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Experimentation is over, Celtic core ready for Sunday

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The learning period and experimentation is over.  Neil Lennon will play a more familiar looking line-up on Sunday, with James Forrest on the right, Ryan Christie in the middle.  Neither are as effective in other positions.

Odsonne Eduard will be given every chance.  He, Boli Bolingoli, Jonny Hayes and Mohamed Elyounoussi have all been allowed to recuperate from various strains in recent weeks.  Even if they all pass fitness tests, due to their common injury type, Neil has to consider the high possibility of a relapse in their first outing.  This could force early substitutions in a game that could go to extra-time.

These permutations make a lottery out of guessing our left flank.  Bolingoli or Hayes at left back, with Elyounoussi or Mikey Johnston at left-mid.  Johnston is back from injury and in sparkling form.  He played a crucial role in the win at Ibrox in September when these two teams last met but Neil Lennon may prefer Elyounoussi to add a greater physical presence.

Jeremie Frimpong will almost certainly get the nod ahead of Moritz Bauer, with Hatem Elhamed still injured (from yet another strain).  The regular core of the side: Kristoffer Ajer, Christopher Jullien, Scott Brown, Callum McGregor and Fraser Forster, will all play.

This is not an occasion for an inexperienced winger to play centre forward.  Lewis Morgan is at the very early stages of learning this role, if Eduard is not fit, Leigh Griffiths should start.

Whoever loses on Sunday will leave Hampden knowing they have bigger fish to fry this season, but the victory will make anything and everything seem possible for the winners.

In Celtic’s favour, they have players who have regularly been through challenges like this and come away with the win.  Players like McGregor, Forrest and Brown could write a manual on how to win at Hampden.  We can also expect a match-winning performance from James Forrest.

After recovering from a two-goal deficit against Newco on Wednesday, Aberdeen manager, Derek McInnes, spoke about the aggression his team showed to get back into the game.  On Sunday, both teams will be hyped up and ready for the battle, managing that aggression, however, will be important.  Celtic are clear favourites but a careless red card would change that.

Tom Rogic signed shirt raffle for Celtic FC Foundation

The Celtic squad wore a special shirt for last month’s league game against Motherwell, bearing the Celtic FC Foundation Christmas Appeal logo instead of the normal Dafabet logo on the front, and the words “Christmas Appeal” on the back, instead of the Magners logo.

Tom Rogic’s signed shirt from that day is available for raffle.  Each donation of £10 or more will be entered into a draw, which will take place on Friday 13 December.  The shirt will be posted on Monday 16th (or available for collection at the Hibs game on Sunday 15th).

The Celtic FC Foundation do incredible work throughout the world all year round, but their work with those most in need in the winter months, and for children and families coping with chronic poverty, can give warmth, nourishment, self-respect and  human compassion that some people struggle to find.  All donations go straight to the Foundation.

This is why Celtic exists.  You can enter here at JustGiving.  Good luck and thank you!!

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  2. glendalystonsils on

    The biggest bugbear if Sevco beat us on Sunday will be the fever-pitch reaction of the SMSM. All we will get is the’shift in power’ in Scottish fitba…their sense of superiority will be ramped up to the max . They won’t just have won a cup , they’ll have conquered the world.

     

    We need to keep them grovelling at our feet until they die again. We will definitely lose a cup final at some point but I would rather it was to Annan Athletic or ANYONE other than them.

  3. Melbourne Mick on

    NOTTACLUE1

     

     

    Thank you for the repost, really need to up my game.

     

    Wee Grace is sleeping over tonight, she will give me a quick

     

    rundown on all the techie thingys 8-))

     

    H.H . Mick

  5. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    YouGov calls the debate 52-48 in favour of Johnson. (Opinion)

     

     

    YouGov founded by former Conservative candidate for Westminster, Stephan Shakespeare and Nadhim Zahawi who is currently a Conservative MP. (Facts)

     

     

    Hail hail

  7. Art of War on

    Sunday?

     

    Hope it’s Bloody Sunday for thems.

     

    Hope Celtic are bloody fantastic!

     

    My dad has been formally invited with an RSVP to bring his Lazio Luck.

     

     

    He asked ” what time?”

     

    I showed him 3 fingers as he is deaf as a post but instead his aphasia jumped in and he said “4 o’clock?”

     

     

    He’s a bit like Dave King these days….rubbish at numbers!

