It’s been a while since Celtic have taken the field without Kris Commons or John Guidetti in the team. Commons was absent through injury on Saturday while Guidetti was largely peripheral to proceedings after opening the scoring, but they are the two most capable match winners in the squad right now.
With Guidetti ineligible I’m sure Ronny Deila will give Commons every chance to make the starting line-up, the manager needs goals and Kris is the great creator. This requirement will have to be accommodated alongside the performance of the midfield on Saturday, led by Stefan Johansen in a more advanced than usual position.
Astra are bottom of the group and we can anticipate they will defend deeply, a scenario made for Commons’ close control and ability to shoot from the edge of the box.
Many thanks to everyone who donated to Mary’s Meals while we ran the competition to win a pair of tickets for the Kilmarnock game, courtesy of club sponsor Magners. Thanks also to Magners for their help.
Thanks to those who ordered Caesar & the Assassin, the accounts of Billy McNeill and Davie Hay as Celtic managers, yesterday. It documents the period of our history from when Billy took over from Jock Stein in 1978, through to the end of his era 13 years later, including Davie Hay’s four years in charge.
Billy and Davie will both sign the early orders we get to them, more here.
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Play Commons – BOO
Dont play Commons – HISS
Please God let tonight go well!!
B-)
lymmbhoy
12:41 on 23 October, 2014
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Shes excellant, stumbled across her long time ago.
Surely she must have an album or play gigs somewere. Sounds like she from belfast.
Just listened to her 90miles from dublin town.. One of my favs.
Reading bobbys sands-a day in my life.. Like that song it sums up what the men and women went throu.
Powerful extroidinary people.
Gordon
Lustig, WisnaeMe, VVD, Izzy
Calljm, Broonie, Stefan, Charlie
Stokes, Scepovic
4-0 Celtic
Setting ourselves up for the Kris Commons show tonight I see… well some are, some no
Ayrshire is Green and White
As others have said, same side with Scepovic in. He has to score some time.
Plenty of bodies in their box. Plenty of crosses. We haven’t scored from a free kick for a bit. Charlie or Stokes for that. I’d also put a wee wager on Johansen to score at some point.
Kris Commons was the worst passer of the ball in the game v Zagreb out if both teams. Something like 64% pass com
AGM attendance card received just now.
10.30 at Celtic park 21November 2014.
…platoon rate.
Posting on a wee phone with big cold fingers.
No kris for me either, start him on bench espcially as it seems he isnt 100% fit.
Maybe play mcgregor in that role and tell him his main priority is to make goals therefor look for the pass when its on.
Be great to see good win and clean sheet tonight.
Bit of interest on spurs.. Had them in treble with both madrid teams.. Hopefully wake up with a couple of good result and xtra money in the account.
Hopefully the 30/35k at the game tonight do what they do best… Back the team to the hilt.
Let the people sing
…pletion rate.
Posting on a wee phone with big cold fingers.
Paul67 says play KC.
Some agree.
Some disagree.
What’s wrong with that?
Ach what the hell. 4 goals us with Charlie, Scepovic, Johansen and Stokes the scorers.
I dont think Rony will be able to resist tinkering tonight it seems to be his way.I dont think Astra will be a push over as they have nothing to lose by having a go if the can grab a win they will feel they are back in the mix for second place.I hope we can keep it tight and keep the ball off of them we need a disciplined performance from the bhoys and we need to collect the 3 points. H.H.
Tom McLaughlin
Ha ha ha! WisnaeMe!
I don’t like talk of taking 6 points from the next two matches. It smacks of playing the team rather than playing the match. Celtic can think about the match in Romania once they have succeeded in winning 3 points tonight; that will be a tough enough task.
We are in no position to dismiss any team from a league with a strong football tradition.
Celtic are 4/6 tonight to win. Yes that is odds on but it is nowhere near a sure thing. The draw is priced at 3 to 1 and Astra are a mere 5 to 1 for a win.
Whatever our team selection, we will need to be playing well to win. This team are better than all other SPL outfits including United and Aberdeen.
Still, they are the 4th seeds in this tight group and we should manage a win at CP. I fear it may be a narrow 2:1 rather than any comfortable display, especially if we are minus Lustig and Guidetti for this match.
