SENTINELCELTS

It’s a great classic fixture today, Celtic at home to Hibernian. In days of yore this would be built up and sold out, a mighty clash where victory was hard fought for. It’s the Edinburgh clubs own fault it’s no longer one of the nation’s biggest games, but at least they are in the top flight and must come calling at some stage.

Their timing is handy, we could actually use a nice wee Paradise party before the squad head out to Croatia. Great chance for some players like Luke and Engels to grab the game by the scruff of the neck, great chance for Kyogo to get scoring before Tuesday. I could throw in Yang, who has a knack of getting European cameos, a few minutes today sounds sensible.
Get Trusty back in, keep getting that ball to Kuhn and Bob’s your uncle, easy.
If football was so straightforward none of us would be here.

Hibs certainly have nothing to lose. Their manager has his easiest team-talk (they’ve one eye on Tuesday and won’t give 100%) and tactics talk (they want the starters to open you up then switch half the team, just frustrate them for the first half then counter in the second with fresh legs while they are desperate for the winning goal). Their manager has just delivered 4 points and 6 goals to drag them off bottom spot, probably enough to save his job, defeat at Celtic would surely be deemed acceptable all around. But if takes anything from the game he looks like a genius.

It’s upto Brendan and Celtic to make it an easy match, although the central defenders are in for a rough afternoon against their 6’4” Ukrainian striker. Last weekend’s first half was spectacular, we have the tools in our locker and a home tie in the SPL is no longer a question of who won but who scored for Celtic and did the team hit form. The question of team form is being continually answered, and 3 o clock on a Saturday in your own stadium is the best timeslot to deliver that answer.

Selection wise obviously the midfield is the big call. Engels is due a break-out performance, Reo is best playing every game not in-and-out, Callum should sit the occasional game out, Luke and Paolo are deadly persistent,,,plus Turley could do with cameos.
If ever there was an occasion for an experiment, surely it’s when you’re at home to the 11th placed team with a double digit points lead in the table. With that in mind I would rest the Captain, but I know that’s unlikely, I suspect Callum, Arne, and Reo shall get another chance to gel better.

Just like our best midfield, the strikers remain a mystery. Adam last weekend, Kyogo midweek,,I believe Kyogo presses better than Adam, and that’s why he’s preferred in Europe, so I would keep those legs fresh and go with the Corkman today, the Samurai on Tuesday. A game apiece sounds crazy but I can see the merits, at this moment. What happens up top medium to longterm is the mystery.

The gambler in me fancies AJ for a goal, he really tried last Saturday, I’m expecting the same again.

By Mahe