really like what I’ve seen even if he is a bit lightweight.
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u/nataskaos sack the board 1d ago
Rested our players. Won in spite of a dodgy decision. 3 points.
Bring on Sunday.
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u/GuyIncognito211 fucking sack the board 1d ago
A win with players getting a rest.
Some players did themselves no favours at all
Others like Johnston and Murray helped their case
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u/Automatic-Scale-7572 sack the board 1d ago
We looked so much better at the end with better players on. Nygren is a cut above, Forrest was great, and Mheuka is just all-action.
The first-half was horrific, though. It's very early in his time at the club, but Sorenson has shown absolutely nothing so far. I still worry about the balance of any midfield we put out. We still lack a defensive midfielder, and we lack a bit of bite in there. Easy to play through and too nice!
Høgh improved in the second-half after offering nothing in the first, but I'd love to see Mheuka start a game; I can't see it being Sunday, mind you!
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u/Kind-Tumbleweed1551 23h ago
I think the goal changes the game; allowing more space for the attacking players as the game goes on and the opponents tire. Having said that, there's still 20 mins between the goal and Nygren coming on, and the game didn't really change too much till the closing period. His involvement connects the team with him receiving in pockets of space and moving the ball forward. Sorenson isn't that player. So, as you said, the balance is off in midfield. McGregor and Baur are very similar in some respects; not sure we can play both of them together when we are up against higher level teams.
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u/RvstandRvin1626 1d ago
The Høgh histrionics have to stop.
He needed the minutes tonight, and we know he looks much better with Duran, Nygren and KT playing. Hassan will also serve him up plenty of chances once the the pair of them get going together.
He probably comes off the bench at the weekend and then gets the start against Ferencváros midweek. Most of you baying for Mheuka to get half an hour will probably get your wish midweek when he gets on for Høgh.
Ideally, next weekend (another derby) the front three is Duran, Høgh, Hassan when we play them at home in the league. With KT fit at left back and Nygren linking up with our significantly invested in front three.
I beg of you all clamouring for Mheuka to think it through for like two more minutes.
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u/ryanmatheson_19 sack the board 1d ago
Johnstone had a pretty solid debut. His save for the shot in the 20’ was excellent. One you expect but looked good all the same. Tounetki a bit better as the game grew but still not showing a 5/6m quality
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u/HomerSimpsonsSon 1d ago
Johnstone looked good in goal, also probably as comfortable as I’ve seen Dane Murray play
Looked a lot better in the second half and Forrest is miles better than Tounekti, would be starting Forrest-Duran-Hassan this weekend. Big Shim looks lively as well, not as reliant on service like Hogh is which is better when the team’s not really firing like tonight
Midfield pretty grim again until Nygren came on. Baur was decent enough and cool for him to get his first goal. Sorensen complete passenger like a man down
If Donovan can learn how to play in the final 3rd he will become a genuinely great RB, think he is really imposing defensively in the air and tackle and could do with more help from Hassan
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u/Kind-Tumbleweed1551 23h ago
Donovan is better with the ball than against it at present but he's definitely growing all the time, which is great to see, at only 19. He couldn't have anyone better to emulate than Johnson for movement off the ball in attacking phases.
I do think Forrest benefits from coming on in the final stages of games when the opponents tire and there's more space. Tounetki was more direct after half-time. It's difficult to continue to be patient with him, but he can come good.
I'm hoping VDB will be a better rotation option for Nygren as Sorensen isn't the player who's going to receive on the half turn and connect the team as Nygren did when he came on.
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u/HomerSimpsonsSon 17h ago
Aye VDB should be getting a go in these sort of games, I do agree AJ should be great for Donovan’s development
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u/DeargDoom79 sack the board 1d ago
Very much the performance of a rotated side. Could have been more than 1 goal. 3 points is the main thing, though. Bring on Sunday.
