Celtic Team News / Match thread

[Graz]

What are they talking about? This is the same back 4 as played at Bodø, isn't it?

I think Gerrbrand played inside of McCarthy, and Maybury and Stearman were on the opposite flanks.

 

[highland fox]

Aliadere coming on..useful player IMO.

 

[Graz]

Aliadere coming on..useful player IMO.

Yep, would've been a great player for us to take on loan. Way out of our reach though.

 

[highland fox]

Yep, would've been a great player for us to take on loan. Way out of our reach though.

Wouldn't mind getting the other guy from Arsenal Owusu-Abbeye(or something like that )on loan...very quick.

 

[bocadillo]

I think Gerrbrand played inside of McCarthy, and Maybury and Stearman were on the opposite flanks.

Gerrbrand hadn't even signed when we played Bodø; Maybury was right-back just as he is tonight.

But they did have it right when they said that this is the first time these four have played together - the starting line-up at Bodø included Sheehan instead of Stearman.

 

[highland fox]

Good save from 'the Big Man'.

 

[bocadillo]

Come on, lads. Keep it tight!!

 

[joe501]

ooooh

 

[joe501]

lets see if chris o'grady does any good tonight then, well played MDV

 

[joe501]

full time

seems like we played well, it is only a friendly but still a 0-0 draw vs celtic is promising

MDV sounds like a new man

real blow if welowski is out for the start of the season, fingers crossed on him

 

[Graz]

I expected us to lose this one, so good result, and more importantly, what sounded like a good performance.


Let's just hope Wesolowski is okay!

 

[step]

I expected us to lose this one, so good result, and more importantly, what sounded like a good performance.


Let's just hope Wesolowski is okay!

Lets hope this is a sign of things to come. Cos if it is
We are going up, We are going up

 

[Graz]

The need for a new striker is evident though... They said CL hopes to have the final 2 players within a week, and they said at least 1 of those will be a striker.

 

[silkman]

Graz - sorry, didn't hear that; was that Ali etc??

 

[Steven]

Match report from the OS.

Leicester City 0-0 Celtic

Leicester City battled out a goalless draw with Scottish giants Celtic in a friendly at the Walkers Stadium on Tuesday evening.

Manager Craig Levein included three of his new signings in the starting line-up in the form of defender Nils-Eric Johansson, together with former Celtic keeper Rab Douglas and midfielder Momo Sylla.

Meanwhile, ex-Fox Neil Lennon, now club captain at Celtic Park, was given a rapturous welcome by the City faithful.

But it was the home side who created the better chances with Dion Dublin having an early penalty saved.

However, Levein will have been pleased with the performances of his players as the start of the Championship season draws ever closer.

The home side raced out of the blocks and could have taken the lead as early as the second minute after being awarded a penalty by referee Peter Walton.

After a powerful run into the area by Mark de Vries, a retreating Chris Sutton was adjudged to have brought down Dublin in the area and a spot-kick was given.

But Dublin saw his effort impressively saved by Celtic's new signing Artur Boruc.

Richard Stearman, playing at left-back, then hit the Bhoys' side-netting in the seventh minute after he was picked out by teenager James Wesolowski.

Captain Danny Tiatto, making his first pre-season appearance, tried his luck from distance on 13 minutes but his snap-shot drifted narrowly wide of Boruc's right-hand upright.

The Foxes sustained their early pressure and almost broke the deadlock three minutes later.

De Vries shrugged off the attentions of Stanislav Varga but his low shot was smothered by Boruc.

On 19 minutes the injured Gary Irvine made way for Craig Beattie.

It took the visitors 28 minutes to create their first real chance of the encounter with Aiden McGeady firing low past shotstopper Douglas but his effort went the wrong side of the post.

Celtic again came close on 33 minutes when Mo Camara's curling free-kick from distance narrowly flew over the hosts' crossbar.

Ten minutes before the interval de Vries was prevented from handing his side a deserved lead due to a combination of keeper and post.

His first-time effort looked destined for the right-hand corner but Boruc somehow palmed his effort onto the upright and the ball glanced behind for a corner.

The tempo immediately rose and at the other end Alan Maybury and Paddy McCarthy had to be on their toes to block close-range shots in quick succession from John Hartson, Petrov and Hartson again.

In the 40th minute the impressive de Vries dispossessed Bobo Balde and teed up Gareth Williams on the edge of the area but his shot went wide.

However, on a sour note, Wesolowski was carried off a minute before half-time after going down under a challenge from Balde. He was replaced by Joey Gudjonsson.

Following a slow start to the second period, Johansson drilled his shot wide of the Celtic goal on 56 minutes then Dublin headed over from Williams' corner as City searched for the opener.

In the 65th minute Celtic made their second change with Jeremie Aliadiere, on-loan from Arsenal, coming on for Hartson.

But the striker could do little to prevent Williams testing Boruc soon after but it was the Celtic No.1 who came out on top on this occasion with a comfortable save.

As the match ebbed and flowed, Douglas had to be alert to tip Aliadiere's shot over the bar for a corner on 72 minutes, which came to nothing.

Then de Vries saw his header from a Williams corner scrape the top of Boruc's bar with the keeper beaten before City made a double change with Jason Wilcox replacing Tiatto and Johansson making way for fellow Swede Patrik Gerrbrand in 76th minute.

Celtic also made a change on 80 minutes with Ross Wallace coming on for McGeady as both teams pushed for a winner.

And City almost did just that as Williams had his shot expertly tipped around the post by Boruc for a corner.

Chris O'Grady came on for de Vries six minutes from time but the game ended all square.

City: Douglas, Maybury, Stearman, Wesolowski (Gudjonsson 45), McCarthy, Johansson (Gerrbrand 76), Sylla, Williams, Dublin, de Vries (O'Grady 84), Tiatto © (Wilcox 76). Subs not used: Henderson, Sheehan.

Celtic: Boruc, Irvine (Beattie 19), Balde, Varga, Camara, Petrov, Lennon ©, Sutton, McGeady (Wallace 80), Hartson (Aliadiere 65), Zurawski. Subs not used: McManus, Fernandez, Maloney, Marshall, Gardyne.

Referee: Peter Walton (Northamptonshire)

Attendance: 13,087

Source

 

[Graz]

Graz - sorry, didn't hear that; was that Ali etc??

Yeah I heard the commentators say that in the pre-match interview, Levein had said he still wants 2 players before the start of the season, and he hopes to sort that out within the next week or so. And then I don't know whether it was CL himself that said it, or just the commentators guessing, but they said 1 of those would be a striker.

 

[Durham Fox]

Not a bad match really, Wesolowski looked excellent until he was mutulated by Balde. Sylla looks really exciting too, bags of pace and tricks. Even Gareth Williams had a solid game. Centre halves looked solid and Big Rab commanded his area really well and made a fine save and he can kick not something we have seen here for some time.

Stearman was woeful at left back but MDV had a solid game, showed signs of his form when he first arrived. Dublin missed a couple of ffree headers but did well. Celtic wern't all that to be honest.

Where about in the dash are moving to Jeffrey?

 

[Durham Fox]

No Connolly, Hughes or Kisnorbo tonight. All injured?

 

[Steven]

Do you like the first signs or are there still areas of concern.

 

[Durham Fox]

Do you like the first signs or are there still areas of concern.

Nothing concerned me tonight Steven, back 4 were solid, midfield inventive, if anything we lacked pace up front with the 2 big men but I don't anticipate they will play together when the season starts.