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.
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Bada bing
Yes
!!Bada Bing!! on 24th August 2015 9:34 pm
Did Martin Tyler just say,if there was more money in the game,teams could keep the good players that they have?
————–
Think he said the opposite, that clubs now have so much money that they can keep players, no club in England needs to sell anyone, they have so much money from TV
Delany’s Dunky: Hope you had a great day on Friday. Is it true that the honeymoon includes a short trip to Sweeden?
WITS/ Bada
Outrageous statement
More money would make DVDs more moderate footballers millionaires
Gutted to hear about cowardly attack on TCR
Hope he is up and about soon
TCR Take care & Hail Hail
DVDs???… Even …
Shocked to find out about the attack on Tricoloured Ribbon , hope they catch the scumbags.
Will keep you in my prayers mate .
HH
YNWA
Muscat
Here’s all the places you’ll ever need.
Firstly,you’ll always get the game on in a Celtic friendly atmosphere from big Sean in the Lord Clyde on Thornton Road in the town centre just round the corner from the Alhambra,Sean’s a big Tim and I’m sure he still runs it but there’s better.
Don’t get me wrong Leeds is good but it’s a jaunt,instead go to an even better ( ;) ) official csc in Keighley which is a bus or train ride from Bradford centre (less than Leeds) great bunch of bhoys n ghirls in it and a great wee pub crawl long after the games have finished.
You can catch a 662 from Bradford bus station to Keighley,exit top of station,cross the road and look for the Engineers wmc on north street I believe,train station not too far away either.
Recommended,highly,best in Yorkshire along with Leeds without all the travelling.
And if you’re from Greenock……..;)
HH
Watching Arsenal v Liverpool
Two strikers Giroud ( subbed ) and Benteke with a combined transfer value of £42 million cannot score
in the best league in the world !!!!!
Come on super Griff
Shocking news about Tricoloured Ribbon what a disgusting cowardly attack lets hope
he is not to serious
Bmcd48
In fairness it was a very good game
Almore
May watch the game with my new son in law tomorrow. He will be supporting Celtic. He always does in European matches. The day went very well thanks. Wonderful! :)
The 2 goalkeepers were stand outs….
As for the likes of ozil….totally soulless performance.
WITS
That was a good game to watch. Thought Liverpool were unlucky not to win.
As tomorrow night gets closer, I am starting to feel more confident.
I think we can get a result, but only if we have a game plan and do a bit of scenario planning
– have we prepared for penalties ?
– if we play Lustig and Forrest from the start, have we got plans in case either one, as is likely doesn’t last more than 65 minutes?
– if we score an early goal, or lose one, how do we react
– how do we win free kicks 35/45 yards out, where refs will tend to give them, and get ball in box for VVD etc ?
– have we got some insight on the ref, what is he tight on, and vice versa?
– if someone comes on as a sub, how do we get them up to match speed immediately. I am not defending Efe, but I think it’s easier to come on I these games as a midfielder or attacker than a defender. The more advanced players can fluff / lose possession in opposition half, and probably get away with it – defenders can’t.
I don’t know the answers to all the above, but hopefully RD has given them some thought in preparation get.
Finally, I remember when Henke came on against Arsenal in CL final, and changed the game. Afterwards he said that he had watched the opponents and had seen areas to exploit.
I would like to see our subs do similar – make sure they are 100% focussed when on the bench, have them talking their way through the game, so if the come on they know how to make an impact – don’t leave all the thinking to RD , JC and JFK
I was all excited about tomorrow till I came on and read about TCR.
Prayers for you my Fhriend.
HH jamesgang
Clashcitybhoy
Good points, my concern is our fitness levels in the last twenty minutes, I think we’ve let teams get at our back four far to easily in the latter stages recently.
For some reason (don’t know why) i think we’ll. Actually win tomorrow.
Oops….tea and toast time
for the boss… Be back soon
Ah hope :)
Terrible news about TCR.What can you really say?.
Clumpany,dont ever stop Clumping.You really are getting right under their skin.
Awful to hear about TCR bad news.
Id heard about the attack on the news , 10min walk from my home so was worried I might know the victim. too many scumbags running around.
