Neil Lennon was right to emphasise the importance of discipline ahead of tomorrow’s game against Rangers; there must be a high probability that 22 players will not be on the field at the end. Beram Kayal in particular should expect tumbling Rangers players anywhere in the vicinity of his tackling.
Rangers’ squad is sufficiently thin that there was no chance they would allow the opportunity to appeal Elbows McCulloch’s red card to pass. McCulloch is seen as part of the problem by a lot of Rangers fans, concerned at their recent malaise, but he is as experienced on these occasions as anyone who will play tomorrow. Celtic will need to dominate him and Steven Davis if they to win the midfield battle.
It was at least three years ago Celtic Quick News prefixed McCulloch with the name ‘Elbows’. An elbow is the face is remarkably effective at asserting dominance, something McCulloch knows too well. It may be that the player’s overt physicality will be inhibited by his recent red card, just as team mate Shauny Aluko declined to tumble in the box when presented with the opportunity on Saturday after recently being out-ed as a diver.
Both teams will deploy unfamiliar central defensive partnerships, which will worry both Lennon and McCoist. Rangers’ Jelavic has looked like he wants to be elsewhere in recent weeks but it he gets an opportunity to put himself in the shop window he is likely to take it. Winning the early battles may sap his enthusiasm.
I don’t know about anyone else but I’ve written a couple of versions of my match report already but in all of them Gary Hooper and Georgios Samaras are match winners. If Celtic can win the midfield battle these two – hopefully Samaras from the wing – will win the points for Celtic.
You can order a hard copy of CQN Magazine, issue 5, with credit/debit card or Paypal and buy direct from the UK for only £3.50 + £1.50 postage and packing. Shipping costs £2 to ROI, £3 to Europe and £4 to elsewhere. Click on the link below to order.
Click here to view the new issue of CQN Magazine online for free. You can support the online edition by making a discretionary donation here.
636 Comments- Pages:
- «
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 7
- ...
- 17
- »
Stephen Black Kano 1000 says
Don`t listen to Snyde anymore but clicked on the link. Am I missing something ? I didn`t hear anyone getting the better of anyone and no new ones being ripped. Perhaps we built it up too much.
TerryONeill Neil ah love yae says:
Win the battle then put oan the agony an the style.
Ah like your song choice for full time tomorrow!
I do not think that ripping a new one for Keevins is to be encouraged.
It just gives him something new to talk out of.
Better that he just wears out the old one, surely.
bale
1-0 Tott
Minor news.
Star of intermittently hilarious sketch show ‘Burnistoun’, Robert Florence is decidedly unchuffed re the Orc / STV link up judging by his twitter feed.
Hey I told you it was minor!
we are tottenham, from the line
haha
how un-original !
celtic 4 v rangers 0
that’s my bet
And so it was writ:
At the right time, at the right place there came the right man– and his name was SAMARAS!!!!!!!!
Good to see this on the official Celtic web-site “a victory against Rangers on Wednesday night will see the Hoops go top of the table, a remarkable turnaround, given they were 15 points behind at the beginning of November.”
The constant denial from the press that it was never 15 but merely 12 camouflages the good turn around by Lenny and the total incompetence of the fat one.
I would like to see Victor playing in front of the back four .I think he would nulify anything they have to offer
hail hail
Hamiltontim, the Brain. Very good.
Adam, DubaiBhoy (nee LondonBhoy)
here’s my team
what you think ? …
Forster
Cha Rogne Mulgrew Ledley
Wanyama
Brown Kayal Sammy
Forrest
Hooper
mhaddog
In my fragile state it may not be recommended viewing :-)
haha
@_LauraBrannan Laura Brannan
“@kennybhoy1967: @_LauraBrannan
TOMORROW!!! El Glásico,
Can’t wait, MON THE CELTIC!!!” #ComeOnYouBhoysInGreen
10 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone Favorite Retweet Reply
Evening bhoys
Hope we are all well, think the bhoys will win 2-1 tomorrow (god im sooo nervous though) lol
HH
Turned on (dinosaur) keevin’s ego trip comedy show on the way home tonight and, on being asked the question, one of the LL pundits stated that the RTC would be addressed by 16 Jan, before it goes to a hearing…..??…..did I hear this correctly..?….has there been some development I don’t know about..?