     

     

    I tried to tell him that my Lazio post was well received on CQN but didn’t quite get it. He did however get the bit where I said he was a jinx!!! Lol

     

     

    Talking of jinxed, Dallas Dallas kindly offered me his brief for the Hamilton game. I knew that when Ham scored late on he would be sitting there saying “FFS, AoW is a jinx!”

     

    This was confirmed next morning.

     

     

    The Sevs in work are all full of beans of late. This has been dented by the Don’s result and compounded by me passing their desks singing “the Northern lights of old Aberdeen…”

     

     

    Hilarious I am!

     

     

    I would just like to wish the team all the best on Sunday, wish each and every one of you a grand old day and hope we are mildly intoxicated with joy on Sunday night.

     

     

    Regardless…. it’s always good to be a Tim.

     

     

    These are the days baby….!!

  8. petec on

    Lenny – Nothings gonnae stop him now.

     

     

    I commented a while ago (not online), that big Fraser isnae as quick with his feet.

     

     

    Whit Usain Forster?

  9. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Time for bed.

     

     

    If I may be permitted, I will sign off with the following teaser ….

     

     

    Which Italian team has lost as many games to Celtic this season as they have in Serie A?

     

     

    ( that Celtic must be some team !! )

     

     

    Good night and hail hail.

  11. Melbourne Mick on

    Must be nearly time for all you dear bhoys and ghirls to hit

     

    the cot.

     

    Meanwhile this aul Celt will hit the bottle, and try and tempt

     

    a exhuberent hun with a bet, maybe even give them a goal

     

    of a start.

     

    Think i’ll find any?

     

    H.H . Mick

  12. petec on

    Art of War,

     

     

    I just hope yer Dad and your fine self are ecstatic after a Celtic display that carries through the years.

     

     

    Lenny knows if The New Rangers, as I expect, open up and try to impose their game on Celtic. …

     

     

    It could be a lot of fun.🇮🇪

  13. An Dun on

    They’ve improved and they’re very dogged, this game will not be a 4 or 5 goal traditional win for us.

     

     

    I do see us winning comfortably, 2-0 to the Champions.

     

     

    Forster, Frimpong, Julien, Ajer, Boli, Brown, McGregor, Christie, Forrest, Elyounoussi, Edouard.

     

     

    Ntcham, Johnson and one from Rogic or Griff to come on as Subs.

  15. GuyFawkesaforeverhero on

    Ridiculous half an hour, logging in with the page telling me hi and then nothing. Sick of it, can’t even remember what I was offering to the blog.

     

     

    Best writing across the Celtic web today is David Potter’s piece on Jim Young and Scott Brown on The Celtic Star.

     

     

    Who cares?

  16. Melbourne Mick on

    PETEC

     

     

    Thought the forster gump post from a CQN’r was a classic 8-))))))

     

    H.H . Mick

  18. Dbhoy on

    BROWN, JEREMIE and JAMES…

     

     

    Architects of the huns demise on Sunday, looking forward to it.

     

     

    HH

  20. Melbourne Mick on

    DBHOY

     

     

    Get your picks in to JOBO early, you’ll be like me, too

     

    squiffy to post lol.

     

    H.H . Mick

  22. petec on

    MM,

     

    I won’t tempt fate howevaaaah.

     

     

    If I dinnae bet it, it will shirley (feed the bear) happen.

     

     

    Broonies Goal against the Mighty Accies must have Totally done their minds in. Awesome.

     

     

    I’m confident that Edouard has just been given an extended rest on purpose.

  30. Dbhoy on

    Mick

     

     

    Went to Dan’s yesterday, good deals on at the moment. I’ve got Glenmorangie and a bottle of Diplamatico (Rum) on standby for Sunday.

     

     

    Squiffy was new to me, slightly drunk might be an understatement of my condition if we win on Sunday..:)

     

     

    HH

  34. Melbourne Mick on

    DBHOY

     

     

    Just before i head off, going to Dan’s now.

     

    Glorious sunny Melbourne morning here, city looks sparkling

     

    from the hills, no wonder it was voted the most liveable city

     

    in the world to live the last few years.

     

    H.H . Mick

  37. petec on

    DBhoy – need some of the olde/new dance tunes.

     

     

    Away frae hame so cannae put up links.

     

     

    Pete Tong Ibiza gig @ the Hydro Sunday night. I hope there are loads of Tims Celebrating there. Even if we get beat the Tims will always have a good time with Music.

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