Hope he makes a full and speedy recovery.
67Heaven
You looking in ?
The Clumpany – keep on clumping ya bass.
Marspapa- it appears you have a problem. Namely you don’t know how amazing you are. Fortunately we who have met you do!
Night timdom.
Another long day beckons tomorrow.
HH jamesgang
You’ve got to love to the media. The eve of the biggest game of the season and our media do all they can to undermine Ronnie and the team with VVD chat. Fair play to RD, he handles them well – including the not so local media cream bun.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/34047021
The Clumpany, Keep on Clumping. Pleas don’t give up.
Speedy recovery TCR I hope they get the scum who did this.
Coorslad
Just logged in & can’t believe the news about TCR I was looking to see if he had posted re Cliftonville as he was going out with their centre half
Please tell him I was asking about him and that he is in my prayers
I’ll have a pint in the social at Solitude for him when he’s up to it
So sad and angry to hear what happened to Tricoloured Ribbon.
I was in mid-discussion with him. Hope you are back soon to conclude that discussion.
Best wishes TCR.
Off to mo leaba but thoughts with TCR and hopefully we all be doing the Ronny Roar many times this time tomorrow night.
Jamesgang
how are you doing, is my missus messing about behind my back and yir awe feeling sorry fir me.
I thought my attempt at humour this morning upset you and the other Roastir Cowiebhoy :), I posted to both of you before you set off for work :)nothing!! Nadal, zilch, rubbered, I was seriously gonnae flounce. But ah forgive yeez, hopefully meet up in the KDS next time, take care big yin.
A little distraction.
last night i though warburtons magic hat was a dead ringer for basildon bond or many other russ abbot imaginings.
todays interviews he looks like Jim Oein. the comedian.
check out his facial movements in interviews.
he looks to the left to ascent “yesterday”
to the right “for today”
up “for financial questions”
down “for new players”
frown for “tactics”
grimace for “academy”
all in, the guy is a middle level consultant type.
it will all end in tears.
saint stivs “raised eyebrows”.
and i told you so “big smirk”
jim oin
eyebrows
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6KBPGQPswQ
Film on the aptly named Horror channel the now called Orc Wars .
Delaney’s , glad everything went well for your daughter’s wedding.
Hopefully, the good vibes will continue tomorrow night if our team qualifies.
Clashcitybhoy, great post about our preparation for tomorrow night.
The serie A barcodes studied footage of the ref prior to us playing them and it helped them.
Good night all and sleep well.
Just catching up
Tricoloured ribbon Y.N.W.A.
Marspapa
I think yer no bad anawwwwwwwww :))
keep it up and ye will get into the roasters clique.
Cowiebhoy
welcome to the Celtic family wee honey the spaniel :))))))))
Marspapa
I doubt you could offend me. You make me chuckle, often!
Read your comment this morning but was past 10 before I was done with work, taxi dad and making packed lunches!
Night
HH jamesgang
Apologies for offending you this morning Walloper :-)
Ok you can stay in a gang of 2 with ACGR
Back at work, and don’t post during the day bud
I do see you’ve got some others talking to you though :-)))
Hail Hail
Lefty
What about Greenpinata’s wee Bichon Frishe :-)
It joined us this weekend as well
Hope your well bhud
Gene
Norwich bigger than Milan and Ajax ??? That just about sums it up. We keep waiting for the Sky bubble to burst whilst continuing to feed it. Much like the MSM. Why do we contribute to people whose sole agenda is to demean and humiliate our club?
Have a good one oul Fellah lol. But don’t for one minute underestimate your contribution to this blog (which is immense). Like any family we have our disagreements and arguments but the glue that holds us together is our love for the famous and glorious Glasgow Celtic.(lurking HUN monkey 5th columnists apart) Keep the faith Marspapa
Thomthe tim
Go raibh mile maith agat but the pleasure really was all mine. Nothing like watching a Celtic match in the company of Celtic supporters.
To put TCRs travails into some perspective there was a young lad of 26 found dead on a street within Derrys walls and they are still trying to establish a cause of death. May God speed TCRs recovery.
HH Tim’s everywhere. Just do it Celtic.