A Night Never To Forget For Celtic

by Dugald Skene

Celtic   2 - 1   Barcelona

The moons, the planets and the stars all seemed to align over Parkhead last night as Celtic recorded one of the finest results in their history by beating Barcelona, probably the best team of the last 5 years and possibly one of the best teams to grace the modern era of football.

In the run up to the match, there was a lot of hesitant optimism among Celtic fans, knowing that it couldn't just be fate that had brought the world's best footballing team to Glasgow in the same week Celtic celebrate their 125th anniversary.

Fans always knew that their team would provide a challenge, but would most likely have their backs to the wall for huge portions of the game and following the match in Barcelona a fortnight earlier, they had experience of seeing the visiting team's ability to strike at any point, almost at will.  Could Celtic really turn the tables?

It would take a perfect storm for the result to go the way of Celtic, but that's exactly what happened.

From the outset Parkhead was in a celebratory mood, displaying a stadium wide banner hailing the club's 125 year history as the teams emerged from the tunnel.  The traditional Champion's League theme was inaudible under the huge sustained roar of the fans.  The atmosphere was electric, and it would never waned over the entire duration of the game.

Celtics celebratory display before the game

The match started in predictable enough form, the home team immediately having to defend as Barcelona traded passes amongst themselves, scoping out the home team.  Celtic were rigid and organised, clearly well drilled.  Barcelona set up with their usual formation, pinning two men out on the side lines in an effort to stretch the defence.  For Celtic, the key was for wingers and full backs to be in complete unison, ensuring every overlap was covered.  Not one beat was missed.

It could be said that Barcelona's overriding advantage in skill also contributed to their eventual downfall.  With midfielder Alex Song the only man around the 6 feet tall mark, there was a reluctance to provide crosses from the wide areas.  Instead, they zipped the ball around, often showing phenomenal class in their touch, constantly moving the point of attack and creating space through exceptional movement.

After 20 minutes, there was a rare moment of relief as Celtic broke into the Barcelona half, earning a corner on Barcelona's left side.  Charlie Mulgrew, the man who delivered the exceptional ball to get Celtic's away goal in the Nou camp, delivered a fast, deep cross swinging in towards the back post where Victor Wanyama, having run on to the full back from the edge of the box, climbed highest to power a header in at his near post.  Celtic were 1-0 up, and the stadium went wild.

Just as they had been in Barcelona, Celtic were in the lead midway through the first half, against all expectations.

Barcelona, almost unperturbed by the Celtic goal, continued as they had but a few minutes before, laying siege to Fraser Forster's goal.  Messi skiffed the ball off the top of the crossbar as he found a free yard of space in the box.  Minutes later, Barcelona surprised the home defence again, this time by crossing the ball for the first time, finding striker Alexis making the leap to head the ball back across Forster only to see it rebound off the outside of the far post and out for a goal kick.

Celtic were shaking slightly and the memory of losing a goal late in the half in the first game must have been prevalent in the minds of the players - it certainly was for the fans as the ardent clock watching started with 5 minutes of the half remaining.  If Celtic could see out the half with the lead intact, it would be an improvement on a fortnight earlier, a night which saw small margins steal a valuable result away from them.

Half time indeed eventually came to rapturous applause, borne more out of relief for many as they saw their side retreat to the tunnel to regroup.  The questions then started.  Surely not? What if?  The first half had seen Celtic have one chance against the 9 accumulated by Barcelona.  The possession stats told a similar story as the home team claimed only 11% of the ball for themselves. They couldn't hold out for another 45 minutes, right?

The start of the second half saw Celtic start brightly.  Getting to half time with the lead had clearly given a shot in the arm and there was clear intent for the opening few minutes.  Centre backs Efe Ambrose and Kelvin Wilson were constantly looking to push the defensive line out after each wave of pressure had been absorbed.  There was an awareness that they couldn't sit deep for the duration - they would accept the pressure, but they weren't going to invite it.

The second half had settled when Celtic manager Neil Lennon made his first change, a forced substitution that saw right back Lustig come of with a leg strain to be replaced by 18 year old striker Tony Watt.  It meant Charlie Mulgrew slipped back to centre half, Ambrose out to right back and lone striker Georgios Samaras drop back into a midfield position.

