Falkirk and the Squad Game

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You will possibly conclude that Auston Trusty, Viljami Sinisalo, Alex Valle and Luke McCowan should all start against Falkirk in the League Cup on Sunday.  It should also be an occasion to give Adam Idah only his third start for Celtic, Ireland or Norwich since May.

Carter-Vickers will surely be rested for Trusty, and it would be a good opportunity to give Alistair Johnston’s hamstring the day off, with Anthony Ralston ready to step in.  Brendan might also consider exercising Maik Nawrocki or Stephen Welsh.  Players who are never played, are never match fit, so are not really available in reserve.

I would like to see Callum McGregor play as little football as possible.  Who would deputise for him is an open question, one that we will surely want to have an answer for.  Falkirk are top of the Championship, but would these changes be too much of a risk?

You and I don’t often get to bask in the glow of a great European win, but some of you will remember when we beat Liverpool at Anfield to reach the Uefa Cup semi-final in 2003.  Three days later we were in domestic cup action against a side from the Championship.  That year, Falkirk again topped that division, but it was Inverness, who finished fourth, that knocked Martin O’Neill’s side out of the Scottish Cup.

Martin made a few changes that night, but not as many as we discussed above.  The optimism and confidence among the Celtic support after Anfield was levels above where we are right now, but we still won nothing that season.

Despite all of the above, we have a game to win on Sunday, that’s the only priority.

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386 Comments

  1. As others have stated, against Falkirk Celtic should start of with a very strong 1st choice eleven with maybe only one or two changes from Wednesday…and then IF the scoreline is comfortable then make some more changes.

     

    WIN the game first….and then man manage the remainder of the game IF possible ?

     

     

    The Celtic support are paying good money to watch this cup tie, and should expect a STRONG Celtic team from the first whistle.

     

     

    HH.

  2. glendalystonsils on

    No more than 1 ,or at most 2 changes v Falkirk . Bring on a couple more of the new guys if and when we are a 2/3 goals up . Domestic trebles don’t grow on trees .

  3. Correct Big Jimmy,

     

     

    We have a cup tie to win, and hopefully a cup to win.

     

     

    If we don’t win the cup, “the world’s most successful club” will win it.

     

     

    Strong team required for Sunday to win the game, and the bonus of a free midweek.

  4. Personally, I’d rest almost every player. If we have the season we hope to have – we’ll have plenty of games in Europe, players need rest and the league cup means very, very little.

  5. PAUL67

     

    I would like to see Callum McGregor play as little football as possible.

     

     

    What an utterly absurd comment.

     

     

    Who remembers the days when you woke on the morning of the match with a flurry of excitement at the thought of going to see your Celtic heroes strut their stuff?

     

     

    It seems some of today’s supporters find it too stressful to watch our best players perform, lest one of them stub a toe or become too tired for the next game.

     

     

    Seriously Paul. Get a grip on yersel.

  6. Schmeichel

     

    Ralston Trusty Scales Taylor

     

    McCowan Engels Bernardo

     

    Kuhn Idah Palma

     

     

    We can sub Scales, Taylor and Kuhn once the game is under control, giving Nawrocki or Welsh, possibly Valle and Forrest or Yang a stretch

     

     

    If that team isn’t capable of beating Falkirk then we will have problems once injuries and suspensions start to come into play later in the season!

  7. Don’t forget Morton and ICT. Only necessary changes (injuries) until we are three ahead. This is a cup final for Falkirk.

  8. KYOGO8, sorry, I didn’t realise that. Perhaps go with a 442 with only two central midfielders…

     

     

    Schmeichel

     

    Ralston Trusty Scales Taylor

     

    Kuhn Engels Bernardo Palma

     

    Kyogo Idah

  9. Sunday’s game against Falkirk represents the fourth of four consecutive home games in three separate football tournaments. During which we have established a five point lead over our most likely rivals in the SPL, got off to the best possible start in the CL er league, and now have a chance to reach the semi-finals, against a team that has beaten both Dundee Utd and Hearts en route. In short a key game in our season to date. We do not play again until next Saturday so plenty time to rest, train and prepare for that and the following CL match. If players have performance threatening conditions or injuries dont play them, no need for Neil’s needle, (and the damage done). We have a good squad, give one or two a start, and others game time later in the match, and all a chance to win a Cup game at home. Pour encourager les autres.

  10. Playour strongest available team.

     

     

    The players can cope

     

     

    It is a cup tie to be won

     

     

    Falkirk are a good team and will have near 3000 fans there.

     

     

    Win it first

     

     

    The press narrative of two teams one domestic one for Europe is so dead rangers patter

  11. The returnof weeron on

    I wouldn’t be keen on all those changes, Paul.

     

     

    AJ and CCV, for sure, they’ll need a break. Beyond that, I’d let the first teamers win the game before giving them 30 minutes off.

     

     

    Weeron.

  12. bournesouprecipe on

    Flouncy Mark Viduka refused to come out for the second half of a Cup shocker in Parkhead

     

     

    Allegedly CSC

  13. BIG JIMMY on 20TH SEPTEMBER 2024 12:08 PM

     

    —————

     

    Tbh, I’d trade cup success for a good run in the CL and making the Play-off round.

