The players would have had a light training session at Lennoxtown today as muscles continue to refill after Wednesday night’s exertions. Expectations of Celtic in the Champions League are not high, and were exceptionally low when this group was drawn, but even so, these games have a huge financial, physical and even emotional impact on every area of the club.
One argument suggests the last thing we need is a cup semi-final four days after a Champions League outing. An alternative thought is that this is the perfect game for Celtic right now. Memories linger of sitting stressfully at Fir Park days after Celtic beat the reigning European Champions, Milan, as (subsequently liquidated) Grenta held onto a lead until the 87th minute.
While playing (subsequently liquidated) Rangers away 64 hours after winning a Uefa Cup semi-final 1200 miles from home in 2003 proved to be the perfect game to instil steel into the legs.
With what passes as a fully fit squad, Brendan has choices to make for Sunday. Did Patrick Roberts do enough off the bench against Borussia to justify a start? Perhaps. He’s a player who owes us one at Hamden too.
Callum McGregor will also fancy his chances ahead of Nir Bitton, who didn’t have a great Scottish Cup semi-final against the same opponents in April.
It would be a huge surprise if Moussa Dembele didn’t start as the lone forward, despite Leigh Griffiths itching to get on alongside him. Brendan will not change formation for this game, while Moussa will fancy his chances against a defence he punished to ruthlessly last month.
For me, our two most important players on Sunday will be Scott Sinclair and Tom Rogic. They are the epitome of the modern footballer, strong, skilful, intelligent and difficult to defend against. If we can get them on the ball often enough we’ll score a lot of goals.
Pretty much every Celtic fan I know expects Mark Warburton to have learned a lesson from his Celtic Park whipping and for him to deploy a more defensively-minded team this time. My Newco pals don’t expect this to happen. Warburton hasn’t varied his game-plan since arriving at the club and is apparently reluctant to start experimenting now.
He took his team to Hampden to face Celtic against similarly long odds last season. Within minutes we knew we were in a game, and despite the clear chasm between the teams, it was Newco who faced Hibs in the Scottish Cup final.
A repeat of the 5-1 win at Celtic Park is possible, but you’ve seen enough football to know that nothing can be taken for granted on Sunday. Remember that Newco came close to levelling that 5-1 game at 2-2 early in the second half, and the latter part of their collapse came after going down to 10 men.
I’m off later to meet those from the Tyneside No. 1 and friends, who have walked (yes, WALKED), from Merthyr Tydfil and will reach Doherty’s Bar in Hamilton this afternoon. They’ve pretty much walked a marathon a day for 13 days and will make the final journey to Celtic Park tomorrow.
This herculean effort has been made to mark the memory of Jonathan Thomas, who aged 30 lost his biggest fight one year ago tomorrow.
We’re lucky as Celtic fans that we get to meet and read about people who do these things in our name. It’ll take you 2 minutes to let them know how inspiring they are here.
It’s also worth marking the events in Aberfan, the village a few miles from Merthyr Tydfil which was visited by unimaginable tragedy 50 years ago today.
John Humphrys: What we owe the people of Aberfan 50 years after tragedy struck the village, and why it shows authority must be challenged. pic.twitter.com/OdjyaAGTsQ
— BBC Radio 4 Today (@BBCr4today) October 21, 2016
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Celtic Mac @ 11.40
Never heard that when Rangers were first out of the draw.
Must be a new Sevco world record?
Twa `oors.
Sydney awaits.
Cheer’s BMCUWP’s, I was going to text THM on the way.
Enjoy the day.
OkmissI’llputitinflightmodenowCSC
..
The part of the Contract I posted Earlier was of Course Big Jock signing with Celtic as a Player..
£12 a Week.. Wow
Summa
Ps.. Wish I could post the Full Contract as it makes Interesting reading but don’t know how to post Pics.. where is Ole Bourne when You need him
call me gerry
Plausible. But I don’t recall BBC using the word when Celtic came out of the semi-final draw first, but I could be wrong there.
Doc – a pleasure – hope you make it in time. The Bhoys of Wimbledon will look after you too.
Sorry to hear about your dad – safe flight.
HH
bournesouprecipe
It does sound a bit incongruous to me.
Or does incongruous better describe our opponents today?
Mmmmm (copyright Paul67)
DOC
Plenty of positive thoughts winging their way to Auld Doc.
HH
..
Doc..
Say Hello to the Wimbledon Bhoys for Me and thank them for a Great Night (Drink) last Year..as the Game and the Feed were pants..
001
Celtic Mac
Maybe the Sunday Herald are evening it up?
Zombie Windup?
..
Does anyone think Griff has Any Chance of starting the Match..?
TIA
Summa
..
Bourne..
If I emailed You pics could You post them on here..?
It’s a Replica of Jocks first Contract with Celtic..