The change solidified the back four but unsettled the midfield as Samaras failed to follow his man on a couple of occasions, allowing the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi to expose more space than they had seen at any time in the game.  Lennon reacted again, taking Samaras, captain for the night, off for Beram Kayal, the Israeli terrier and out-and-out midfielder.  Along with the outstanding Wanyama and Joe Ledley, balance was restored in the middle of the park for the home team.

Never had it seemed a football match had taken so long to play out.  70 minutes, 75 minutes, 80 minutes, each landmark seemed hours apart as the away side continued to press and create chances.  For all the shots that went wide or over the bar, much to the relief of the home support, there were as many heading goalwards.  Celtic goalkeeper Fraser Forster stood up to every single one, producing 4 or 5 outstanding saves through the duration of the game.  Catalan sports magazine 'Mundo Deportivo' would later describe him as 'La Gran Muralla' - The Great Wall.

In the 84th minute Fraser Forster had his hands on the ball once again.  His tired launch of the ball carried it just over the halfway line where Barcelona captain Xavi miscued his control, seeing the ball instead bounce right through him and into the path of Tony Watt.  Javier Mascherano, having not been turned once by Samaras, was caught off balance as Watt's drop of the shoulder bought him the yard of space he needed, taking one touch to control and his second to coolly slot the ball past Victor Valdes.

The unthinkable was happening.  Celtic were leading Barcelona 2-0 with 5 minutes to play and the 59,000 home fans were euphoric.

Tony Watt (32) scores Celtic's second goal

It could have been three 2 minutes later as Tony Watt again stripped Mascherano with power and pace only to be pulled down by the Argentine as he was through on goal.  The referee let play go on as the Celtic fans pleaded for the red card that never came.

But the fans were still in party mode as the fourth official held up the board indicating 4 minutes would be added.  4 minutes to hold out, that was all.

It took all of 30 seconds of that time for Barcelona to strike.  It was the first time that they had strung together the short, tight, fast passes for which they are so famed. Xavi, Iniesta, Villa with the shot, saved low to Forster's left side but parried only as far as a poaching Lionel Messi who duly knocked in the rebound.

I'm not sure I've experienced a more tense 3 and a half minutes in any sporting arena as those that then followed.  Barcelona weaved two or three more phases as the tired Celtic defence did everything they could to repel them, eventually clearing it to half way for a throw in.  A couple of passes later and it was all over as the whistle was blown for full time. 

Celtic had done it.  They had beaten Barcelona.  All the tension was released and like a coiled spring, the stadium exploded.

I'm not sure I'll likely experience anything like it again, the sense of occasion being rubber stamped by a victory over one of the greatest.

As a stand alone night and result, it was one of the very best.  In the context of the competition, it propels Celtic into a position of control over their own destiny.  Benfica's win over Spartak Moscow means that Celtic hold a 3 point advantage over 3rd place, and sit 2 behind Barcelona.  Whatever happens now is down to them, but there is no doubt that everyone in that stadium, players and fans alike, will remember the night they beat Barcelona.


Stand out players:

Fraser Forster - Celtic's keeper was outstanding all night, rightfully earning him the Man of the Match award.  He'll be disappointed not to have kept a clean sheet.

Victor Wanyama - The midfielder was in imperious form, and deserves all the plaudits he will no doubt receive.  Barcelona's Xavi & Iniesta will be having nightmares for the next few nights.

Adam Matthews - Calm and collected, he combined well with Charlie Mulgrew as a defensive partnership. Never put a foot wrong all night.

Joe Ledley - The silent but no less effective partner to Wanyama, Ledley chased everything all night - a prolific work rate.

Tony Watt - At 18 years old, he has everything ahead of him. For 30 minutes, he was nothing but a pest to the visting defence and finished wonderfully to win it for Celtic.


Some post match quotes:

"Unlucky we lost even I think we played well. Happy to be back. No words to describe the atmosphere at Celtic Park"

Gerard Pique, Barcelona defender

"Quite simply the greatest game I have ever been involved in"

Kris Commons, Celtic midfielder

"Greatest moment of my life! We have just beaten the best team ever!"

Joe Ledley, Celtic midfielder

"Congratulations to Celtic FC for well-earned victory a day after their 125th anniversary"

FC Barcelona Twitter account

 

 

"What an unbelievable result for Neil Lennon and all at Celtic. Only Lisbon beats it. The noise was deafening."

