Celtic have a great opportunity to move five points ahead of Aberdeen after the same number of games with a win over Ross County tomorrow. The Dons visit Tynecastle on Sunday after dropping five points from their last six. With Celtic due to visit Pittodrie on Wednesday, Aberdeen’s challenge for the title depends on them digging results out over the next week.
Our previous game against Ross County this season was an atrocious battle, where late goals from Alistair Johnston and Nicolas Kuhn rescued the points. County’s penalty that day was the first league goal Kasper Schmeichel conceded for Celtic, who remain one of only three teams to score Premiership goals against the champions this term.
Ross County’s win over Motherwell last week provided evidence that they may yet again be likely to defy expectations and survive another season in the Premiership. They sit six points ahead of Hearts, who have a higher budget and better players. There is nothing precious about County, they are an industrial unit who know how to get results.
Brendan Rodgers will take nothing for granted, but he will hope to establish an early lead and rest some legs ahead of a hectic December.
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Dopium?
Where’s aipple
Any word on Kuhn? He appeared to come off with an injury on Wednesday night.
Team for tomorrow
Schmeichel
Johnston Trusty Scales Valle
Engels McGregor Bernardo
Forrest Idah Maeda
A few change but not too many.
“Aberdeen’s challenge for the title depends on them digging results out over the next week.”
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I said before we played Aberdeen in October that the test of their credentials as a genuine contender wouldn’t be could they get a result against us, it would be if they did get a result could they then back it up by collecting 16 or 18 points in their next six games. I suspected they wouldn’t be able to.
The points they were accumulating relative to their goal difference was never going to be sustainable over an entire season.
I’m just not seeing a title challenge here. I would say worst case for Celtic is mid-90s and absolute best case for Aberdeen would be high 80s.
I think Engels will be benched and Brendan will go with Reo, Calmac and Bernardo. Bernardo deserves to start a few games unless his form drops off a cliff. He is the on-form midfield player.
If Kuhn is fit I would start him and then replace him after an hour, if not Yang starts on the right and Maeda on the left with JF replacing either one after an hour.
Valle for Taylor makes good sense. I wiould leave Trusty and CCV together to further build the partnership and put Scales on for CCV after an hour. Likewise with AJ and Ralston.
5-0 asking too much post CL game? Mibbee so but has a nice ring to it.
Speaking after Wednesday’s game in Glasgow, Mignolet said: “You can see it in the team — Celtic keep on playing football. Brendan always wants his team to play from the back, to have the ball, to be in possession. You saw that throughout the game. They didn’t play one long ball in the whole game. That is probably why they came back in the second half.
“We were pushed back towards our own box, and couldn’t come out of the pressure any more, although we had those chances on the counter attack. That is due to Brendan’s philosophy.
“Celtic were better in the second half together with the support of the fans. We had some chances on the counter attack, Kasper [Schmeichel] made a good save, and we had a goal disallowed. But Celtic had the better part of the game in the second half. It was a fair result in the end.”
Wonder how Valle’s emergence influences Greg’s perspective on his contract situation?
Does it make him say; ‘This is my position and he’s no’ getting it…!’
Or: ‘Uch, the kid’s making it too hard for me to get the same number of games; think I’ll try the Championship and a few more quid given it’s a short career!’
If Greg was to go – and Valle back to Barca – I hope we have Penrice or Killie’s Ndaba as poss backups.
PS: Depleted squad or not; that was a more than decent result for the ole FC Co-Efficient last nite.
I’d put McCowan and Bernardo in and rest any two of the three midfield starters.
Ideally I’d rest all three.
Pity Holm doesn’t look like he is being quoted.
James, Alex, Liam and Adam should start.
Yang too.
Too many changes? Possibly.
Bigger picture and all that.
BTW – genuine question about Johnny Kenny to anyone who has watched him this season.
Is he good enough for the 3rd striker role?
GENE re: Where’s aipple
Off work today and perhaps over served myself last night!
Scales for CV, Valle, McCowan and Bernardo, definetly Bernardo.
Idah for Kygo.
Yang and Palma to be given some game time.
https://youtu.be/TXGhYRM_BNM?si=MHrcwK-BGu4ne9zI
Be good to yourself….
FRANKIE bhoy .
That songs for you AIPPLE
I don’t know whether Johnny Kenny is good enough, but note that the previous article mentions that Vata has yet to score at Watford and did not make the squad for their last game. Likewise, Daniel Kelly does not appear to be even making the Milwall bench. The English championship is a hard league to gain game time for younger players. Far better staying with Celtic and go on loan, as Callum McGregor did. If they have the ability they will make it with Celtic.
BACK TO BASICS – GLASS HALF FULL on 29TH NOVEMBER 2024 12:46 PM
BTW – genuine question about Johnny Kenny to anyone who has watched him this season.
Is he good enough for the 3rd striker role?
