Originally published at: Ange Postecoglou makes substitutes admission after Celtic defeat
Celtic manager Ange Postecoglou admitted his substitutions didn’t have the impact he intended in the second half of tonight’s defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the UEFA Europa League. Postecoglou made a number of bold changes at a critical time in the match, with the Bhoys 2-1 up in the encounter. Kyogo Furuhashi, Jota and James…
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We’re still so thin as a squad, McCarthy is nowhere near it & it’s looking like he never will be. Ajeti is along similar lines, at least he was trying to press, Abada & Mikey showed him no support in that regard. Can’t see how Mikey can contribute for us, I know he’s had a bad run with injuries but I’d rather have Montgomery coming on at LM tbh.
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Unbelievable …his hands were tied. Utter nonsense. Yet again questionable substitutions. Almost the same happend against Ferencvaros and he made similar rash changes vbSt Johnstone. I blame AP. Is he being naive or is it arrogance? Huge disappointment as next game is a dead rubber! Once he brought on the subs there was only one inevitable outcome!
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And to make matters a 100 times worse the HUNS have qualified …
At least for the knockout …
Have to disagree John. Yes, they were tiring, but the collapse accelerated when the front three were replaced, and you can’t say that is just speaking with hindsight, because the same thing happened against Betis.
Abada is a decent call, but Ajeti and Johnston are almost like playing with nine men for all the use they are against a team of that quality.
If Jota is still on the pitch one of those chances we had near the end probably goes in. Grumpy Tim - agree, Montgomery would definitely have made a far better fist of it on the left than Johnston, offering more in attack and defence,
I thought McGregor had one of his poorest games for us tonight. Unusually for him his touch was sometimes poor, and he wasn’t showing for the ball the way he usually does. Maybe he’s carrying a knock.
It’s a sore one, Bhoys and Ghirls, because we were close tonight, but got to keep it in perspective. In Europe, Ange had made more progress in four months than Brendan did in almost four years.
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Jim, this was a massive mistake by the Angeballer end of…
Admitedly we were VERY fortunate to be 2-1 up but when you need a draw with half an hour to go you DONT take of the best 2 strikers you have and replace them with Johnston and Ajeti…
As soon as that decision was made it was inviting on an onslaught…and so it proved …
CM looks shattered…
Game over …
John let’s be honest here the manager blew it! We only needed a draw! Was amateur hour that team were out on there feet at 70 mins! He takes of our 3 best players and energised them! and turnbal for me needs dropped and it when given big chances in games he no right to be a starter, I rather give McCarthy a run out with bitton with Calum forward. But tonight the manager blew I lived in sydney for years they think different very insular and seek validation from everyone! " the world game" as sbs calls it! To annoy of the real sports there which is rugby league in sydney and Alf in Melbourne you need to live there to understand so he was going " show them" was a crazy few minutes of substitutions that killed us and he didnt have to go like for like anyway! Consolidate be professional
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The only reason I suggest McCarthy is we need to see if he can do it and needs games , so unless we give him that we wont know as I say again turnbal been poor , sadly calmac had a rare off form night. Listening to our manager say " we not thst level yet" Nah mate thst maybe be so but not the reason we blew that game it’s on you " mate"!
Really deflated with that tonight and so unnecessary no excusing it either not when in that position! So no patronising bs " not that level " he doesnt get a pass for that, he did ok nothing more and has lost two games in this group when we were ahead and in control through naivety! Not " at that level"! We could be topping this group! Nah " mate" not good enough tonight
I mean, that’s not much of a bench to choose from and I think AP is, deep down, prioritizing the league over Europe.
I’d’ve bit your hand of for “not a pasting” before the match.
Clueless and laptop r the ones making the subs the board send sms 2 them 2 forwards off defenders they 2 have 2 go until Ange gets rid of em we’ll keep coping bad goals,
Hart b stopping a few but was @ fault 4 the first goal and he’s not a sweeper so stop trying 2 take men on around his goal.
Whos kidding who? We have the worst defensive recotd. When it was obviois their left winger was having a gield dat, what did the mansger fo about it? Nothing
Tactically nieve no significant improvement. Is defendung a lost art? NOT JUST US no outstanding defenders in europe van Dijke or Rudiger csnt think of anyone else whi can header and defend Sorry no defensive qualities in our team whos to blame? Id say Kennedy
We are playing a team with a budget that makes our look like petty cash celtic are a massive team bigger than most support wise round the world but we play in spl and right next to epl who no fault of there’s are sucking us dry sky do nothing but ruin scottish football after we went for more money then had to beg when that fell through I’d say celtic had a vote on there own they would tell sky where to stick and sell there on station but spl won’t let us go cause we are main product so get share of money that won’t keep lights on never mind transfers people say new co rangers can say the same they can’t the died alright bit of paper work and old foes sfa somehow wants us to think that with out taking debt butane titles win buy fraudulent means without that they wouldn’t have bought the players Lord nimmio 1 man says it alright it should have went to a committee what a disgrace to peoples intelligence 55titles haha what about 3rd and second division not there now celtic fans are complaining we got beat by Bayer 04 cause our subs aren’t up to it give it a rest what we have to suffer by Mason law Lords. Gov.sfa.
Unfortunately we were not good enough. It could have been six two and perhaps should have been had their strikers been capable. Our midfield can’t defend at this level. Ange is taking the blame for his players. They were not good enough. When the other side have the ball our wide men have to help our midfield. I think James McCarthy should be given a good run. He is a class player. We will then see if he has it still. Against the better sides in Europe we are not good enough. Simple as that. Ange given time will sort it but he needs time and money and luck as well as his contacts in other places in the world where many European clubs don’t go. Joe Hart must be sick as hell.
A defeat shows we need more players asap and as we know this pathetic board don’t like improving the team when it matters.
The game changer was Bitton getting injured as he was winning tackles and getting good blocks something McGregor cant do he was having his best game for us for a very long time.
Whoever signed McCarthy and im not sure it was Ange ? made the same mistake as the guy who got us Ajeti. i will be honest and say putting on Ajeti for Kyogo is like taking off Hart for Barkas. at any time in the game.
i believe Ange knows Welsh is not a commanding defender and i hope he learns Mickey Johnston will always Flatter to deceive and its time now to play the right back Juranovik where he was purchased to play…
The team tried hard and showed great effort but we have at the moment 7 players we know will be at the standard we require and the rest will be a hit or miss we cant afford at the highest level