Summa
Jozo for Kolo is our only change from midweek.
HH
SUMMA Of SAMMI
None. Same team as Wednesday apart from Jozo for Kolo
Summa
Of course
HH
bournesouprecipe@gmail.com
Doc…………..best wishes ……:
HH
DELANEYS DUNKY……………….Paradise always
HH
Thank God that yon Kolo is oot.
As Davie Provan said earlier today – “He’s an accident waiting to happen.”
Roy Keane said on the tv the other night there that, – “Kolo didn’t just start making mistakes tonight(vs BMG), he’s been doing it his entire career!”
So, why did Brendan bring him to Celtic ?
Is Kolo a midlife crisis signing ?
Furthermore,….see if Kolo was any good, would a bigger club than Celtic not have taken him ?
Hmmmmmm…..??????
Ah smell – cronyism!
And, ye know what else…..?
Cronyism – disny work at the Cellic!
If ye know the history…..
BRTH
I was not going to watch the game, so the money I save from that might as well do some good. Count me in. Now I’m going to have to follow the game on CQN … just so you don’t tell me we won 33-0. :). (Although I would more than happily pay out if we did!)
DOC – I don’t know what’s happened with either yerself or, yer old man ?
Whatever it is – I hope all goes ok pal.
Thoughts and Prayers for you.
Hope yer wee lassie is still ok.
Hail Hail
Toure has been an excellent signing so far. He made a couple of bad errors against BMG but all defenders make errors. The comment about “cronyism” is pathetic imo. Brendan stated that he will make decisions for the good of the club. For someone to suggest he signed Toure as a favour to an old pal clearly does not understand the manager. In Brendan we trust, well some of us do…….
my only slight concern today is yon wee runt Gardner feigning injury and MIB Thompshun sending one of the bhoys off.
Doc
Best thoughts and prayers winging their way from The Green Valley to you and yours.
KTF Amigo
SP
LEFTCLICKTIC
Garner is your typical “hun” of old. Falling over, niggling at players, moaning at the ref, cheating. There only hope of inflicting any damage on us is through “sleekit” tactics like you describe. Our job is to make these tactics negligible by scoring as many goals against them as we can.
LEFTCLICKTIC
HH Lefty:))
He’ll be bang at it that wee reprobate, box clever the watchwords the day!
Hope yer well mate.
SP
ONENIGHTINLISBON on 23RD OCTOBER 2016 12:38 PM
__________________________________________________________
Brendan will make decisions for the good of the club ?
Why then has he decided to go with 3 stookies in the midfield ?
Why did he choose to, look the other way when KT was assaulted at Tynecastle ?
ignore the troll
‘mon the hoops
KEVJUNGLE
So you think we have made the wrong decision appointing him then?
No stookies wearing the hoops….
Look at me, look at me, look at me, look at me ad infinitum…..
Disappointed that Kolo Toure is unfit, having been a superb signing from the summer window hope he’s fit
again soon, tough as nails in the tackle, and a great reader of the back line.
Time for Jozo Simunovic to step up to the plate and justify his transfer fee.
KEVJUNGLE
Don’t know what your problem is, don’t want to know either.
But the thing you are smelling isn’t cronyism, it’s the keech you spout.
Aye, if it wisny for a Jungle full of rebellious trolls
the Kelly’s & White’s would still be in control of the club.
The good thing there would have been, we wouldn’t have
sold Celtic’s soul to a kowtowing-old-firm-orientated-PLC-Hierarchy.
Anyway,…..C’mon the Cellic!
…off-oot….
Doc sorry to hear about your dad, hope today goes well for him both off and on the park…. He’s always a great ambassador for Celtic one of the best. I remember chatting with him in Muirheads when he told me he only ever supports two teams, Celtic and …. Celtic reserves….! Hope all goes well God Bless Malcolm….
KEVJUNGLE
Maybe you would have preferred us to appoint Owen Coyle or another crowd pleaser.
Some folk are never happy, with supporters like you………
Enjoy the game, although somehow I doubt you will.
As for the really big game today, come on ST. J….. I picked St. j in LMS this week. I have lost every time I have bet on Paul Harley’s team… the one time I bet against him, better not be the one time he wins!
Petec put it as succinctly as anyone I’ve read:
I hope they show them no mercy, none whatsoever. If Celtic get into a groove early they could really Terrorize them.
WIM JANSEN signed Henrik due to “cronyism”
Martin O’Neill signed Neil Lennon due to “cronyism”
Jock got Bertie Auld back due to “cronyism”
Dr Jo signed Libo due to “cronyism”
Just saying,like…
Celtic have scored 26 SPL goals from 8 games.
Mike in Toronto
Cheers for that.
Doc — hope yer oul man gets better and that the operation all goes ok.
Sleepout fund is now just £88 away from target.
https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/jamesmcginley2