Patrick Roberts is back and fit, and has previous good form against Newco, but Brendan has relied heavily on James Forrest this season, so may be disposed to prefer the latter for Sunday. I am usually clear on which of the two I prefer against any opposition (James for teams who press us, leaving space for him to exploit, Patrick for teams who defend deep), but I am pulled two ways this time.
If pushed, I would go with James, leaving Patrick as a option when legs are tired.
We don’t usually have chats about which goalkeeper to play, but Scott Bain and Craig Gordon will both be hoping to start. Craig is fit, so If Scott gets the nod, it may indicate that the ongoing first choice keeper slot is up for grabs.
I expect we will see the return of a more recognisable back four, with Michael Lustig returning in place of Jack Hendry. How Brendan deploys Dedryck Boyata will be crucial. The opening goal we lost at Ibrox last month came from a ploy Newco have used repeatedly against us since the 2016 Scottish Cup semi-final.
Their players will often stand off Celtic but press Dedryck whenever he is in possession. Dedryck needs options available or he should go Route One.
Tom Rogic travelled a lot of miles and played a lot of football in March, so I am sure he was rested at Hamilton to ensure he would be in prime shape for Sunday. Brown and Ntcham will sit behind him and Dembele will lead the line.
This leaves one place to be filled by Sinclair, Armstrong or McGregor. My preference would be to favour the middle of the park. Control passing in the central area and we will win comfortably. We failed to dominate there in each of our three draws against Newco (2-2, 1-1, 0-0). McGregor would get the nod for this task, where I would ask him to play a conserved, always-available, role.
The manager has had a week at Lennoxtown with his team – a rare luxury for Celtic. So chill, we will be ready.
Win Two Scottish Cup semi-final tickets for the Celtic end on Sunday
Celtic sponsor, Intelligent Car Leasing, have very kindly donated two tickets which you can win, and help the Celtic FC Foundation. All you need to do is answer this simple question:
Which ground can Celtic win the league at on 21 April?
The competition has only been live for a day, closing 13:00 today Friday 13th, so if you don’t have a ticket, you have very little time to do something about it……
To enter, make a £5 minimum donation to the Foundation at this MyDonate link. Then send your confirmation email to celticquicknews@gmail.com WITH THE ANSWER IN THE SUBJECT LINE. If you are not on your email this afternoon, include your phone number.
Tickets will be available for collection at Celtic Park on Sunday lunchtime.
Two tickets, Celtic end, Sunday………… Good luck and thanks to Intelligent Car Leasing and all who enter!
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Just found a link for the Murders v The sheep game.
Brutal stuff!
The commentary is in German.
Commentator trying hard to sound enthusiastic!
…in German!
HH!!
Rewarding Failure- Alan Muir AR behind goal, who was 4 yards from a handball and red card in our SF a couple of years ago,
the sheep needing a new shepherd…..
better quality fitba played in the Boyle Park (wee goals) in the late 60,s….
smiley succulent lamb thing …
Braw.
Tallybhoy ….they are struggling in Dutch on my sausage as weel….
smiley double it up thing
Braw
Canamalar
Think the defender put his arm across the forward whose forward momentum caused the defender to stumble. If it was Moussa against Martin tomorrow we would be praising his robust determination.
Do we have any guys on a yellow going into tomorrow?
Tallybhoy…Bein…what….gotta be better than listening to this pish
FTSFA
H.H.
Bada,
I hope Motherwell continue with their sensible ticket policy then.
Canamalar,
I think it’s unfair to label regular fans who want to watch Celtic in a cup final and possibly win the treble as glory hunters. Demand for both our semi final and the final if we get there outstrip supply as the ‘50/50’ split gives us less than 20k tickets.
My post was from the point of view of the LC semi v Hibs (I think) where they took a 50/50 split, didn’t sell them all or return the excess leaving Celtic fans locked out who would have bought tickets.
I won’t be at Hampden as I took the decision to come off the HCTS last summer. I know many who will be there, most don’t know exactly how much we have been cheated as the media obfuscate the truth but they all know it’s always been the case and get on with supporting the team nonetheless.
I guess the challenge is to get the truth out there but then again what if the truth leads to some uncomfortable places.
cv
That pitch is cutting up quite badly from what I can see.
