I’m sure Ronny Deila has used the international break to take in as many scouting games as possible, but he’ll be keen to see his players return to Lennoxtown, fit and available for selection.
Adam Matthews spoke to Celtic media on possibly returning for Saturday’s game against Ross County. Having not played since August he’ll be well short of match fitness but his presence is badly needed. We have a must-win Europa League game against Astra next week, with the shape of the team looking so haphazard at the moment it’s crucial we get a benefit of a recognised right back. Adam needs an hour on Saturday.
Now that central mid is looking solid with Brown and Johansen, the addition of Matthews and McGregor will benefit the right, while allowing Mubarak to fit into his more natural position on the left. We might begin looking like a team. Adam also has the engine to play the football Ronny is keen on.
The only question remains how to get our Europa League-eligible strikers looking the part – and that’s not a suggestion to drop John Guidetti on Saturday!
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HH
Podium?!
Anybody?
2nd last post old thread, my reputation of being biggest loser enhanced again.
Top ten? Tip Top!
Top ten?
Coulda been a contender.
top ten too…………
RE Paul’s opener, I would have thought Lustig ahead of Matthews.
Congrats Bognorbhoy.
Gold and bronze.
Hope you are well.
HH
“Now that central mid is looking solid with Brown and Johansen” – I would disagree with this comment. We are exposed in midfield by only having 2 in there. we need a third man in there – a holding midfielder. I see bitton started last night for israel. i would have bitton in there as a holding midfielder with brown and johanson in front of him.
Adam Matthews performance against Barca still stands out like a beacon.Him and Lustig have been sorely missed.
Less confident about our strikers finding some hot form for the Astra game.
Corkcelt I got last place mate. Just said I hope the Republic beat the Germans and we beat the Poles set up a cracking couple of games.
HH
KTF
Paul, you’re absolutely correct in that the team has not looked balanced all season and that we’ve been crying out for a recognised right back.
Ross County has not always been a happy hunting ground for us and they have traditionally adopted a “robust” game. Just the kind of game we don’t need immediately prior to a Euro tie. Still, it’s a game we should win.
GER57
Out tonight,bud?
RWE
yes all good here thanks,hope all is well with you and yours.
wee trip up the road next week to see the celts,so really
looking forward to it.
HH
did i not read couple days ago that wakaso is a defensive midfielder.. Think it was our polish friend said it.
He also basically said tonev was useless and i agree… Saw him few times last year and sighed with relief he picked villa over us… That was bad enough turning us down but then we give him a 2nd chance.. And hes still useless.
— Gordon —
-Ambrose. –Virgil. –Deneymear-
-Brown.- Liam H-biton-stefan- izzy
— guidetti— griffiths
Id like that line up for weekend
Paul67
Teams like Ross County can be at their strongest when there is an international break. They have had a couple of weeks with only Celtic on their mind. No other disctractions and they will have trained on systems and partnerships in their team and be well rested and ready for the game. It’s as close to a cup final preperation as they will get.
Meanwhile Celtic are fairly low on confidence. Our players have been flying around the continent playing for their countries or sitting in hotel rooms and training with different players and methods. They may even have been drinking aerated soft drinks and chips.
Our players have two big matches this week and they both involve an element of travel. I hope the players who did not travel for international duty have been working hard on various elements of their game to improve because it is obvious that the basic tasks have been made to look difficult recently. I would be inclined to go with a number of players who have not travelled during the week and possibly hold back one or two players for the Astra game IF they are feeling the effects of the international matches they have been involved in.
Ross County will be right up for this game. Let’s for a minute look at this match from their point of view. Recently Celtic have not been free scoring which means if they can score a goal they have a chance at least of a draw. They are at their own ground and will have a decent support behind them. They should be fired up. Celtic need to hit them early and get a few goals in front in order to protect some of the players who will play 4 games in a 14/15 day period and hopefully get others into the action to give them game time due to Guidetti’s inelgible status for UEFA competition.
It’s a big game for Ronny and I hope we have not taken Ross County lightly because although they have had some terrible results recently they will be seldom better prepared for any other match this season.
LB
Proudbhoy, that’s a decent idea.
No way Ronny will change from 4 at back though.
ther00ster, couldn’t agree more. We need another midfielder in with brown / johansen
corkcelt
12:09 on 14 October, 2014
—
Think its down to matthews being ready to return sooner.
And alot to do with resting ambrose .
Really frustrating the amount of games matthews and lustig have been injuryed for the past few seasons.
dksglen
I don’t see Ronny changing the shape now.
He seems quite rigid in his thoughts about the game, fitness and the way we set up.
I would also be surprised if Henderson features from the start as someone suggested earlier.
It’s pretty fair to assume most of us could guess his team at the weekend barring injuries. It will be interesting to see if Efe slots in somewhere or gets a slot on the bench. I would like to see him in a midfield role and Johanssen would be dropped for me and I would put Efe in beside Brown. Just my own opinion.
