Time to rest a raft of players

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Celtic hope for their fifth win in run of five consecutive games away from Celtic Park at Motherwell tonight.  The fixture calendar does not get easy after this game, but the players will be glad of home advantage when it comes, consecutive games on the road takes a toll.

Motherwell have won three of their last five games, including a 3-0 humbling of Aberdeen, a decent return in anyone’s language, but the other two games in that run constituted a 2-0 loss at Livingston and a 7-1 drubbing at Ibrox.  This is a team which either gets it spectacularly right or just as wrong.

We have struggled at Fir Park in recent seasons.  A late penalty kept our Scottish record run without defeat intact last season, while we twice came from two goals down before Tom Rogic dinked a last minute winner the season before.  Add to the mix that we will pair up an unfamiliar central defensive partnership of Jozo Simunovic and Filip Benkovic and there is enough reason to hope that we take command of proceedings early on.

Leigh Griffiths is back fit and I would give him the nod tonight over Odsonne Edouard, who has carried the load up front on his own for weeks.  This might also be an occasion to rest others: James Forrest, Callum McGregor, Mikael Lustig and Kieran Tierney would each benefit from a seat in the stands.

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  1. jimbob71 & little Miss jimbob on

    Paul,

     

     

    I know we have able replacements but too many changes just doesn’t work.

     

    We’ve seen that before.

  2. Maybe 2 – 3 changes tonight at most.

     

    Too many changes does not work.

     

     

    Broony for Rogic

     

    Griff for Eddy

     

    Jozo for Boyata

  3. MACJAY1 FOR NEIL LENNON on 5TH DECEMBER 2018 9:44 AM

     

     

    Socialism created Hitler.

     

    _________________________________

     

     

    No. It didn’t.

     

     

    T

  4. mike in toronto on

    Jimbob… it is the time difference. Otherwise, I would have beat you by five hours. Well, that’s my opinion.

     

     

    Seriously, no loss when a friend wins.

     

     

    After reading back, i think I’m off to Breitbart to discuss soccer. That will teach them!

     

     

    However, I did want to wish MAH good luck today.

  5. Make all the changes suggested will not win this game, I believe BR will play his strongest available team tonight and he will need to.

  6. jimbob71 & little Miss jimbob on

    MIT,

     

     

    Paul wrote that 5 hours ago? What’s he been doing all morning?! :-)

  7. Gordon for Bain

     

    Back 3 of Lustig, Benkovic and either Hendry or Simunovic

     

    Middle 5 – Jamesie, McGregor, Brown, Christie, Tierney

     

    Up top – Griff and Eddie

     

    So, dropping out – Bain, Boyata (enforced), Rogic and Sinclair

     

    Simples

  8. Hopefully not too many changes tonight, we’ve seen the consequences of that already this season. Calmac looks full of running but would agree that James Forrest and Tom Rogic look in need of a break.

  9. Gordon

     

     

    Kt

     

    Jozo

     

    Benkovic

     

    Mikel

     

     

    Calum

     

     

    Forrest

     

    Tom

     

    Broon

     

    Christie

     

     

    Leigh

     

     

    Subs

     

    Eddie

     

    Tcham

     

    Bain

     

    Mikey

     

     

    Well it’s a start lol

     

    Hail hail Celtic

     

    HH

  10. The risk with resting KT is that he might get the Green Brigade capo gig on a full time basis and not want to go back to playing football.

  11. JIMBOB71 & LITTLE MISS JIMBOB on 5TH DECEMBER 2018 12:30 PM

     

    MIT,

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Paul wrote that 5 hours ago? What’s he been doing all morning?! :-)

     

     

    ###

     

     

    Trying to log on????

  12. I’d rest nobody tonight, play the strongest team. Resting too many smacks of complacency to me. OK, if we are 3 or 4 goals up after half an hour, then by all means rest a few, but to rest a load of guys before the game would surely fire upthe Murderwell players, surely.

     

     

     

     

    KINGLuBO

  13. There is a danger playing your strongest team every game as when they get injured their replacements might not be up to speed. There is also the chance that you tire players out and this is often when they get injuries

  14. You could put Lustig, Tierney on the bench, Ralston,Izzaguirre,to start,also Brown, Nitcham to replace Rogic, Christie on the Bench,rest Edourd,start with Griffith’s,also young Atchison,on the bench,and rest Sinclair with Morgan,

  15. Rodgers himself said he made a mistake making wholesale changes earlier in the season so hopefully just Brown, Ntcham and Griffiths to come in tonight

     

     

    B-)

  16. BSR

     

    Rae was on Clyde on Monday night.

     

    He responded to a claim by a hun that Boyatta should have been red carded for headering GMS that ” he could see where he was coming from” then from a further comment by Keevins said ” Ah never actually saw the Boyatta incident”. I think this is hunspeak for “ah’m no’ watchin the tarriers in a Cup Final !”

     

    A few minutes later he stated he hadn’t realised that Ayr had beat Dundee Utd 5-0 on Friday night.

     

    It’s nice to know he is as good a pundit as he was a footballer!

  17. Good to see we are back to football talk

     

     

    No more than 3 outfield changes otherwise _I feel we lose the current balance

  18. Paul 67,

     

     

    To a certain extent we are victim’s of our own success.

     

    The natural environment for testing squad players and getting them match fit is the domestic cups.

     

    We need the points tonight so I do not think it’s “time to rest a raft of players”

     

    HH.

  19. 50 shades of green on

    I can see 4 changes tonight, the spine of the team, in come Cragie G, Jozo, Scottie and the Griff.

     

     

    Out go Scottie B, the Belgian o sorry Dedryck Skippy and Eddie.

     

     

    Although I might if it was me put Big Ed on the left and rest Sinky.

     

     

    Easy peasy, Ryan with a Brace tonight and the elf with a pen.

     

     

    H.H

  20. Just a couple of changes please, too many and you run the risk of losing our rhthym.

     

    take control of the game then make some more if need be.

     

    just winCSC :))))

  21. Billy Bhoy

     

    It would appear that one of the criteria that the BBC use for its pundits is an EBT side letter -or just a thick hun

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