Scottish Cup: Celtic v Aberdeen (Saturday 8th February, 12:45)

As soon as the second Abderdeen goal went in, the players gave up.

 

Just dreadful. Said to my dad as soon as the second went in that we wouldn't get an equaliser and depressingly we didn't even look like getting one. What to say? Brown and Johansen were easily overrun in midfield, Samaras was absolutely atrocious (expectedly so), Matthews was a liability and creativity was non existent.

I think overall the main contributing factor to the defeat was the fact that Aberdeen approached it like a cup tie and we didn't. We turned up playing like it was just another league game and expected to win, whereas Aberdeen worked hard, chased everything and won every 50/50. Fair play to them, they wanted it more and deserved their win.

Atmosphere wasn't great (although marginally better than in recent weeks). The Feyenoord fans in 111 were decent but I don't think it helped the fact that every song seemed to be something about hating Ajax which seemed to be a bit out of place given it was a cup tie at home to Aberdeen. Thought the attendance was * poor as it was unarguably our biggest domestic tie of the season and ticket pricing was good. Really expected more people to turn up given our form and the size of the game in our season as a whole and it was pretty pathetic and a little embarrassing.

A thoroughly * day out.

 

I agree with all you said mate, but the point I highlighted is one that has left me and others it seems very frustrated. Anyone would be very naive if they suggested anything other than this and it was clear from the first minute that they would harrass us on the ball and press hard and fast. We couldn't deal with it. In domestic games, I've honestly never seen Brown so detached and non-existent in my life.

 

You and Davers post set the shivers thru me. The truth really does hurt.

 

Johansen is Ledley's replacement.

 

Spoke to a few folk about the game, haven't seen it as I was playing. By all accounts we were second best.

Poor show.

 

Lacklustre is the best way of explaining our team today.

 

He is, but it's not what i mean. Go and watch Ledley's debut for Palace today. He played left back, scored a goal and then moved into midfield.

Ledley is a differnt 'kind' of player.

Surely you'd want to have had Johansen playing next to Ledley, not in his place. Ledley goes and realistically another midfielder should have been signed. Otherwise Samaras plays somewhere in between that position, someone who can't tackle and someone who can't play a simple pass when the play opens up in front. Someone with physical menace.

Otherwise, the options are a winger and not a central midfielder, not someone good defensively as well as offensively.

It's not a slight on Johansen that i'm saying this. I'm saying it because it's plain to see that we have a lot of attacking options, but without the defensive cover and someone who always goes looking for the space. Someone who can sit and link up the play, Johansen doesn't have the simple pass. The pass that would be an option if we still had Ledley playing alongside Johansen and if not someone should have been brought in.

Is it such a big stretch to sign two quality midfielders in one window?

 

Commons played badly today and a result of that we had very little cutting edge to our game, it's shocking how much we rely on commons just now.

 

Sometimes u just gotta say the best team won and the sheep were today .disappointed and angry but fair result on play

 

Agree entirely. He plays poorly, and we lack a plan B. And even when we show our plan B it's too * late.

Today's starting 11 was conservative - and we were * punished for it because we completely failed to comprehend how Aberdeen would approach the game.

That is inexcusable. Especially when armchair pundits can dictate how the match will pan out - and be proved entirely correct.

Very poor.

 

I think he plays badly quite a lot, it's just that he masks the performance with a goal more often than not. Very frustrating player.

 

This is spot on

 

Agreed.

 

I've been reluctant to say it because of the inevitable abuse but I don't really like commons as a player. He scores goals which is great but he fannys about a lot and isn't very skillful or pacey. I think the fact he is probably our best attacking player is really depressing.

I'm pinning all my hopes on Leigh Griffiths, think he looks exciting.

 

Summed it up

 

Why were there Feyenoord fans there also? Missed the relevance of that...

 

Never been a big fan of Commons.

 

I wouldn't go so far as to say "I don't like" Commons as a player but I get where you're coming from. He can do some nice things but he's vastly over-rated by some Celtic fans.