Celtic 0 - 4 Leverkusen

With 2 DMs we could provide cover for the fullbacks, and with Callum at CAM we can utilise the width up front provided by Jota and Abada. We need our midfield to move around a lot more though and make sure we always have an out ball.

 

No it didn't did it and unfortunately I was very much right.

 

No question about it they are a quality side. We created plenty of chances ourselves but a mixture of their keeper putting in a man of the match performances and some dreadful misses from us with Abada and Kyogo both missing sitters meant the end result was an absolute embarrassment.

What I find most interesting is the reactions to this and our recent form. On the bare facts of the results Ange should be punted forthwith. But for me not so. The utter shambles we were at the end of the season where we all knew that pretty much the whole old team was going to be sold or not offered new contracts and an entirely new team recruited meant at best we were in a bad place and in for a rocky ride this season. Then you add in the recruitment fiasco that was in terms of when Ange was eventually appointed and the fact it was so late in the day and then the covid restrictions meant Ange had very little time before we were playing games again had me feeling this season was going to be an utter shambles. But one month in and you could see at least in principle what Ange was trying to do and we had some promising results and signs with the likes of Kyogo and Hart coming in and lighting it up right away as well as the return to form of both McGregor and Rogic and the return of Forrest. But equally it was clear we still had a long long way to go particularly as a defensive unit. Then the international break and the injuries to everyone bar Hart and Rogic really exposed how thin we were and that really is not surprising given how many players were sold or released. Plus of course anytime your bringing in so many new players it is not going to click over night.

For me we still badly need a top quality centre back, left back and holding mid in particular IMHO. We still have players to be sold who have no future as part of this new team IMHO those being Bolingoli, Taylor, Barkas, Biton and Ajeti while Griffiths is not offered a new deal at the end of his loan. CVV does not convince me yet but the jury is still out on him. Starfelt same so that really leaves us with only Jullien as an established centre back I personally trust and that is me assuming he really wants to be part of this rebuild and he does not want to leave. If he does leave then we still need 2 first choice centre backs. For me Starfelt and Welsh are decent backups but nothing more and CVV is a stop gap. Montgomery's emergence for me is good as a backup at left back so sell Taylor as well as Bolingoli. Bain is fine as back up to Hart so sell Barkas. I like the looks of Juranovic and Ralston is a solid backup at right back.

But when you add up the above that really means defensively as we stand right now only the right back and keeper spots are looking good and sorted which goes a long way to explaining why we are so bad defensively right now. In addition the holding mid or 6 position is also needing sorted. McCarthy is a long way off what we need right now. Like Starfelt maybe he will come good but for now he is at best a back up. So a new player is needed there. Then we can move McGregor to the 8 spot where he is IMHO at his best and Soro can be his back up there. Biton I think at this point can be moved on his time has come and gone. Tunbull has been a disappointment this season so far. Some good moments sure but equally some dreadful moments and overall very inconsistent. Really the 10 spot should be about Rogic and Turnbull not both in the team at the same time IMHO. Up front Kyogo well whats not to like. Then we will see what Giakoumakis is all about as things progress now he is ready to start playing. Ajeti well it is just going to happen so sell for me. On the wings we badly need Forrest back to take some of the load off the promising Abada and Jota well for me I would already be looking to activate the clause and buy him outright.

Bottom line for me is while Ange is not untouchable clearly for me he gets a pass for now due to the enormity of the rebuild and the complete shambles he was handed to start the season and the lack of time to get us truly ready. I can see and like what he is trying to do and if he succeeds it will be a joy to watch. Equally if he fails it will look like last night. Time will tell which it ends up being but for me time is exactly what I am prepared to give Ange. Having said that how we play and the result most of all on Sunday is massive now.

 

Thinking back to Lennon's first reign and how we played such negative football, even though that gaves us the Barca win, it feels that now we are at least trying to compete footballing wise and it is entertaining. I favour that to scaredy football.

The thing is, I know there's no need for us to play negative again to be successful in Europe. We would just need the board to do it's job. There's no need for over spending or anything like that, we would just have to invest our money wisely. By doing that, we would also increase our ressources as Rodgers proofed.

I don't think the discussion about Ange will bring anything, even though he could improve things a little bit by being less stubborn. But as long as our shareholders and board are in place, nothing will change apart of one face at the sideline. We won't improve for more than a few weeks.

 

Something tells me Giakoumakis will be a revelation to this team once he settles in and gets his mojo working. He is a big strong lad and a proven scorer with both feet and his head and is also a mobile threat up front.

He will take defenders attention off Kyogo so that he can weave his magic. Also will be a good sub for him if needed and vice versa. If Ange can accommodate them both on the pitch and they both compliment each other then even better.

We need another forward as well because Ajeti can not be our third choice central attacker.

I am sure Giakoumakis will put those crosses away from the wingers each side of him.

 

Do you know much about him? I can’t see him and Kyogo playing together a lot. After the Hun game and Kyogo being on the left to play Eddy, I don’t think he’ll move him from our main striker for anybody again unless it’s a desperate attempt to get a winner.

 

I think That with a full team and Koyogo through the middle, Turnbull or Rogic dropped and McCarthy to add extra cover to allow McGregor to move forward we will soon haul back the Huns

I think long term we need to have a better defence Ralston was too exposed he doesn’t have the skill to take the ball in and keep it this lead to their second goal he lost it and was so far out of position, Starfelt for me isn’t good enough the sooner Julian is back the better I this him And CCV might be a better combination

Montgomery is still learning there was a few decisions he made that showed his naivety so a more experienced LB is still needed with Monty as back up.

I really feel that this team is showing things we just didn’t have last season but results need to change starting on Sunday which if we produce the attacking display we will run by them

 

Would take a change in formation. 3-5-2 is interesting, but that means dropping regular wingers in favor of wing backs.

 

Maybe 4-4-1-1 or 4-4-2 if they were to play together. Or either plays as a false 9. Am happy to see them play as subs for each other and not wear themselves out playing the high tempo game twice a week for a full 90 minutes. Or have Kyogo roughed around like a rag doll each time he contests for the ball in a tackle. He is brave but also vulnerable to thug players who want to take him out of the game and he regularly cops blows to the head and refs turn a blind eye. Talented players need to be protected by attentive referees.

Either way I can see Giakoumakis nodding in those crosses - he has the height for it and the physical strength as well.

 

For real? His teams were attacking us *, had a lot of goals in them. * even that Barca game at 1-0 up he brought a striker on for our right back that somehow worked out for us with Watt scoring and Commons playing pretty much at RB

 

Was close mind..

 

Googled Leverkusen to find out a bit about them and was shocked to see they’ve only won 3 trophies