The Taming of the Blues
The Derby last Sunday unfurled in the manner of the classic three act play.
(That is my artifice and I am sticking to it).
Act One
In which the Evil King exerts a brutal dominance! Gasp! Horror!
Celtic’s first 7 minutes were, to use technical football parlance, a bit rubbish.
With so much riding on the game, and with the Celtic start in the February Derby at the forefront of their minds, it was no surprise that the home side came flying out.
Up to the 6th minute, Celtic managed just one pack pass (a forward pass taking an opponent out the game), and that was only Hart to Taylor. The Rangers had played 6 such passes in that time. The most incisive being the inside pass from Bassey to Kent that presaged the opening goal.
Celtic were, essentially, caught cold.
Their shape out of possession was very interesting with Rogic joining Giakoumakis to make a 4-2-4 pressing shape. This would, over the game, prove quite effective in limiting the passing capabilities of Jack and Lundstram as we will see later, but in the first few minutes, this seemed to cause Celtic to be bent out of shape.
On 7 minutes, the ball was recycled on The Rangers right and switched back over to the Celtic left. However, the compact defensive alignment we would see repeatedly in the second half, was broken in that moment.
Whilst Jota and Juranovic both shuttled over to defend their flank upon the ball being switched, the rest of the team did not follow.
Rogic pressing up as a second striker in their half worked well. However, when Celtic are defending their own box, I believe Rogic should be back “in shape” in the right sided number 8 half space as shown.
The error is compounded by two things. Juranovic ball watching and letting Kent slip in behind him.
But more systemically, the whole team being about 5 yards too far to the Celtic left leaving an extraordinary gap.
As I always say, three errors compounded usually results in big trouble.
That very brief first act was further characterised by uncertain Celtic playing out from the back due to the intensity of the press and the man-to-man effectiveness of The Rangers’ alignment further up the field.
However, no other shots resulted from the home side, although a couple of “dangerous moments” saw crosses flash across the box.
Celtic made it to Act Two bloodied, but unbowed.
Act Two
In which hegemony is restored. Long live the King!
Celtic’s first attack yielded a goal for Rogic, on the back of an intense spell of 3 shots on goal after McGregor had unsettled the defence with a penetrating run from deep.
The silence to fall over the home crowd was telling.
The xG Race Chart shows that from that moment, Celtic had overall dominance in the half.
Barring a Balogun header from a corner pass, the home side were restricted to long ranger efforts up to the half time.
Celtic, meanwhile, stepped up pressure culminating in the free kick goal for Carter-Vickers 3 minutes before the break.
This was the Celtic we saw in the 3-0 win at Ibrox. The half time stats showed the state of play:
Outside the goal, The Rangers created little, and Celtic, off less possession, got into their box 13 times.
Rogic, in particular, was finding room in the half-spaces that were not being covered by the double pivots Jack and Lundstram, nor by the wide players Aribo and Kent.
His heat map shows he was able to get possession in his favoured right of centre “10” spaces:
And also, crucially, in the box. The Australian led the game in having 4 shots and the highest xG of 0.83, all in the first half.
Celtic gambled on utilising Rogic very high and central. The risk was seen in that early goal against where he could not get back to cover the right sided half midfield space. The reward was in the dominance the team enjoyed through him and the establishment of a lead. His presence stopped The Rangers building through Jack and Lundstram who are both good deep passers.
His fellow forwards’ play was mainly restricted to being a nuisance to the opposition. The three of Giakoumakis (47), Maeda (46) and Jota (31) had the highest pressures numbers on either side. It was Celtic’s experienced play maker who benefitted most.
By half time, it looked a long way back for the current Champions.
Act Three
In which defensive redemption is gained and the true nature of “Angeball” is revealed!
Celtic’s approach in the first half was not without risk. Pushing Rogic up and choking off the route for Jack and Lundstram to dictate play from deep did leave spaces behind the initial Celtic press.
That was exploited fully for the Ramsey goal, but sporadically thereafter.
With Celtic ahead at the break, Postecoglou showed rare pragmatism in the second half. The captain explained it better that I here.
Celtic settled into a medium block and contracted into a much more compact team shape out of possession. The high press was still there when appropriate. But when The Rangers had the ball in Celtic’s half, they forced the play wide and defended the box.
The Rangers attempted 33 crosses in the second half. Only two were successful providing a volley and header, both awkward and under pressure, for Roofe.
Sakala forced Hart into one impressive save low to his left on 75 minutes.
Otherwise, the home side increasingly ran out of ideas as the reinforcements from their bench dried up.
Meanwhile Celtic were able to make logical changes.
Bitton’s introduction on 62 minutes proved inspired. He won 9 challenges / intercepts, more than any other Celt, in only 28 minutes! He also had 11 recoveries (3rd highest) and the 3rd highest pass packing score (40).
Even more impressively, the forward players kept harassing the home side’s back line allowing no easy progressions.
Giakoumakis (47) and Maeda (46) had the most pressures in the game with Jota also weighing in with 31.
The four defenders and McGregor had 20 clearances between them in the second half. This was basic, uncomplicated defending.
Another sub, Abada, had the two best chances of the second half. He missed both and so we were denied the spectacle of the stands emptying.
Yes, Celtic were helped by another tactically tone-deaf Van Bronckhorst production. But boy did they work hard to achieve it.
Summary
The Taming of the Blues, with all the pressure, showed that this Celtic squad, and “Angeball” in particular, are not defined by Hart’s quick goal kicks, inverted full backs, advanced midfielders, wide overlaps, high pressing and inexhaustible forwards. Those are the stylistic props.
“Angeball” is about team, togetherness, singularity of purpose and doing what it takes to win.
It isn’t complex or abstract but simple principles, well executed. Uncommon common sense.
It is a football philosophy as a Bill Shankly or a Jock Stein would understand it.
All for one.