BSC Young Boys 4 Celtic Glasgow 1

So it’s probably time to sack the manager, sell the entire team and sack the board. Donati is pants, so is Virgo and the quicker we send JFK on loan the better. Is that the current feeling amongst the Hoopy hoards on the tinternet?

I would hope not. I have abstained from looking at Celtic sites since 8.20pm on Saturday night. Ye see, the supports reaction is strangely expected and worrying. It has been that way since we have been blessed wie success and landed wie a manager that rubs, certain people up the wrong way.

Thing is, oor trip to the land of the cuckoo has served it’s purpose. All fit players in the squad given a run oot against opponents who were up for it and further on at this stage of the pre-season. A victory and a defeat, not as heavy as the scoreline suggests, is not the end of the world. In fact the second game ended exactly wie the type of performance i expected.

Ye see, two games in three games along wie hefty training sessions are only conducive to improving stamina and sharpness. Against teams who are up for it, see the meaty challenges that went unpunished by the homer of the ref in the second game, and who were fitter and sharper the last 20mins of games were always going to be a fly by the seat of yer pants case.

Basel couldnae punish us, fact is the backline that finished the Basel game looked a lot more solid than the backline that finished the Young Boys game, but Young Boys did wie two goals in the last two minutes when the hoops team were trying to get themselves back into the game but the legs, touch and sharpness just weren’t there.

We were stretched at the final two goals, which gave the scoreline a flattering look to the average Swiss side. Hakin Yakin no longer looks like a yeti but still proved to leave the bhoys wie thorns in their sides after two easy shootie in chances for him.

From the start the Hoops play was slack. Passes going astray, passes short we just looked oot of sorts from the word go. We looked heavy legged and weary. Young Boys were up for the Urehin Cup while the fact we used 20 players probably belittled their enthusiasm.

Oor two best chances, one was the goal and Balde’s free heider, came from set plays. The other night we created chances through decent fitbaw and wing play from the full backs. On Saturday Barney played full back, to great aplomb but he is a midfielder, and this shows the lack of options we have in this area. Fullback is a position that is paramount to GS tactical vision but the lack of attention getting paid to it is worrying.

In the second half, after 8 changes at half time, we looked mair disjointed as the game progressed. The Swiss got fitter and the Hoops got weaker. Apart from flashes of skillfull wing play from Barney- the only bright spot and player too get passmarks- and Aiden we created nothing. We had a wee spell when we kept the baw for a period but oor final baw was non-existent and at no time did we look like scoring.

The maist annoying thing aboot Saturday was listening to Jock Broon gloating over the abject second half. He was enjoying it and he could hardly contain his joy when “former r*ngers target” Hakin Yakin scored two late goals.

It’s pre-season ye div. Has history not told you that the hoops, historically in pre-season have been pants and in fact that we have scored two goals in two games means that this pre-season oot-shines last years pre-season?

When we roll up to Peterbourgh on Friday we will have another week of pre-season under the belts. The players should by then be aiming for at least looking sharper and lasting a lot longer in games before blowing oot their arses after 60 or 70 mins.

Stage two of pre-season starts today and maybe now we are back on home soil GS and the SSM will be hammering their mobiles trying to offload and recruit. Maybe oor Swiss trip will be the last time we see some in the Hoops.

Forza The Hoops