With qualification already assured and Zagreb already out of contention one could be forgiven for thinking this match was a dead rubber. However crucial co-efficient points remain up for grabs for Ronnie Deila’s outfit for future European campaigns and this is a winnable game to get points out of.
Ronny Deila: "Some of them (fringe players) will get a chance but it’s important also that we keep the consistency in the team as well. 'If we change too much, it’s not good for the players who are playing. I was a little bit angry because we had 20 very good minutes and then we started to be a little bit lazy and didn’t work enough. Suddenly, Motherwell are a good team. We need to do the job for each other for 90 minutes."
Team News
Absentees
Brown - Rested as one booking away from a suspension
Forrest - Rested as only back from injury
Guidetti - Ineligible
Mulgrew - Knee
Denayer - Foot
Lustig - Hamstring
@starryplough’s Selection
Gordon
Matthews Ambrose Van Dijk Izaguirre
Biton Kayal
Wakaso Johansen Stokes
Scepovic
[QUOTE=“starryplough, post: 1056264, member: 2836”]Live on BT Sport 1 and Setanta Ireland
With qualification already assured and Zagreb already out of contention one could be forgiven for thinking this match was a dead rubber. However crucial co-efficient points remain up for grabs for Ronnie Deila’s outfit for future European campaigns and this is a winnable game to get points out of.
Ronny Deila: "Some of them (fringe players) will get a chance but it’s important also that we keep the consistency in the team as well. 'If we change too much, it’s not good for the players who are playing. I was a little bit angry because we had 20 very good minutes and then we started to be a little bit lazy and didn’t work enough. Suddenly, Motherwell are a good team. We need to do the job for each other for 90 minutes."
Team News
Absentees
Brown - Rested as one booking away from a suspension
Forrest - Rested as only back from injury
Guidetti - Ineligible
Mulgrew - Knee
Denayer - Foot
Lustig - Hamstring
@starryplough’s Selection
Gordon
Matthews Ambrose Van Dijk Izaguirre
Biton Kayal
Wakaso Johansen Stokes
Scepovic
Prediction 2-1 Celtic[/QUOTE]
I’d like that team too but I think Griffiths will start - maybe instead of Wakaso, maybe instead of Scepovic. I’d certainly like Scepovic to get some time from the start. He hasn’t had many chances yet and we weren’t in good form when he got his first few opportunities, hopefully he’ll find it easier to be a penalty box striker with the chances we’re now creating.
It would seem the perfect game for Scepovic to perform with little pressure, hopefully he gets a decent run out. From what I have seen of him he hasn’t looked great so far but you are right that we are creating much better chances now, I actually think that is largely down to dropping McGregor who for a winger creates nothing for other attacking players. He might give McGregor (who has been rested as of late) or Commons game time but I’d be a bit surprised if either started.
Limited chances to date but he hasn’t looked too impressive when he has played. Don’t think hes particularly fast or strong, so think he will struggle as a lone striker in Ronnie’s system. In saying that though he was thrown in at the start when we weren’t playing well, now that we are playing better he might get some decent chances created for him. Potentially another Balde/ Bangura though unless he starts doing something sharpish
Entertaining game with both teams going for it but terrible defending. No midfield cover at all from Celtic and Matthews was a disaster at right back, culpable for the first two goals certainly. Celtic looked a lot better with Stoke’s introduction, with him and Izzy linking up particularly well for the last 20 mins. Scepovic took his goal well to be fair, and was in the right position to force the defender into a mistake for the og late on, deserves another chance going on tonight but I don’t think his all round play is anything like Guidetti who incidentally is eligible for Europe after Christmas
Matthews has been dreadful all season. Was a reliable defender under Lennon and particularly good against Barca a couple of times. But Lustig is miles ahead now when that was a marginal enough call last season. In his defence Izzy also struggled badly for a couple of months in this system and was badly exposed positionally an awful lot but he’s turned that around now. Seems to be a big onus on full backs under Ronny and I’m not sure we’re anywhere near solid enough to have them pushing forward so aggressively.
The rumours about Matthews being homesick and wanting to move on in the Summer look to be true going on his performances of late. Lustig is due a good injury free run in the new year hopefully, and I’d nearly be prepared to go with Fisher as back up unless Matthews cops on sharpish. The Stokes/Izzy link up is vital for us whenever the two play, night and day sort of difference with them together. Another thing we learned tonight is Johansen is not a centre midfielder, he is much more effective in the advanced role. Kayals days are numbered as well if he can’t get into that team with the absences tonight