ABP' wrote:I don't think Celtic are getting as many compliments as they deserve. I thought they did the basics very well and completed their sets by finishing them off with a good, deep kick that usually kept Richards pegged back in his own ten or twenty. In defence, they slowed the play the ball effectively and really pressured us into situtions where we'd be too flat in attack and Tim Smith in particular seemed caught in two minds on occasions.

With regards to us, there were points when there was a complete lack of structure when we should have been playing smart, and then there were times when when we'd built up momentum and have good attacking opportunities but would revert to simple five drives and kick. I thought we made some very poor missed tackles, probably the most in any game all season, the Tim Smith/Amos Roberts attempt in the first half was probably the worst example and that lead directly to a try.

Our main playmaker yesterday was Mark Riddell and I thought he played very well. He ran from dummyhalf frequently and seemed relatively dangerous all game, making a few breaks & halfbreaks but let himself down when that kick went out on the full in the second half. Again, another player that let himself down with another costly mistake was Feka when he knocked on in our own ten. Until then, he was playing well making lots of yards in the process and I've seen a thread on here in regards to him which I think is a knee-jerk reaction. I was happy with Gleesons performance and his footwork is very good, but the only link up with Roberts seems to be the inside ball. I'd like to see Roberts hug the wing more and Gleeson try to suck in the winger. As regards the fullback position position, I thought we seemed much more dangerous in attack when Phelps switched there. He seems to link up better than Pat and has a good pair of hands that on one occasion set up an Ainscough break after cutting a couple of players out. Although Richards returned the ball ok, I prefer him outwide. I felt a little sorry for Ainscough and it seemed to be another case of one extreme to the other which unfortunately lead to him being subbed. He threw out a couple of crazy balls on the kick return, one that left us with little space and we ended up in touch and the other being passed straight into touch. When he did return the ball correctly, he looked fast and was hovering across the defence looking for a gap to jink through Robinson-style. He was dangerous, but lacked composure. I'm sure he'll learn.

I thought Stuart Fielden was bullied throughout the game. He was smashed from all directions and I think the only way he'll improve significantly is if he piles some weight on. Other mentions...Flanagan did well when he came on, particulary in defence but I would have liked to see him with the ball in hand a bit more. Tommy seemed quite dangerous in parts especially backing up the ball carrier, I think he's made for hooker.

All in all, we didn't play very well but we weren't dreadful. Celtic just handled us well, played the basics and striked at the right times. We didn't have the composure or correct tactics to control the game.

ABP' wrote:What I'm trying to address is that we weren't dropping a ball or giving away penalties every set. We found it hard to break the Celtic line because of their good defence and tactics. We couldn't make yards because they held us down to the very last millisecond before it was deemed as a penalty and they put heavy pressure on our halfbacks.

Jukesays wrote:Just about spot on! But it won't stop the usual picking out Riddell/Roberts & Bailey!

Wigan/Leeds Andy wrote:Celtic's home record before last night:

P W L D F A +/- PTS
6 0 6 0 84 186 -102 0

DaveO wrote:I have red several different opinions on the game and based on those Roberts was poor and for the 2nd week running was directly responsible for a try against us. Opinions on Riddell are at best divided (one good run was what I read elsewhere).

ABP' wrote:What I'm trying to address is that we weren't dropping a ball or giving away penalties every set. We found it hard to break the Celtic line because of their good defence and tactics. We couldn't make yards because they held us down to the very last millisecond before it was deemed as a penalty and they put heavy pressure on our halfbacks.

Pemps wrote:Alex, they're bottom of the league for a very good reason. No matter how long they hold us down, no matter how much pressure they put on our halfbacks, if their coach is the referee and they're playing with a gale behind them and going down brew on a 1 in 5 gradient, we should not be losing to them.

Like I said on another thread, I've never really set my stall out on either side of the fence regarding Noble but I'm now starting to side with Jonh and DaveO. Noble is directly responsible for the way we play, the tactics we employ, the enthusiasm we have. It's his job to lift the team and he's not doing it.
Comparing us to Huddersfield there's probably only Hodgson (The fullback not the winger) who I'd definitely have in the Wigan team compared to there opposite number but they're 4th in the league, without a standoff. Who is that down to? They're probably a worse team on paper than they were last season yet they're now 4th. That's down to the coaching. Huddersfield, more than any team in SL, show what a difference a quality coach can make.

Pemps wrote:Alex, they're bottom of the league for a very good reason. No matter how long they hold us down, no matter how much pressure they put on our halfbacks, if their coach is the referee and they're playing with a gale behind them and going down brew on a 1 in 5 gradient, we should not be losing to them.

Like I said on another thread, I've never really set my stall out on either side of the fence regarding Noble but I'm now starting to side with Jonh and DaveO. Noble is directly responsible for the way we play, the tactics we employ, the enthusiasm we have. It's his job to lift the team and he's not doing it.