Last month Efe Ambrose and Saidy Janko played in what will be some of the biggest games of our season. It didn’t go well. Saidy has since moved out on loan, while Efe is behind Toure, Sviatchenko, Simunovic, O’Connell, Boyata and (maybe) Lustig for a place in central defence.
From that list, Simunovic and Boyata are unlikely to be ready for the Camp Nou, but O’Connell will be no less prepared than John Kennedy was 12 years ago when he deputised for suspended Bobo Balde at the same location. Central defence has gone from being our weakest department to our strongest in a matter of weeks.
My expectation is that Brendan will play Toure, Sviatchenko and Lustig as a back three, with Kieran Tierney and Cristian Gamboa as full backs. That will be a leap of faith for Cristian, who, only five days from Barcelona, has yet to even train with the club. He’ll arrive in Glasgow today after last night’s national team game in Costa Rica.
Despite this schedule, we should look to give Cristian some game time on Saturday, I’d be reluctant to throw him into the Camp Nou cold. This would allow us to rest Mikael Lustig, who played for Sweden on Tuesday, and who will need to be at the top of his game for Barcelona.
Another player who could do with a rest on Saturday is Tom Rogic. Tom has played in Australia and the UAE since we last saw him, eclipsing whatever jetlag Cristian will go through. I’m not sure Brendan will see it the same way, as an offensive midfielder like Tom may be sacrificed for a more defensive player at the Camp Nou. We’ll touch on how to attack later.
I watched Israel-Italy on Monday. Nir Bitton did well against a superior team; it was a good run-through for the Champions League, as he will be asked to play a similar, tactically disciplined, role for Celtic. As the game was Monday, I don’t think he’ll need a rest at the weekend, although we should perhaps consider giving him around 60 minutes.
Football’s a squad game, let’s remember that this week. It’s been nearly three years since we’ve been to the Camp Nou, these occasions don’t come round often, so we need to prepare properly.
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Neil Cameron – amiable Englishman, poor fiction writer, selective hearing; ‘the odd naughty song may slip out’.
TBB, etc excused in a quip.
‘Each sides as bad as the other’ tired old narritive to excuse the Hun Monkeys’ anti-social anachronistic existence.
Listen Neil, there’s no equivalence here – Celtic have been moving forward for 20 years since Fergus re-aligned the ship; at most we are sometimes subject to contention due to the political effervescence of a section of the support.
On the other hand The Huns, acknowledged universally among supporters of other clubs and broader society in general – both here and abroad (ref: Barcelona’s mayor, seeing you’re visiting there as you read this) are considered a bunch of inbred, subhuman, bigoted, perma-raging hate-riddled, luddite c##ts.
Open yer ears tomorrow lunchtime. They won’t be able to contain themselves, the ‘naughty’ Monkeys.
BOBBY MURDOCH’S CURLED-UP WINKLEPICKERS on 9TH SEPTEMBER 2016 11:09 AM
MACJAY
9 or 9.30 PM., mate.
Steaks and snags purchased.
A modicum of Aussie beer fridge bound.
On this occasion , Boags from Tassie.
Rangers fans . A family decision , in most cases.
Beyond anyone`s control.
Just like me.
However , maturity determines that you look with honesty at the culture of ” your ” institution.
Rangers are a thoroughly disreputable institution.
Witness their posing with orange bigots last week.
Plus ca change.
Nothing`s changed.
The hun remains.
SUMMA
Can they pay with MasterCard,cos that is f…..g priceless!
JOBO BALDIE on 9TH SEPTEMBER 2016 8:42 AM
LIKE NO OTHER –
Leave EK at 9am? What, and forget my ParkRun? No sirree, Normal Saturday for a normal game.
Parking will be a big issue tomorrow. Normally I’m down the bottom of Sprignfield Road, obviously a no go. The oterh issue is that me and my Bhoy will be exiting from the safe standing corner whilst the other 2 car occupants are in the James Gang Main Stand. So we’re claiming it’ll be best to park about a mile along London Road past the CSCSSupporters Club whilst they are suggesting Glasgow Green!
–~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Problems, problems indeed.
Unlike the mighty Magic Hat, I have a plan B. Just hoping there are 2 free seats on our local supporters bus!!
Otherwise it’s Tollcross way for me :(((
Happy swinging to all today :)))
HH
MACJAY
On the plus side,wi a background like that…
Not much chance of them going for the moral high ground!
Oh,wait. Forgot about a cowed media.
Heyho…
WINNING CAPTAINS on 9TH SEPTEMBER 2016 11:23 AM
BBC’S NEWSBEAT’S “RANGERS STARTED AGAIN AFTER LIQUIDATION” REPORT IS AMENDED…http://www.celticquicknews.co.uk/?p=27622
Warning, this features quotes from the dark side. Some of you may enjoy.