Bada they get given oot on the bus travelling over …
smiley SFA courtesy service thing …
Braw
NEUSTADT-BRAW on 14TH APRIL 2018 12:55 PM
I think the German commentator has gone for a beer!
HH!!
watching in YORK.would those 2 goals have stood against CELTIC??. would they have stauned against THE HUNS.
DAVID66 on 14TH APRIL 2018 12:15 PM
That’s why I said Rodgers would play Lustig instead! ??????
KTF
ACGR….ta fur putting up wae ma pish…..fur hours…..;-))
FTSFA
H.H.
Lovely play GMS
Good play GMS.
POGMATHONYAHUN AKA LAIRD OF THE SMILES on 14TH APRIL 2018 12:58 PM
That pitch is cutting up quite badly from what I can see.
——-
Noticed that.
That 1st half would get fitba banned.
THELURKINTIM on 14TH APRIL 2018 12:58 PM
Channel 3 via hesgoal.
HH!!
Do you need to have a beard to get into Hampdump or is it a Masonic thing?
Tallybhoy….he will be on schnapps before this dire game ends …
smiley corn thing
Braw
First rule of football – play to the whistle.
Pog
In honour of my son, today for the Grand National, my pick is Captain Red Beard 25/1.
Gooooooood afternoon CQN
Just to think, the 4 teams who play in that FtSFA cup semi finals, at that disaster of a a stadium, split the gate reciepts between the 4 clubs
Bet some team are not happy with the attendance today :-))))
Now
Paddy Roberts every day of the week before James Forrest tomorrow and
Scott Sinclair on other side, stretch the game and hit with their pace
Will pull space into middle for Tom Rogic to exploit
FtSFA, I only wish our fans showed same interest as Aberdeen or Motherwell fans have for the game
So again FtSFA, it’s committees, its stadium and cup
hi bhoys,
anyone got an update on how far our johnny hayes is in getting back following his bad injury?
BBC commentator currently on the Scottish Cup
Steven Thompson Joined from Dundee Utd in 2003 for £200,000.
EBT £485,000 and side letters
Liquidation CSC
Am sure a heard the commentator describe it as schizen….except ma Bein 3…..is basketball…..fek….now it’s Seville v Villareal in Spanish….;-((
FTSFA
H.H.
VFR sorry
D. :)
Aberdeen went into that game expecting a battle.
Unfortunately, they hadn’t the weaponry to fight it.
It was obvious after the first five minutes that there would only one winner in a physical game.
Leaving GMS out of the starting eleven was signalling surrender.
Poor defending at the goals took the focus away from bad refereeing non decisions.
CV,
As I said, couldn’t give a monkeys, filling the SFAs pockets and by default support the cheating, pish about supporting the team is just that. Pish.
EM…,
Or Morelos pushing over Boyata should we congratulate Morelos as well for standing up
GMS (bless him) made a good impact when he came on. Laid it on for S. May who should have scored.
I could listen to Michael Stewart all day.
mmm….looks like Chelsea hav imploded
do you think Liverpool will cut oot the Southern middleman and buy our cream direct?
smiley chairman happy thing
Braw
My friends in Celtic,
I’m reluctant to totally dismiss Aberdeen yet given the remarkable” comebacks “ of last week.
However Derek McInnes doing his best to justify my tag of the most tactically inept manager in the SPL.
HH.
!!Bada Bing!!
Think I heard that Yellow Cards are wiped for the semi-final. On the down side, it was the muppet commentator on BBC that said it, so quite likely to be a load of Raphael.
Well,Well,Well, That’s the first Semi spoiled by our incompetent referees, both goals shouldn’t have stood.
The first is deliberate hand ball, slight push for second.
I wouldn’t bet against a repeat tomorrow.
JTT
I could do with never listening to EBT Dodds ever again. Wee snake.
DELANEYS DUNKY on 14TH APRIL 2018 1:09 PM
Pog
In honour of my son, today for the Grand National, my pick is Captain Red Beard 25/1.
———————————————————————-
DD,
Thanks for that, I was looking for inspiration and I will have an e/w bet on that. Pog whose son also sports a red beard (takes after his maw ?)