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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Jude
Big Josh up front ? :-)
DAVIDOPOULOS…
Not into lunchboxes,but quite keen on chests. ;))
FNARFNARcsc
B T
CYBER MALT TO YOU.
BABASONICOS71
What about junk in the trunk?
B T
CYBER MALT TO YOU. TA
jude2005
Another one? He’s gonna be cyber steamin’ at this rate…
OR WHATEVER UR POISON IS.
I am , absolutely, almighty, amazingly, awfully, astronomically, colossally, completely, enormously, exceedingly, fabulously, fantastically, greatly, highly, hugely, immensely, incredibly, majorly, mightily, monumentally, positively, supremely, totally, utterly and wildly, confident that Celtic will pump The New Club/Company and their horde of Huns.
MWD just thought I would get that out there.
JIMMY AND ALAN HAVE IT NAILED
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kfqtO88ZlBQ
DAVIDOPOULOS on 8TH SEPTEMBER 2016 3:43 PM
BABASONICOS71
What about junk in the trunk?
= = = = = = =
I’m from Greenock,that sounds like a deal going down. ;))
Oh aye , a like a wee Malt
Or Davie Dodds before he blows his nose. ;))
Just a wee Malt BT?
MWD
BABASONICOS71
Are car boot sales popular in Greenock? ;)
TRADITIONALIST88 on 8TH SEPTEMBER 2016 12:39 PM
quonno on 8th September 2016 12:29 pm
Spot on.
Resting fit players in September is wrapping them in cotton wool and for what?! The amount of times managers rest players and end up losing both games they seemingly meticulously planned for is ridiculous.
Get the best team on the pitch every week!
HH
—///—///—///—///—
Guys, glad someone made that point. Well said!!
Play the best team in every game, we have easy games in our league ( compared to what most other legues have to face)
Just do NOT play injured or unfit players… Ever!
Naemollycoddlin’CSC
MWD
Aye but plenty of them
B T
REMIND U OF THE KSC CLUB???
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Fulz4ytZ54
Jude
That’s defo Coatbridge KSC
Tunnel time
See you on the other side ☘⚽️
DAVIDOPOULOS…
They would be if ‘junk’ was for sale.
Plenty of boots,mind. ;))
YIPPP AND PROWD TOO. H H
In my heart I would like to see us give THEM an almighty slaughtering on Saturday.
In my head, I believe that the best chance of administering such a slaughtering was willfully passed up in the LC semi eighteen months ago.
BLANTYRETIM.e night.
Oh aye , a like a wee Malt.
\you can have a few the night.
Oldtim
It will be well past Mrs BT bedtime when we get Zbyszek to your gaff
Hail! Hail! From a very warm Tendring, reached over 30 degrees last two days, but not complaining. Met a die hard Tim over here who is flying back 8 Friday for that game, my lhad called me from London excited that he had snared a ticket, just need two hundred quid for flights? !! WTF is going on with people?
Glad I am here and semi detached from all the Barry White going on, told my lhad to stay in London and enjoy his day. No need to rest players, get the job done and worry about Barca on Monday night.
Just gone 4pm which means happy hour ….which means a wee shandy for myself. Managed two 5K runs so far with another one planned for tomorrow but it is sore as humidity is up around 75% at 8am. Still, mustn’t grumble…
Tendring? Means Tenerife
B T
OH DEAR THATS A BIT SLANDEROUS HOPE THE GAFFNEY BROTHERS DONT SEE THAT.
B T
OH DEAR THATS A BIT SLANDEROUS I HOPE THE GAFFNEY BROTHERS DONT SEE THAT
Celtic Story tonight
NaespoilersCSC
Anyone able to suggest a friendly place to watch the Celtic game on Saturday in or near Hillsborough?
Cheers
B T
OH DEAR THATS A BIT SLANDEROUS I HOPE THE GAFFNEY BROTHERS DONT SEE THAT.
Quick write up
Got off train in my Celtic polo shirt.. Oldish Portuguese fella (Ernesto) chanting Celtic Celtic at me .. Said your obviously looking for the estadio stadium.. Brief chat and he showed me directions then walked away chanting Celtic and cadete .
10min walk up steep hill to the stadium, gates locked but fella passing by told me to walk around the side , short walk to the right of stadium and through gates where security guard with limited English knew straight away what I wanted. Told me go in quickly for 5mins but stay off the pitch as it was being watered.
Got inside and stadium is incredible , would love to have witnessed the final in person as it looks like it would create something special .. Which it did.
Well worth the short train journey and walk and highly recommend it to any Celtic fan.
Hopefully back again someday.. Maybe next year :-)
God bless the Celtic
Portuguese fella at train station was brillant.. Shows how well we are though of around the world.
OH DEAR THE BLOGS FRANCED SIESTA TIME ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
Bit of a blow if Leigh Griffiths misses the big game, but Tuesday is a bit away yet.
Jude
I’m sure they might notice now :-))
coatbridge paper bhoy on 8th September 2016 1:30 pm
Sorry missed your response, accommodation not booked yet we are there from the 25th returning on the Monday, so we’ll miss the final if we get there. If I meet anyone at the stadium the beers are on CBP…….:-)
http://youtu.be/e7ON3mMMFSs
http://youtu.be/dipJ7a9BAbs
Thanks Proudbhoy, I’m going with my best mates some of whom I’ve known for almost 40 years I can’t wait.
I was born in 63 so I have some very faint memories of the great day, my auld man and brother going mental in the house. All of us going are season ticket holders and have been in my case since the early 80’s, about time we made the pilgrimage.