■□■□■□■□■□■□■
“They can’t possibly believe we are only 4 years old……otherwise they’d try to molest us”
The words of an insane person.
I’m been looking at the Griff. Will he play? Won’t he play? On here and in the media, to me it’s a great distraction for a young lad called Patrick Roberts who I think will be more dangerous to that lot than any other player on the park, I like that he’s coming in under the radar and it’s to his and our benifet, let the Parkhead Pele loose at Celtic park tomorrow, and IMO he will run riot through thems back 4.
I don’t hate the huns, I pity them.
Can’t think of any other bunch of horrible, despicable, cheating bastards that I pity.
Odd that.
vfr800a8 on 9th September 2016 9:23 am
It is terribly hard being a leader of people. I’m not a man of the cloth – an almost impossible job these days, especially in the Christian West.
Every Human is a Sinner. FACT.
;))
I am hoping for a Perfect day the morra.
I’ve been there with my Son listening to the Hearts bile when they had their tails up.
1stminutegoalpleaseCeltic.CSC
Ach, if only there was still a Gerry McNee going
about to tell us all the truth.
I’m sure that Gerry would have told us how Rangers FC
were liquidated but – at, Celtic’s behest – that they be
allowed to make they’re way back to the same league as,
Celtic despite the denial’s – neither club can survive without the
other.
Folk believe that, David Murray wanted Celtic – done away with.
That’s not true.
Before the OF game at ibrokes where, Cascarino scored the equalizer
for us, David Murray took Brian Dempsey round the ash track, and
explained some of the outlines of building plans involved in the structure
of ibrokes.
Weeks later, hundreds of Celtic supporters who’d sent away to the postal-box-address
in the national press, posted by the ‘Consortium’ as per – the plans to redevelop Celtic Park
as, opposed to the Cambuslang nonsense being spouted by the Kelly’s & White’s, where sent
out a package from the rebel-consortium(I’m sure that mine’s is still in the loft) as to what
Celtic Park would look like, redeveloped.
Dempsey told McNee that, Murray was starting to really worry about the state Celtic FC was in.
That was in, 1991.
I’m sure that Gerry would have told us all that,…
Celtic Park was half-empty.
The products in the dug-outs and, on the pitch were rubbish.
Ala- Hugh Keevins…that the huns should have remained in the same league as Celtic – only on the condition that they be santioned till all the £140 million was paid back, knowing that that wasn’t the case that, the huns had wriggled they’re way out ‘all’ payments.
Conclusion – Every rebel needs a tyrant / ying – yang….etc.
Also, I’ m sure that Gerry would have told us that, as sports editor of the Sunday Mail that ‘he’ sent the hearse to Celtic Park to be pictured and put on the back page of the SM because, on the Thursday previous, Celtic’s board knocked back the £18 million that was tabled by the rebels at that Thursday’s EGM, as reminder to apathetic Celtic supporters that if, you don’t wake up and sack the Kelly’s & White’s then, yer club will die.
Gerry McNee
Hugh Keevins
The 2 hurting Tims who would rather have saved the Cellic
than, be served succulent lamb.
Guid luck the morra Celts.
….oot…..
Summa of Sammi…. on 9th September 2016 11:34 am
..
I don’t think the Guy said both as bad as Each Other
====
He didn’t actually say it, but he didnt have to. It doesn’t take much reading between the lines. Just because they are MSM doesn;t mean they can’t be subtle.
Little comment about Rangers bad apples, little comment about Celtic bad apples, on both sides the vast majority are ‘actually decent people’ … wow, thanks.
No mention of the vast majority chanting sectarian songs when one of the teams plays, not the other.
HH
new article posted.
Summa of Sammi……
Can’t you see?
Barcelona is Massive – So is the NEW Rangers to my Son.
He will be experiencing what I wanted to at his Age.
The WHOLE of Scotland knows they Died. So in that respect it is different.
Recording the game as well.
I think he will wear the Griffiths top.
No Mercy please Celtic. None whatsovever.
Yucandanceifyouwant2.CSC
So, Neil, which part of watching a club with properly registered players playing one concealing the improper registration of its players, ie cheating, made it a “sporting evening”?
..
Bobby..
I’m afraid .. The Rangers and Credit is a No No.. Ha
Even if I say Myself it is Guid..
Summa
Many thanks to BMCUWP and Signor Tallybhoy. We are on a promise at Bar Cupido near to the train station at 127 piazza curtatone. Italians though have first refusal….