Do Celtic play better as a team without Ledley?

We have such a good side that we can consider leaving out a Welsh International and one of our most consistent and hardworking players. For who exactly? Ledley has played all over the park for us, has played through injuries last season and has never complained. For me he is a complete professional with a terrific attitude. Centre midfield every game if fit.

 

Ledley mostly this season has been what Kayal was in the middle of the park last year, although obviously not as good. I think the main reason Lenny keeps Ledley in his plans is he seems not as susceptible to injuries as the rest of our fhairies who keep going down every game!
Also he's a very consistent performer, as the OP says, never terrific but very rarely puts a foot wrong and he's the type of guy who does work hard but you don't notice it as much, not like Beram who really lets everyone know when he has a tackle!

My midfield right now would be

Commons Kayal Wanyama Forrest

Beram showed last night he was/hopefully is back to his battling best, and he was Celtic's best player last season I think, so that's great. Wanyama is good as well I really rate him, doesn't score wonder goals like Ki or have incisive passes through the middle like Kayal and Sammy can do, but he's good at protecting defence and tackling - which is what we really need as we're good going forward but the keeper and defence need all the help they can get to try and get their confidence up.

So I would leave Ledley out the team, but not because he's particularly bad, just I think opthers are better at the minute. We should be grateful that's one player we can leave out through choice not injury!!

 

He does a good shift but he always seems peripheral. Not sure about him.

 

Ledley and Kayal are our strongest CM pairing. Wanyama is pushing though, Ledley for me as he is more of a goal threat than Kayal or Wanyama, which I think we still need from at least one of our CM's.

 

Ledley is definitely one of our best players if not the best because he is so versatile

 

Ledley is Ki + fight, heart and ball winning.

 

He said He is an Glaswegian.
He is just staying in Vietnam.
And, although I am one of Ki's Asian Fans, I do not want to defend Ki here just because I am an Asian, Nor I want to see the vice versa.
And I don't think that people who are critising Ki here dislike him with the reason that he is an Asian. I don't want to think like that. Although I feel personally sad to see one of our(Korean) favorite players is not very welcomed by the fans here, I understand all fans could be hard and tough especially when the team is in hard situation.

And I am sorry if I sound more like a Ki fan than the Celtic fan, I admit that I came here because I am a fan of Ki, but I want to say, since Ki played for Celtic, Many Koreans always support Celtic, trying to watch TV even at dawn. It might not be very charming to some people here, and it could be little off the topic but, I do think that Asian players playing in Europe would definitely help World's football more interesting and balanced. I believe this kind of exchange would be a great help to the football. So, I actually don't like when people saying 'we need more Scottish Blood".

Well, I wrote about Ki on forum as I saw some wrong information quoted from the media. So I thought writing the right information about Ki could be useful for Celtic fans to understand their player. As I see, a lot of foreing players playing in K-league too, and to me, it was very nice to know about them, their cultures and how they played in their own hometown.

Anyway, I do not want to join the Ki debate any more, because I see the same things repeat again and again. I think eveyone including me is focusing on different things(views?) about Ki with each other. So, I think/hope this could be my last post about Ki, And I wished/believed that Ki would be a helpful player if he used properly, and I wanted him to stay in Celtic and be accepted as a good Celtic player, but I am not sure any more if is good for him to stay, because so many people do not want him. Although moving team would be a complicated thing, I guess, I came to think it might be a happy thing, for both him and for many Celtic fans. Anyway, hope and believe Ki would do his best until the last moment he stays Celtic.

 

I think I made my point with this thread, making 9 pages! LOL.

Half of you didnt actually even read what I had posted, if you would know it was not a sincere view. Just a view at how most of you look at players and judge them.

The simple fact most of you now INCLUDE Wanyama in a first team along with Commons over someone like Ki show's a lot, if you ask me.

One result changes everything in the minds of a lot of folk on here, fickle fickle bunch.

 

I like Ki, arguably my favourite player at the club currently but I don't think there's anything wrong with sticking Wanyama in your team. Commons aye, fair enough, I don't want to see him starting matches.

