Vs Partick
- Thread starter wee_od_88
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Playing without strikers (albeit forced) puts all the pressure on Sinclair. He delivered yet again and should have won it with the pen. Sooner we get Moussa and Griff back the better.
Playing without strikers (albeit forced) puts all the pressure on Sinclair. He delivered yet again and should have won it with the pen. Sooner we get Moussa and Griff back the better.
wee_od_88
Vital Football Hero
I really don't think our pitch helps us at home either. The sooner we get that replaced the better! Shame we only got a draw but we're still undefeated and it was a changed team!
BR has apparently said that he will be rotating the team again this weekend when we play Kilmarnock so that everyone's had a bit more game time and trying to get everyone at their peak for the Rangers games. So all the fringe players are firing and ready to go should they be needed. So we may not see Sinclair or Roberts this weekend. If Rogic is OK after his return he may start with Forrest and GMS. Henderson could be in line for a start as could Toure potentially.
I could see us going with something like:
Gordon
Boyata - Toure - Sviatchenko
Gamboa - Henderson - Bitton - Kouassi - Izzy
Forrest - Rogic - GMS
Subs: Bailly, Simunovic, Lustig, McGregor, Aitchison, Sinclair, Armstrong
BR has apparently said that he will be rotating the team again this weekend when we play Kilmarnock so that everyone's had a bit more game time and trying to get everyone at their peak for the Rangers games. So all the fringe players are firing and ready to go should they be needed. So we may not see Sinclair or Roberts this weekend. If Rogic is OK after his return he may start with Forrest and GMS. Henderson could be in line for a start as could Toure potentially.
I could see us going with something like:
Gordon
Boyata - Toure - Sviatchenko
Gamboa - Henderson - Bitton - Kouassi - Izzy
Forrest - Rogic - GMS
Subs: Bailly, Simunovic, Lustig, McGregor, Aitchison, Sinclair, Armstrong
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Friday night sees us take on Partick in our 2nd league outing of the new season.
Think we'll see more changes to the young side that humped hunmarnock on Tue evening, as BR will want give as many of the players as possible game time. Remains to be seen who will be risked and how long they'll get ahead of the 1st leg of the Astana tie.
John Kennedy has said we are still awaiting scan results for Eboue Kouassi but that he didn't think it was as bad as first feared.
Think we'll see more changes to the young side that humped hunmarnock on Tue evening, as BR will want give as many of the players as possible game time. Remains to be seen who will be risked and how long they'll get ahead of the 1st leg of the Astana tie.
John Kennedy has said we are still awaiting scan results for Eboue Kouassi but that he didn't think it was as bad as first feared.
wee_od_88
Vital Football Hero
Do we risk Griffiths? In the form he's in we really need him for Astana! If we can produce a display similar to Tuesday evening then we should get goals against Partick regardless of having a striker on the pitch!
Hayes may get another run out on the right wing. Sinclair will likely be back on the left; Benyu showed great effort but his final pass was missing most of the night from what I saw on Tuesday, nothing was quite coming off for him. Ntcham will likely start again, Broony should be back and I expect Bitton to be back in at CB for the Partick game. Ajer has done well at CB when he's played but I think the preference is going to be Bitton for Astana so I think he'll also play against Partick.
Gordon
Lustig - Bitton - Simunovic - Tierney
Ntcham - Brown
Hayes - McGregor - Sinclair
Forrest/Rogic/Griffiths
Starting all 3 wingers might be a risk so Forrest might not start if Griffiths isn't risked, if that's the case then Rogic may be tried up front again. Part of the problem for Rogic against Rosenborg was that he had no support, McGregor didn't play in the hole behind the striker, instead we were playing with more of a 4-3-3 instead of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-1-3. Stick someone else up there to play with him and be closer to him that he can work 1-2s with etc and it should work!
Hayes may get another run out on the right wing. Sinclair will likely be back on the left; Benyu showed great effort but his final pass was missing most of the night from what I saw on Tuesday, nothing was quite coming off for him. Ntcham will likely start again, Broony should be back and I expect Bitton to be back in at CB for the Partick game. Ajer has done well at CB when he's played but I think the preference is going to be Bitton for Astana so I think he'll also play against Partick.
Gordon
Lustig - Bitton - Simunovic - Tierney
Ntcham - Brown
Hayes - McGregor - Sinclair
Forrest/Rogic/Griffiths
Starting all 3 wingers might be a risk so Forrest might not start if Griffiths isn't risked, if that's the case then Rogic may be tried up front again. Part of the problem for Rogic against Rosenborg was that he had no support, McGregor didn't play in the hole behind the striker, instead we were playing with more of a 4-3-3 instead of a 4-2-3-1 or 4-2-1-3. Stick someone else up there to play with him and be closer to him that he can work 1-2s with etc and it should work!
