After watching Celtic’s dismal performance in Sunday’s derby game, I think it’s fair to say that none of the players involved would receive pass marks. They were outplayed and outfought in all areas of the pitch and one of the most disappointing things was the lack of fight shown by the team.
However, the two main scapegoats are once again the familiar faces of Georgios Samaras and Glenn Loovens. A lot has been made of Neil Lennon’s team selection and his insistence on picking Samaras in the bigger games is a subject that has been covered several times over by both the fans and the media.
For that reason I don’t really feel the need to start another discussion on the matter because it seems everything that can be said already has been. The issue for me is the lack of quality central defenders at the club, and that doesn’t just mean Loovens.
How many times have we heard managers and football pundits talk about how important it is to have a solid “spine” of the team? A good central defensive pairing can have a massively positive effect on the rest of the team and I’m struggling to think of even one Celtic centre-half who could be classed as quality over the past few years.
If I’m brutally honest I would say you have to go back as far as Balde, Mjallby and Valgaeren. Every central defender we have had since these three have been questionable to say the least. Obviously this is all subjective and other people will have their own opinions on what makes a good centre-half but can anyone honestly think of a centre back who has played consistently well for Celtic?
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From Stephen McManus and Gary Caldwell to Jos Hooiveld and Thomas Rogne, every name seems to conjure up memories of awful mistakes and games in which they have been dominated by opposition players. The only possible exception may be John Kennedy who certainly looked the part but seeing as he only made 28 appearances in ten years then it’s difficult to say with any certainty how good he may have been.
Celtic fans are often guilty of thinking that players are better than they are because they have NOT been playing. One particular example that comes to mind was a few years back when Caldwell and McManus were having a particularly bad run of games and a lot of people were calling for the return of Darren O’Dea, who was on loan at Reading at the time.
His absence had somehow transformed him from a player who was not good enough for Celtic to our “best central defender” and the answer to our defensive problems. However, the fact that he has been sent out on loan every year since shows that was obviously not the case.
Which begs the question why do Celtic find it so difficult to get a decent centre-half? Of the current crop, everyone seems to be in agreement that Loovens is not capable of doing a job. For me, Daniel Majstorovic is too slow, is poor in the air for a man of his size and far too often makes rash decisions, as evidenced by his sending off in Switzerland.
Rogne looked impressive in the New Year derby last season but hasn’t exactly been a stand-out in his other appearances and doesn’t appear to feature in Lennon’s plans. And then there’s Kelvin Wilson. Personally, I think Wilson was the biggest disappointment of Sunday’s game and has lead me and many others to question how good he really is.
Before the derby, he looked relatively composed and comfortable playing in the team and without looking like a world-beater, certainly seemed to be our best central defender and quite an astute signing by Lennon. And then came that game at Ibrox. I don’t know whether the atmosphere got the better of him but he had an absolute shocker and was at fault for at least two of the goals. Add into the equation the two dreadful pass backs to Fraser Forster and it made for a rather worrying display from the Englishman.
Charlie Mulgrew is many fans preferred choice at centre-half and he definitely seemed to be comfortable in that position when he played there last year but he only got a handful of games and Lennon would really need to give him a run in the team in order for him to make that position his own.
It’s not for me to decide who Lennon plays in the middle and whether or not he needs to sign more cover but the one thing that is apparent to every Celtic fan is that we can’t afford to let our two centre-halves be dominated in such commanding fashion as they were by Nikica Jelavic and Kyle Lafferty on Sunday.
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Billy McNeill
We’ve never replaced Bobo Balde, or big Johan before him.
Or Chris Sutton!!
Charlie is the only one with a bit of composure, keep him there.
I agree with you. Him and Wilson are our best option and could be a partnership for years to come. He is not a winger though
Mulgrew is def the best we’ve got n he’s a full back, big dan looks like he’s nailed to the turf n dnt get me started on loovens my advice is put samaras in there he’s got good a preventing goals!!!
Bit harsh on Rogne. Can’t remember him doing much wrong apart from gettin injured all the feckin time. Get him in there along wi Mulgrew who’s turned into a cracking player. Until the red card he was our only standout on sunday.
