At the risk of hyperbole, I don’t think I have seen a Celtic team as dead on its feet as the one that limped through the final minutes of the cup final on Sunday. While I would like to finish the Europa League group stage undefeated, Thursday’s game in Cluj is just not worth the muscle fibre. We have earned the luxury to treat this game as a training match; do so.
Callum McGregor, James Forrest and Scott Brown all need a midweek break. Odsonne Edouard, Mohamed Elyounoussi, Leigh Griffiths and Mikey Johnston require various levels of action to get them back to full fitness. Players burn out and there are a few who look close to this position.
We have a huge game at home to Hibs on Sunday and a trip to Tynecastle one week tomorrow, facing Hearts under new management. I know the game on the 29th feels like the next big date, but win the games between now and that game will take care of itself.
Tom Rogic signed shirt raffle for Celtic FC Foundation
The Celtic squad wore a special shirt for last month’s league game against Motherwell, bearing the Celtic FC Foundation Christmas Appeal logo instead of the normal Dafabet logo on the front, and the words “Christmas Appeal” on the back, instead of the Magners logo.
Tom Rogic’s signed shirt from that day is available for raffle. Each donation of £10 or more will be entered into a draw, which will take place on Friday 13 December. The shirt will be posted on Monday 16th (or available for collection at the Hibs game on Sunday 15th).
The Celtic FC Foundation do incredible work throughout the world all year round, but their work with those most in need in the winter months, and for children and families coping with chronic poverty, can give warmth, nourishment, self-respect and human compassion that some people struggle to find. All donations go straight to the Foundation.
This is why Celtic exists. You can enter here at JustGiving. Good luck and thank you!!
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Still hungover from Sunday
What a day
Celtic will be the death of me
B-)
Quite a few players have had breaks due to injury or on the bench.We could put out a very fresh and rested team.
Totally agree Paul.
Leave Eddy, Broony, Calmac, Christie, Elyounoussi and Forrest in Glasgow.
Well BHOYLO they were the life of you 8-))
H.H . Mick
Gordon,Bauer,Biton,Coffey,Boli,Shved ,, Griff Mikey,Ntcham,Rogic,Kouassi,O Conner,Taylor,Bayo.Make a decent team and bench from those.
Yip Thursday is irrelevant, give some of the bhoys a rest and others a shot, Griffs where are you😱
Melbourne Mick
Paul mentions burnout in his header
I know how the players feel… I think I’m experiencing the same!
😂🍺🍀
I really don`t like these `burn out` claims .Apart from Internationals , have not Sevco played as many games as us but with a smaller squad? They didn`t look `burnt out`.
I still think we should ca` canny , though and play a much changed side on Thursday.A rest can be beneficial even if not necessary ….especially when travel is involved.
We can rest players this week and give a few more run outs to get up to speed. But then we have 5 big games in 14 days and we need to be free of doubt , fully recharged and focussed on the task in hand. before a well deserved break.
If we win the five of them, Title 9 will be within reach.
Alofabi,Dembele,forgot those two.
BHOYLO
Think we’re all emotionally drained but i should be fit and
ready to do my bit for the Mornington rebs on Sunday lol.
H.H . Mick
Mick
😂😂👍
I know it’s been said many times before but the state of the pitch at Hampden was dreadful. I’ve seen better surfaces at junior and amateur grounds. As much as we weren’t great I think that pitch undoubtedly hindered our normal passing game.
I too think there is the danger of burn out in some of our players. Mainly this is due to playing 3 games every week for months. (Managers were complaining at the weekend that their players had played 3 games in the week- for the first time.) So many of our players have no rest during the international “breaks”, while most of the opposition have a week off.
Another reason is that the hammer throwers are allowed freedom to kick our players (just look at Sunday) without recrimination, which have them punished in every other game.
Leave the likes of Callum McGregor and James Forrest in Glasgow.
The Star Above The Crest
Said before the game the conditions suited them more than us and it would be a war of attrition with very little good football played
With no striker, a clearly unfit Elyounoussi and a sort of make-shift back line, I’m amazed we managed to win tbh
Reading back, hard to believe we won on Sunday, sure we didn’t play well, plenty injuries to deal with, the Bhoys have been flogging themselves since June,including international nonsense, but I have been to plenty SF and finals, and never got what we deserved, enjoy the moment. I am also aware that we have played poorly in our last 2 games, rest as many as we can on Thursday, Hibs game is much more important.
Paul67
Good shout
The fixture list didn’t write itself, somebody else did that and it pitches Hibs, Hearts, Aberdeen then Sevco one after another?
Celtic signed 12 players last summer yet we’re still short handed with long term injury having to reinvent Lewis Morgan as s main striker got us by, but won’t be a solution for the quadruple, or nine in a row.
It forced Leigh Griffiths out of the squad on Sunday and that says a lot about his reliability as the back up striker, with Edouard still not 100% fit, using El Younoussi didn’t work either due to fitness issues.
We’re decimated by injury and sooner rather than later it’ll catch up, and before it does we should surely be seeing Scott Sinclair, Eboue Kouassi, Tom Rogic, Olivier Ntcham, Maryan Shved, Daniel Arzani and more.
The Cluj game is a dead rubber and we should rest as many fit players as possible.
We need a proven goalscorer signed and sealed in January, its not as if we don’t have the money is it?