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For team selection one option is to start with the side that will play in the 1st leg, injury permitting of course. It would let us gauge who might be a bit off the boil, if any, whilst giving them the game time they need at this stage. Ideal for the likes of Rogic and Sinclair who are still a wee bit rusty compared to last season. Armstrong is a different story and a decision needs to be made about whether or not his head is right to be starting the 1st leg at all. Giving him a run-out tonight might be the best way to judge one way or the other. Whether he scores or not is irrelevant, it's more about if he's fully committed in the tackle, putting himself about and generally how involved he makes himself in the game.
That's my thoughts, here are John Kennedy's
JOHN Kennedy is anticipating a tough game at Firhill tonight when Celtic face Partick Thistle and, with fixtures coming thick and fast, the first-team coach has suggested there could be changes again to the starting line-up.
Speaking ahead of the Hoops’ first away game of the 2017/18 Premiership season, the first team coach said: “I’ve always admired how Alan Archibald sets his team up. He’s someone who wants to play. He gets players in his team who are technical and can be an attacking threat.
“We had some good results there last year, but they gave us problems in those games. It’ll be a tough game. Going to Firhill always is, but the confidence is high and we’ll go into it looking to win it.”
With the first leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off match against FC Astana looming, Kennedy also stressed the importance of keeping the team fresh.
“There will probably be some changes again,” he said. “It’s about getting the balance with rotating the squad and making sure everybody’s getting enough game-time and preparation as we move forward.”
In light of the impressive performance against Kilmarnock in the League Cup, Kennedy insists that if any of the young players are given a start, they will be more than capable of delivering.
“It was a perfect example the other evening where we finished the game with five Academy players, plus you had Kristoffer Ajer and Kundai Benyu starting," he said. "We had a very young team but the performance level was still very high.
“It comes back to the way we’ve trained for the last 12 months in preparation for moments like this that the manager has full trust in anybody he throws in, so if we want to make changes the transition is simple and we’re still going to get a high level of performance.
“We know we now have a group of players who are pushing each other, challenging each other and if we need to make changes then so be it. We trust the players that are coming in.”
http://www.celticfc.net/news/13072
That's my thoughts, here are John Kennedy's
JOHN Kennedy is anticipating a tough game at Firhill tonight when Celtic face Partick Thistle and, with fixtures coming thick and fast, the first-team coach has suggested there could be changes again to the starting line-up.
Speaking ahead of the Hoops’ first away game of the 2017/18 Premiership season, the first team coach said: “I’ve always admired how Alan Archibald sets his team up. He’s someone who wants to play. He gets players in his team who are technical and can be an attacking threat.
“We had some good results there last year, but they gave us problems in those games. It’ll be a tough game. Going to Firhill always is, but the confidence is high and we’ll go into it looking to win it.”
With the first leg of the UEFA Champions League play-off match against FC Astana looming, Kennedy also stressed the importance of keeping the team fresh.
“There will probably be some changes again,” he said. “It’s about getting the balance with rotating the squad and making sure everybody’s getting enough game-time and preparation as we move forward.”
In light of the impressive performance against Kilmarnock in the League Cup, Kennedy insists that if any of the young players are given a start, they will be more than capable of delivering.
“It was a perfect example the other evening where we finished the game with five Academy players, plus you had Kristoffer Ajer and Kundai Benyu starting," he said. "We had a very young team but the performance level was still very high.
“It comes back to the way we’ve trained for the last 12 months in preparation for moments like this that the manager has full trust in anybody he throws in, so if we want to make changes the transition is simple and we’re still going to get a high level of performance.
“We know we now have a group of players who are pushing each other, challenging each other and if we need to make changes then so be it. We trust the players that are coming in.”
http://www.celticfc.net/news/13072
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CELTIC (4-2-3-1) Gordon; Lustig, Bitton, Simunovic, Tierney; Brown, Ntcham; Hayes, McGregor, Sinclair; Forrest
Subs: De Vries, Griffiths, Armstrong, Rogic, Benyu, Ajer, Ralston
Strong team but with Griff on the bench
With the exception of Griff for hayes that'll likely be the starting XI against Astana.
Subs: De Vries, Griffiths, Armstrong, Rogic, Benyu, Ajer, Ralston
Strong team but with Griff on the bench
With the exception of Griff for hayes that'll likely be the starting XI against Astana.
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Evening David. :emoticon:14
On Griff, BR pre-match: "Leigh after the game the other night felt a twinge in his calf the next day. We hoped to get 90 mins in tonight, too big a risk."
Two chances for Forrest early doors.
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A rocket from Ntcham* puts #Celtic 0-1 up
*may have glanced off broony
*may have glanced off broony
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Just having a bite to eat...
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Kieraninho goes close!
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