One of Rangers rare champions league win was against Porto when Your winning goal was a barge on the goally with both ending up in the net .Prso should have been sent off even before that .Some of pens I named earlier are some of the worst decision ever in football , the penalty in Turin 2-2 last min, ball 20 yards from a player that took a dive
Hh67 - As you actually attend the games (I'm lucky if I get to half a dozen in the year but watch them all avidly from afar!), I'm interested in your take on them. Your various comments on the game last night were, generally, how I saw it. Victor Wanyama excellent, Gary Hooper working hard but first touch poor and Mohamed Bangura showing promise - don't understand other's critiscm of him as he's really only started in the team - was last night not his first full game? As for Georgios Samaras, I'm a little tired of reading one-liners about how awful he is but what do you think is going on with him? Yes he made one super cutback but what sticks in the mind is the twice he simply passed the ball to the opposition and he is much better than that. There's been a number of comments about his lack of confidence being brought on by the fans getting on his back - do you think that's a relevant factor? Also, what's your view of James Forrest? (I know he's young, still learning and a great prospect but I've been a bit disappointed by some of his decision-making in the last couple of games - dwelling too long on the ball instead of passing quickly and moving for returns etc like he did in the Motherwell game).
There is a missing link in our team at the moment ie commons last season , Forrest good young player he is , is not that link . Got pace to burn , interesting to see him play in the hole last night , he was actually sick on the pitch hard to judge him . As for Samaras I still like him , fans around last night were silent for 70 mins , then he came on and started shouting at every mistake he made , not a mormour when he set that chance up at the end , and winning the free kick for Mulgrew to hit
Your talking rubbish harry, nobody had a go at Sammy until he earned it. He started well and the crowd got behind him but them became very wasteful. After losing the lead fans where always going to be annoyed when you work the ball to a striker in space inside the box and he decides try and pass it to a guy who's back to goal 5 yards away with two men on him no matter who done that they would have got stick from the crowd. That's not to mention the ball behind bangura truely awful attempt.
"There is a missing link in our team at the moment" Sorry, I shouldn't laugh but I can't help thinking of Samaras when I read that
Thanks Hh. Ok TTC, I take it you were at the game too? Something isn't right with Georgios Samaras and I don't buy the simplistic remarks that he's a bad player - Neil Lennon and his staff must surely be working with him and telling him what they want him to do but must obviously see the performances that the rest of us see- so what's your analysis of the situation with him?
I think last night was one of our best performances all season. I hope N Lennon sticks with the same centre backs and the Victor Wanyama. Normally I am not a fan of big Dan but I thought he did very well last night. For the last two seasons people are posting on Celtic forums that we are buying too many centre midfields, loks to me we are becoming a bit thread-bare in that department now. Our mid fielders Ki And Kayal were out on their feet last night and one if not both should have been substituted Sammy came on last night and was his usual mixed bag. One or two great things and quite a few rubbish contributions. However what should be remembered that he did set up a glorious goal-scoring chance and also he was involved in the game in dangerous areas more than the other two strikers combined in the whole second half. At least he always shows for the ball and Celtic looked more dangerous when he was on. How the hell he can be expected to play with the crowd on to him and the smart-arses on forums giving him grief. If we don't support all of Celtic, we shouldn't support bits and pieces.
sh - I also thought that the overall performance was positive and there was a lot to take from it. I don't go along with all the criticism of Georgios Samaras but not being at the games, I can't really judge how the fans are reacting to or treating him. My view is that he never hides in a game and works very hard even if his mistakes can be frustrating at times (maybe the fact that he never hides and is on the ball a lot, accounts for fans' frustration that more doesn't result from his possession of the ball). For a big guy he goes down a bit too easily at times for my liking though and his body language at times also seems poor - but maybe that's just a Grecian characteristic! I certainly go along with your view that fans should get behind the whole team although a certain amount of frustration and impatience is understandable - given our desire to win the league this year! I'd also like to see a settled team and less chopping and changing (outside of necessity through injuries or tactics not working) which I think is just disruptive and doesn't give players the chance to get wholly familiar with each other's play and movement on the pitch.
EspaniaCelt Not for the first time you have posted a very reasonable and sensible post. If we had more Celtic fans looking for what is good in all the Celtic players and if they tried to minimise or ignore their faults I think Celtic would have a better chance of winning the SPL. I honestly think some "Celtic fans" prefer to be heard roaring abuse at the players they hate, then cheering the team to victory. Similarly rather than praise the good in a performance or constructively criticise what was wrong, they prefer to use their smart-arse one liners to mock or ridicule one or more of the players on the team they are supposed to support. I have often challenged anyone to explain to me how hurling abuse at a player can help the team. Posting stupid ridiculing a player cannot be of help either.
