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Through the most testing times Celtic have narrowed the gap

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By on CQN BLOG & Comments

Through the most testing times: illness, injury and international absences; incredibly, Celtic managed to narrow the gap at the top of the table to two points.  Newco’s lead can be shattered tonight.  By their own decision making earlier in the season, they travel to Celtic Park to play before an exclusively home crowd under a Glasgow night sky.

Ange Postecoglou still has challenges.  Callum McGregor was injured against Alloa and may be risked.  Daizen Maeda played for Japan in Tokyo yesterday, I doubt we have had a player play on successive days in 80 years, and never at opposite ends of the globe, but he is likely to feature tonight.

Matt O’Riley and Reo Hatate will be crucial to our performance, neither has seen anything like the atmosphere or pressure they will experience tonight.  I expect Reo especially to be kicked and elbowed from early on.  He will receive no protection from the referee.

Win, and the world is their’s. Celtic would go top of the league with Tom Rogic, David Turnbull, Christopher Jullien and Kyogo Furuhashi still to return to the squad.

Newco are better than the string of Scottish clubs we have beaten by a single goal recently.  Before shipping three extraordinary goals against Ross County on Saturday, they conceded only once in nine domestic fixtures.  They are top of the league and champions for a reason, any presumptions about tonight on our part should be dismissed.

Enjoy yourself tonight.  If you are there in person, play your part to the fullest until the last kick of the ball.  Make the most of the night, the lights, the stadium and the hurt you felt last season.

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  1. stebhoy on

    Roofe for a red card – Tavernier to goldson set pieces are a big danger!

     

     

    Get at them and I’m hoping mcgregor is fit to start

  2. Turkeybhoy on

    Celtic Mac,

     

    Its no problem coming your way on a long haul.He would have been in “sleeper”,first class.Will arrive fresh as the proverbial Daisy.Wee jog and massage at Celtic Park.Not a problem.

  4. martin o'seville on

    What if GvB parks the bus?

     

    96 mins of back n furrit n back again then furrit again?

     

    96 mins of tippy tappy 22 yards oot fae goals?

     

    We nearly screwed it up ‘again’ vs DundeeUtd but we scraped it in the end.

     

    Sometimes nice fitba works, but look at oor sacked managers fae the 1990’s.

     

    The Celtic Way works if its Brendan v Pedros caravan or the Lisbon Lion’s.

     

    But it isny Pedros caravan or Brendan or the Lisbon Lion’s tonight is it?

     

    One trick ponies get found out by Livi, St Mirren, Hearts, DundeeUtd, huns at ibrox, and low level European teams that’s why Ange’s Celtic is now in the European pub league, or the losers lounge.

     

    I wish Ange and Celtic well tonight I also know that Ange is easily mugged.

     

    Tic, toc…..

  5. Turkeybhoy on

    Reading back,a couple already got their whips out for one of our players.

     

    As a great singer wrote” There Must Be Something In Their Water”,nearly.

  9. iljasb on

    I wonder if we’ll see Ralston at right back and Taylor at left back with JJ moved into the midfield, at least for a time. GG to start and then Daizen Maeda on at 65 or so if GG isn’t scoring. Can’t be compared with Big Effe’s situation as he played every game in Africa and Daizen has played not even an hour in the Middle East.which is geographically nearer.

     

     

    Will they sit back and counter? Gerrard realized that didn’t work so I don’t think VB will instruct them to do that. They will go for the high press hoping to create nervousness at the back. If Celtic beat the high press we should create chances for GG and Liel Abada. If one gets converted it will throw newco into disarray and our technical superiority and speed should pay dividends. 3-0 isn’t impossible.

  10. ohits on

    TURKEYBHOY

     

     

    As long as they wear the hoops they should get 110% support its just that some Peepil on here are never happy .HH

  11. Celtic Mac on

    turkeybhoy

     

     

    Do you need to wear one o those travel neck pillows when you are oan the plane?

     

    Asking for a Japanese freend o mine.

  18. Fess19 on

    ILJASB

     

    I agree with you about JJ in midfield if Calmac can’t start. Bit of steel to help Hatate & O’Riley and upset the currants.

     

    3–0 for the good guys.