Putting it bluntly I dont think we’ve had a decent centre half at Celtic for about the last 38 years. I’m 43 and I’ve been going to watch Celtic since I was about 5 and whilst we’ve had a few decent centre halves I’m not sure we’ve ever had one that anyone wanted to buy off us other than Paul Elliot. You could certainly apply the word commanding to Bobo, Mjallby and McCarthy before them but there were too many other flaws to detract from that commendable part of their game. Others who could come into the ok category would be guys like Stubbs and Valgaeren. Ramon Vega had a decent season for the time he was with us actually but that’s pushing it maybe.
Try and think of one Centre Half that another Club has come to Celtic and said we’ll pay money, good money for him? I cant.
In terms of choice above, as much as I find it difficult to admit finding myself saying it I think it has to be Mulgrew in the middle with either Loovens or Majstorovic. Loovens has not played too badly one goal apart on Sunday in his last couple of games but we need to remember he was not good enough not all that long ago. I think Wilson needs time to settle, I thought against Motherwell he was there for the taking at at one point was left for dead in the box and only poor decision making (sounds familiar) by the Motherwell player prevented a goal.
kelvin wilson is another poor signing in my opinion, he is not strong in the air and he gets caught with the ball at his feet too often and panics when under pressure. mulgrew is our best central defender right now and that tells you how poor the rest are but the next best is big dan so i would go with them 2 till we can sign a top quality defender.
Have to agree with Brian. Going back a bit I know but Paul Elliot was for me the best centre half we’ve had since Big Billy McNeil. Fast good in the air and quick feet.
If only we could find his like again.
Wilson and Mulgrew are the only 2 decent centre backs we have, I don’t believe Rangers have a better defence though, that’s just newspaper talk.
Bobo by a country mile never let you down against the huns a total intimidator.
Can you imagine him partnering Mulgrew, we’d have won last week had he been playing.
I agree with you. Wilson was the biggest disappointment (and worry!) of last Sunday. And he seemed to be carrying that form into Wednesday’s game. However, he may just need time to settle. I remember it took Elliot a wee while to settle and he looked the part for a very short period until sold.
We have had precious few decent CBs in 25 years. The ones mentioned above are about it and some of them had the occasional howler.
A possible strategy for finding a centre-half might be to find out who our greatest rivals are intereseted in and at least have a serious look at their targets. For some reason they seem to find reliable, no-nonsense centre-halfs who do well for them.
the likes of Stan Varga and Ulrik Laursen would be better the the current crop. I can’t even pick a centre-half pairing with our current CB’s. Mulgrew is the best of a bad bunch, yet he’s not a natural centre-half and also has his moments of ineptitude. Not convinced with Wilson after sunday. Majstorovic is too slow and a liability and I can’t believe that Loovens has now played under three different managers.
Which leaves Rogne, another player easily bullied by Jelavic
Aitken
Its obvious to me that if we do our shopping in the championship, then we get OK players..nothing more! Wilson was OK with Notts Forrest, why do we then expect him to be a worldbeater in the hoops.
The same can be said of the rest, things are not good and we don’t have the funds to make them better. The only answer is to set our standards high from our coaches, to our players, to our training, to our tactics,to our sports science and accept nothing else. Others do it, why can’t we!
If we continue to buy players with obvious flaws in their game then we must tactically create a system that will protect and support these defenders.(eg huns with Weir)
Our central defenders are left exposed to often with fullbacks encouraged to support midfield and attack. a more defensive strategy in midfield Wanyama in at the expense of Ki with Mulgrew employed behind any two of our central defenders pick any pairing they are all much the same but that all we have got.
While I am on a rant the Goalkeeper had a fantastic save today in the second half to keep ICT out He also played reasonable well against Ath Madrid he wasn’t a fault for any of the Huns goals.
I think he has to improve and develop more of a presence – English goalkeepers do not come of their line and command their area in the way of Shilton etc so why do we expect him to do it- he is work in progress can we afford this? but being hyper critical of ever error will destroy any confidence he has.