SPFL Celtic v Kilmarnock Sunday, November 9th Kick-off 4pm Celtic TV

Good chance to see what this David Watson is about on Sunday


See if he’s worth the hype

 

Be lucky if we can field a * team for this.

 

Schmeichel

Simpson Pusey
Trusty
Scales
Saracchi

McGregor
Bernardo

Tounekti
Balikwisha
Maeda

Kenny

 

Just get a win and get a manager in during the international break.

This is a slog of a season.

 

Schmeichel
Donavan
Trusty
Scales
Sarrachi
Bernardo
Hatate
McCowan
Maeda
Kenny
Tounekti

Really struggling for a team here.

 

3 points please

 

Schmeichel
Donovan Trusty Scales Saracchi
Bernardo McGregor
Tounekti Hatate Balikwisha
Maeda​

 

Any win will do.

 

McCowan a good shout as out and out 10 for this was tryna think of the best option in there. Reckon he might get it..

 

Since posting this I actually would be tempted to play Yamada up top too as Kenny has played a lot of football recently.

 

Just * get through this with a win and regroup over the international break.

 

Schmeichel

Simpson Pusey
Trusty
Scales
Saracchi

Hatate
Bernardo

Tounekti
McCowan
Maeda

Kenny

 

Almost seems surreal to me that this is a Celtic first team.

 

4pm Sunday games are brutal, just wait all Sunday for the game. In limbo the rest of the day.

Think this will be a * scudding but, show a reaction to the game tonight, and that it wasn’t just a wee bump in 2 games with a new manager. Our reaction will say a lot about the fortitude of this team and what the dressing room is like at the moment.

How close to fitness are we with Iheanacho and AJ? We’ve patched over them to varying success but it’s a big miss for us. Experience and attitude alone, never mind ability

 

AJ would flourish under O'Neill. MON used to get sick of Hartson's lack of movement though so I'm not sure what he'd make of Kelechi.

 

Sinisalo
Donovan - Trusty - Scales - Sarrachi
Engles - CalMac
Nygren
Daizen - Kenny - Tounetki​

 

Kelechi’s lack of movement? Think his movement and positioning is the thing he brings, the best thing about him, like a proper number 9 movement it was a stark difference watching him do that when he came in, in comparison to what Idah and Maeda were doing there.

And that was under Rodgers, where the strikers job isn’t made easy or helped in anyway. Think he’ll thrive with more direct football, more support around him and players willing and looking for an early ball.

 

I’m trying to forget about the Europa game and just focus on this - which may be for the best in general. We're unfortunately not in a position where we can afford to risk being too experimental, but the squad is * and we need to fully utilise what we do have. I said it in the Simpson-Pusey thread, but if we can take a comfortable lead this would be a good time to try and get some minutes for the fringe players. We can see if they have something to offer, and it might build up some confidence which can be worked with during the international break.

Schmeichel
Donovan Trusty Scales Saracchi
McGregor Bernardo
Maeda Hatate Tounekti
Kenny​

In terms of player ramblings:

• In less tumultuous times I would’ve liked Sinisalo to get a shot, but I don’t think they’ll chance it. I think he’d be fine, and it’s getting to the point where he could be doing with some appearances, but I can get not wanting too many shakeups.

• Trusty & Scales basically pick themselves at the moment. If we're comfortably in the lead, pick whoever you think is having a better game and/or trust to shepherd, keep them on and sub the other off for either Simpson-Pusey (debut) or Murray (regain confidence/chance at redemption), depending on how we view their respective futures here.

• Ralston has scunnered me, so I'd just go with Donovan. He wasn’t great against Hearts, but he's been decent enough outside of that and we shouldn't be making young players pariahs after a * performance.

• Tierney should be nowhere near Rugby Park regardless and frankly, performance wise, Sarrachi is making a better case for being the starting LB at the moment anyway. Again, if it's a comfortable lead and he has a future here, this is where Inamura should be getting minutes as a sub. He put in a good shift against a similar side in Livingston and his game seems suited to playing against the low block.

• Midfield is a bit of a question with Engels potentially/probably being out. I know McGregor also took a knock, but it didn't seem to affect him too much. I think for squad consistency reason Nygren starts, and he’s obviously got goals in him (assuming he gets his prerequisite 15 chances), but I’d like to see Hatate & Bernardo come in for him & Engels. He (that being Nygren) would make for a decent enough sub when Hatate inevitably starts blowing through his *. McCowan has a case, but I always think he performs better as a sub, than a starter.

• Maeda & Tounekti are our strongest options on the wing and make the most sense as starters. While I don’t like him on the right, I think Maeda would offer Donovan more protection - if it’s going well, it’s easy enough to switch up anyway. Forrest is better suited to being an impact sub.

• Striker wise, I’m assuming Inheanacho won’t make it, but I’d be wary of someone recovering from that kind of injury making a return on that surface anyway. Kenny’s obviously got some relative momentum domestically, but he’s played a lot by his standards (for us, anyway) and we can’t afford one of his more anonymous performances. Yamada needs to be back in the squad and had he not been completely frozen out, I would’ve been tempted to start him (and I still sort of am). If he’s ultimately not good enough, that’s a shame - but he won’t be the first, and he certainly won’t be the last. We’re in the *, he’s seemingly got attributes that work well against these sort of teams and he’s obviously scored goals in the past - we can’t afford to not give guys a chance.

 

Kaspar

Donovan Trusty Scales Sarrachi

Calmac Hatate

Maeda McCowan Tounekti

Kenny​

Nygren is needing a rest IMO. I’d be tempted for Bernardo instead of Hatate but would like to see what he brings as part of the two, more of the pitch infront of him and more time and space on the ball.

McCowan is the other midfielder who has a goal threat and creativity that Nygren brings, not with the same numbers but he has a more clinical edge. He also works like *.

Ralston had a shocker tonight, I like him but Donovan deserves a shot again, Maeda infront of him protects him defensively as well. Kenny’s our only striker, which is a worry.

Bench very threadbare, but Tierney, Bernardo and Forrest there should be enough options to change it up. We’re an injury or two away from disaster but, get us through to the break here to * regroup and pray no injuries on international duty man