The sight of Mikael Lustig checking in at Glasgow Airport this morning was welcome, but we should be pragmatic, six days is little time for a hamstring to remedy itself from what was clearly a concerning injury on Wednesday. Mikael should go through some stringent tests tomorrow morning but if there is any doubt of his fitness, he should not be risked.
Football is a 13 or 14 man game. Ronny will want to make two, possibly three, fatigue or tactical changes. Losing a player early to injury would severely hamper his options, allowing Ronny only one change, if he wants to keep a sub for late game, or extra time, contingencies. For what it’s worth, I believe the knocks taken by Lustig and Griffiths in the first leg cost us fresh legs, and ultimately territory, leading up to Malmo’s second.
Celtic’s perpetrations went a lot better than Malmo’s over the weekend. A comfortable win with what for all intents and purposes is our second 11, while Malmo put a full-strength team out, restored those suspended for last week’s Celtic game, and lost to lowly Hacken.
Journalists close to Malmo assure me the Swedes hope to tempt Celtic into an attacking formation, just as they did to Salzburg in the last round. Salzburg arrived full of confidence but were picked apart on the break. Celtic’s own pace on the break is one worry for Malmo, who want Celtic to play high up the field. The other is defending set-pieces. Hacken, who don’t have the height advantage of Celtic, scored from a corner kick on Saturday.
Winning free kicks 30 yards from goal would be useful. This is Kris Commons territory. Kris knows how to put his body between ball and man, and wait for the barge, although James Forrest displayed the same tactical-awareness in the first leg. I’d have Kris holding a training session tonight: “This is what to do with your first touch, this is where you put your bum, then wait….”
Protect the defence, break quickly through Forrest, Johansen and Griffiths, and allow van Dijk, Boyata, Bitton, Griffiths and Lustig/Ambrose to give Malmo something to worry about at set-pieces, and we’ll win this game.
487 Comments- Pages:
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ROBERTTRESSELL on 24TH AUGUST 2015 12:18 PM
macjay1 for Neil Lennon on 24th August 2015 7:28 am
Taurangabhoy on 24th August 2015 7:10 am Completely agree. Think Northern European “work ethic.” Compare and contrast.
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Move over Max Weber and Calvin……….
Just think it through for a while………
Seriously……
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Seriously.
Seriously??????
Seriously nothing to offer.
No counter argument.
No salient points.
Just a sad little personal comment.
Bookies have us 1/2 to qualify.
I like those odds.
Eurochamps67
Calm Heids required tomorrow their manager has tried to rile our players by bumping his gums. Let’s keep the heid and 11 players on the park.
Hope big Lustig is fit, if not Ronny will play Efe. We are better set up to play this formation when we are away from home against similar opponents.
I think we’ll beat them and probably score a couple, whether we can keep the back door shut is another thing.
Griff has to start they are terrified of his pace and constant harrying.
I think we will do it and I’m nervous already but I seen this mob first hand we can beat them again.
COYBIG.
RWE,
From previous, Wednesday at 1:00PM works for me :<)
NCTIM
Got your message ref Wednesday on the old thread.
See you there.
Not too nervous. They are guff.
Forget the atmosphere, the fact that they have played more games etc. I would not take one of their players.
Failure to beat this mob would wreck our season but we should just get by them.
Why didnt Ronny take Stokes off and put me on? Im sure noone wd have noticed!!!
Paul67
Good article, fortunately qualification doesn’t depend of Mikael Lustig’s fitness.
If we need to call on Efe Ambrose he’ll give his all for the Hoops as always, his experience might win over Saidy Janko, and Celtic must defend and score on the counter. Ronny Deila and John Collins know much more than SMSM would have us believe, we are not a one tactic team, and most dangerous on the break, in the SPL and
Europe.
It’s Malmo that have to take the game to us with their ’lifeline‘ injury time goal.
Celtic to win 2-1.
2-1for us in Sweden
Haven’t seen Phil or the clumpany for a while, something brewing? Lotsa cash floating around thems place or work yesterday, case loads of tenners went out the front doors again prob.?
Anything more than a superficial read of any post offers the reader some insight into the personality of the poster. So, make of me what you will when I say I am solidly confident that we will qualify tomorrow night.
JJ
Don’t want Efe anywhere near that pitch. Pains me to say it but he affects the rest of the side. Find a place for Mulgrew instead of Izzy. No Cifci please.
TonyDonnelly67
I have just finished a book which made many references to a Tammy Donnelly from the Gorbals. It was written about the Second World War years. Any relation?
JJ
Good Afternoon.
A couple of short pieces from the weekend (if anyone is interested!).
