By the time they cross the white line on Sunday afternoon, Celtic will have rested for 8 days. Kyogo had a few heavy training sessions early in the week and will be fitter, Giorgos Giakoumakis has iced his delicate limb. The entire squad has rested in preparation for Hampden, a stadium, which incredibly, over many years, has provided Celtic with a higher win rate that the Paradise itself.
I didn’t get everything I wanted from this week’s European ties, but extra time at Ibrox was top of my list. The script is written, althogh, you and I both know football is full of adlib moments. Scripts give you a sense of what to expect, the punchlines often come from an inspired creator rising to the occasion. We can take nothing for granted, this will be a battle.
On our last visit to Hampden, Ange Postecoglou considered the League Cup Final important enough to start Kyogo, who pulled a hamstring 10 days earlier. The decision proved pivotal, as our Japanese striker scored two to transform a deficit into a win. The manager’s wisdom was called into question a week later, when the same player exacerbated his injury, leading to a three-month layoff.
With a glance at the trophy cabinet, Ange might consider his instincts were right regarding Kyogo. If so, Giakoumakis is likely to start. Those three months, however, gave Ange time to ruminate. I expect the Greek to start on the bench.
Patience will be required. The game could last 120 minutes, if so, substitute decisions will be important. Oh, and please, tomorrow, practice from 12 yards……….
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Did Ange not also say Calum McGregor would not appear against the huns only to play a stormer while wearing a mask.
I will wait and see with GG. It make absolutely no sense to show our cards.
HH.
HOT SMOKED on 15TH APRIL 2022 3:00 PM
I didn’t hear Ange’s comments.
But based on previous posts he seems to have ruled him out..
As has become a GOOD fRIDAY tradition, please let everyone take a minute ot two to recall the posters, mums and dads, uncles and aunts and assorted friends and relatives who have passed away since Good Friday 2021.
Were you there when theycrucified my Lord,
Were you there when they crucified my Lord,
Oh Oh sometimes it causes me to tremble tremble tremble,
Were you there when they crucified my Lord
martin42
MARTIN 42 @ 3:10
‘please let everyone take a minute ot two to recall the posters, mums and dads, uncles and aunts and assorted friends and relatives who have passed away since Good Friday 2021.”
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Good sentiments. Just out of the Veneration in St Mirin’s with the family – we have been doing just that.
BIG JIMMY on 15TH APRIL 2022 12:03 PM
BIG GEORGES FAN CLUB – HAIL, HAIL, WEE OSCAR on 15TH APRIL 2022 11:58 AM
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I hope that you and Wee George are all good mate.
We must have a Wee Bevvy soon.
HH Mate
———————–
Cheers pal – all good.
Wee BGFC just about to start his end-of-second-year exams at Strathclyde Uni.
Once that is out of the way (mid-May), we are up for a Saturday Hoot with guitar in hand and singing at Ye Olde ShipBank – Manager-allowing, of course :-)
Don’t worry – nae rebs !!!
HH
BGFC
JHB on 15TH APRIL 2022 3:53 PM
MARTIN 42 @ 3:10
‘please let everyone take a minute ot two to recall the posters, mums and dads, uncles and aunts and assorted friends and relatives who have passed away since Good Friday 2021.”
—–
Good sentiments. Just out of the Veneration in St Mirin’s with the family – we have been doing just that.
—
Yes indeed. God bless all of them.
BIG GEORGES FAN CLUB – HAIL, HAIL, WEE OSCAR on 15TH APRIL 2022 3:56 PM
………….
Cheers mate BUT… ….ANY HOOT on a Saturday would need to be in another Pub, because its very busy on Saturdays, with assorted punter singers going up on the small stage, with backing from The MC and a keyboard player.
I dont think Frankie the owner of The Shippy would allow any other musicians to play when he is paying for a keyboard player and MC…Who sings a few songs ?
So IF we have a Hoot on ANY SATURDAY…it would really need to be some other Pub, so that the CQN Bhoys can chat etc.
Tell wee George I wish him well.
HH Mate.
I have backed KYOGO for a HAT TRICK on Sunday at odds of 28/1 with BET365.
IF he doesnt START, then the bet is ” VOID” .
HH.
DAVID66
In Dolphin there..had a coupla beers wi Mark Flaherty..great lad..said hello
Well said Martin42.
It’s good that we have posters on here highlighting Ange’s tactical blunders and telling him who to play tomorrow. He must take a lot of comfort from the support network that forums like this provide him.
Mncelt
Spot on but we’re playing Sunday – maybe GG will be fit by then 🤭
Why are posters getting annoyed and accusing Ange of giving Old Firm FC an advantage by announcing a player is out of Sunday’s game? How on earth does that information help any opposition? People really do like to overthink the beautiful game.
In last few games against us, St. Mirren & Braga they have scored in the first couple of minutes.
They go all out gung ho from the kick off, we need to weather the early storm & get into our stride.
Ange will know how long he will get out of Kyogo,
I don’t expect him to start but we have plenty of goal scorers on out team so there are no excuses,
These games often take on a life of their own & all pre match predictions & expectations can quickly go out the window.
