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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Kevin J
Sorry, Kev, if you can’t see how good a player Tom Rogic is then you may want to take up another sport.
Tom Rogic is quality, simple, his deficiencies can and will be worked on. HH
Just a wee reminder that Celtic will be 129 years old tomorrow. Mass to celebrate our founding at St Mary’s in The Calton at 3:00PM: http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/brother-walfrid-and-the-annual-mass-to-celebrate-the-foundation-of-celtic-fc/
It will be good to see some CQN’ers there if possible!
KTF
Development Squad are mollocating Edinburgh City :-)))
Logged on to the Celtic Blog…. unfortunately it was yet again about the huns.
Total fixation, total obsession. Simple distractions. From what and but for why? Is it personal?
What is Celtic’s 5 year plan???
HT. CELTIC 10-0 EDINBURGH CITY. The young Hoops hit double figures at the interval after running riot in the first half.
Could end up a record :-))))
Derek Ferguson on shortbread.
Why do we celebrate guy Fawkes was he no a terrorist.
Griff not even on subs bench today.
Oops !!!! Griff plays today:-)))
Gordon, Gamboa, Lustig, Erik, Izzy, McGregor, Armstrong, Roberts, Christie, Henderson, Griffiths
SAINT STIVS SAYS SACK THE BOARD on 5TH NOVEMBER 2016 1:59 PM
Derek Ferguson on shortbread.
Why do we celebrate guy Fawkes was he no a terrorist.
well why do people do what they do.nothing happened,no explosions ,no fighting,nobody died. to me it’s like fathers day or mothers day ,made up load of shit to con people into parting with their cash.
bahumbugcsc.emdy got the team news.
Forget that team
What’s actually celebrated is burning the effigy of a treasonist catholic.
Team for today :-)))
https://twitter.com/celticfc?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor
3 at the back .
Izzy injured ?
HH
OK, time for a wee dauner doon tae Celtic Park!
COYBIG
KTF
Any team news please?
Sorry , Izzy on bench .
HH
CHANNELISLANDCELT
Looks like 3-1-4-2 ?
There’s so much in the term “effigy”, a strange, seldom used word, until you understand where it was rekindled.
Could line-up like this ?
……………….Gordon
Lustig. Simunovic. Svietchenko
…………………..Brown
Roberts. Armstrong. McGregor. Sinclair
………..Griffiths. Dembele
13-0 in the youths game 58 min played :-)))
Live updates article is up….
Right, I’m off to see the Tic !
Haha a Scotsman is the worlds best tennis player 2016 ….how mad is that???
Well done Andrew…
Braw
Very parky in Parkhead.
Never a pretty side industrial Inverness set their stall out to frustrate and went unpunished via good fortune and gormless boy scoutish Crawford Allan who was never on top of his form for 90 minutes..
When the away keeper starts wasting time in the first half the inevitable Celtic goal is usually just around the corner, although Celtic’s game plan of 3 -5-2 was wrecked in minutes. A hefty challenge left Mikel Lustig writhing in agony with an ankle injury that looked worrying as he hobbled off, a stunned Stuart Armstong who’d started very well slotted into the berth, much further back than he started. If he could only improve on his finishing he could start many more games, centre mid.
Caley made it to half time but only just Scott SInclair broke free and scored easily past the keeper for the opener, Leigh Griffiths took delight in tapping in the second after a parried shot and Tom Rogic hit home the third into the Gallowgate end, and Dembele had to make do with his assist.
Another game which Celtic won in a canter , the crowd was entertained and Brendan enjoyed his song.
M.O.M. Scott Brown