2-1 the Hooooooooooooops
Broonie on the Score sheet
Line up
We’ll see :)))))
Another wee snippet from Caesar & The Assassin: here Davie Hay reacts to a defeat at Pittodrie during a period of poor results for Celtic…
‘I have been very disappointed by the attitude of certain Celtic players. I can accept defeat if the players are trying and their sincere efforts still amount to a bad performance. That is understandable, it’s football and it happens. But I will never tolerate players giving anything less that one hundred per cent in every game. To be a Celtic player you need a special commitment. A Celtic player is always up against it and he must be prepared to give absolutely everything to Celtic. He must be prepared to play until he drops for Celtic. Not for Davie Hay or anyone else, but for the club. We all know Celtic are different from the normal football club. Celtic are special and need special efforts at all times.’
Davie Hay, the new Celtic manager, was speaking from the heart. It was only his nineteenth competitive game in charge of the team in season 1983/84 and, clearly, painfully and abundantly, he had been far from impressed from what he had witnessed from his players in a 3-1 defeat against Aberdeen on a wind-ravaged Saturday at Pittodrie.
Hay was livid. ‘We collapsed in the second-half and these awful dips in form cannot be allowed to continue. Certain players, namely Davie Provan and Murdo MacLeod, have not given what is expected and, as a result, they will be dropped from the team for the next game against Hibs. If being dropped does not bring it home to players what they must do for Celtic, we must consider the possibility of letting them play their football elsewhere. No-one is assured of his place at Celtic Park. Every player must work for inclusion.’
Ironically, Provan and MacLeod, the players singled out for a special mention by a frustrated Hay, had been Billy McNeill’s first signings for the club when he took over on May 1978. Reputations never meant a thing to Davie Hay.
———————–Scepovic
Wakaso———Johansen——–Commons
—————Broony—–Charlie
You could probably switch McGreggor with Wakaso if you like. Either way I don’t want to see Stokes in there and would drive him to Bolton myself if rumors were true.
cliftonville celt from belfast
06:49 on 23 October, 2014
jamesgang
06:00 on 23 October, 2014
Belfast is dry, calm, cold and dark at present
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I took good care of the city.
After my meeting I then went with my colleague to avoca to catch up. Didn’t order what I wanted – had granola and natural yoghurt instead of bacon!
And then 2kg of millets bird seed was put in front of me! Managed the first kilo then the yoghurt ran out and it was like eating stones from a path!
So rebalanced things with a cinnamon scone!
Then mrs JG hears I’m in her favourite shop. So I feel bad and buy her a lovely woollen scarf.
Forty quid!!! Two thirds of a Celtic tap!
And/but half the price of the one beside it!!!!
That equates to 4,345 brownie points that’ll all be used up to go to the Killie match at the weekend!!!
Having read the previous posts from this morning my bucket list is now dominated by the wish to live long enough to see ACGR come down the tunnel at Celtic Park in his improvised onesie home kit!
At that point I will die. Die of laughing!!!
;-))
HH jamesgang
sorry – “Commons close control” ? – the norm has been 10 yards this season
sandman
12:47 on 23 October, 2014
Astra is it?
Let’s hope this mob don’t just turn up tonight and park the car.
I thank you…
……………………….
:-)) They’d maybe have to park 2 cars with another on top.
pedrocaravanachio67
12:46 on 23 October, 2014
A passport for Belfast???
Eh?
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So pesky bobbio wanted us to vote no so he didn’t need a passport for a then hypothetical hootenanny?!?!
What a bassa!
;-)
HH jamesgang
blantyretim is praying for the Knox family
12:29 on
23 October, 2014
If CHRIS was in the landsdowne last night I can’t see him playing tonight, do ghe players and staff not go to a hotel the night before a match.?
bt, yeh the players were in hotel last night, two guys that I work with were up from London and told me that the Celtic team were staying at there hotel, do not know if CG was there.
HH
timaloy29
13:11 on 23 October, 2014
———————–Scepovic
Wakaso———Johansen——–Commons
—————Broony—–Charlie
—–
Really not liking the look of that defence mhate…..