Kenny Dalgleish

Murrayfield Will Always Be Murrayfield

by Dugald Skene

The SRU this week announced it was considering selling the naming rights to Murrayfield Stadium, the home of Scottish Rugby.

 

In a statement to the BBC, Chief Executive Mark Dodson said "The single biggest piece of our inventory is our national stadium. We would like to see if we can monetise that.

"It would be crazy for us not to look at using our single biggest piece of inventory to drive revenue. We want to get the right price for it."

Murrayfield - The home of Scottish Rugby

The response has been interesting, with many suggesting that it’s ‘money for nothing’ and it’s a ‘no brainer’ for the SRU.  Those same people argue that whatever the stadium ends up being called, the history and tradition associated with the stadium will ensure that people will forever refer to it as Murrayfield, citing Newcastle Football Club as an example.

Others, the traditionalists, are not keen, seeing it as a sell-out by the SRU, forever condemning the history of the stadium and the great moments it has hosted to a past era which will be forgotten.

Let’s be honest here – it doesn’t make a jot of difference.  I agree with the first group.  Murrayfield will always be Murrayfield to those who have experienced it before and to those that are still to be introduced to it.  The tradition of the game in this country is such that experiences are shared between the generations and those that will know the stadium in its current guise will introduce it as such to the next generation of rugby fan.

My first game at Murrayfield was as a nine year old, going with my mum and dad to watch Scotland beat Western Samoa in the 1991 World Cup quarter final.  The physical transformation that the stadium has gone through since then has been dramatic, with both north and south terraces being replaced and the West grandstand being completely overhauled.  No change to the name of the stadium will be as dramatic.  The symbolism of the name will not be lost or forgotten. 

But what, other than the obvious direct revenue, will selling the rights actually give the game, the stadium and whoever chooses to buy those rights? Does that even matter?

Murrayfield is massively underused.  At 67,500 seats, it is by far the biggest stadium in the country (arguably way oversized) and yet gets an opportunity to be filled only a handful of times a year.  In 2012, only 4 international rugby games are being hosted at Murrayfield; 2 in the 6 Nations and 2 in the Autumn International series.

This clearly can’t be enough to sustain a stadium of this size.  Edinburgh Rugby have boosted the revenue this year with their Heineken Cup run last season which saw them host Toulouse in front of nearly 50,000 in their quarter final.  This however, is not a guaranteed income.  The teams league games attract around 3,500, a crown drowned by the size of the theatre around them.  I can’t help but think the fate of the team in the league, which has been poor in the past few seasons, is affected by the emptiness of their home ground on a bi-weekly basis, despite the best efforts of their fans.

With the refurbishment of an excellent facility at Scotstoun in Glasgow, even the World Cup 7’s has been relocated from Murrayfield, losing a weekend’s worth of valuable revenue in a sparsely populated calendar.

A prospecting sponsor will be hard pushed to be attracted to plastering their name on a stadium that draws small crowds only up to 20 times a year and large crowds seldomly.  The question then would be whether a company’s name will in turn attract further events?  Unless it can, I see very little incentive.

Murrayfield currently supplements it’s income by hosting single one-off events, particularly music concerts but again, these are seldom.  An obvious alternative money maker is football, the best supported sport in Scotland.  But here in lies another problem – for such a small country, it seems more than a little crazy that we have developed two separate national stadiums for rugby and football. Each has their reasons for the way they have developed to what we know now, but the upshot is that both are underused.

 

The SRU may entertain the idea of selling the naming rights, and I believe that it’s only right they do so for every avenue needs to be explored.  However, I really struggle to imagine any company that would be enticed unless the SRU can attract more events to fill out their calendar.  In my opinion, it’s a fantastic stadium which struggles with its own inflexibility and it’s that which may mean it won’t attract any suitors at all.

The Final Nail In Armstrong's Coffin

by Dugald Skene

The International Cycling Union (UCI) finally confirmed today that Lance Armstrong has been stripped of his 7 Tour de France titles.  UCI president Pat McQuaid stated emphatically while reading his statement that "Armstrong has no place in cycling.  He deserves to be forgotten."  In addition, Armstrong has been stripped of all other titles won since the 1st of August 1998 and banned for life for doping.

