SENTINELCELTS

Morning,all.

The title is,strictly speaking,inaccurate. Tomorrow’s match is actually the semi-final of the Scottish League Cup,or whatever name it goes by these days. But it IS the second match in a row against Kilmarnock,so round two of a double header.

I’m not sure if any of our “January” signings were registered in time to be eligible for this one,which may present us with a problem at right back. If Alistair Johnson is indeed ineligible,our two choices are Juranovic and Ralston. Ralston has not yet recovered from injury,and Juranovic frankly gives me the fear after his nightmare at Ibrox. 

Granted,he too was returning from injury and he was parachuted into a left back role which doesn’t suit him,but what a howler he had. While I would be comfortable enough with him at right back,the prospect of him having to be substituted due to having another bad day at the office,or even being injured,is not a cheery one. After all,who comes on in his place? On the bright side,I doubt his transfer prospects can withstand another shocker,or even Monza will probably look elsewhere. 

McInnes in the opposition dugout is in full-on foaming-at-the-mouth frenzy for the occasion. He has his own secret weapon all ready to unleash on us. I dunno about The Geneva Convention on warfare,but Lafferty should have been banned a long time ago for the thug that he is. Ask Andreas Hinkel,for example. Indeed,he is returning for a ten game ban,imposed due to an ugly sectarian slur. While it was brushed aside as banter up here-you know,the usual-had it been made against any other religion,he would have been hounded out of the game. Same if it had been racist,and deservedly so. Except in Scotland,of course. He’s the victim here,all of a sudden!

No,I don’t fear McInnes’ secret weapon. Certainly not for his attempts at football. But he will try very hard to leave his mark,regardless. The Celtic players,of course,will be wise to him. They’ve played against him before,and plenty like him too. A heavy dunt from CCV early on,followed by a dull one off AJ-if eligible-will have us all cheering loudly. It might not be how I prefer things to be,but many of our greats from the past were no strangers to getting their retaliation in early. 

To more cheerful things though,and that is-how we actually intend to win this one. There is little doubt that Joe is having one of his less inspiring patches,but nobody has pushed him for his place. The defence picks itself,dependent again on the right back position. Kyogo and Maeda are nailed on up front,with only the right-side to consider. Here,I would put Abada up first dibs. See how he gets on,hopefully gets his eye in again. He could do with a run in the team. 

Midfield? How do you drop Reo? CalMac is rarely “rotated”,and Mooy has made a spot for himself either side of The World Cup. There are various options for Ange to consider though,and that is a healthy position to be in. And the players who reckon they are due a run in the team will probably get one anyway after an hour or so. 

The League Cup seems to be dismissed by many of us,yet I remember the pain of watching us lose so many finals in the 70s and a few more since. Martin O’Neill still remembers the Hartson goal being wrongly chopped off over twenty years ago. I could go on. 

The final of 2006 became a Jinky Day of Remembrance,and that is just one of the reasons I want to win this cup every season. It is the first trophy competed for each year,so the first leg on The Treble. Ange is undefeated in it so far,and I’m sure he wants it to stay that way. So do I. And I want it to be the first of four successes at Hampden this season. That would cheer me up no end. 

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Above article by BMCUWP