23 Oct 2020 08:59:23
Morning all, I was shouting from the rooftops when I heard we were getting Duffy in after watching him down south but while not writing him off I've been very surprised by his terrible positioning he has been all over the place.
23 Oct 2020 11:35:22
In the last 7 weeks Duffy has played 14 full games for club and country, so fitness isn’t an issue.
I think he would be more comfortable in a back 4.
23 Oct 2020 11:51:08
Buzz, you make a valid point. let's judge him in a back 4 . albeit brilliant basics ahiukdnt be impossible in a 2 or a 3 . he has some making up to do to be convincing for us.
23 Oct 2020 12:38:32
He's been a bomb scare so far. I've seen a few comments about him not playing in a back 3 for Brighton and not being suitable for it. That's worrying when we purposely signed him to play in a 3 at the back formation.
23 Oct 2020 14:48:51
Can someone explain to me how a professional central defender would play better in a back 4 than a back 3? Is it because in a 3 he needs to cover more space and can't do it coz he's slow as f**k?
23 Oct 2020 15:34:01
It's clear Duffy is not able to handle the 3 at the back. Let hope Lennon and management team finally go back to a back 4. If he struggles then, he will have to be changed once one of the other CB returns.
23 Oct 2020 15:43:26
I thought a back 3 was doomed from the start with the defenders we had available.
In the first game we played the 3-5-2 was away at Ross County and Lenny started Duffy on the right side and Jullian in the middle.
That was never going to work and what was more worrying was that Lenny also felt that Jullian couldn’t play on the right side.
Add into the mix Ajer playing out of position on the left side.
There was no balance and it showed big time.
Everyone has known all year, if this was going to work properly going forward,
We had to sign a left sided CB to let Ajer play on his natural right side.
Playing Bitton brought more balance at the back but the whole formation is lacking throughout the team.
Lennon went back to the basics in the second half last night and it’s a start.
23 Oct 2020 16:29:34
Of course non of the above is helping the new goalkeeper settle. We need the back line settled and consistent and maybe then we can build a bit of confidence. All this chopping and changing, is it any wonder no one knows WTF they’re doing. Injury and absence aside, the defence has been neglected for more than a few seasons and only the winning has taken the focus of that. Now that mid to front has hit a lean spot, that neglect is a real problem. And Lennon constantly tinkering isn’t helping.
23 Oct 2020 19:34:37
It’s about the space and like physics n stuff. 3 CD v 2 CD is massively different from a playing, defending and coaching perspective. Some are tuned to it based on what they are used to from previous teams etc. Check out his Brighton lineups, Ireland etc. Apply some facts v emotion.
23 Oct 2020 19:43:24
Bitton and Elhamed are both better defenders than Duffy .
23 Oct 2020 21:30:05
Duffy is the worst centre half I have seen at Celtic for many a year. Bring back Shedit!
23 Oct 2020 23:38:51
Expensive mistake, need him out of team before real gap opens up.
24 Oct 2020 07:39:57
From what I have seen of Duffy he is rank rotten. Hope we can get Henry back lol.
24 Oct 2020 10:55:47
I know we're paying his wages which won't be cheap but let's be thankful we didn't buy him. HH.
24 Oct 2020 21:38:38
I think if big Duffy was another nationality everyone would be wanting him out the team. But because he is Irish people are willing to keep giving him chances enough is enough.
{Ed007's Note - That's just bollocks. Duffy held his own in his over 100 apps in the best Pub League in the world, the fact he's a Celtic supporter is only a bonus as you need players who knows what it means to wear the jersey. He lost his place at Brighton simply because he's not a silky ball playing CB which they wanted and we have enough of.
Better players than Duffy have had worse starts to their Celtic career and now morons have started using his nationality as a stick to beat him - don't be a moron, Marco.}
24 Oct 2020 22:12:46
Well said Ed cannot stand that patronising crap about Celtic fans . that wee clown keevins has been giving it that patter for years about us, And btw Marco the whole thread is so called Celtic fans ripping him to shreds saying they want him out the team so what a stupid post.
24 Oct 2020 22:16:55
It's not just Duffy that has been struggling. a lot of players are underperforming. If Duffy was not Irish l don't think he would be getting half the abuse. The defence as a whole has been rotten. I don't hear half the abuse been given to anyone else. There is more tgan him in defence. Hopefully Lennon will go to a back 4 and get a settled side. U don't play the amount of games in the EPL and be a bad player.
25 Oct 2020 08:31:59
It’s not just the formation it’s how the back 3 play. They are so narrow that it invites pressure. They should be much further apart when in possession so opposition need to go out middle to wide either side to shut down guy in possession which creates space for the midfield 3 and wing backs.
Watched how Chelsea utilised it last night in United game and the spacing was far different.
We have now have the 3 sitting so narrow as they are afraid defensively at the moment so they over compensate IMO.
If Lennon goes back to 4 in the back it might suit us better or he could just coach them in the 3-5-2 properly.
3-5-2 worked wonders when we had 2 good players up top last season and we weren’t really tested in the games from a defensive proposition as we didn’t play Rangers and struggled against Copenhagen.
So basically 3-5-2 is good when we play weaker teams but not good against better sides.
What’s wrong with having 2 styles of play, horses for courses.
Used to be 4-4-2 in league and 4-5-1 in Europe.
26 Oct 2020 08:26:08
Ed how can you defen Duffy, I don't watch the epl or internationals I watch celtic and celtic only and Duffy was being hailed as the next messiah and people were also mentioning his nationality. My point is I only see the guys when the play for celtic and I was told he is an old fashioned ch who just clears his lines, how many goals has he cost us this season because of his mistakes, all I am saying is that if a player who plays for Ireland joins us then they seem to get more chances than if we had signed some Brazilian or African. I know it's not fair but I judge on his displays for celtic.
{Ed007's Note - Did you write off Henrik Larsson after 10 games as well because he looked honking when he first came? Duffy will improve as his match fitness/sharpness gets up to scratch and when he isn't being caught out having to cover for a RB who can't defend and constantly leaves the defence exposed.}