HH jamesgang
Why don’t we just get rid of Commons? He’s over 30 now………aye just punt him…i despair sometimes.
If he’s not fit ,don’t play him.If he is fit he starts every game.We are nowhere near good enough to leave a fit KC out the team.
Night Bhoys n Ghirls
HH
Kris Commons is most effective when he’s got time to pick a pass/shot. He doesn’t usually get that in Europe, hence he looks slow-witted, but he’s not -it’s physical; can’t shift his feet fast enough to be an absolute top-level performer.
But he’s still our most creative and tonight I feel he WILL get time on the ball in their half – they’ll retreat for damage limitation; this mob are pants, believe it.
Play Commons, protect him with Broon and Johansen, 6-0 the Hoops – 225/1 yer money.
I’m expecting a tough game tonight after they gave Salzburg a close fought tie.
Hopefully we won’t start either Commons or Stokes and play at a high tempo from the off.
Would go with Wakaso & Scepovic instead, pity about Guidetti missing as I think he will be our top scorer this season by some way.
Ideally a comfortable win, but a win is paramount…hoping nerves don’t get the better of us again.
paddysmarket
it was posted this morning that he was watching madrid liverpol last night,
Burghbhoy
12:40 on
23 October, 2014
Gordon, Lustig,VVD,Denayer,Izzy,Mulgrew,Brown,Johansson,Scepovic,Commons,Stokes.
Ideal team for me.
Cant fault that team.Very fluent looking.If Scepovic clicks,could be our best team at the moment.
Whats the latest on the Hun saga.Heard Jackson tweeted the deal was off.Is this true?.
jamesgang
13:22 on 23 October, 2014
timaloy29
13:11 on 23 October, 2014
———————–Scepovic
Wakaso———Johansen——–Commons
—————Broony—–Charlie
—–
Really not liking the look of that defence mhate…..
HH jamesgang
==============================
Me neither, but you’ve got to admire his confidence…
It is with great regret and a heavy heart that I have to confirm that I will now not be visiting the BV late afternoon. My event in Edinburgh has finished much earlier than expected allowing me to get back to ole EK to don a few extra layers
Oldtim67 – my promise of a small libation will need to be carried forward.
Currently dry as I pass Bishopbriggs.
timaloy29
What bothers you so much about Stokes?
Is it the goals or the assists?
If it’s inconsistency then everyone bar Craig Gordon is guilty of that this season.
Hi Lads,
Out in Miraflores Spain with the wife and kids.Is the game on the telly or is it down to streaming on the laptop.Any advice welcome.HH
P.S.Its roasting
Monaghan1900
Appreciate those snippets. Particularly liked the one where King’s tax issues were described as “alleged”!
Assuming Lustig is in the right frame of mind to play, then the back 8 should be the same players that played at Ross County.
——————–Gordon
Lustig—–Denayer—-VVD—–Izzy
——————–Mulgrew
———Brown—————Johansen
I think everyone would agree with that. With Guidetti out, the front 3 has scope for change. If Scepovic is looking the business in training, then straight swap with Scepovic replacing Guidetti. If he keeps the same shape then obviously we have.
McGregor————————-Stokes
——————–Scepovic
I think that’s what RD will go with. Commons cannot play in that formation in my opinion. However I also don’t think that gets the best out of any of those players. So I would tweak it to
——————-McGregor
——–Scepovic————Stokes.
Commons could play in any one of those positions, though he is best utilised as the 2nd striker(as is Stokes) as he comes alive in and around the box. Full backs provide the width. That’s what I would go with, but what do I know.
Looking forward to the game and expecting another good performance. HH
Stokes’s form recently hasn’t justified his first pick status. However, now that he’s ended his 8 game goal drought we should stick with him. He’s a streaky player who scores in bursts of 3, 4 or 5 games before his next quiet spell.
I can understand the criticisms of Commons but ]I would bring him in,if fit, as the only change to Saturday’s line up. We have seen that he and Stokes can play together and playing Commons is not a barrier to Johansen playing the role that he played outstandingly on Saturday. It was the presence of Mulgrew (not the absence of Commons) that facilitated that.