V Celtic

[gavin]

Bravo, Zabaleta, Otamendi, Kolarov, Clichy, Fernandinho, Gundogan, Silva (C), Sterling, Nolito, Aguero

Caballero, Sagna, Stones, Sane, Navas, Iheanacho, Fernando

Com on City

[Gareth]

Don't seem prepared for the intensity of Parkhead. Better learn fast.

[Swiss]

Yer fair play to Celtic, they came at us. Look as though they tired round the 40th.

Though their first was offside and the second an unlucky deflection.

[gavin]

Exciting half of football. They've got into us but we have shown balls to stand up and come back twice. In that respect it has been pleasing. Their goals were both a bit fortunate too though they undoubtedly had us a bit rattled. It looks to me as if our football is beginning to tell now and we should go on to outplay them in the second half.

[bluebrendan]

We should have expected that early onslaught. Clichy missed the run of the wide man for the first and Ferny diving in helped their build up for the 2nd. We need more control in midfield but hopefully Celtic will burn out around the hour, surely they must run out of steam.

[gavin]

Disappointing, especially the goal we gave away at the start of the second half. We could have nicked it at the end though. We just need two more wins now. Beat Celtic at home and BMG away and that should be enough. Be very nice to see us get points against barca though in the next couple of games.

[Ludo]

I know he's just back from injury, I know he needs a bit of time, I know it's a new league for him but Gundagan is shit. He has the touch of an elephant and the composure of a 4 year old with ADHD.

[lee]

todge that...like playing leeds united or something as shit

[Ludo]

Not 'like playing Leeds' but more 'playing like Leeds'

[lee]

we were not that bad ludo..thought we did alright to come back everytime..i'll take a point

[Ludo]

You're probably right but our defending was awful and Gundagan wasn't much better. We couldn't really cope with their intensity early on and at the end when we had little more possession we had no composure at all

[lee]

Gundagan does not look 100% yet

Missed KDB tonight

Sterling is looking quite good now

[KunDB]

One of those nights we did not fire on all cyclinders, but still scored 3. Celtic had one of those night that everything fell right for them and still conceded 3.

A draw and a point is more than fine, just seems inadeqaute because our expectations are so high now thanks to Pep.

[Swiss]

Gundagan does not look 100% yet

Missed KDB tonight

Sterling is looking quite good now

Yer, completely agree.

We needed Gundog to dominate the middle with Dinho, but Dinho looked far too stretched and Gundog couldn't get in the game for large parts of the first half. He's had a run of games now and as you said, coming back from a long lay off, the body needs to get used to the intensity.

[zacc]

Well that was a cracker, credit to the game of beautiful football.
Great object lesson for Pep and Bravo

[Rowley Birkin QC]

Yes, a great football match. Shame we couldn't find the killer touch at the end, but all credit to Celtic for having a proper go. Cracking atmosphere as well - although I prefer it when the Celtic army put their energies into singing rather than the pointless incessant booing.

Celtic's early pressure unsettled us and during the first half we seemed a little hesitant and a fraction slow bringing the ball out of defence. I broadly agree with the comments regarding Gundagan. He wasn't really at the races and as a result Fernandinho was forced to do a lot of extra work. Reminded me a of those games under Pellers when Fernandinho had to be across the whole of the middle because Yaya was just walking / jogging around a bit!

Aside from that though, we played well and only good teams come back after going behind three times in a single match. There's no question in the same circumstances that we would have lost that game last season. Onward and upward!

[Neil Mcnab]

Kolarov is no defender. Looked more assured when Stones came on. I thought everything they did came off. They played at 100%, we were not there with some of the performances. Zabaleta started to look his age. Bravo must have heard a few choice words from Pep after the game. He was brought in to play it from the back and hoofed it with accuracy to a hooped shirt nearly every time.