A slight delay in my review of the game this week due to taking not well yesterday. Another 3 points, another home win. Convincing? Not entirely.
We seem to be becoming used to being the creators of our own misfortune. A miscommunication at the back which brought a Motherwell side, who made up for the gulf in quality with application and grit to keep the game within reach.
Yet again for the Bhoys, a dominant game in possession (70%) and total shots (17-7) yet once again a lack of clinical finishing put pressure on us to the point where one slack pass in midfield left our captain with a decision to make, keep the 3 points and get sent off or drop two and be available next week. There is something not quite right about our attacking play at the moment. At times we can look scintillating, but our final ball is sometimes lacking, not to mention our finishing.
If we continue this way games that should be easily won will see points dropped and teams that shouldn’t be able to handle us will gain confidence in playing a more compact style against us. So, what is the problem? Sometimes I feel we just try to play one too many passes, almost like we try to walk the ball in.
Motherwell nearly had a second when Joe Hart was knocked down. The referee should have stopped the game, but there is precedent for this, with Arsenal scoring a goal when David de Gea was down injured. Do we really want to be in a position in a game where we leave it in the hands of John Beaton?
Better finishing puts this game beyond doubt, allows us to rest players earlier and more importantly stops our captain having to be sent off or placing our points in the hands of the referee. Time to stop messing around Celtic. Finish games off!