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!
704 Comments- Pages:
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BMCUW
Where we will raise a glass to our fallen comrade Sean McVeigh MacanBheatha.
May God rest his soul.
UTLR
Paddy every day of the week for me. Jamsie never does it v the dead ones. Lustig the worry for me. Did his best Elsa impersonation again them last December.
MIKEINTORONTO
Personally,I’d have applied the hose,etc.
What do you throw a drowning enemy? An anchor.
I think that Celtic relied on due process-and let’s face it,due process should have seen them obliterated from history!-and when it didn’t happen,they were as bemused and angry as the rest of us.
So they went for Plan B. They couldnae run a ménage,they’ll be tits-up in no time.
Aye,I’m a believer in good faith,heyho…
But I refer you to line one of my post.
DELANEYS DUNKY on 13TH APRIL 2018 12:48 PM,
Same flights as us.
CUThenCSC
Bada Bing thanks I tried copying it and pasting it myself, but this darn iPad has a mind of its own…
Watched again and again same result goose bumps and hairs on my neck standing.
Come on Celtic
D. :)
DELANEYSDUNKY
Makes perfect sense to raise a glass or ten to the fine gentleman in a place he felt comfortable enough to invite us all to four years ago.
One of the reasons I thought of the early off-the-plane meet on the Saturday.
St Matthews,where else?
HH
CALTONTONGUES
Right-you’re in charge!
Naw,sod it-put J in charge.
Naw,haud the bus,I want to get off!!!
Brilliant,mate. You know where we’ll be.
DD
That might explain where Anthony Stokes has disappeared to. He has went AWOL with his new Greek club. Away for a new hip!
BMCUW
Would love to meet his lovely wife Paula again.
Saint Matthews Short Strand is perfect distance from airport. Great food, great Guinness in great company.
CT
Good stuff M. Cannae wait.
HH
JTT53
Haha. Would imagine AS is as big fan of the Greek parasite as I am?
DELANEYSDUNKY
Sorry,mate. Had forgotten you couldn’t read the original e-mail. It suggested meeting there,then we can plan the rest of the night/weekend and do the checking-in,grub,etc,and meet up later.
All subject to the occasional sidetrack,of course…
Arrived in Glasgow on Wednesday.Just thawed out today.Out tonight Merchant City with the mates and back in on Sunday for the game.
Confident of being there a lot later celebrating.
BMCUW
You would need to contact Saint Matthews first. It is not an open door pub. Locked door, entry on identity. It is in the middle of an unfriendly conclave. Security is all.
Do you have my wee Bankie buddy Danny TCR’s contact details? Would love it if Wee Jinky could make it through from Derry.
A good read on E Tims.
The Compliance Officers dilemma.
http://etims.net/?p=12758
Turkeybhoy
Enjoy your time home. Sorry bout the weather. Been baltic like this forever it seems.
A lot of Spring gardens gettin neglected.
So sky sports are saying Rangers play Celtic on Sunday in Semi final…
Forgive me for being pedantic but were we not drawn first as home team, therefor it should read Celtic play Rangers??? Then again Sky seem to be sevcos edition of level 5..
CYBIG
D. :)
COYBIG. Even
D. :)
David66
When I ditched Sky and went back to cooncil telly, I feel like that feeling after a good Confession with Father Mooney Corpus Christi. Great fair priest.
Level 5 Headlines Tomorrow-
Tierney to Man U
Armstrong to Newcastle
Dembele to Marseilles
Rogic to West Ham
Rodgers to Arsenal
Blah blah blah
AULDHEID
That is a good read Ole No Surrender as the sacrificial goat??
What’s your take on that??
KTF
WITS
50p e/w on yer tip
WITS
Impact Factor last. Waste of my pound. Could have bought Rangers with it.
Sandown, exactly right, that’s my preferred line up too. HH
Kevjungle 1048
I don’t often (practically never in fact) agree with your posts, but imo that was bang on – other than the usual rant on the £49 tickets – which is simply a case of supply and demand. HH
Friesdorfer
Sandown??? Is your mind at the races? ?
EC67, best wishes with the rest of your treatment. HH
Oops, Sandman… :-)
DD father Mooney amazing.
Every day you amaze me Garry with your memory, thanks for bringing so many happy ones to my forgetful mind.
D. :)
Friesdorfer
There is a lot of wisdom in KevJ’s posts if you can get beyond his in your face style. It is Kev’s truth.
David66
I blame it on being teetotal the majority of my adult life. The kaya does not diminish the memory the same as alcohol imho.
DD well I’m fecked the amount of shite I’ve taken over the years, just drink now though.
D. :)
I think DD will think differently about Sevco since his comments in 2012. An awful lot has come out since then.
In terms of SFA compliance officer report on 2012. I feel as Etims does that he will find out that those Pesky Oldco Rangers had lied. There dead so we cant punish them.
No one at SFA was in the wrong but if they were then they have also left. proceedures will be changed and lessons learned and it won’t happen again.
Oldco Directors at the time who were Non executive will be censured and given a warning. Those at Sevco will be told off.
So there it is, Move along there now.
Martin Bain and other Executives will be banned for a limited period.,,,,+
Did we really expect anything else?
The question is why didn’t they do a whitewash report earlier
GREENPINATA on 13TH APRIL 2018 10:42 AM
VFR @10.11 hrs. Et al
We were all aware of the anti Celtic bias in Scottish Football. Even if you weren’t around personally, a quick read of our history written from a Celtic perspective will suffice.
*Its been that way since along with Renton we helped form the SFL in 1890, only 2 years after we started, much tae the disdain of Queens Park and the sfa. Not only that one of our founders John Glass was tasked with running it.
I see the Kerrydale is open next Saturday at 11.30am for Hibs game.
Me, I will be in my local with my mates and hopefully my son and his mates, to celebrate a little bit of history, with family and friends, same as Sunday hopefully.
D. :)
Sandman @ 12:48 … agree …. Ntcham, Brown and Kouassi would be the first three names on the teamsheet for me. win the battle in the middle of the park, and we will win the war.
FRIESDORFER on 13TH APRIL 2018 2:37 PM
Kevjungle 1048
I don’t often (practically never in fact) agree with your posts, but imo that was bang on – other than the usual rant on the £49 tickets – which is simply a case of supply and demand. HH
——————————————————————————————————————————————-
Simple case of supply and demand? Are you sure? The fact that both clubs charge each other’s fans the same price is evidence of collusion between both clubs. This is what I object to. Frankly, I couldn’t give a fig if we independently decided to charge £149 for the Glasgow Derby match cos if people are stupid enough to pay it then that’s up them.. It’s the fact that we have an entered into a mutual agreement with thems that make me sick to the pit of stomach. This is further evidence of the club pandering after the bigot pound and proof that we are indeed the green half of the “Old Firm” brand.
M6Bhoy
Great post. But hey, that’s Capitalism.
Our board are good at Capitalism.
DD @3:09.
I dont know enough about how the price was set, but I would be concerned about collusion (secret or illegal cooperation or conspiracy, especially in order to cheat or deceive others … it seems to be the norm in Scottish football) … which is, in theory, anti-capitalistic …and, in many places, illegal
And I dont buy this myth that our Board are anything other than average ….
We have 50,000 ST … hard not to make money there …
Terrible TV deal (PL involved)
cheated out of titles and millions right under the noses of our Board (I’m being charitable) …
I have said before, I know enough about some of the posters on here to believe that I could pick a Board of CQN’ers and do, at least, an equally good job as our present Board.