Kelvin Wilson should have been sent off

Celtic 1 – 0 Elfsborg

I think that Kelvin Wilson should be off the pith when the goal came and Celtic should be very happy with 1-0 at home to Elfsborg in the first leg of the Champions League qualification fixture. Swedish media personalities seem happy with the result, but I think an away goal is crucial in a game like this. Good result for Celtic. Descent result for Elfsborg who still have a chance at home on their artificial grass.

Elfsborg played well in the first half and Celtic had problems to find good opportunities. Of course they created some chances, but Anders Svensson also had a shoot in the crossbar. In the second half Elfsborg played it long way too much and never got time to rest with the ball. If you are the slightly weaker side you need to try to keep the ball for a while, but Elfsborg did not manage to do that. And finally got Celtic 1-0. I think it was a big tactical miss by the Elfsborg coaching staff and/or players to play the long ball every time.

Kelvin Wilson should have been sent off

Kelvin Wilson should have been sent of minutes before the Celtic goal.
Kelvin Wilson should have been sent off before the goal.

BUT, for me Celtic should have played with ten men when the goal came. A couple of minutes earlier Kelvin Wilson deliberately hit Mohammed Bangura in the face. I’m not sure if the assistant referee missed the situation, it seems like he didn’t in the replays, but in ether case that was an obvious red card. For me it is totally unbelievable that a grown up man and a professional football player behaves like that.

If I was a coach or team-mate to Wilson I would be furious. He risks the club’s participation in the group stage of Champions League. I know, everything goes so fast and Wilson didn’t think properly in that situation, but a footballer should be trained to always behave in situations like that. Celtic were saved by the referees in that situation and were very lucky. Now they have the advantage when the second leg starts in a week from now.

Scottish media take a different point. Daily Record and Herald Scotland write

Bangura further irked the home fans when he went to ground after a harmless-looking tussle with Wilson on the touchline with Portuguese referee Manuel Se Douda unimpressed.

For me that viewpoint is totally unaccepted. The Scots should focus on the more that stupid behaviour by Kelvin Wilson than complaining that Mo Bangura fell to the ground easily. That is a red card everywhere except the British Islands.

Diving Celtic players

By the way. Overall I must say that the Celtic players dived incredibly much. The myth that British players never dive was once again revealed. As everybody else, British players look for opportunities to fall down easily and get advantages.

Titus Bramble surprises me

I read in Swedish here and in English here that Titus Bramble, himself a controversial character, openly criticise Paolo Di Canio’s man management abilities and I must say I am very surprised. Not by the claims as such – Paola Di Canio seems to be a strange man – but more that the claims are actually made.

Sunderland and other PL clubs are very sensitive to open critique and players usually praise their former managers despite obvious conflicts. The words from Bramble are quite harsh and I believe that the atmosphere in the dressing room must be very bad at the moment. Paolo Di Canio might be able to get success in the short run, but if he continues in this manner I don’t think he will manage teams in the top leagues for long.

By the way, I was very surprised when Sunderland appointed Di Canio. Didn’t they learn anything from what mentally insane Roy Keane did to the club?

 

Everything about German football isn’t that good

In Swedish:

Idag när alla, överallt, tävlar om att prisa allt kring tysk fotboll måste jag såklart gnälla lite och leta efter något som är negativt. Erik Niva hjälpte mig när han delade följande två bilder på Twitter. Ha en fantastisk CL-final!

In English:

Today when everyone, everywhere, are competing about praising everything about German football I must obviously whine a little and look for something that is negative. Erik Niva helped me when he shared the following two pictures on Twitter. Have a fantastic CL final!

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