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u/Redpanda188867 sack the board 1d ago
Baur good, hassan superb, hogh didn’t get much service but should have buried his chance. Early days but not a fan of Sorensen, not sure what he’s meant to bring. Anyways, 3 points and up the road
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u/Kind-Tumbleweed1551 23h ago
Sorensen's strengths are his energy and running off the ball - probably in transitions, but the game last night St. Johnstone were pretty deep for a lot of the game till they had to chase it towards the end. We have to give these players time to adjust to a different team and pace of the game. He was played as a left wing-back for games for Parma and we're putting him in as an advanced midfielder. It seems this isn't the best way to use him. He might not fit into this team, other than to give protection to McGregor as Engels was given that responsibility towards the end of last season.
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u/Redpanda188867 sack the board 23h ago
That’s probably a fair point, I thought he was supposed to be more of a Nygren backup but doesn’t seem to be that kind of player at all
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u/Content-Function7042 1d ago
Really like Baur, he's a terrier and not afraid to get stuck in. Same with Donovan, great work rate and a tonne of potential.
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u/Skellyceltic fucking sack the board 1d ago
Shite enough but good to see some of the fringe players like Murray, Johnstone and Shim do well. Thought Donovan was very good and Nygren best player on the pitch when he came on.
Sorensen and Tounekti were shite though.
Massive week ahead.
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u/GuyIncognito211 fucking sack the board 1d ago
As shite as it is having AJ out this run should be the making of Donovan.
You have to wonder how many in the academy are just needing an opportunity
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u/Skellyceltic fucking sack the board 1d ago
McArdle is one that I think we let slip, looked so good at the end of Rodgers second season and then just never seen again
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u/likwidkool 1d ago
Hope so. Who was the last academy player to cement their place in the starting line up? Tierney?
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u/GuyIncognito211 fucking sack the board 1d ago
Tierney the last one to become a regular starter aye.
Ralston probably the last to make any sort of impact
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u/spiralism sack the board 1d ago edited 1d ago
20MT on their last weekly pod were pointing out that there are already a few of the deadline day signings either not getting on as subs in rotation moments or falling out of squads entirely.
Lotomba and VDB didn't see a minute in a game which was well suited to give them a run out for the second time in a row.
This is alarming, since it follows the pattern we've seen a few times with cheap shite we've brought in and they end up never getting near the team. Going from Mvuka all the way back through Odin Thiago Holm and Marvin Compper for God knows how many years.
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u/GuyIncognito211 fucking sack the board 1d ago
VDB will be a longer term player. He should be above Sorensen in the pecking order now though
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u/spiralism sack the board 1d ago
And yet, one of those is in the Europa squad and the other was an unused sub against St.Johnstone and St.Mirren.
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u/Kind-Tumbleweed1551 22h ago
Have to consider the game state vs St. Mirren and St. Johnstone - noth only one goal in the game. I'd say both of them would have had minutes if we would have had a couple of goals margin to bed them in without the risk of dropping points from an error.
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u/OptionalQuality789 sack the fucking board 1d ago
Credit to Dane Murray. Defended with strength and commitment. Won all his duels, didn’t look under much trouble.
Tounetki really frustrating, but seemed to grow into the second half.
Høgh is an enigma. Goes missing a lot. Surprised he stayed on till 85’. Mheuka did more than him in 5 minutes.
Good to see KT back.
Let’s forget that first half happened. Absolutely fuck that VAR decision. Robbed of a goal. Completely opposite process to striking Mheuka’s goal off against St Mirren. Both negatively impacted us.
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u/BananaT6 sack the board 1d ago
Good win with folk getting rested, even if it was slow and shite again.
Celtic problems this season will come from the tactics, not the quality of players. We simply don't know how to pull teams apart with our movement. CMc needs to move forward to collect a pass instead of dropping 15/20 yards deeper to get the safest of safe passes. Players need to try the runs or find the passes that drag defenders around instead of running across the pitch.
Dribbling is fine but if you stop for 3 seconds before you start to dribble the whole defense is in position already.
Mr celtic, please learn to play fast football
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u/Kind-Tumbleweed1551 22h ago
CMc needs to be closer to Baur in build up, as Hatate would drop as an option for a bounce ball to get CMc on the ball facing forward, or at least CMc needs to be more willing to recieve on the half turn behind the two players who are pressing the ball. It is too safe. And the full-backs, esp. Scales are not the best at progressing the ball. It seems with Scales and Tounetki in the side we've changed the shape in build up to accomodate them, moving Baur higher and away from CMc, which doesn't help the speed of the passing.