     

    Now for 4 hours sleep before kick off

     

    Hail Hail

  19. !!Bada Bing!! on

    Hart

     

    Juranovic

     

    CCV

     

    Starfelt

     

    Taylor

     

    McGregor

     

    Hatate

     

    Jota

     

    O’Riley

     

    Abada

     

    GG

  20. Back to Basics - Glass Half Full on

    Big Wavy – like others I’d be chuffed with that team.

     

     

    If poss early in game (easy on paper) I’d like Hatate and Taylor to feed Jota with as many quick balls to go one on one against Taverner.

     

     

    Man can’t tackle or defend.

     

     

    Joy to be had

  21. Martim1980 on

    Good after all,

     

     

    Agree with Paul 67, try to enjoy it, very modern day thinking but positive vibes and collective support for the team can work wonders for our players and have a beautifully bad affect on our opposition whether that be sevco, msm or sfa/refs.

     

     

    Just do your thing Ange and the squad- it’s a process, it’s a process, it’s a process.

     

     

    COYBIG 🍀

  23. Celtic Mac on

    iljasb

     

     

    “Daizen has played not even an hour in the Middle East”

     

    Well at least you got that bit right,…….

     

    and neither has anybody else.

     

    Last time I looked Saitama was still in Japan…..

  24. Turkeybhoy on

    Celtic Mac,

     

     

    Dont know about a pillow.I always used to rest my head on a Stewardesses shoulder and neck.

     

    Anyway,was I right .On the bench Knight

  26. Turkeybhoy on

    OHITS,

     

     

    How can that be.?They claim to be “Faithful through and through”.

     

    Never heard of a caveat in that song before.

  27. Tommy Joad on

    Individual duels on the flanks will be key

     

     

    I really fancy Jota to give Tavernier nightmares. They will have to double up = space for Taylor, Hatate and O’Riley. Jota equally capable of slaloming through two or three of them.

     

     

    Abada is a very different type of threat and always likely to get a goal.

     

     

    Juranovic and Taylor will be crucial defending and going forward. Like others, I would have absolutely no problem with JJ in midfield and Ralston at right back, but I do think its unlikely.

     

     

    Would love CCV to get a goal and cap off an excellent six months in a Celtic shirt.

     

     

    TJ

  29. Saint Stivs on

    Enjoy yourself tonight. If you are there in person, play your part to the fullest until the last kick of the ball. Make the most of the night, the lights, the stadium and the hurt you felt last season.

     

     

    ————–

     

     

    if your not there in person, and watching from afar, try play your own part to the fullest, support the team on the blog, give praise, highlight the good, give positivity and see if it makes your watching more enjoyable.

     

     

    we are on the road again.

  30. stebhoy on

    the issue with Daizen isn’t minutes recently played – its the travel and how this affects his clock (careful with the spelling there)

  31. Big Jimmy on

    Celtic-daft Scots groom dies weeks after stadium wedding following shock terminal cancer diagnosis

     

    Tributes have been paid to Michael Duffy after the dad-of-five passed away on Saturday January 29.

     

    ………..

     

    MICHAEL was only 44 years of age.

     

    R.I.P. Michael.

     

    YNWA.

  33. Celtic Mac on

    Apparently Celtic have won the last three midweek derbies.

     

    Was at two of them myself, anybody else remember all three offhand?

  37. leftclicktic on

    Stop Aribo stop the orcs.

     

    Just do them Celtic or as AN TEARMANN would say “go to work Celtic ”

     

    BuzzingCSC

  38. Burnley78 on

    Coias pre game for a bit of dinner for me at 5pm.

     

     

    My buddy is bringing his new lady friend from France to see her first football game since L’oM best Milan in the European Cup back in 1993.

     

     

    Of course they broke the old Rangers hearts en route to being the only French team to win the big cup.

     

     

    Hopefully a good omen.

  40. big wavy on

    CelticMac,

     

     

    Does one of them include Maloney’s thunderbolt and surely the JVOH last minute was another or have I missed out some more recently ???

     

     

    Head’s scambled…..

     

     

    HH

  41. An Tearmann on

    Is Bernard Tape French for Sir Hunner of Pence B78?

     

     

    The 2 dodgy geezers are cut from the same cloth,(emperors:-)

     

     

    Good windup for the teethgnashers

     

     

    HH

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