(Have to say, I found it strange when it was stated some time ago that HMRC would not be a secured creditor)
bale
2-0
woosh !!
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!! Tick Tock !!
case runs from 16th – 19th, as far as RTC had been saying (i think)
possibly not march, april, may til final verdict given, i i remember correctly
summary was on PaulMcC site recently and on RTC too
will have a look
no new developments
same same
they on Clyde dunno jack shyzee more than RTC etc
Rangers FC and STV- 2 discredited brands struggling badly in their respective markets.
Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Waterloo movie starting bbc4
Should the hun get beat tomorrow and domestic abuse hits the roof who will the Police blame, not themselves for a 7:45 kickoff……….
Bit bemused at the confidence being displayed by some that a Celtic victory is a given tomorrow night. If this Rangers team are as bad as some suggest what does that say about us if we’re still a point behind them?
Rangers might not be playing well but neither are we. We may have won our last 8 but, St Mirren excepted, how many have been convincing? No doubt, some of those predicting a Celtic win by 3, 4, 5, or more goals tomorrow night will be some of those who have been on here in recent weeks, when we have been drawing at half time, moaning and complaining about the team and the tactics being employed.
For those who think Samaras will be the match winner, what evidence do you base that on? I think I’m right in saying Samaras has scored 3 league goals all season. Henrik Larsson he’s not. Samaras has had plenty chances to impress; far too often he has failed to deliver. I’d still pick him tomorrow but not with any confidence.
My other source of puzzlement is why so many seem to want Kelvin Wilson at centre half. Again, why? He was hardly a star in the 4 v 2 defeat at Ibrox.
A draw would not be a bad result for us tomorrow, especially given that Neil Lennon’s probable first choice central defensive pairing of Majstorovic and Loovens are both injured while the jury is out on whether Matthews (in my opinion possibly a candidate along with Joe Ledley for being our best player so far this season) and Izaguirre will be fit.
For those who scoff at my saying a draw won’t be a bad result remember the league is a marathon not a sprint. January will hopefully benefit Celtic a lot more than it will Rangers.
For what it’s worth I think the following team might be able to deliver us the 3 points tomorrow (assuming all these players are fit).
Forster
Matthews Rogne Mulgrew Izaguirre
Brown Kayal Wanyama Ledley
Samaras
Hooper
Win the midfield win the game.
Here’s hoping Celtic win but let’s not get complacent.
Best guy on RC tonight was the guy who mentioned that dallas was in the D B at £land and the next thing colum has got the O F game. The guy was brill!! Rounded off when asked who wd he prefer as ref. He said I dont trust any of them. Was funny but a good listen. Can you I T guys get it on here? I think it was on after 7.
Just back from a walk at paradise. Asked jinky, brother walfrid and big jock for a wee favour. Everything seemed so calm, everything looks perfectly primed for a victory tomorrow. Do your stuff Celtic.
Hail hail.
I listened to some of Clyde phone in tonight as I was in the car at the time and I just found it very embarrassing.
Embarrassing that the same Celtic fans who claim to not care what anyone says about their team, take time to phone in and argue with a pundit as to how they came to a conclusion on who was going to win the league, or win the next Old Firm game or whatever!
Get a life guys, why do you worry about that? Keevins is an old guy and I can say that I have met him on a couple of occasions at Charity Dinners and he is totally different. He is in a business that makes its money by selling papers, selling airtime, webtime or whatever. He is great at the wind up and so many people fall for it hook, line and sinker!
