poss cause of defense

do you think our problems at the back stem from a switch from zonal back to conventional defending.

before anyone says we were * at zonal marking i know this but this was prob drumed into the players every day, and now they need to change again.

or is it our open attacking play thats to open.

or are our defenders just not good enuf.

or wot is your sujestion

 

i woudl say too many "school boy errors" is the problem but ffs they are worse than that

 

I don't think it is man marking that is the root of the problem. The zonal system that Strachan used was absolutely horrendous and cost us many goals, especially from corners, free kicks and crosses into our box.

No I think the root problem is that McManus and Caldwell are just
not Celtic class, and if we can get someone to partner Glenn Loovens who I rate as our best CB then we will be alright.

Now whether that is O'Dea or Thomson or someone even possibly like
John O'Shea only time will tell.

 

John O'Shea?!

Whats with this obsession with poor/average Irish players like they are the best in the world??

 

O'Shea a poor player

He is so poor that Sir Furious has him playing week in week out for Manchester United

 

No, O'Dea is poor, O'Shea is average and is a utility player and he isnt a regular when the 1st choice players are fully fit.

Of all the players in world football, why should Celtic go after O'Shea, cos he's Irish?? Do you realise what he earns at United and turned down other EPL clubs to remain at United. What makes you think he's interested in playing in the SPL for Celtic?

 

I think part of the problem is that Tony Mowbray likes ALL his players to play football. Unfortunately for him our centre-backs are not up to doing it. If we continue to ask Loovens, Heid and McManus to take the ball into feet and try and pass the ball through the midfield then I can see a few more bloopers happening before this season is over. I've also noticed in a few games this season that our defenders are not clearing their lines when they get the chance. Even when they are under pressure! They are trying to play their way out of trouble and the end result is we're putting OURSELVES in trouble sometimes. I'd rather just see the ball cleared to safety and deal with it from there.

The second part of the problem is poor concentration levels. There can be no other explanation for why so many goals are being conceded in the first 10 mins of matches. I don't know what the solution to this is. I'd imagine TM and Peter the Pointer have been in the centre-backs faces in the dressing room stressing to them the importance of not giving an early goal away and yet it's still happening with alarming regularity. Hopefully they will find a way to get the message through sooner rather than later!

 

I'd say O'Shea is slightly above average (although not by much) but are you telling me he's not interested in coming to Celtic? But he's Irish so we must be his boyhood heroes

 

If Celtic offered 60 grand a week then maybe he would come but he is not top drawer and wages again would be an issue .

 

John O'Shea only just manages to look decent when surrounded by world class team mates. Playing for Celtic I think he'd look pretty ordinary. He certainly would not be worth the wages he would demand.

 

He's a very well paid utility player because Ferguson knows he'd have to get 3 squad players, 3 egos, 3 wage packets to replace him. He's asset to United for the options to gives to Ferguson but do we need a 60k a week utility player thats not exceptional at any position he can play in?

I can think of far better things Celtic can do with that sort of money

Thats alot of it too

 

Im not disagreeing with you ,i wouldnt want him at parkhead and certainly not for that kind of money either ,its just funny how a random name got picked from the thousands of centre backs and this one happened to be Irish .

 

Same goes for Darren Fletcher IMO!

 

If anybody thinks Darren O`Dea is the answer to our defensive problems they should have a look at the Reading fan sites. He has been a bit of a disaster especially against Middlesborough the other week when I saw them.

 

I can't defend these defenders no matter what the excuse is.

 

The centre backs are just not good enough , They think they can play the ball out constructivly but the sad fact is just get the * ball out of the danger area and if that means row z so be it , Am I in the minority that dont think all things Irish are wonderfull ie O"Dea and Robbie * Keane ?

 

Nah I for one agree. Of course if they're good enough they're good enough (Keane, Given, Ireland) but what * me off is people alleviating players due to their nationality (O'Dea, Roy Keane) and/or the consistent linking on nothing more than nationality (Robbie Keane isn't even a Celtic fan ffs).

 

in my time watching celtic the only time we had someone in defence that was feared and intimidating and we lost poss the least amount of goals in this time was with balde, yeh the team was better then but was that not down to trust in the defence.

there is also the flip side we had people who could score goals and take the pressure of our defence ,making their job easier.

 

Fear has nothing to do with it though, I can probably name 10 centre-backs in the last 10 years or so I'd rather have than Balde..