Kicks off today. Celtic not in action until tomorrow.
Oxlade suspended. Van Den Berg, Emenalo, Mhueka ineligible.
MON comments a few weeks back would indicate that he is not overly fussed at this competition. I think we will struggle to get to the next stage. We have a huge game at the weekend, lots of absentees and I think we need to guard ourselves for that.
I could be wrong but I think we can bring the likes of Hatton, Kennedy etc back from loans for these games due to the loan agreements? cc @Bandage
If that’s the case I would start both Hatton and Kennedy and maybe young Haney as I think we need to put Sunday first as it’s a season defining game. If we manage to beat Rangers at the weekend we will be big favourites with an 8 point advantage. If Rangers win I’d put them as favourites as they seem to have a more balanced and stronger squad that us. They have 2 players for other positions where Celtic have left certain areas unaddressed and others covered with dross on short term deals. We need to build up as big an advantage as we can.
I’d go:
Sinisalo
Donovan
Murray
Trusty
Haney
Baur
Kennedy
Sorenson
Hassan
Duran
Hatton
Might as well give some of the youngsters a chance over the dross who are never going to be good enough. This is probably our most winnable tie. We have some very tough home ties but our away ties are a little easier. I think we will end up with 5-7 points.
Even though MON said the priority is domestic football, I don’t think there was any realistic chance he’d fill the team with B list youngsters. I don’t see why Celtic shouldn’t be having a proper go in this competition. Celtic’s fitness & conditioning was found wanting in Austria but there should be no excuse for being unable to play back to back games early season. The four changes are unsurprising after the weekend but a couple of them could be restored on Sunday. It would be nice to see some proper combinations/evidence of a style of play. And it would be nice not to see an opposing team rampaging through our midfield & at the heart of the defence.
I’d be hoping Oxlade gets the nod to start on Sunday. I don’t think Nygren or Hogh should be anywhere near the starting lineup for big games presently. Opportunity for Sorenson tonight, hopefully he plays a bit deeper. Not been anywhere near impressed with what I have seen so far so its important he makes an impression tonight.
Yeah, I also think it’s becoming clear McGregor needs someone beside him. He’s just getting overrun & dragged everywhere when he’s…I’m gonna say it…the single pivot. It needs to be more 4231 with two of them together as a…I’m gonna say it…a double pivot. I don’t know if Baur or Sorensen would be asked to do that or if it’ll be more of the same. On a separate note, Forrest has played the 20-minute sub role pretty well in fairness to him for around 18 months now but he really shouldn’t be starting European games at this stage.
I’ve been a big critic of Forrest for years. He looked completely finished under Lennon and Ange but had a little bit of a golden summer under Rodgers and MON but that’s typically been as an impact player late in games and that’s all he should be in his mid 30s.
Apropos of the weekend shellacking & the general feeling among some of us that Celtic aren’t particularly well coached or playing to a defined structure, active twitter coach/hun/analyst John Walker has a lengthy clip from that match that showcases lots of this stuff. It doesn’t reflect well on the manager, coaching staff or players at all. I kinda sense that Celtic do lots of drills, rondos, one touch, short sided games but very little of the game specific stuff Ange & Brendan would have been all over. They would have been hugely focused on a Kev style constraints led approach. How you play out from a kick out versus an aggressive front six press, how you create overloads on the flanks versus a mid block defence set up in a 442 shape etc etc. Repetition & patterns of play…this is lacking. It’s broken play & bits of magic.