One on Ronny and Leigh Griffiths:
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/08/22/giving-ronny-some-leigh-way/
And one about Sky Sports and made-up “records”:
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2015/08/23/lie-in-the-sky/
I am absolutely NOT nervous about tomorrow. Not at all…
Enjoy the rest of the day…
“CAPTAIN BEEFHEART on 24TH AUGUST 2015 1:48 PM
Don’t want Efe anywhere near that pitch. Pains me to say it but he affects the rest of the side”
If it pains you, why say it? It has already been said far too often to serve any useful purpose by repetition 0:-)
JJ
Big Efe first scorer…and somersaulter…
As much as I like Commons,I would be hesitant to play him tomorrow.Maybe he was a bit off on Saturday,after his lay-off,but his first touch,and awareness of players near him was very poor.Could be fatal to be caught in possession,when we are moving forward.If he is at his best,he will be invaluable to us,probably the match winner,but I have this wee nagging doubt after Saturday.Then again,everything is a gamble.
No way RD will play Lustig if not 100%.I thought EFE was very good on Saturday,but then again,he is Efe.Janko says he prefers RB to playing further forward,so if he can defend,his pace going forward could have their defence tongues hanging out.Unstoppable on the run.We could have a much improved Agathe here,but lets hope Lustig is fit.I dont think this team are all that great,we have a goal of a start,and I think,if we play well,we will have few worries.
Cant wait.
PS.My Belgian mate told me that Brugge will deal definitely,if Celtic want Mechele.He thought he had a very good game against Man U,considering who he was up against.I told him I thought he was occasionally a bit caught out,but he assures me he is a terrific defender.H,mmmm.
It hasn’t been said by me very often JJ, hence why I gave my thoughts.
Cheers.
Getting nervous already for tomorrow
If we could get an early goal would mean Malmo have to come out – longer it stays at 0-0 or 1-1 the more we’ll sit back and run the risk of a late sickener
HH
Tonydonnelly67
Might have had a wee exchange of words wi’ ye the other day, but between yer podium and the way The Clumpany jumped to it after yer post at 1:42, I have to say, seriously impressed, Tonybhoy!
Captain B
Fair enough but being the caring chap I am, I was trying to save you some pain .
Out on the bike now to enjoy this lovely day and think about who I would like in our Champions League Group 0:-).
Cheerio for now,
JJ
BTW, Mr Clumpany, thought your article “Wiping The Slate Clean” was an excellent and funny analysis of their pathetic attempts to re-write history and maintain The Big Lie.
Hail Hail!
Jungle Jim
Not to my knowledge my friend.
Jungle on an ad on.
My father was in ww11 Royal Navy, mine sweepers, but he was called Tim Donnelly.
can anybody help looking for a place that will show the game in León northwest Spain for friends who arrive there tmrw much appreciated
Patrick27
Watching the last 10 minutes at those scorelines you mentioned would be hard-going, but preferable to watching us having to get a goal as time runs out. I’m sure Ronny will remind the players that it’s Malmo who need to score, not us.
Afternoon Timland from a hot hun free mountain valley.
It’s been asked, and I didn’t see a reply, so I will ask again.
Can any of the posters who are slagging off Efe, please give instances where he has cost us points due to him being a bombscare ?
Apart from the Juve game, where he shouldn’t have started, I reckon Lenny was at fault there, but, hey ho.
HH
Tet,
Seeing as it’s question time…..:)
Can anyone tell me which of our big Cl wins Efe has missed?
HH
the big fear must be that,he drops griffiths and plays ciftci,our away record is not great away,we got away with it in the last round,if we give the ball away as much as we have all season we will be in trouble.as for those thinking we will bring in quality if we get through,just when has this happened in the past,we should be making it easier to qualify by bring in good players before the qualifiers start.
Jungle Jim @ 2.11
Keep a wee violin by your side and play it, while reading the drivel.
beatbhoy on 24th August 2015 2:07 pm
Debates are ok, as long as name calling doesn’t start, or ganging up on one guy, I’m ok with that, not a problem mate.
TET
I know we got away with it but his red card in Warsaw was disastrous
Beatbhoy
Very true – would just be horrible viewing as you say
The CQN brass section has arrived, what with all the trumpets on here today!
Or maybe it’s just a one man band playing lots of instruments
TET,
I don’t know the answer to your question, however I am happy to have Efe in the team.
I’m off to the zoo for a couple of Carlings, HH
•Wednesday sounds good. See you at 1:00pm.
• judester on 24th August 2015 1:38 pm
King Lubo
The main jist of my post, was that there would be huge pressure on tthe boy, with unfair comparisons consistlentlly made with reference to what Faither achieved
*one of the reasons Kevin Gallacher never joined us. I recall Benny Rooney getting abuse fae the Jungle about only getting a game because of his da, and that was with the reserves.
Patrick,
It wasn’t great. Agreed.
But any worse than Bittons, Browns or St Virgils?
Curiously the best we played in the 180 mins v Warsaw was when Efe was on the pitch
HH
Wee Jamesie puts his new fitness level down to, giving up chips and cheese out of stryrofoam container.