The absence of Jozo Simunovic for our Champions League game in Monchengladbach set off alarm bells, but few of us expected that he was rested as a consequence of being on a one-game-per-week long-term recuperation strategy.
This was a bold decision by what is clearly a confident manager. It was also informative that Brendan Rodgers prioritised the league game against Aberdeen to deploy Jozo over the Champions League – an equally bold decision. Defensive performances in both games suggest the manager made the right call.
This is the kind of gamble that is going Brendan Rodgers’ way but which would have backfired on Ronny Deila. It’s not down to luck, of course. Brendan has proven the point that defences are systems more than anything else. Get the system right and you can move the players around. Get it wrong, as we did in Barcelona, and it doesn’t matter which or how many defenders you deploy, you’ll take a hiding.
After surviving an onslaught at home to Celtic in September, Inverness scored an added-time equaliser to deny Celtic their only league points of the season. Since then our domestic form has been even better than it was before that game, winning everything for the loss of only a single goal in seven outings.
One thing we know about Inverness-Celtic games, though, is that lightening doesn’t only strike once, or twice for that matter. This team have punished Celtic repeatedly over the last 16 years, usually against the odds. Their only defeat since an abysmal August came against Newco, who denied the Highlanders their own onslaught. That was also the only game Inverness failed to score since Same Old Alloa dumped them out of the League Cup in August.
After tomorrow’s visit of Inverness, Celtic’s only home game in the next six is against Barcelona. If Brendan was to cast his eye over the fixture list for opportunities to experiment, this is as good an opportunity as he’ll have until Accies visit on 13 December.
Maybe an opportunity to go one at the back and five up front. Or just to give Patrick a start. Either works for me.
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Boom
DC Sports
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37872020
Paddy from the start surely…
DENA -Happy Birthday, hope yer wee lassie is well also.
You’ll Never Walk Alone….in the Jungle.
The ‘all’ inclusive Jungle – CSC
HH
So the Irish got grassed up for wearing a eastern uprising logo?
Wonder who that was?
They should apply for a brown shirt in here.
Good Afternoon!
The papers seem and ‘Rangers legends’ seem to be getting nervous about the chances of Celtic winning ten-in-a-row. Oh dear…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2016/11/03/stopping-celtic-at-all-costs/
DC Comics.
Cellic didny win at BMG coz of bad management….imho.
Ah mean, Brendan hooked McGregor aff the pitch when, twice in the space of minutes, CM didny track back and we conceded 2 goals to the beer shavers.
Ah mean, why has McGregor even found his way into a Cellic jersey again after that ?
Ah mean, under Brendan’s watch, Barca scored a goal against us in a pre-season friendly and, in what I would consider to be bad luck on Efe in this ‘specific’ incident…Efe hisny worn the jersey again since.
Calum McGregor
Nir Bitton
Tom Rogic
…are 3 players who’ll get a Cellic manager the sack….imho.
Brendan’s ‘casual’ management of CM has cost us….imho.
Paul67
Hmmm………..the Jozo Simunovic decision ( casts a long shadow © Paul67 )
We’ll see on that one, but no matter how its dressed up a decision was made
on his ‘fitness’ to play in Germany.
Patrick Roberts is overdue a start, Jamesie ,and Gamboa will return to the bench with Mikel slotting back in at RB allowing the inclusion of Simunovic.
The rest as you were , for the last in opening sequence of home wins.
TONYDONNELLY67 on 4TH NOVEMBER 2016 12:17 PM
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I would guess – Hugh Dallas.
Know who’s fault that is ?
Cellic PLC’s….imho.
Know why ?
Coz, Cellic PLC sat back and watched as, Dallas walked out the door of the SFA – after his sectarian e-mail stuff – and, if Cellic PLC was full of rebellious Cellic supporters, they would have demanded that Dallas was sacked – never to return to the game…imho.
Aye……
Who would win in a fight between Moderator and Moderator 2?
TONYDONNELLY67 on 4TH NOVEMBER 2016 12:25 PM
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Aye well,….LOL :-)
HH
So a missed the poppy debate :(
No sure if this has been posted but I’ve been watching this as many will know and it’s a source of amusement.
https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/07380537/filing-history
I’d love Paddy to start not just tomorrow but every game. It seems to be Brendan’s one blind spot at the moment. I noticed in his press conference yesterday he praised all the recent subs with one noticeable exception – wee Paddy.
Aw look,miracles can happen,innit luvly?