     

     

    With the squad we have, BR should be able to make at least 4 or 5 changes and still progress to the next round. Keep the big guns on the Becky and n case required.

     

     

    Just think it’s a great chance to test some players and give others much needed rest.

     

     

    I’m sure we’ll see our back up keeper starting.

     

     

    4-0 to the hoops! 😃🇮🇪🍀🏆⚽️⚽️⚽️⚽️🍀🇮🇪

  14. Those uefa payments.

     

     

    For some clubs it represents 20 to 30% of their turnover.

     

     

    Being in champions league groups is so important to the league.

  15. ●Two at 2●

     

    1) Record european attendance at Celtic Park ?

     

    2) The last time the Lisbon Lions played in a competitive game was a european fixture and their only defeat.Who provided the opposition?

  16. bournesouprecipe on

    Doesn’t include the ones that got a lift over. Some of them were 21 at the time 👍

     

     

    Hughie M CSC

  17. !!Bada Bing!! on 20th September 2024 10:57 am

     

    £14.4m in solidarity payments to the following clubs,thanks to Celtic playing in the CL group stages.

     

     

    £1.6m – Dundee, Hibs, Kilmarnock, Motherwell, Ross County, St Johnstone and St Mirren

     

     

    £950,000 – Dundee United and Aberdeen

     

     

    £650,000 – Hearts and Livingston

     

     

    I’m sure they will thank us publically, and wish us all the best in the tournament……

     

    ===

     

    Some additional background to the above for anyone interested.

     

     

    Scottish Clubs who did

     

    not qualify for UEFA

     

    competition always received Solidarity Payments regardless of which teams did qualify for a place in UEFA competition.

     

     

    The amount was raised by UEFA recently because the new CL format increased UEFA income.

     

     

    It’s not a handout or anything to be grateful for. Without those clubs there would be no league for qualifying clubs to play in.

     

     

    I don’t know the criteria the SFA, who get the bulk payment, use to decide disbursement but I thought before the amount was raised that it should be higher and tied to player development aims as opposed to paying journeyman players more in wages.

     

     

    Perhaps that is the criteria but Solidarity Payments are well named as they keep less rich clubs in the game.

  18. The Blogger Formerly Known As GM on

    If anyone is about to take out an annual Premier Sports subscription for £120 apply the discount code URC99 and get it for £99 👍

  19. Watching the game from afar took me back to the days of going to European nights as a wee Bhoy/ young teenager. The delights of watching Celtic score against Sporting Lisbon, and the infamy of the Rapid Vienna game. The Lisbon game was special . Watching big Tam McAdam lashing the ball into the net. Always had a big soft spot for him, especially after seeing him hang from the Hampden cross bar after Davie Provans’ wonder freekick equalizer. I was there when we beat Real Madrid when Johnny Doyle scored. That was one of those nights were the attendance was registered as 45,000, but more like 79,000 :))))). The worst was the Partizan game in 89 when big Jackie scored 4 and we still lost on aggregate. It was funny though listening to some folks trying to do the math. I went into the gaffer’s office the next morning to put his training gear out and there was Mr. McNeill sitting there, still with the club suit on. I think he slept there that night, really do. I was a young apprentice, not from Derry though:)). He started talking to me about the game and asked me what I thought. I might have thrown wee Joe Miller under the bus that night, and the gaffer agreed:))))

     

    Anyhow, we all know how special paradise is on those nights, and its the fans that do that . They give the players an energy that not many teams or places can. We all have our European memories, and reading how that game the other night was viewed and analyzed all over the world made me proud to support such a wonderful team, manager, and club. As I have said many times, I am honored to be a Celtic fan, proud to be a part of something that others can only dream of or watch with envy. I look forward to this weekend’s game just as I would any game,cause watching Glasgow Celtic putting on the style is privilege I will never take for granted.

     

    Thanks wee Myles and the Wishy Emerald CSC.

     

    Sorry for the long post. Not many kids in my class today due to stupid social media threats so sorry for the rambling.

     

    Hail Hail.

     

    Sean

  20. Paul 67

     

     

    I hope you read this.

     

     

    CQN must be the worst web site on the internet to navigate especially using a mobile phone.

     

     

    There are sites in the same competition aka click bait because they put income gathering via adverts before ease of use.

     

     

    Its not as if some improvements are difficult.

     

    A glaring example is your post saying a new article is up.

     

    How much effort is involved in making that a hyperlink that opens the next article?

     

    Then there are the adverts.

     

    When I want to sign in or move to a new page I am presented with an advert.

     

    Only experience led me to move the advert page until I found the X to close it. That X can either be top RHS or Middle Top. No consistency.

     

    Then there are the pop up s that intrude over the comments box making it difficult to post or sending anyone into the la la land the pop up is there to prompt a visit.

     

    I appreciate the site has to be paid for but not at the cost of ripping the patience piss of those trying to comment.

     

     

    I think your loyal contributors who give you a solid advertising platform to make money from deserve better.