At this time of the season, Celtic managers might be tempted to rest players for domestic games to concentrate forces for the European campaign. Brendan Rodgers went counter to this logic when he started Lewis Morgan, Eboue Kouassi and (then out of favour) Ryan Christie away to Leipzig ahead of the League Cup semi-final against Hearts.
There are times, even in Scotland, when domestic challenges take priority. I have read a bit of chat that we should utilise the squad for the home game against Ross County on Saturday, before the visit of Lazio next midweek, but I would be tempted to get my strongest team on the field.
One point from two games before the international break has frittered away the benefits of our early season good work. Saturday’s game will be the only thing on Ross County players’ minds, it should be the same for us.
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Agree 100%!
And in case of interest, here are a couple of (silly) new pieces about Dave King and the Takeover Panel…
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2019/10/12/cold-shoulder/
https://theclumpany.wordpress.com/2019/10/12/dave-kings-hot-shoulder/
Couldn’t agree more, Saturdays game is vitally important to get back on winning trail.
I refuse to let my witty observation go to such a small audience so here it is again :
Neustad-Braw.
Not sure what Jamesgang will think of it but I was impressed witht the nifty footwork of Edward Ursus :-)
Re Paul`s article.
Most of us probably agree with the general point that winning the League is our number one priority. What I would add , though, is that whoever our ` best` playeris in a few positions is either debatable or marginal.
We will have Ryan Christie for the Lazio game but not for the next 2 league games. So there’s one of the 11 starting slots suitably rotated.
I get your point Paul but there are a few positions where rotation does not mean a drop in quality.
Bauer, Ntcham and Micky Johnston should be looked at closely.
JOBO BALDIE on 14TH OCTOBER 2019 12:53 PM
We will have Ryan Christie for the Lazio game but not for the next 2 league games. So there’s one of the 11 starting slots suitably rotated.
___
Good point. Elhamed has a virus as well.
Looks like Bauer and Ntcham will get a chance.
Titles 9 and 10 should be our priority, if not we’ll have sclaffed a golden opportunity to bury the lie and the liars…………
Unimaginable and Unforgivable CSC
interesting point
Do we go for horses for courses, i.e. select the best team for each given game OR do we pick our first eleven for each game?
In my opinion we need to rotate the squad to:
1. Try to avoid overplaying players
2. Give several players game time for match fitness
3. To allow players experience of playing in different formations
4. When players are injured allowing for replacements to bed in with Team mates
5. Select and play players in good form.
6. In certain games, experiment with line-ups and formations.
7. Give young players in the Development squad 1st Team chances
However, 32 first team squad does seem too large. When will we see Hazard, Taylor, Hendry, Arzani, Connell, Kouassi. So in practical purposes we have 26 to rotate which is still too large by at least 3. To rotate 23 is hard.
We should not have signed Connell and Taylor. We should have loaned Hazard, Hendry, Kouassi. We shouldn’t take Arzani back but should cancel the loan.
We can rotate 7 of our 9 Defenders successfully between injuries. Elhamed and Simunovic are both out. we can easily rotate Bauer, Ajer, Julien, Frimpong, Bolingoli. Hayes can also fill in.
Forwards play Bayo and
..Eduoard.
Midfield 16 possibilities countless possibilities
No more slip ups…..wise to assume the huns will keep on winning (but hope that they don’t).
Every league game a cup final.
Queenie’s speech hides scandal as Brexit puts the mockers on 10 in a row
With all the attention on the Brexit and this morning’s farcical pantomime pretence at Westminster, one small clause in what one insider called “Michael Fagan’s favourite one-night-stand speech”, has strangely been missed.
Its implications on football in these isles in general will be significant, but will strangle any chance of Celtic achieving an historic, ground-breaking, iconic, deserved, god given, Augean stables cleaning, Geordie’s byre mucking, SFA disinfecting, triumphant 10 in a row. (Balanced reporting is my pledge, objectivity my watchword!)
Lurking in the supportive documents distributed to anyone reclining Rees-Mogg style in a cardboard box under London Bridge, it seems that following a Boris/No-deal style escape from the European project, plague, famine, pestilence and most of all famine will ravage the land with people forced to dig up every bit of spare arable land for the growing of nutritious food, herding of animals and resurgence of the spam industry (That’s SPiced hAM for my younger readers, not an email from Plenty of Fish or whatever) – an absolute staple as many of us will attest to that seen us through the dark days of the fifties, sixties and occasional extended vacations in borstals, approved schools and Priest training colleges.
Anyway, back lizzie’s mutterings.