LB
Dear oh dear , the idea that Brown and Johanssen are a good pairing is ridiculous,Brown has always been a liability and Jonhannsen is terrible,gives the ball away all the time,even if I thought they were decent ,no doubt the idiot in charge will play a ridiculous side with terrible tactics,the board have wasted the last two weeks,they should have sacked him and got someone descent in,if he stays much longer we won,t win even this diddy league, STOP THE BLOODY WHALING NO WAY NORWAY
I’ve gave up trying to 2nd guess our line up .:)))
I’d prefer Lustig to Matthews if that was possible for Saturday. McGregor still hasn’t convinced me that he can track into the empty space when we lose the ball. I also would like to see him pass the ball a wee bit more.
Matthews is ok going back the way but doesn’t really live up to expectations going forward see AC Milan last year and his inability to convert acres of space into chances.
Lustig away v Maribor was one of the best performances I have seen for a right back since Didier was strutting his stuff in Amsterdam.
Maybe we should try Lustig in front of Matthews instead of the other way round. Think we tried to play both on the same side before and it was like watching two right backs
Dear Oh dear
Well done mighty tim, I get more than my fair share of last places. Yep, the way I look at it with Ireland & Scotland, both can’t get through. The team that comes out top in the head to heads has the best chance, so I hope both sides do as well as possible in the other games and when it comes to the head to heads lets be rivals and let the best team win. I know if we come out evens on the head to heads then the other results do come into play but I’ll worry about that if and when it happens.
Not meant for you mullet and co 2
till later all
Paul67
I admire your confidence of Ronny putting players where you would expect them to play.
We haven’t had a left winger on the left, since Derk Boeriggter……….oh wait.
If Wakaso slots in wide left, where does Anthony Stokes play given we don’t do, two up front, and will it mean he doesn’t take all the corners and all the free kicks? Will Tonev play on the wide right, instead of the left, given he’s right footed, or will left footed Calum McGregor continue on the right?
Besides Adam Matthews is he ahead or behind, fit again Swedish star sub Mikel Lustig the best defender never at the club? What kind of engine is it that Adam has ( but can’t keep it running ) that plays the kind of football Ronny likes?
Central midfield is looking solid with Brown and Johansen, really? And just when we’ve lost to Hamilton at home too.
We’re on a winger and a prayer, with a two man midfield that is outnumbered in every game, if we don’t adapt to the Scottish, game I expect more of the same, in the Ross County.
Hail Hail
Just return safe and sound broonie.
I hope we win
But can’t it
corkcelt
Aye but they were grand posts. Both of them.
I’ll never cheer against Ireland, even if it would help Scotland. C’mon you Bhoys in green!
Would also see Lustig’s return as more important than Matthews. And the midfield’s not solid yet. One player short. Or two if Tonev’s anywhere near it I’m sorry to say.
HH jamesgang
Part of the reason our system doesn’t work is that the wide men don’t know what to do when the full backs overlap and go ahead if them.
I watched Stokes v Hamilton lay the ball of for Izzy to run ahead and cross. He stood there admiring his wee lay off protecting space the ball was not going to land in instead of moving into the box where he would have dragged a defender or picked up a second ball from the cross.
You know y’ur a bad yin if Leftie turns his back on you!
HH jamesgang
My friends in Celtic,
Only an observation and in absolutely no way a criticism : There seems to be many wealth creators, professional and business type CQN’ers.
While we debate about the merits of Celtic being a living wage employer, I only hope that those CQN’ers who can influence remuneration in their own employment do so.
Equality for all and I’m sure that all applicable CQN’ers will lead by example and practise what they preach.
HH.
PS : For anyone interested the Wolfe Tones are playing Malone’s in Aberdeen on Nov 11th.
Paul
Are you okay … ? Are you on medication?
I only ask because phrases like:
‘We might begin looking like a team on Saturday’
+
‘Now that central mid is looking solid with Brown and Johansen’
+
‘The only question remains how to get our Europa League-eligible strikers’
… would suggest you’re possibly not.
FF
Good man jamesgang, we seem to agree on everything, maybe we should start our own clique. We could invite in mighty tim and proudbhoy to kick it off.
Ross County will be exactly the same as every game we play away against these sides. Play squeezed into 30 yards from their goal. Them occasionally getting clear and having a scoring chance. Us playing out of defence gifting them posession. Us playing crosses to no one in particular in the box with only two Celtic players remotely interested in attacking the ball and the rest standing outside the box waiting to recycle it to wing backs to do exact same again. Meanwhile, Denayer and VVD get frustrated and try to dribble it to the edge of the D – Ross County won it. Johansen unsuccessfully charges and concedes acres of space behind him. Scott Brown tries to cover space .. Ross County switch into space Scott Brown has left …
More men in the box attacking the ball wanting to score and none of the above will be a problem.