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My takeaways from Celtic’s chaotic 3-3 draw with Dundee at Dens Park last night which saw Celtic concede three goals for the third time in a month…
Trusty’s worst game in a Celtic jersey
A horror show of a performance from to start to finish for Celtic’s £6m centre-back. Struggled to deal with the aggression and physicality of Simon Murray all evening. It culminated in Trusty being outmuscled by Murray for Dundee’s quick response in the second half after Cameron Carter-Vickers diverted the ball into his own net for the second time this season.
And for the Dundee’s third, I’m not quite sure how 6ft1 Aaron Donnelly can somehow manage to beat 6ft4 Auston Trusty in the air. A calamitous night for the American all round. Not dissimilar to the way Lyndon Dykes physically outdone Christoper Jullien a few years ago. Trusty will need to learn, because that was a concerning display from the 26 year-old.
Anonymous Adam Again
It’s becoming more apparent by the day that signing Adam Idah for £9.5m was a complete blunder. 552 minutes without a goal in a Hoops jersey. Passed up a massive opportunity in the first half to extend Celtic’s advantage. No aggression or edge to his game and the Irishman should have no complaints about not starting when Daizen Maeda and Nicolas Kuhn are fully fit again.
It may be a confidence issue, but that should not be an excuse when Celtic are so far in front in the league and cruise majority of their domestic matches. Since arriving in the summer, Idah has made no impact – which is surprising given how well he performed in the second half of last season.
Complacency creeping in
Supporters feeling relaxed and joyful about the league position is fine, but the players and manager can’t. That is now the third time in Celtic’s last nine domestic games they have conceded three goals. There are glimpses of weakness and defensive deficiencies despite the fabulous clean sheet record.
Restoring confidence with a performance on Saturday in the Scottish Cup against Kilmarnock should be a priority before heading into the BSC Young Boys game a week today. Celtic must progress to the knockout playoffs of the Champions League; it would be a disaster if they did not considering the teams Brendan Rodgers’ side have faced in Europe’s elite club competition this season and the position they have put themselves in.
Last night is worrying given the lapses of concentration on several occasions. Celtic cannot afford to perform like that versus the Swiss champions or the chances of progression will become slim.
Conor Spence
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Micah Parsons has savage response to Packers' loss to Browns
The Green Bay Packers are reeling after they blew a 10-0 lead at the start of the fourth quarter on Sunday. The Packers allowed the Cleveland Browns to score 13 unanswered points to win 13-10 in front of 65,470 fans at Huntington Bank Field. Following the game, defensive end Micah Parsons had a crude response to the comeback. "Sometimes, just like today, you s--- the bed," Parsons said via ESPN. "That's just the reality of it. It happens to the best teams. Even the best Super Bowl champs make mistakes, and they pay for it early. You go back to the history of the champions and who've they've played and games they should've won. It's just that competitive. "It's that hard to win. It's hard as hell to win football games. When you win football games, it's a celebration. But when you lose, it sucks." What went wrong for the Packers in loss to Browns Parsons and the Packers had a couple of major blunders in the final minute that they want back. Green Bay kicker Brandon McManus had a blocked field goal attempt that allowed the Browns a chance to get in range for a game-winning field goal. Parsons was called for a neutral zone infraction on the first play of the Browns' drive, allowing Cleveland to start the series from the Green Bay 48-yard line with 21 seconds remaining. Parsons apologized for the penalty, calling it "unacceptable." The All-Pro finished with two tackles. Parsons has extra motivation for avenging the loss against the Browns. The Packers are set to travel to play his former team, the Dallas Cowboys, on "Sunday Night Football" in Week 4.
What’s He Waiting For?: McDavid Has a Question No One Can Answer
NHL insider Frank Seravalli appeared on Oilers Now with Bob Stauffer and discussed what might be going through the mind of Connor McDavid as he works through a decision on his future. Seravalli says the delay has created an uncomfortable situation for all involved, because the hope was that this extension would be done by now. The hold-up seems to be McDavid trying to get answers to a question no one can answer. Seravalli says there is one hole in McDavid’s resume. As one of the most accomplished hockey players ever to walk planet Earth, he’s gotten as close as any player and team could over the last two years. It eats away at him that he hasn’t been able to add a Stanley Cup to every other accomplishment in his NHL career. Seravalli says his decision isn’t about money, a logo, a city, or the weather. And, just because the team was good in the past, he wants to be sure that the focus and vision of this team is going to be the premier team in the league for the next several years. However long it ends up being, that he’s going to commit for, he wants to know the Oilers are going to be in the championship mix. But, as Seravalli notes, that part is a little bit more difficult to answer because there isn’t anyone on Earth who can answer with any degree of certainty. “Sports are weird,” he said. Meaning, even the best teams can be eliminated by someone else in a seven-game series. Will McDavid Stay Loyal If No One Can Provide a Guarantee? Elliotte Friedman also commented on the McDavid situation on Monday. He said that, with all things being equal, “I just don’t see him leaving that group, who he’s very loyal to.” Friedman talked about how much McDavid loves his teammates. He’s best friends with Leon Draisaitl, loves Calvin Pickard as a teammate, respects and has time for Mattias Ekholm, and Darnell Nurse. He’s close to Zach Hyman. There are pieces here that McDavid would have a hard time leaving. So, if no one can demonstrate to McDavid that they can help him get a Stanley Cup — which no one can — does McDavid re-sign with the Oilers? They have as good a chance as anyone to help him get there again. If Edmonton isn’t giving him the best odds? Who is? Nick Kypreos and Justin Bourne of the Kyper and Bourne show argued that it might not matter if McDavid just wants to leave Edmonton. Neither said they believed that to be the case, only that it was a possibility that shouldn’t be ignored. They also added that there are flaws in a lot of hockey clubs, and any team acquiring McDavid in a trade is giving up solid players to land him. McDavid Likely Signs a Discount with the Oilers There is a way that McDavid can up the Oilers’ odds. His pending extension has NHL insiders debating whether he’ll take less than expected to help Edmonton stay competitive. Elliotte Friedman suggested a lower deal is possible, which one GM said could reshape the league’s contract landscape. A deal at around $15 million per season would impact other free agents, but it would give the Oilers a better chance to add pieces that help McDavid get closer to that final piece missing from his puzzle.