They also announced that they will meet at the end of this week to decide whether the titles and prize money, gained from 1999 until 2005, will be reallocated in his place.  However, it has been intimated by Tour director Christian Prudhomme that the titles would be vacated.  It also means that 9 of the last 14 Tour titles have been 'won' by drug cheats.

Armstrong has been stripped of his Tour titles and banned

for life by the UCI

 

In the space of a few months, Armstrong has gone from being the greatest cyclist of all time to the most disgraced figure the sport has ever known, in a sport that is littered with its fair share of disgraces.

McQuaid went on to say "I’m sorry we couldn’t catch every damn one of them red-handed and throw them out of the sport at the time", conceding that the ever-growing anti-doping movement has still work to do to catch up with the drug users in the sport.

What does this all mean for cycling?

The optimist in me likes to think that this is surely the last possible high profile doping charge in cycling.  In a sport that has struggled with drugs since the start of the 20th century, maybe the conviction, albeit a few years late, of the so called 'greatest' ever cyclist is the sign to all others now and in the future that there's just no point in cheating.  Whether it be while they are active, or years after, they will get caught and any achievements in the sport will be spoiled and reputations forever marred.

The reality, however, is that cycling may never recover from this, despite McQuaid's pleas for the sport to 'start anew' all over again.  Yes, we are used to cyclists being stripped of titles and chucked out of tours, but this is somehow different.  The sheer depth of the deception is almost unfathomable.  Armstrong has been held in such high esteem over the years, boosted by his work outside of cycling, that no one ever really thought that it were possible he could have cheated. Now that it has come out that so many fellow riders not only knew but participated in the doping schemes, it seems to bring to light a ruthless and controlling influence that Armstrong and the men behind the scheme have had over those around them.

All this comes in the wake of the United States Anti-Doping Agency's (USADA) 1000 page report which condemned Armstrong for doping offences, based on the testimony of 26 fellow riders.  Armstrong has never been caught for doping, and has claimed his innocence throughout, finally 'giving up' the fight claiming that he has always been a marked man and can never influence or change that.

There are still holes in both sides stories which have done nothing to improve the image of either. The number of tests conducted, the validity of the sworn testimonies - there is still a lot to be accounted for.  No matter what comes out in the future, there is already sufficient doubt around Armstrong and his achievements for not only the authorities to take action, but for the public to question anything he has done or may do in the future.

Cycling as a whole now has a huge job to pull itself out of the mess once again.  More than ever, fans will take emphatic stage wins and tour wins with a pinch of salt, knowing that despite the efforts of the anti-doping authorities, there are always cheats ahead of the game.

What Next For The Ravens Defence?

by Dugald Skene

It has been a noticeable season already in the NFL for the number of high profile injuries, and it seems that the Baltimore Ravens defence has suffered more than it's fair share in recent months, dating back to when Terrell Suggs (last season's NFL Defensive Player of the Year) tore his Achilles.

More recently, it's the ageing but infinitely talismanic linebacker Ray Lewis (torn tricep) and starting cornerback Lardarius Webb (torn ACL) have been ruled out for the remainder of the season.

For Lewis, at 37 years old and in his 17th season in the NFL, his on field ability isn't quite what it was and as such, the Ravens will be able to replace him relatively easily. However, it's his unrivalled experience, leadership and influence on his whole team that will be most missed.  In his absence, the Ravens defence will be looking for a new leader, with big shoes to fill.

The obvious candidate is Ed Reed, veteran safety who has also excelled in the twilight of his career, much like Lewis.  But to add insult to the literal injury, it was announced yesterday that Reed has sustained a shoulder injury that should see him out.  The twist is that the Ravens have failed to place him on the injury roster, which if injured, is against NFL rules.

Cornerback Lardarius Webb has been ruled out for the season

The replacement of Webb is an altogether harder prospect.  One of the outstanding players in any position in the NFL, particularly playing in a nickel defence. The cornerback's aggression and tackling will be hugely missed by the Ravens in their defensive lineup which has bucked the trend in the NFL which has seen teams successfully expose the nickel defence.

Corner Jimmy Smith is the obvious like-for-like replacement for Webb though his effectiveness in the nickel defence is far less than that of the starter.

So what does this all mean for the Ravens?