It won’t be easy but I do think we will win.
Great result for port vale – any win’s a good one and with Mansfield losing is a bonus. That’s 8 wins and a draw in last 9 games – huge game on Monday against Bristol rovers.
Could be a great weekend.
I expect Celtic to win on Sunday against Lazarus FC. I predict 3-1 and Maeada to score the first goal. I’m so confident I placed a bet on that double at the bookies this morning. In Ange we trust. HH
I still believe Kyogo will start on Sunday.
JOCKS IMMORTAL LIONS
I hope you’re enjoying a big Celtic win on Sunday with your winnings.
🤞
Celtic FC SLO
@CelticFCSLO
·
4h
Info for Sun:
🚐M74 Jct 1A (Polmadie) follow directions from Police to allocated supporters bus parking areas
🚂http://scotrail.co.uk/plan-your-journey/timetables-and-routes Use Kings Park Station
🚗Parking on street outside exclusion zone
🇮🇪 CSC Flags all good, on sticks no more than 1m🇮🇪
Gates open 12:30🍀
pre match breakfast
TURKEYBHOY
Why do you constantly call Kyogo KYOTO? He’s a man, not a city. To do it once is unlucky but every time? That’s just disrespectful. Don’t blame predictive rext. That can be corrected before pressing the submit button.
Jota, Maeda, Abada
Hatate McGregor Rogic
Juranovic CCV Starfelt Taylor
Hart
Think thats Ange’s team, some bench btw, Kyogo, Turnbull, Riley, Ralston etc.
Thanks Tom McLaughlin, I hope so too! The bet may not come in but I am confident of a victory. They have done well in Europe but they have also carried a great deal of luck with them. Not as good as the hype.
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 15TH APRIL 2022 5:00 PM
Why are posters getting annoyed and accusing Ange of giving Old Firm FC an advantage by announcing a player is out of Sunday’s game? How on earth does that information help any opposition? People really do like to overthink the beautiful game.
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Agree – don’t think Ange plays ‘mind games”. It’s WYSIWYG…sorry went all MM there. He has seemingly built up a good rapport with the media whilst he’s been here – he’s a straight-talker, hallelujah to that!
ROCK TREE BHOY
Agree with you, I think that’s the starting line -up.
Kyogo or Daezen through the middle is the guess for them uns. GG was never recovering in time.
Other unknowns for those trying to play or wondering who they have to contain or be contained by on Sunday.
I would not be shocked to see Kyogo through the middle with Maeda and Jota wide to start. Maeda through the middle after 60 or 70 minutes.
The key thing is that we now have options and we can change things up from the bench and in play.
JOCKS IMMORTAL LIONS on 15TH APRIL 2022 5:55 PM
Cheers mate, thats a first :-)🍀🍀🍀🍀
Too many Spartacus types 9n here again, if you give an opposing manager the heads up on 1,2,or 3 players out,its very simple to understand it helps the other manager pick his team,or set up a different way, not just Ange,there’s loads do it.
Agree with the comments that we should not be confirming the unavailability of our injured players prior to the submission of the team sheets at the game. I cannot see anything that Celtic gain from releasing this information. I can see that it makes it easier for Old Firm to plan, unless of course its a red herring, like in Big Jock’s days in Europe! It would have been sufficient to say he was ‘doubtful’. I still think one of his best moves was when he made Gallagher and Lennox swap numbers and the opposition man marked Gallagher. I cannot remember who the opposition were.
RestrictUnnecessaryInformation CSC
https://twitter.com/theryanmcginlay/status/1514989497490067456?s=24&t=8Y8oFWHum20mCwYAZcbrbg
Ange’s jumper
Agree no need to tell any opponent anything they do not need to know
HH
So by announcing GG is out, does that mean GVB can now plan his tactics around Celtic not fielding a striker? What a shock he’ll get when Celtic take the field with an alternative striker, ie Maeda or Kyogo.
This information does not give them any advantage, other than in the minds of panic merchants on here.
Has there been any confirmation that Calmac has to wear his mask for the rest of his career ?.
A supporter told me this last week.
Tom
Hope u r well bud.
HH
ADI_DASSLER
About a month ago Callum said he had to wear the mask for another few weeks.
I guess “few” is open-ended, but I would seriously doubt he will need it for the rest of his career.
I am good thanks Robert.
TOM MCLAUGHLIN on 15TH APRIL 2022 5:00 PM
Why are posters getting annoyed and accusing Ange of giving Old Firm FC an advantage by announcing a player is out of Sunday’s game? How on earth does that information help any opposition? People really do like to overthink the beautiful game
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Tom, this is a blog. It’s for debate, discussion and comment.
And if posters hold a valid opinion its still valid whether you agree or disagree.
I think it’s a valid comment that we should not show our hand until its called.
HH.
latest odds to qualify for final
Celtic
4/6
old firm
6/4
WHO WANTS A GAME OF CALL MY BLUFF.