Bottle

It's a legitimate concern tbf. We haven't qualified for the group stages of European competition with this team yet.

We've had three goes at it and we've been knocked out three times. Obviously got into it this season due to FC Sion being idiots.

 

We done quite well when we got there though. That should stand us in good stead when we hit the qualifiers.

 

Absolutely, but we do have our issues in trying to get there. Was definitely impressed with how this young team handled that group we were landed with.

Not being negative just for the sake of it, just trying to be a bit realistic.

 

We need some fresh faces before the qualifiers start, time will tell if we get what we need to push on from here.

 

This is true and I hope you're right but in the qualifiers once again the pressure is on which is the crux of the matter here, there isn't the same kind of pressure in the group stages. At the time I thought we were playing well in those games because the pressure was off since we shouldn't really have been there.

 

This post sums up how stupid the opionion that we keep bottling it is.

How on earth can you say Inerness was one of the biggest games under Lenny and ignore Dundee United the week before and then all the league games after it (I can accept that Motherwell at CP didn't come down to bottle as the players probably new early doors that we couldn't win the league). The games after Inverness were, if anything, bigger as the players knew there could be no more slip ups. Against Dundee United three days before Inerness they were in the same position - win every game and we win the league.

You've also ommited the OF game at Christmas (and every other one we've won under Lenny) some are saying the pressure was off when we started the run because we weren't expected to do anything. Well by that night the pressure was definitely back on and that game was far bigger than the game we've just lost. Going into the game the players knew they'd go top of the league if they won. The certainly showed bottle that night.

I'm not saying we haven't lost big games because we have but what happens is when we win them we celebrate and when we loose then we've no bottle.

Utter Pish.

 

This whole bottler myth is pure *.

Apparently its only a "big game" when we lose.

But beating an in form Motherwell away when we were 15 points behind earlier this season and in bad form shows what a bunch of "bottlers" they are.

Beating Rangers to go top of the league shows what a bunch of bottlers we are.

Winning 26 consecutive domestic games shows what a bunch of bottlers we are.

Some folk need to catch a * grip and stop believing hun myths.

 

EVERY game from April last season after the last OF game was must win.

Win every game and the league would have been ours. The players knew that. We blew it. Simple.

There is a weakness of mentality right through this team IMO. Anybody who says otherwise is just trying to mask it.

Too many players hide or have off days.

There does seem to be to be a definite lack of leadership on the pitch at times.

As has been said by numerous people previously it has to be addressed.

 

There is some kind of problem with the players, preparation for games, i don't know if i would call it bottle. The players have shown they have bottle for tough matches, yet they have also shown a lack of bottle for big matches as well. They haven't been consistent in the big matches, there have been huge wins but there have been disastrous defeats.

There is a complacency i feel in the squad in certain positions. Up front Hooper has been off his game for a while, he has no direct competition. A few players in midfield are getting complacent too, with Kayal out Wanyama/Ledley are not under a whole lot of threat. A few key acquisitions in the summer, boosting options throughout the spine of the team. Players with quality and experience.

Our most experienced players out there are brown and Mulgrew. We definitely need some more experienced heads to get us through some difficult times in games. Keep us cool and calm, people forget our teams average age is around 22/23. They won't be consistent in the really big games yet as we might want them to be.

 

That's just football mate. Win some lose some.

 

Sure is. This is Celtic though not St.Mirren.

Failure should never be accepted at this club or we'll just turn into a diddy club.

 

Who said anything about accepting failure? I'm just pointing out that you can't win every match.

 

I agree. Wether it be the prepreation or the approach we seem to have to big games something has to change.

I've heard that Lenny is very close to all the players which i don't hink is neccesarily a positive thing. He's the manager and is there to strictly pick the best team not be the players buddy.

I hope Lenny has the required fear factor.

 

I realise shocks are always going to happen, you do win some, you do lose some, but at Celtic the aim is to win more of the big games than you lose. At the moment its a bit neck and neck. We need to improve on that percentage.

 

the only bit i dont like is the phrase " they wanted it more " how much do you have to want it to win finals and beat the huns every day of the week.

 

Sick of this bottling myth. Yes we've lost big games. European qualifiers, league cup finals, OF games. But we've also won big games, such as OF games, we've got credible draws against good European sides this season and remember last season we also won 2 European qualifiers at CP. I think if anything, Sunday's game wasn't as big as some OF games. Yes everyone wanted to win the league, but for all intents and purposes the game was meaningless. The league is won, and no result on Sunday was going to change that. For me the 3-0 win over rangers and the Scottish Cup game last year were both bigger, since they had more riding on them.

 

I completely agree with that - it's the bottle tag I have an issue with.

 

It's quite revealing to see what two adverse results does to some fans.

Faithful through and through my *.

 

I don't know that it's a question of bottle but what I see is a common thread of being in a good position then needlessly throwing ourselves in the * then nearly coming back. Take this season; we went in as the favorites, put ourselves 15 points behind with poor, inconsistent play (admittedly there were injuries) but managed to come back and wrest the lead from them (this is our only successful come-back). Look at Europe this year; went into the competition feeling good, got knocked out in a * circumstance, luckily got back in but into one of the toughest groups because of our failure in the qualifying rounds then nearly pulled off a great come-back to get into the knock-out rounds. Look at that Killie game; going in needing to win, expected to win and get knocked down 3-0, we then turn around and almost scrape the win but come up short (not a bad result but still). Then last sunday; big chance to make history, in better shape than them, get put in a hole by * defending and poor refereeing, almost make a massive come-back but just come up short.
I don't know how we change that. I believe in Lenny and the coaching staff and I think that we're still making tremendous strides. There's just something we're lacking though. Some steel and ability to put games away. I'm not one of those that thinks we should win every game 5-0 but I'd just really like to win some of these big games and I don't feel as though we do that often enough.