There are two things.  Firstly, head coach John Harbaugh has to resist rushing any injured players back before their time.  Terrell Suggs returned to practice yesterday after being taken off the 'physically unable to perform' list, and although unlikely to be playing for another few weeks yet, there has to be caution coming back from such a serious injury.  For such an explosive game, where big men move very fast for short periods of time, a tear to the Achilles tendon is not something you want to rush back from.

The Ravens have also sprinkled seeds of hope over Lewis' injury this week, placing him on the injured reserve list and tagging him 'designated to return'.  Whether or not he will be in a position to come back during the course of this season is yet to be seen, but all realisitc signs indicate bad news.  In the meantime, the Ravens need to rest Ed Reed or risk having another of their key defensive players out for the season.

Let's not forget, the Ravens are sitting atop the AFC East with a 5-1 record and although games can never be sacrificed, players can and they shouldn't be risked for short term benefits.

The second thing for the Ravens is that the offence needs to step up.  Quarterback Joe Flacco has probably had his best start to an NFL season in his career, but will have to carry on that momentum and the burden of the franchise a little more in the absence of fellow captains and players.  The key to that is establishing early leads in games, giving an underpowered defence the chance to defend a lead, far easier than preventing a game get away from them.

The Ravens are ranked 7th for first half score differential, but most of that advantage has come in the second quarter and they are average at best at putting points on the board in the first quarter. This is what needs to change and the likes of Flacco, running back Ray Rice and outstanding wide receiver Torey Smith will be the key men tasked with achieving that goal.

The season is far from over for the Ravens, but it has got a little harder.  It'll be interesting to see in the coming weeks how a patched up defence and a far more relied upon offence cope with the injuries.

Craig Levein To Face His Fate

by Dugald Skene

The SFA announced today that they are set to discuss the future of Scotland manager Craig Levein in the coming days following Scotland's 2-0 defeat to Belgium in Brussels on Tuesday night, the latest in a string of disappointing results for the national team. Keen not to make any knee jerk reactions, they released a statement including the following:

"It's important that we just reflect on the start to the campaign, sit down with the manager and with the board and actually look at what's happened over the last few matches and, in particular, what's happened in the last two games and then decide on our course of action.

"It's important that we actually sit down, look at the facts and then decide on the next steps."

Craig Levein's days as Scotland coach may be numbered

So what are the facts? 

Levein's record in competitive games is shocking, achieving only a 36.1% win rate (43.5% for all games), far poorer than the much maligned Berti Vogts (48.8%) and the short lived term of George Burley (42%). 

Whether the causes of this poor form can be blamed entirely on Levein is the subject of much debate, but he certainly has to accept that a lot of that blame does fall at his feet.  With a similar, if not more talented group of players available to him than in recent years, he has failed to find a preferred, consistent and successful starting XI. 

In this most recent campaign, his decision to play with one man (Kenny Miller) up front in the opening two games, both at Hampden, was an immediate sign of painful pragmatism that quickly backfired on Levein, achieving a disappointing 2 points from 2 games. 

Although an improvement on the crippling 4-6-0 formation fielded against the Czech Republic in the previous campaign for Euro 2012 qualification, this immediately forced him and the Scotland team on to the back foot in the group, in turn making the manager swallow his pride and invite the outcast and in form Sunderland striker Stephen Fletcher back into the squad. Other players who have been in form for their clubs but not recognised by Levein made it back into the fray, including Celtic playmaker Kris Commons. 

His decision to drop Paul Dixon at left back, one of Scotland's better players in the first 2 games for Southampton's Danny Fox only added to the growing list of odd decisions made throughout his tenure.

Levein also used the long awaited return from illness of midfielder and captain Darren Fletcher to mask over the inconsistencies of selection and strategy.

For me, Levein has had his chance. 3 years and 23 games has provided ample opportunity to cement an ethos, an ethic and a successful record. Never fully embraced by the tartan faithful, he has arguably always been facing an uphill struggle, but that shouldn't deter from the fact that he has not fulfilled his own ambition and the nations expectation to win football games when it matters.

Levein must go, and the SFA need to see this as a black and white issue. Whatever their deliberation, it needs to be quick and decisive. Should he go, the challenge of recruiting a new manager must be made quickly, but not rashly - the next round of qualifying matches doesn't come around until March. I highly doubt that Craig Levein will be at the helm come the spring.