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To be honest I don’t think so. I watch a lot of LOI, especially Rovers, Derry and Shelbourne and while he is a stand out in most games I’m not sure in the SpFL, he also is about 6 stones soaking wet. Kyogo not the same? Yes but he has speed, ability and games smarts Kenny doesn’t have. Stephen Bradley, Rovers manager was talking after the Rapid game talking him up and saying how important he is and they want to hold on to him, I’d imagine a deal will be done.
MARSPAPA re: That songs for you AIPPLE
Good stuff. On now and up loud!
Aipple
I’m guessing at this point the Turkeys were wishing they had voted for Christmas….
Croftcelt / Mcphail Bhoy – cheers both.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd7n1gy94evo.amp
Regardless of views, opinions, perceptions on acceptability of conduct?
This simply boils down to simple facts.
This was a challenge involving two parties.
One party played it smart.
One party didn’t.
Guess which one.
Memo to the “rebellion” (for I have seen it referred on here as such”)
Play it smart. Always.
Will take longer to achieve your goals but your approach will also win you friends along the way.
Old bull, young bull stuff.
McPhailboy
That was a good wee result for Shamrock Rovers.
I agree I don’t think Kenny will make it here,it’s competitive there,Daniel Cummings suggested but still to break thro
Is the Larne manager moving to Derry?
Hope all well bout the town
HH
The Larne manager moved to Derry on Tuesday.
HH
Just heard my one word reaction to the passing of the State Assisted Suiciide Bill read out on Radio 5
‘Diabolical’
dearie , official corporate messagingright there.
https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20241129/d9fb58565bcb8a7db0f2c797118ac718.jpg
Back to Basics – Glass Half Full on 29th November 2024 12:46 pm
BTW – genuine question about Johnny Kenny to anyone who has watched him this season.
Is he good enough for the 3rd striker role?
—————-
No. He has found his level in LoI. Would be nice to have an in-house option who is happy to have limited time on the pitch as they develop; not a senior player who gets in a huff after a few months.
i think Gerry Creaney was the last no9 we brought through to play regularly
On another topic, I saw the new Notre Dame earlier, looks amazing.
Apparently, Quasimodo wasn’t invited to the re-opening so went to the pub in a huff
‘whisky please?’
‘Bells alright”
‘mind your own f%&$ing business!!!!’
An Tearmann on 29th November 2024 2:26 pm
McPhailboy
That was a good wee result for Shamrock Rovers.
I agree I don’t think Kenny will make it here,it’s competitive there,Daniel Cummings suggested but still to break thro
Is the Larne manager moving to Derry?
Hope all well bout the town
HH
______________________________________________________________
Yes, Tiernan Lynch has moved to Derry, bit of coup for them as believe it or not Larne have the money but I suppose Derry City was/is a much bigger club, more than St. Johnstone it seems as he turned them down previously.
Glad to see Brendan give a massive backing to Engels.He is bang on.Already said the boy is far from the finished article,and will get better and better .Too many thickos with short memories in our support.As Brendan says,had Khun written off last season.Bernardo was not a given with many either.Did not wnt to sign him permanently.Instant success or GTF seems the way for far too many.
Celtic Mac @ 2:59pm.
Yip.
I wonder where this will ultimately end up?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Logan%27s_Run_(film)
A big Rainbow over Ibrox today as all their troubles disappear over it.That “stunning win” over a Nice team fielding,2 groundsmen,3 pie stall workers,a couple of cleaners,and an athritic first aider,has them cockahoop.
Mullions of £s worth of players were discovered and we should be afraid,very afraid.
Coneybhoy on 29th November 2024 3:04 pm
BRRB has warned me about your jokes 😅🤣😂
Watched Conclave,great cast,good twist.
What will tomorrow bring?
A return to our upbeat modus, even with significant changes, setting up an exciting, but taxing, seven- match adventful period – or, a turgid attritional affair where we struggle to break down the inevitable low-block.
Either way it must be a win and three points leading to a possible ‘seventh heaven’ on three fronts in December. HH
Prestonpans bhoys on 29th November 2024 3:52 pm
Coneybhoy on 29th November 2024 3:04 pm
BRRB has warned me about your jokes 😅🤣😂
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he’s a bloody tough crowd!!! Probably loosened up enough in the Shipbank now though🤣
Coneybhoy
He keeps arranging those shipbank sessions when I’m at the caravan, think it’s deliberate 🤔
I thought that on Wednesday our players were ill prepared for Bruges and were shocked. Particularly in midfield where it seemed to be 5 v 3. I wonder if we had done our homework.
Second half we changed a bit. Taylor tucked in and the defence took a higher line. It wasn’t until the subs did we looked good enough.
Brendan seems to want to do everything at the club and I wondered if he is sacrificing studying the opposition for other tasks. It was unusual to see us surprised by the other team.
Round about now somebody usually posts how they don’t want ‘ wholesale changes ‘
I don’t want wholesale changes 🤓