BHOYLO83
I said much the same thing re the conditions suiting them more than us. In the interests of fairness I should also admit that I thought we’d still horse them regardless of the conditions. That we won when we probably shouldn’t makes it all the sweeter 🍀🍀🍀
I wasn’t confident when I saw the team on Sunday , however huge plaudits must go to every single one of them. They are allowed to kick us with impunity and I for one think that makes our victory all the sweeter. Our players have played non stop literally for 4 season. i.e. in Europe or on International duty, how many of our competitors can say the same.
KTF
Please nobody should forget about the refereeing of Collum, he was shocking, Arfield should have walked for the shocker on Ryan ,Goldson for the assault of Eddie and Morelos should have been off for persisitent fouling and simulation.
If there was anything riding on this Cluj game you would really fear for us lifting ourselves for the following week. It’s a real blessing that this game is a dead rubber.
The next 5 League games up to the break are enormously important. I would rip the hand off for 13 points if offered now.
Also have to wonder and hope that Sevco run into a wall at some point which they surely must.
Team for cluj
gordon
bauer bitton ajer boli
ncham rogic elyounoussi
morgan griff johnston
rollonsunday csc
Don’t know if the guys were burnt out – they certainly put in a shift in what described before the game as ‘Hun weather’.
Point well made about the importance of the league games between now and the 29th – going into that ahead of them is key.
Not fitness related.
i.e. tactical.
https://www.glasgowtimes.co.uk/sport/18091269.leigh-griffiths-betfred-cup-final-omission-explained-neil-lennon-confirms-not-fitness-related/
HOT SMOKED on 10TH DECEMBER 2019 12:32 PM
I really don`t like these `burn out` claims .Apart from Internationals , have not Sevco played as many games as us but with a smaller squad? They didn`t look `burnt out`.
I still think we should ca` canny , though and play a much changed side on Thursday.A rest can be beneficial even if not necessary ….especially when travel is involved.
___
I think everybody is agreed that a reserve side should be sent to Romania.
We need to navigate December carefully and that will mean a small bit of rotation. We have a group of 16 outfield players we can rely on for consistent performances
Elhamed, Frimpong, Julien, Ajer, Taylor, Boli, Hayes, Elyounoussi, Johnston, Rogic, Christie, Brown, Ntcham, McGregor, Forrest & Edouard
Not talking about wholesale changes but maybe 1 or 2 changes here and there. Keeps everyone healthy and motivated.
I think we are all singing from same hymn sheet. Give ghuys who need a rest, a rest and give ghuys who need a game a game.
Our sole focus should be on Hibs,
Does anybody believe if Lazio were in our position, they would do things differently.
Finally is not wee Jeremie the most lovable player we have had for ages. He he still has a lot to learn but he looks to have the balls to take on anybody.
Sunday will have done him a world of good.
MACJAY1
If Leigh Griffiths was fit enough, he’d have been playing ahead Lewis Morgan’s inclusion as a main striker.
Ultimately its match fitness and not tactics that pushed LG to being the unlucky third choice striker IMO
TIMALOY29 on 10TH DECEMBER 2019 @ 1:42 PM
I’d add Bitton and Bauer to your list
Team for Cluj
Gordon
Bauer
Ajer
Bitton
Taylor
Ntcham
Rogic
Johnston
Ellynoussie
Morgan
Griffiths
Big chance for Ntcham to play well Thursday.
concerned as to the number of crosses and free headers that thems had in our box on Sunday
TERJE VIGEN on 10TH DECEMBER 2019 2:01 PM
I would swap out Elyounoussi for either Scott Robertson or Barry Coffey.
Need a recognised CM alongside Ntcham
Bitton should play a full 90 minutes. I’d be inclined to give Morgan a game in his natural position. I would give Eddy 30 minutes, Elyanoussi 60 minutes, then sub him for Johnson.
Everyone else who played on Sunday should stay at home.
The squirrel took longer than usual to appear but it’s finally made an appearance: HMRC has reduced its claim against Ranger by a further £5m. It’s now ‘only’ £67m.
I have to say I’m really surprised they’re happy to run with this story. I understand it fuels their sense of grievance, injustice and attempts to deflect blame for financial recklessness and stupidity , but it also reminds everyone that they were, well, liquidated and the same club narrative is patently false.
Their chums in the SMSM must cringe at being forced to ‘report’ it as it reminds everyone they’re nothing but useful idiots.
Hot Smoked – I don’t think the huns played many CL qualifiers . . .
Fatigue is cumulative. Our top players have hardly had a break for 3 years. All the qualifiers, all the domestic cup games, the internationals and league games add up. No other team is playing anywhere near the amount of games we are.Every final, every year.
THE BLOGGER FORMERLY KNOWN AS GM on 10TH DECEMBER 2019 2:24 PM
To be honest, I’m more inclined to see Shved
Shved came here with a good reputation and we’ve seen so little. Maybe he hasn’t shown it in training.
Give him a chance in a game that doesn’t matter. We know what we have in Lewis Morgan.
I’m not sure we know what we have in Shved.
The value of the two results against Lazio now clear to see.
Would send Mo Elyanoussi, Boli and Griff out for game time and rest the rest.
We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact we’ve played 60+ games each season for 3 seasons.
Our opponents haven’t.
Win when it matters.
Hail hail
We have a named squad of 25 for the Eurpa league so unfortunately cant rest that many…some will at least need to travel.
I know all there is to know about the Crying Game
I’ve had my share of the Crying Game
First there are misses then there’s a shy
And then before you know where you are
You’re wavin goodbye…….
daveberrycsc