This afternoon’s friendly against Tottenham Hotspur gives Ronny Deila a dilemma. Last weekend he played a second string against St Pauli, but with things going so wrong in Warsaw on Wednesday, the pressure is on to pull a game plan together which will work at Murrayfield.
Our other concern is that the squad, without Ambrose, Brown and Forrest, is already looking threadbare. We simply can’t afford an injury to afflict Commons, Griffiths, Stokes, Johansen, van Dijk, Matthews, Lustig or Izaguirre.
The suggestion was put to me this week that we should play Lustig with van Dijk in central defence on Wednesday. Lustig can play there, but would Ronny trust them on such an important occasion without a warm-up game?
If I was taking a risk with first-team players this afternoon it would be to pair these two. If we’re going to get the required result on Wednesday the most important area of the team to get right is the defence.
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Paul67 / All
Your suggestion of VVD and Mikel is an interesting one, however, I suggest that playing players out of position and experimenting with formations is exactly why we are in the mess we are in.
I suspect those two may be a decent unit, but let’s experiment on another day
Heading for another embarrassment
Saint Stivs
Sack the board ?
Nah, they are hamstrung, as the club wallow in Scotland. Any progression we make is surpassed by the difference in money of other leagues.
Someone posted the other night that Celtic are treading water, waiting in hope for some change. Can’t disagree with that.
2 down…. Soldado…. Torn apart at back….
0-2
2-0 Spurs, CG with a good save, striker scores the follow up..
Paul 67
He was forced to trust them on Tuesday, not that it turned out too well with ten in an emergency reshuffle second half, but Lustig and VVD along with Izzy and Matthews restored on his kicking foot, at full back would be the most likely choice.
Mulgrew has been in centre mid so long, he thinks he’s a shoe in, and we’ve boosted his ego with the armband, I hope Warsaw brings him back to planet earth and he starts playing again. He made his name as a dead ball expert, its time he got back to basics along with one or two others including VVD, who made his name in the SPL at places like Ross County, but not yet in Europe.
The problems are in midfield and striking RD will be forced to find a game from Kayal or Biton, both of whose fitness always seems in doubt., and it’s not a good time to find another McGregor by pitching in Henderson.
The back five will take care of itself only if we contest and control the midfield, instead of the acreage we surrendered, in Poland.
I hope the prats who organised our pre-season schedule, feel its worth it.
Nearly 3
Is being annihilated compulsory under Ronnie and JC now?
A development team against Spurs. Lawwell won’t mind the embarrassment if we earn a few bob.
seanoc
14:21 on
2 August, 2014
Welcome aboard mhate & good luck :)
HH
Away to get my Abacus
2 down
We are 2-0 down after 15 mins? ffs
D D
Fanning 7/1 get it????
Is it too late to get Jimmy Calderwood?
OK, that was in poor taste but it’s getting a bit depressing now.
The kids look lost in this match.
It’s a hiding to nothing situation but it could get very embarrassing depending on how much Spurs want to push it.
Pre-season is awful.
79caps
The new hotel outside the stadium will look great, though.
The balance between prudence and being competitive is wrong at Celtic. No doubt about it.
No protection for the defence when Spurs attack
Saint Stivs
14:44 on
2 August, 2014
BCW,
is Ronni hasnt seen the charlie movie, then someone inside the coaching regime should be telling him, I would have hoped the overall “media/video” analysis they have of every game, every player would be a reference point for him.
Watch every video, listen to every comment, whilst preparing for the CL, scouting new players, bedding in new approach, pre-season tour, fitness et al ! Right enough he did appoint a JC to his staff so maybe you are right :-)
Everyone knows this is a meaningless friendly with our youngsters up against a fairly experienced Spurs team? Just checking.
chrisvancoupon
We can hardly expect this development team to compete against a multi-million pound team. Why organise a friendly between CL qualifiers? (I know – money.)
BIG-CUP-WINNERS
13:54 on
2 August, 2014
starry plough
Think big Mulgrew needs to be dropped for this one. I like Charlie he has been a good player for us since his return. But watching him on Wednesday I honestly felt his head had gone completely.
The tie has gone anyway and in the long term the EL is better for the club, support and the new manager in what we can only hope will be a season when a new direction will unfold.
This season we would have been humiliated in the CL and the lack of realism and expectation of the many hysterical supporters would have been too much for a new system to bed in.
Sorry you are on to plums.
There can be no change of direction unless it comes from the top.
Even today we are hearing of THEM that PL and DD can’t get into bed quick enough, rampaging through Derby.
Does anyone know why we agreed to take part in this friendly. I feel sorry for the youngsters here, being sent to play against a pretty strong Spurs line-up, a week away from the season starting. It makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.
BIG-CUP-WINNERS
14:45 on
2 August, 2014
Saint Stivs
Sack the board ?
——————–
in the downsizing business model, why are the only people earning more, sitting in the executive board room ?
at which point will the raj look at them ?
how big a plc board do we need ? and how many need rewarde, and at what level ?
noses in the trough.
aye, sack the board.
last week was a bitter bitter experience. are they hurting at all , or just saying oh well, next bonus. and who to sell next.
radical thinking in the board room, thats where we need it.
get rid of the lot of them,
their time is up
Deflection for Spurs just over
Spurs close to a 3rd again
Is a Celtic tie Martin Johnston has on??
Hamiltontim
I agree we have raised our game and provided some wonderful, emotional victories that we will always remember. But surely trying a new differing modern approach is to be lauded ?
Last season may on CQN wanted a different approach. It may take time to reap the rewards; maybe it will whither on the whine ? Who knows but some patience is called for from the support.
corkcelt
14:46 on
2 August, 2014
I hope the prats who organised our pre-season schedule, feel its worth it.
!!Bada Bing!!
Of course they think it is worth it.
After all, I believe it is only a couple of years ago that they thought nannying about Australia pre season was worth it.
Don’t matter where it comes from a couple of bob is worth anything.
It’s.
A.
Friendly.
Now pause and breathe fellas.
It’s meaningless game time.
That BTM fella had the right idea. Put all his effort into friendlies with Spurs. What happened to him ?
seanoc. We do know that but hate to see our name at the wrong end of a drubbing at any time.
17s beat Bolton 3-2 at Bolton. Some good news fac!!
Why are Celtic reserves playing an EPL side?
One bright spot is the mics are picking up Gordon barking out orders,and quickly off his line to claim loose balls
We just can’t control the ball – wat are we doing at the town of Lennox?
Watch every video, listen to every comment, whilst preparing for the CL, scouting new players, bedding in new approach, pre-season tour, fitness et al ! Right enough he did appoint a JC to his staff so maybe you are right :-)
————-
lol.
or just do what he said he was going to do, come in take his time and learn over time.
instead he picked that daft team and that formation and that gameplan for legia.
he needs to learn fast.