The only way I could see Ki fitting into the team would be if he played in a front 3 on the left with Forrest on the right and Stokes centrally because a midfield 3 of Kayal, Wanyama and Ledley has the potential to dominate everybody in the league.

Forster

Matthews Kelvin Mulgrew Izaguirre

Kayal Wanyama Ledley

Forrest Stokes Ki​

I'd like to see that team but it'll obviously never happen.

 

I like that team, but you will have a bunch of folk here shooting you down for now playing brown or commons.

Me personally. I would have something similar. I think football has emerged beyond flat formations so you need to be a bit more inventive with positions.

--------------------------------Zaluska----------------------------------

Matthews---------------Kelvin-------------Mulgrew----------Izzy--------

---------------------------------Kayal-----------------------------------

------------------------Ki-----------------Ledley-----------------------

----------------Forrest-------------------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------Samaras--------------

--------------------------------Stokes----------------------------------

Yeah the above is what I would play with all players fit. I think the fullbacks matthews and izzy have the space to charge forward.

Kayal as a defensive mid would control the majority of the play and sweep up the errors, also giving the defense a bit of a better look in tougher matches.

Ki - from that position, he can control the majority of the passing play.

Forrest - can come in off the wide right, but also give cover to give the team some width.

Samaras - Have always thought he would suit that role he eventually played against Rennes.

Stokes - With the support of Forrest and Samaras with the bassing from Ledley and Ki would have more than enough options. I think he is our best all around striker

 

That looks good. We have many substitutes that could be easily slotted in to mix things up.

 

Indeed, Wanyama could fit in for Ledley, Ki or even Kayal...

Commons for Samaras or Ledley.

Hooper for Stokes.

Bangura for Samaras or Stokes.

Brown for Forrest.

I just think the shape offers a lot of defense and attack. To be fair a lot of the play would go through Kayal so we would need to be on his match, if he was not I don't we would do to well.

 

brown is capable playing as a wide midfielder of a 4, but, he isnt capable of playing in that formation in that position, he'd be a relacment for one of the 3 CM's, a replacement for forrest would have to be Paddy probably

Brown doesnt have the creavitiy flair or goal threat to play as a genuine winger/inside forward

 

No chance, Ledley works harder than anyone in that team. 1st name on the team sheet 4 me!

 

Disagree, Brown started out as a right attacking mid, arguably his best ever position at hibs.

He cant pass, he runs around like a headless nutter. A bit further forward on the right is all but perfect for him. Doesnt need to worry about doing anything until he runs out of steam and he can shoot or slide it to a striker.

Forrest has no creativity or flair either. Both are very similar just brown has been groomed towards a centre mid position. Don't know why.

Paddy. He would be fetching the tea. Would not have him even on the bench.

 

Ledley.. one of our most consistent players.....

 

He's consistently alright. Has the odd really good game but that's it.

 

Without Ledley, this current teams just falls to dust. You only need to look at some of the games he's missed to see how much he affects our performance.

Inverness game back in May 2011; Ledley missed it; beaten 3-2

Rangers game in September 2011; Ledley missed it; beaten 4-2.

Now look at the same fixtures at the same venues, where Ledley has played:

Inverness game back in August 2010; Ledley played; won 1-0.

Rangers game back in January 2011; Ledley played; won 2-0.

Now it may look like I'm crediting Ledley with both of these victories, which I'm not, as it would be wrong on so many levels. My point with this comparison is to show that without him, the team just don't play as good and that can often lead to defeats. It should be a commonly known fact amongst Celtic supporters by now that Ledley and Kayal are the best two central midfielders at the club.

 

By that logic, Izaguirre should never get a game again.

 

For the love of *, what next?

Forrest if he doesn't play, Kayal, Stokes????

We need a big squad & it's a great position to be in, the fact that we can actually win games with back up playing - and it will be even better when we have everyone back to full fitness!!!

But enough already!!!

And regarding Ledley - look at the stats, when he plays, we win far more often than not!

He's very important to the team and has far more fight in him than Ki ever will...

Joe Ledley is an essential member of Celtic FC and long may that continue!

Hail Hail