As of June 2020, ALL grassland including but not limited to, football pitches will be commandeered for agriculture and related projects. In particular Celtic Park with its Donegal sod magical fertility is seen as a real powerhouse and also, Ibrox park where the regular amounts of shite to which it is exposed will see it blossom beneath the climate-change induced sunlight, into a veritable oasis of hallucinatory drugs to keep the common people pacified. (It has been suggested that trials of this approach have been underway for some time with remarkable degrees of regular attendees talking absolute pish)
The result of all this is that the SPFL premier title will go to one of Hamilton, Kilmarnock or Livingstone…..all of whom it is rumoured encouraged their 4,260 supporters to vote for Brexit.
GET DOWN THE BOOKIES NOW!
(I am now investigating whether all these diversionary Brexit shenanigans is actually a deliberate cover for stopping Celtic by the Illuminati, Bilderberg, Wee Frees, Orange Order and “non-Christian-Marxist” wings of the masonic movement. I’ll report my findings once I plant all my window boxes with carrots, and check whether my dug fits in the microwave).
I expect this to be all over the papers soon! (Apart from in my hoose, where I’ve replaced the need for daily papers with a bidet!)
But you’ll all know who really unearthed this scandal…..and hopefully the turnips, onions and parsnips as well!
Hail Hail
Matt
Superb Matt.
Thumbsup!!!
Ross county are unbeaten since 31 August. i would start Bayo and have Nitcham in midfield ( rest Broony ) Try to get Rogic on as well at some stage.
Matt Stewart – fine writing. As always.
The league and Europe must take equal significance.
If experimentation is required to facilitate our large squad, then it is in the domestic cups that this should occur.
The priority of winning the league is self explanatory, however it is Europe that will ” light up ” Parkhead and provide the platform and finance for quality players that we all desire.
We must look outwardly to the future. It is the Celtic way.
HH to all.
Grandson distraught fortnite off line 😬 HH
Matt Stewart, Superb.
Hail Hail
My team for Saturday:
Forster
Bauer, Jullien, Bitton, Bolingoli
Brown McGregor,
Forrest ,Ntcham, Elyounoussi.
Edouard
Test
Just read a report about Nir Bitton being charged with dangerous driving. I didn’t realise he had been out of action for so long, but in the report by STV, it says he was injured and has not played since the last Old Firm game… Eh? that was in April 2012, I’m sure he played a few games earlier this season. :-)
🍀⚽️
Hunderbirds- no insurance either, WTF…
Saturday
Forster
Bauer, Jullien, Bitton, Bolingoli
Christie McGregor,
Forrest ,Ntcham, Elyounoussi.
Edouard
Thursday 5 changes
Forster
Bauer, Jullien, Ajer, Bolingoli
Brown McGregor,
Forrest ,Christie, Sinclair.
Edouard
Come out ye Black & Tans. Where are all our Posters hiding. I have an excuse on a domestic mini break, just poked my nose in to provoke or encourage ab few to get active.
Late Tip. Anna of Sussex 17/2 Wolverhampton 7.25pm. Each/way.
Ave Ave
BADA
Aye, whit’s up? Can he no afford insurance?
Birdsinagildedcage CSC
🍀⚽️
BIGBHOY @ 6.40 – Corpus is suspended for the next 2 league games…..
halksbee and jacobs on talkshite today reviewed this book with the authors,
the compliments to jock stein were superlative.
really special actually.
worth a listen again.
The Three Kings (Paperback)
Leo Moynihan (author), Jonny Owen (author)
==================
Three of the greatest football clubs: Celtic, Liverpool and Manchester United. Their three greatest managers: Jock Stein, Bill Shankly and Matt Busby.
Three men born within a 20-mile radius of each other in the central lowlands of Scotland; forged in mining communities to subsequently shape the course of modern football. From a BAFTA-winning documentary film maker and the people who brought us AMY, I BELIEVE IN MIRACLES and SENNA, this is a book for anyone who loves football and its history.
Publisher: Quercus Publishing
ISBN: 9781787475694
Number of pages: 320
Dimensions: 198 x 129 mm
in my humble opinion SB and ON in the same team dosent work.
oh and by the way paul ‘play our strongest team’ in the spl prior to a euro game , what’s brought this on , it wouldn’t be anything to do with not being top of league and concerned about dropping more points , spl should always take priority over europa.
Ron67 @8:03
Totally agree!
Portugal down 2:0 now⚽⚽
Paul67
Can you ask Celtic to erect “An Gorta Mor” holocaust memorial to be placed prominently on the stadium grounds. Our foundations were built by the Irish that made it Scotland.
Ave Ave
RON67 on 14TH OCTOBER 2019 8:03 PM
Totally agree, I have said it many times on here. It’s a problem.
🍀⚽️
Can see the England game getting abandoned here,game been stopped for racist chants, Southgate just complained again…
Hate racism me 👊🏼HH
Boaby Madhun insisting on 10 yards at free kicks for Ukraine- Portugal game. Odd that, because he typically walks 8 steps plus a tiny ninth step for our free kicks.
IniquitousIV