Former HC does not hold back on Cowboys' atrocious defense
The Dallas Cowboys have played about as poorly as they possibly can on defense through the first three weeks of the NFL season. One week after needing a pair of late field goals from kicker Brandon Aubrey to outlast the New York Giants, 40-37, in overtime, the Cowboys dropped their second game in three weeks on Sunday in a 31-14 loss to the Chicago Bears, showing no signs of improvement whatsoever. Rex Ryan blasts Cowboys defense Simply put, Dallas just looks lost on defense, leading to former head coach and current ESPN analyst Rex Ryan going off during Monday's edition of "Get Up." "Just when we thought it couldn't get worse, this defense comes up with even a worse performance," Ryan said. ... "You're so dumb. I can't stand it. Do something. I don't want to hear about you can't rush the passer. Then how about we send more players on the quarterback. We can't play zone coverage, then how about we play man coverage. You guys stink. Dumbsday defense." Dallas had no answers for the Bears and QB Caleb Williams on Sunday. After struggling to find a rhythm in the first two games, Williams was sensational, throwing for 298 yards and four TDs to pick up head coach Ben Johnson's first win in Chicago. As good as Williams was, though, the Cowboys defense certainly helped. Dallas (1-2) has given up 92 points through three games and is 28th in the league in opponent points per game (30.7 PPG), per TeamRankings. Something Ryan alluded to in his rant was Dallas' inability to stop Chicago on a 19-play, 76-yard drive in the third quarter that took 9:54 off the clock. It was a 24-14 game before then, and the Cowboys were picked off on each of their final three drives afterward to seal their fate. Quarterback Dak Prescott has been solid, accounting for 800 passing yards — fourth-most in the league — and three TDs. Before Sunday, he had only thrown one interception. The run game has also contributed four combined TDs between Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders, providing a much-needed balance. That has ultimately not mattered with the defense unable to get stops and limit drives from opposing teams. To make matters worse, star wideout CeeDee Lamb suffered a left ankle injury in the loss on Sunday, and it sounds like he could land on injured reserve, which would put him out of action for at least four games. That is the last thing Dallas needs right now. The team will likely be without its best player for an extended period of time, in addition to having an abysmal defense, which does not sound encouraging going forward for a franchise that always seems to be in the spotlight for all the wrong reasons.
CJ West and Mykel Williams injuries add to 49ers' D-line woes
The San Francisco 49ers suffered more than one setback in their win over the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday. While Nick Bosa's season-ending ACL tear was the most significant injury for the team, it wasn't the only one along the defensive front. Head coach Kyle Shanahan revealed Monday that defensive lineman CJ West broke his thumb and will undergo surgery on Tuesday. Despite the injury, there remains a chance West could play in the 49ers' Week 4 matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars, depending on what he can do—if anything—in practice this week. "I don't know exactly how he did it, but he broke his thumb," Shanahan explained during his conference call. "That's why he is needing surgery. He'll have a chance, they say. We'll see how it goes this week, but he'll have a chance at the end of the week with a cast. "And if not, he should be good the following week. But we've got to see how this week goes with him." The 49ers also saw rookie defensive lineman Mykel Williams briefly leave Sunday's game with a wrist injury in the second quarter. He returned before halftime, but Shanahan listed him as day-to-day heading into Wednesday's practice. With Bosa sidelined for the season, the health of West and Williams will be pivotal as San Francisco leans on its young defensive front to maintain pressure on opposing offenses. Shanahan praised the group's resilience after Bosa exited against the Cardinals. "We needed guys to step it up to play along with Nick, and now that he's out, you need them that much more," Shanahan said. "But I had definitely been happy with those guys. I think they've done better each week. "I thought Mykel had a really good game yesterday. I think [DE Bryce] Huff's done some real good things, [DE] Sam [Okuayinonu], all our edge players, I think have been contributing, and hopefully, they continue to get better throughout this year." Click here to read all of Shanahan's injury updates from Monday's conference call.
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