Category Archives: 2012/13

Spartak Moscow 2 – 3 Celtic: Seminal away win may be Lennon-era milestone

Posted on October 3, 2012 by

Celtic banished an irksome hoodoo after a magnificent 3-2 victory over Spartak Moscow in the Luzhinki Stadium. Whatever the particulars of the long-term away track-record, Neil Lennon took momentous steps in his side’s development by delivering the kind of knife-edge … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012/13, Europe | Tagged , | 34 Comments

Celtic 0 – 0 Benfica: Sturdy Celtic can’t bring forwards into play

Posted on September 20, 2012 by

Celtic drew 0-0 with Benfica after a cagey match rooted firmly in a midfield battle. With both sides depleted, neither could create clear-cut chances, with a goal always more likely to be derived from a defensive mistake or a stroke … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012/13, Europe | Tagged , | 13 Comments

St Johnstone 2 – 1 Celtic: Saints’ hard-work is wake-up call for lazy Celtic

Posted on September 17, 2012 by

While Benfica had a weekend off to prepare for Wednesday’s crunch Champions League group opener, Celtic fell to a 2-1 defeat at the hands of St Johnstone in Perth. Kris Commons’ early opener appeared to set Celtic on their way, … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012/13, St Johnstone | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

Scotland 1 – 1 Macedonia: Scotland given a lesson in transition

Posted on September 12, 2012 by

Scotland’s World Cup qualifying campaign lies in tatters and Craig Levein teeters on the brink after a drab 1-1 draw with Macedonia. Nikolce Noveski struck an early lead for the visitors before Kenny Miller tapped in a barely deserved equaliser just … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012/13, Scotland | Tagged , | 11 Comments

Scotland 0 – 0 Serbia: Low margins rein in high expectations

Posted on September 9, 2012 by

When you’re a team as contradictorily limited and ambitious as Scotland, the margins between defeat and victory are so slim. That’s why the two most “successful” managers of recent times have been so cautious, so dependent on defensive football, using set-plays to … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012/13, Comment, Scotland | 14 Comments

New dimensions: Miku and Nouioui

Posted on September 4, 2012 by

The end of August saw a particularly satisfying conclusion to this summer’s transfer window, with Neil Lennon able to address key problem areas within his squad. A 3rd goalkeeper in Slovakian Lubos Kamenar, another centre-back, as Lennon describes “in the Wanyama … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012/13, Player Profile | Tagged , | 5 Comments

Celtic 2 – 0 Helsingborg: Direct approach to Champions League group stages

Posted on August 30, 2012 by

Celtic are back in the biggest football competition in the world, after seeing off Helsingborg in Glasgow. Already 2-0 up on aggregate from the previous leg, the priority on paper was keeping a clean sheet. In reality, Neil Lennon set … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012/13, Europe | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Inverness CT 2 – 4 Celtic: Attack is best form of defence

Posted on August 27, 2012 by

It was a familiar scene for Celtic fans as another precocious young striker dashed beyond his marker to face the opposition keeper one-on-one. Making his full debut against Inverness Caley Thistle, Tony Watt had only made fleeting substitute appearances for the … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012/13, Inverness CT | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Helsingborg 0 – 2 Celtic: Possession key but goals win matches

Posted on August 22, 2012 by

A glance at the scoreline might suggest an uncharacteristically comfortable away European performance from Celtic though it was anything but. Despite Neil Lennon’s pledge to keep possession and starting with a numerical advantage in midfield, his side never looked comfortable … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012/13, Europe | Tagged , , , | 16 Comments

HJK 0 – 2 Celtic: Patience rewarded with big away win

Posted on August 9, 2012 by

Celtic are through to the Champions League play-off round after a dogged victory over HJK in Finland. Neil Lennon’s side set out to calmly control possession, and save for a few shaky moments in the second half with the score … Continue reading →

Posted in 2012/13, Europe | Tagged , , | 12 Comments