The most sense I have heard recently from pundits were the two guys on BBC Alba :)
Mind you, if I could become angry, I would question why for the night of an Old Firm game, Clyde have got 2 ex-Rangers players in the studio and no Celtic related people. But, I won’t become angry as I will be watching it on Sky with a crowd in the house and we will be too busy celebrating afterwards to care what the huns say on the radio!
Team for the morra:-
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Forster,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Cha,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Wilson,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Rogne,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Mulgrew
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Wanyama,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,Brown,,,,,,,,,,,,,Kayal,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Ledley,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Sammi,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,Hooper,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
I think this team would batter the Huns,,,,,,,a gr8 mix of Strength,skill,pace and power!!!
Hail hail
jude2005 is Neil Lennon \o/ says:
27 December, 2011 at 21:11
Thought he blew it, personally.
If he had stuck to Collum and gave some factual incidents etc then he would have done well. But to then come out with “ah wouldnae trust any of them” just loses all credibility as a call.
Tomorrows team will be:
forster
mathews
mulgrew
wanyama
ledley
forrest
brown
kayal
ki
sammy
hooper
this was given to me today from a good source
67Heaven … I am Neil Lennon..!! Tick Tock !!
couple of recent summaries of the Craig Whyte caseload, as it where
from RTC in Nov…
http://tinyurl.com/6orsp3n
from Paul McC in Dec…
http://tinyurl.com/7krprm8
alba bhoy
If Forrest is out, I’d also go with Matthews instead of Cha at RB. Cha and Brown have played several times together, and have hardly ever convinced as a partnership.
Still worried about the likely Hooper/Sammi strike force.
bobbycfc
Agree with you to a point. But overall he was the best on tonight!! Terry? Same old drum!! And the John guy wasnt much better.
from Paul McC…
The big tax case
This seems simpler (hah!). The First Tier Tribunal (Tax) is due to reconvene for three days on 16th January. It is hoped that the case will conclude during that period. Once that happens, it might take two or three months for the Tribunal to issue its decision.
up_over_goal says @ 21:21
I’ve picked that 11 on the basis that Forrest is unfit and Matthews and Izaguirre are fit.
If Matthews and Izaguirre are not fit to play (Which in my book means they’re also not fit to be on the bench. How can you be fit enough to sit on the bench to possibly come on as a sub in the 1st minute but not fit enough to start?) then my starting 11 would be the same as that named by ibleedgreenandwhite1 @21:14 ie a back 4 of Cha, Rogne, Kelvin Wilson and Mulgrew
bobbycfc- I did not hear Clyde tonight but I have recently heard Keevins defend himself over his league prediction.
There is no ambiguity or doubt here- a few weeks ago when Rangers were 10/12 points ahead Keevins said the league is over, finished, gone, unqualified and unconditional, Rangers were too good and could not be stopped.
This is totally different from his prediction/guess on day one when you spin a coin and shout Celtic or Rangers.
That was his informed opinion and is why he is now open to such ridicule for being so stupid. As they say, there’s no fool like an old fool.
Stephen Black Kano
Can you get the guy who was on R C on here?
Nerves kicking in now.
A few days ago I was quietly confident, now my stomach is churning.
Have had a few vinos an even watched the goals from some of last season’s derby victories but nothing is working. Very nervous and can’t relax.
One thing though – I’m glad I’ll be there tomorrow. This is one game I just CANNOT abide watching on TV or listening to on radio. I need to be there – it helps with the therapy of how the game is panning out.
But I’ll just be glad when it is all over and hopefully a Celtic victory is secured. Please.
Top Corner = TOP MHAN
Alba BHOY…….what it says about us is that we are building up the character to continue the struggle for ‘a level playing field’……what it says about them is that they are getting so bad now, their friends’ efforts to ‘shore them up’ are falling on ‘stony ground’…….it’s all coming together now….the day of reckoning approaches fast……LOL….!!!!!!
I hope Ki turns up 2 morro night. They will target him and he’ll disappear as usual.