TalkCeltic - The Ultimate Celtic FC Forum

Ex-China coach Bobby Houghton believes that the answer to Celtic’s defensive woes may well be staring them right in the face – in the form of International Captain Zheng Zhi.

Zhi’s first appearance for Celtic – in the powderkeg atmosphere of Sunday’s Old Firm encounter – earned him high acclaim. Playing just behind lone striker Scott McDonald, his passion, drive and vision were clear for all to see.

Nonetheless, the impending return of Marc-Antoine Fortune may see Celtic gaffer Tony Mowbray keen to take advantage of his new Bhoy’s renowned versatility; Houghton intonating his belief that Zhi could be the remedy to an ailing central defence that has been shipping weak goals of late....

As the dust settles on a frustrating afternoon at Ibrox – with the missed opportunity to extend the lead at the top of the SPL table to seven points, against a poor Rangers outfit – headlines today will quite rightly revolve around Celtic’s abject failure to defend professionally.

Time after time already this season, we have hung our collective heads in both horror and shame as a result of defensive profligacy – from Gary Caldwell’s “deft” touch resulting in a Colin Samuel goal back in August, to Suso Santana’s opener at Celtic Park only two weeks ago.

Defence And Decisions Cost Celtic Dear

Rangers 2 - 1 Celtic
Ibrox Stadium
Sunday October 4th 2009

A spirited second half performance from Celtic was not enough to overcome their oldest rivals in the first Old Firm game of the season despite dominating much of the play throughout. Two early strikes from ex-Celt Kenny Miller left the visitors stunned and despite Aiden McGeady pulling one back from the spot, the Hoops were unable to find an equaliser. Celtic will feel hard done by through some questionable refereeing decisions but will know that their defence was simply not good enough.

Celtic provided the first chance of the game when Shaun Maloney found himself unmarked at the back post but could not punish the poor marking and his low shot was comfortably dealt with by Allan McGregor. However, seven minutes in it was the home side who did capitalise on some poor defending when Kris Boyd managed to get the better of Glenn Loovens and his through ball found...

Celtic Seeking Seven

Rangers v Celtic - Official TalkCeltic.net Preview

Clydesdale Bank Scottish Premier League
Venue: Ibrox Date: 4 October Kick-off: 1230 BST

Tony Mowbray, fresh from having a crack at ending a quarter-century old feud with Rapid Vienna, steps into a simmering rivalry that makes the ill-feelings shown to the Austrians look like a minor tiff. And while the tribulation of Thursday can be traced back to a European tie before Aiden McGeady was born, the intensity of the Old Firm has been raging longer than anyone alive today can remember.


With no new injuries to be...

Celtic left-back Danny Fox is expected to win his first full International cap later this month, when his adopted nation Scotland take on Japan in Yokohama’s Nissan stadium.

Fox – who won an under-21 cap for England in 2008 – qualifies for Scotland through his Scottish grandfather, and will be asked to make the left berth his own at a time when the nation are crying out for a player with some semblance of quality in that position.