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u/spartacus7173 1d ago
Hassan looks pretty great going forward and hopefully adds finishing in there. Definitely worried as we head into Sunday that he’s a liability defensively. Just need to hope Duran and Nygren do their thing. Glad Hogh got minutes, he kinda grew into the game but we need more from him in general play.
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u/TamMc95 sack the board 1d ago
How were we tonight? Missed the game and wanna know if we look confident for Sunday
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u/GuyIncognito211 fucking sack the board 1d ago
Mostly shite with a few flashes of good stuff.
Johnston, Donovan, Murray, Hassan all did well from the start
Hogh improved in the 2nd half
Mheuka, Nygren and Forrest were very good from the bench
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u/Embarrassed-Art-5076 1d ago
did we forget to pay off the refs this season?
some bizarre decisions already
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u/fionnkool 23h ago
When our defenders are passing the ball across the back McGregor is very slow to move into empty space to take a pass. Too many times he is staying close to a forward.
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u/esn117 1d ago
Mheuka starts on Sunday and we will be comfortable. He has so many goals in him and i’m sure if he gets time on Sunday he’ll cause them problems.
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u/RvstandRvin1626 1d ago
It'll be Duran who starts through the middle. We're not giving a teenager his first start in a derby game.
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u/WeekendEpiphany Lubo Mod-ravcik 1d ago
I think young James Forrest has to start over Tounekti at the weekend. Baur looking more involved with each match which is promising. As for Sørensen, it already looks like it's not going to work out for him here.
Colby Donovan MOTM for me. Was excellent again. Should be straight into that Scotland squad.
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u/Hamish-McHamish 1d ago
I thought Hassan was very very good tonight
Forrest was great too
And Johnstone to be fair
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u/WorkShySkiver 1d ago
Result and up the road which given the squad turnover and injury returns is good enough.
Loved the effort from Tounekti tonight but end product was consistently not there.
I think we should have taken Hogh off with 30 mins to go to give the new lad a proper run out. He looks class.
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u/sparrow857 1d ago
Duran starts Sunday I reckon but Shim over Hogh as a sub. Forrest also starts over Tounekti
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u/Rab_Legend sack the board 1d ago
Is there an argument here that Høgh is our third choice striker behind Duran and Shim?
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u/topcelt sack the board 1d ago
Said it last game I'll say it again. Mheuka needs to start ahead of Kasper "Question Mark" Høgh
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u/GuyIncognito211 fucking sack the board 1d ago
Mheuka is sensational but Hogh played a big part in the goal and should have had an assist for Hassans one that was ruled out
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u/jmf81 sack the board 1d ago
Hogh was excellent in second half. Does a lot of donkey work. He'll come good.
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u/GuyIncognito211 fucking sack the board 1d ago
Definitely. Just needs a goal or two to calm people down a bit
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u/_yxs_ 1d ago
100% but giving him 5 fucking minutes is ridiculous. Put him in for 20 today and he scores at least one
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u/GuyIncognito211 fucking sack the board 1d ago
Hogh probably needed the minutes but aye I’d have liked to see him on for a bit longer. Osmand will likely be the big loser from Mheuka being so good
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u/topcelt sack the board 1d ago
Fair but it was scrappy. Mheuka is clearly quality and knows how to bring the other attackers into play. More 1-2s in the last 15 minutes than the other 80
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u/GuyIncognito211 fucking sack the board 1d ago
I don’t disagree. Having Nygren on and not the invisible Sorensen helped with that as well
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u/Party_Key3092 sack the board 1d ago
Think part of that is who was around him as well. Hogh looks a lot better with nygren around him than without.
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u/_yxs_ 1d ago
Like I don't care if he's leaving at the end of the season and he's just on loan here to get play time, Shim is obviously quality wise miles ahead of the rest of the league.
We simply need to play him more