Samaras has failed to produce for too long, fans patience for him has long since past they don't want him around anymore, they are trying to get that point across, something Superhoops doesn't think they should be allowed to do but he's an idiot. He's got attributes no doubt but his record speaks for itself, utter guff.
superhoops Samaras brings it upon himself. He works his arse off when there's the chance of a new contract but as soon as the ink's dry he reverts to type. How long is it since he scored in a competitive game? His scoring record since signing his three year contract is shocking. Absolutely shocking. How he gets a game for Greece is beyond me. He's scored SIX goals in 48 games. Let me repeat that. SIX GOALS IN 48 GAMES. Scoring goals for the Old Firm should be a piece of piss. Look at Lafferty for christ's sake. Yet somehow, Samaras can go months without finding the back of the net. He makes me want to stop watching football. The thought of him picking up something like 15k per week drives me to distraction.
Stereo Typist. I advise you to do what you want to do and stop watching football. If you are a true Celtic fan you wouldn't ever want to stop watching football and of course you wouldn't post that you hate a Celtic player. I know Sameras does stupid things but if Hooper had not lay down 15 yards from goal or if Ki had finished the same pull back that Samaras had done so expertly, I don't think you would be hating Sammy now. I may have been watching a different game but Sammy although he gave up procession too often and too easily he also created the most clear cut chance for goal in the last 20 minutes. Hooper messed it up and gave away a penalty.
TTC - I don't really see the need for the personal insult.... just my opinion but there you go. sh has his views as a Celtic fan and is as entitled to them as anyone else. I also don't like the pandering to some of the Rangers supporters on here who must find it manna from heaven seeing such insults. Of course, I also don't understand how Celtic supporters can be bothered to respond to their wind-ups! However, each to their own, as they say ! LOL! Anyway, I take both your and ST's points about the lack of goals and general productivity from Georgios Samaras - points, I admit, with which it is hard to argue. However, I do think he brings other assets/qualities to the team. As I've said before, he never hides and is on the ball a lot (I'd love to see some stats about his possession of the ball compared to other players). The chopping and changing of the team also doesn't help any player affected by it and I don't think he has been given enough of a run of games to help settle him in with the rest of the team. Just my opinion, but I don't find him as objectionable as some and I think that Neil Lennon and his coaching staff have to answer for how he is playing. I, for one, want to see a settled team week in and week out as this 'rotation' system is not working and as far as I can see it leaves fans constantly fearing the worst given that we don't know which team is going to turn up...but we live in hope!
It isn't even rotation, it is horses for courses. It is hugely frustrating, much like our George. I am certain that someone is going to get a cracking player because of all the things you have listed...........it just ain't us.
RB - Not sure what your point is re 'horses for courses' - if this was actually the case would not the 'rotation' that's been happening have worked? I admit that I have found Georgios Samaras' performances, at times, as frustrating as anyone else but I can also see a lot of good work that he does for the team - do you honestly not see any redeeming aspects in his performances or do you simply subscribe to the 'bandwagon' approach of his detractors?
Hail Hail Superhoops, well said! I'm a Samaras fan but he really does my head in, the guy HAS something; it's just that 90% of the time he is poor. I would never say I hate any Celtic player. For crying out loud; cant we all just get behind ALL the players. Like Super says, Hooper messed up; but do we hate him for it... noooooooo!
rotation is bringing players in and out to keep them fresh. Horses for courses is dropping stokes and bringing Sammy in with certain games in mind. Matches against the Huns being the obvious example. I never said any place that I didn't see any redeeming aspects in his performances, but when he does things that are absolutely inexplicable coming from a professional footballer. The attempted pass to Bangura late on was baffling from the perspective of where he aimed the ball. It was not a mis-hit, it was a very deliberate area he aimed at.....criticising his decision making in instances like that is not jumping on a bandwagon, it is just patently obvious. **** like that is absolutely basic. Playing that pass at that time, in that fashion is not what a footballer does. In all my years watching football only this current Barcelona team regularly play passes that seem illogical. everyone else follows a pattern....except Georgios. I don't know what he was thinking. If it were a one off.....fine. It isn't. I never question his bottle, as some have done. I never question him showing for the ball. I question his brains. They are not footballers brains.