Packers Back In Business

by Dugald Skene

Green Bay Packers   42-24   Houston Texans

It's taken 6 weeks of the 2012 NFL season, but the Green Bay Packers finally seem to have found the kind of form that took them to a 15-1 record last season. In what was a must win game, the odds were stacked against them as they travelled to Houston to take on a Texans side unbeaten all season and owners of a prolific offence and devastating defence.

In the past 9 games with quarterback Matt Schaub starting fit, the Texans have won by an average of 20 points. On the flip side, the Packers have one of the poorer defences in the league, ranked 31st out of 32 teams last year.  Their success last term was predicated on the idea that how ever much the opposition would score, the Packers would just score more.

That sort of offensive form has not been on show this season, and most predicted the Packers slipping to a 2-4 record.  But Green Bay, led by quarterback Aaron Rodgers, had other ideas.

By the end of the contest, Green Bay had amassed 42 points against one of the toughest defences around, and in their own back yard. Rodgers threw for a Packers record equalling 6 touchdowns (matching Matt Flynn's effort at the tail end of last season in a game Rodgers sat out in the run up to the playoffs), notching up 330 yards with no interceptions in the process.

Aaron Rodgers led the offensive rout on the Texans

Despite all 6 TD's coming from passes, the Packers did not disown their running game, with tailback Alex Green carrying 22 times. Like in previous weeks, the emergence of a running game in the Packers offensive arsenal has provided the added dimension that has allowed Rodgers to exploit defences more with the pass.

The Packers dominated this game and led from the front. The Texans got 3 TD's of their own. their defence had limited success but linebacker JJ Watt did have another fine outing, notching up two sacks on Rodgers.  Quarterback Matt Schaub was less on form, particularly after being picked off twice.

The Packers now go to 3-3 and back to a .500 record.  They will certainly see this as a major turning point in their season and will look to extend this win into a series over the coming weeks.  The Texans, on the other hand, will not be dwelling too much on last night's defeat. They are still going to be one of the toughest teams alone will face and I still see them making it to the AFC Championship game come January. Their defeat leaves the Atlanta Falcons as the only undefeated team in the NFL, but they will be back. Nobody will want to be at the receiving end of their backlash.

The Problem With Playoffs

by Dugald Skene

I'll start with a question: is it fair that league titles be decided by a playoff system?

On Saturday, the Leeds Rhinos clinched their second successive Super Rugby title having finished 5th in the league on both occasions. Congratulations to them, but their win highlights the fundamental problem with playoffs: they undermine the reward of consistency in a league format.

Leeds Rhinos clinch their 6th Super League title

Increasingly over the last decade, and particularly in both codes of rugby, leagues around the world have adopted a playoff system. In the UK, the English Premiership introduced the knock out structure in 2003, followed by the Celtic League in 2009.

I have no doubt that a tournament style format at the sharp end of the season adds some extra excitement and heartbreak for players and fans in equal measure, and that it prevents any runaway league winners, but what's wrong with a runaway winner if they are clearly the best team in the their division and therefore deserve any title they rightly earn?

Look at a team like Gloucester, who came top of the then Guinness Premiership in the 2006/07 and 2007/08 seasons, only to lose in a playoff final and then a semi-final against the Leicester Tigers on each occasion. Gloucester have never won the premiership title since the introduction of playoffs in 2003 despite twice topping the table. Alnong with Leeds and other examples, this proves that playoffs distort the reflection of form over the course of a season.

Then there is the question of strategy. Taking a cynical slant, it could be argued that teams will strategise their season in an effort to finish in the top 4 of a league rather than first place by potentially resting players for the bigger games, ensuring they are available for the winnable ones.  What does that do for competition and generally upping the standard of the league and the sport as a whole?

I like the climactic nature of the playoff system.  I like that there is something to play for until the end and that it comes down to a showpiece event, a one-against-one all out shootout.  It's certainly great commercially, but for me does nothing to reward the team who more often than not, it seems, comes top of their league only for it to be taken away from them.

Scotland Reveal New Alternative Strip

by Dugald Skene

Scottish Rugby has revealed it's latest alternative strip by Canterbury.  With the upcoming Autumn tests, it's likely to be worn against New Zealand in Scotland's first match on November 11th.

What do you think?

Scotland's new alternative strip design