Truly the lion will lie down with the lamb,the ying shall meet its yang,the pro-board sycophant shall courie down wi the anti-board ultra.
I hear you,Lord.
Afternoon all from a ‘just started pishin’ doon’ South Ayrshire coast.
Firstly – many happy hoopy returns to DENA29 and ENNISBHOY.
Secondly – very much looking forward to tomorrow and my first visit to CP this season for the game against the ‘Inversnekie Agriculturalists’!
HH!!
Would be good to see Roberts get a start tomorrow as James Forrest is starting to revert to type. I noticed in the Aberdeen game him starting to flail his arms around looking for fouls again, a bad sign in my experience. Hopefully James can push on again and defy his critics, myself included.
The Poppy P#sh is the Cellic PLC’s fault…imho.
When all this palavir started about what, 5, 6, 7, 8, years ago ?
Celllic should have came out and said – “We’ll remember all our former players, officials, supporters who were involved in the great war on Poppy ‘DAY’ !!!!!
One flukin day, that’s it!
We’ll hold a mins silence in front of the statues on the Celtic Way and a wreath will be laid.
None of this Poppy’s on jersey’s palavir or, mins silence at the gemme – bunkum!
ENNISBHOY – Happy Birthday.
Hail Hail
I hope you are typing up your resignation from the Blog.
If I had as many posts deleted as you have, I would resign.
I’ll let people make they’r own mind up, lol, what a silly boy, your in. Denial.
Timaloy29.
Of course singing songs in support of ira is a political act.
if chosen to be sung by a Celtic supporter..
It set me asking myself why?Are we singin? What freedoms are won?
How does modern ireland shape up against the aspirations of those who signed the proclamation.
As you posted I was seeing on tvnews british borders possibly being extended to irish port heads.feral capitalism is blighting ireland.the brexit dup in the north rubber earing cross border talks.it saddens me
Supporting Celtic is a political act in this country.they are paeticipatin socially ecomically and politically, improving by education? and helpin our weakest, bein active Etc
long may we grow.
HH
KEVJUNGLE,
Brendan said he should have Squared it.
I Love the Almighty More than Words can ever Say.
If you can, gie a few Thoughts and Prayers for Mark , Mirv, as he has been rejected for a Triple Heart Bypass, the guy is going oot with a bang.
44 years old like me. :(
I know the Power of Prayer.
First it’s Ernie Lynch that needs attention, then it’s PHILBHOY, now that other nugget is nipping my eyes wi his lump of wid posts, see just for wan day, jist wan day, ignore ma posts, get a burd or something, buy a pet, try an make conversation wi the post man or something, ignore me completely, just totally ignore me, wan day it’s no a lot to ask is it, it’s getting boring not just for me others on the blog can’t be annoyed wi it.
Find someone else to annoy a don’t need it, try it, ffs, get a life.
Deary deary me, religious bore and the Celtic hater on at the same time. Time for lunch.
PETEC on 4TH NOVEMBER 2016 12:54 PM
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Prayers will be said and candle will be lit for
Mark – Mirv.
That’s sad to read pal, so sad.
YNWA
TONY
Brilliant!
Tony – I’m going away to dae stuff.
Naaaahhh, really….I’m going away because ye canny be trusteeeed!
Hahahahahaha LOL :-)
PETEC – Respect fella.
….off-oot….
In other news,for those wishing an update on Wee Dawson.
I just got a video of him enjoying a bath,watched over by his Dad.
At home!
Gaun,the wee man!!!!!!
timmy7_noted on 4th November 2016 12:58 pm
Deary deary me, religious bore and the Celtic hater on at the same time. Time for lunch.
LOL
…………………………..
OK – Complicated
Are you a Hun? ;))
PETEC
Give Mirv my very best,mate. I hope he can persuade them to rethink.
Honestly look at this crackpot? A load of sheet, the guys a forking icehole, bumming about the stadium he played for, makes my friken skin crawl.
http://videocelts.com/2016/11/blogs/latest-news/john-brown-im-not-worried-about-celtic-doing-ten-in-a-row/
Thanks Kev.
The CQN lumbersexual/hipster clique is the bestest clique.
We have brown plaid shirts…
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS
Re Dawson:
Magic!
All the guys that gave info on the KODI addons, thanks muchly. All installed and working :). You’re not a bad bunch really !!!!
John
DAVIDOPOULOS
Aw,I used to think you were so butch!
And I suppose all the sausage stuff is a metaphor also. You must miss the beaver over here,great sausages there.
BMCUWP
Lovely news about Dawson!
Keep us posted!