Brendan Fraudgers!

I'm not sure we can biame BR for Forrest's miss yesterday, just one of those things he has been excellent this season.

 

Yeah it’s a worry if he gets injured. Like last Tuesday without him we coulda been put out of Europe. Can’t really see any of the current midfielders stepping into his shoes. Ntcham looks to have the ability but doubt he’s captain material and would be off to England if he got the chance.

 

Sorry mate typed that wrong not blaming Brendan for that just mean I was ragin we let a 2 goal lead slip with 14 mins to go using the Forrest example as it would have meant we where 3-0 up at time, sorry grammar is * at times lol

 

Didn’t necessarily weaken it your right but it must be a different 11 nearly every game so far this seasons. Few injury’s didn’t help at the back though tbf to him.

Would just like a solid 11 if everyone wa fit. Would help us in Europe.

 

Aye agreed our game management was poor..

I had no problem with his initial selection but thought he should have brought on Armstrong for the tiring, but excellent Ntcham.. and Hayes for Forrest who had fallen out the game..

Even Bitton could have been brought on for Ntcham just to take the sting out of the game and protect the defence a little..

 

Aye got to agree the game management from the players was lacking yesterday but I am sure they will have sat down today and gone through it. My point of view is they are like us all (albeit well paid) humans and workers we all lose focus in our jobs from time to time but that was just a total lack of concentration yesterday from players whom I feel are mentally jaded. I banged on all summer we needed 24 players for a possible 60plus game season now if we get to the Scottish cup final we would have played (on basis we get beaten by zenit)

14 European games
38 league games
4 league cup games
5 Scottish cup games

Plus many players 6-8 internationals plus travel over course of season now he hasn’t been limited in his selections in midfield but we have hardly seen Kouassi and Benyu this season since early doors. That’s Edouard just getting a chance and KT and Lustig seem untouchable at full back! I just feel we need to rotate more especially this month but if you said to me going into December we have a 5 point lead with a game in hand then regardless of last season I would have taken it as I feel most SPFL premiership teams have improved their squads.

 

Aye, I agree with a lot of that..

On the fullbacks when Ralston is fit we'll defo see more of him as BR rates him so highly. We also need to see Miller played more as we have no other real natural cover(Hayes maybe) at LB, we need test Miller to see if we need to go into the market for cover as we're guilty of overplaying KT, who has looked a little jaded last 2-3 games.

Think I read that by the time of the break we will have played 100games in the calendar year, which makes the teams achievements all the more impressive..

 

Yeah Ralston will get game time once for I doubt we would risk him until after the break but you never know. KT despite being a fantastic talent needs a break.

Calvin done well early parts of season, needs to play the position more to get used to it.

Made smart business selling Izzy gives him a good payday and us.

100 games in a calendar year almost 2 a week says something for the fitness of all those players that’s something else no wonder they’ve looked tired!

 

“This was a team that had not qualified for the Champions League for three years and finished bottom of the Europa League with no wins. Within 18 months we have qualified for two Champions Leagues in difficult groups and taken a step into the Europa League."
Brendan Rodgers

 

CELTIC’S reward for progress to the last 32 of the UEFA Europa League is a tough tie against Russian side, Zenit Saint Petersburg.

The first leg will take place at Celtic Park on Thursday, February 15, with the return a week later in Russia. And Brendan Rodgers is looking forward to meeting up again with Roberto Mancini, who is now managing Zenit.

Speaking after the draw today (Monday), the Celtic manager said: “We’re delighted to be in the draw and it’s an exciting game for us. It’s a beautiful city, St Petersburg, from my memory out there. We’re really looking forward to that when that game comes along and it’ll be nice to see Roberto Mancini again.

“When I was in between jobs, I was in talks with Manchester City about maybe going back there as a coach with the first-team. I flew out to Milan to meet Roberto and we had a nice chat but shortly after that conversation I got the Swansea City job and went there.

“I haven’t kept in touch with him since but we would always speak after games, though, and he’s a good guy.”

Zenit Saint Petersburg are currently third in the Russian League, six points behind leaders, Lokomotiv Moscow, ahead of the winter shutdown, which begins following their away game today (Monday) against Terek Grozny. Zenit’s next competitive fixture will be at Celtic Park in February next year.

However, Brendan Rodgers knows they will provide a tough test for his players as the Hoops look to progress to the last 16 of the UEFA Europa League.

“Zenit are doing okay in their league and they have some experienced players such as Branislav Ivanovic who I know from Chelsea,” he said. “Like ourselves, they’ll be looking to get through. It’s a game we’ll really look forward to when it comes around.”






BRENDAN Rodgers said Celtic will have to earn the right to take all three points on Wednesday night if they are to overcome a well-organised and stubborn Hamilton Accies side.

Celtic are preparing to play their fourth of nine games in the month of December and the manager said he is anticipating a difficult task in trying to break down Martin Canning’s team.

Speaking to the media at Lennoxtown today, Brendan Rodgers said: “Martin always gets his teams organised and very difficult to beat. He has an honest group of players who work very hard and make it difficult for you. Every time you play against Hamilton you have to earn the right to win the game.

“They played well in their game at the weekend against St Johnstone but, like Tommy ‘s teams do, they hang in there and eventually get the win.

“We’ll expect another tough game from Hamilton but of course we’re at home. We want to impose our way of working and our style on the game and hopefully that brings us the three points.”

Brendan Rodgers also discussed his players’ mentality in ensuring that they have continued their domestic unbeaten record, which now stands at 68 games following SUnday's 2-2 draw against Hibernian at Easter Road.

“We want to win every single game we play and we’ve virtually done that domestically,” he said. “But with the games you can’t win or when something goes against you, it’s important you have that resilience and mentality to not lose the game, and that’s clearly what this group have.

“We still need to be better. We’ve conceded more goals at this point in the season than what we had this time last season. We still have lots of improvements to make but you have to respect the other managers and players. It’s been very competitive and, thus far, we’ve been able to win a lot of our games."

 

We could all doing with remembering that at times, I feel..

 

We've not lost a game domestically this season, on current form. By that very definition we would do the treble again.

 

Hope so mate.

 

To be fair I'm not really fussed if we do or not. I would take a double and beating Zenit rather than another treble.

 

Same here. Think we need to get our name back on he map in Europe. More important than another treble.

 

Not sure about just beating Zenit, but I’d take an appearance in the last 8 on top of a double over a domestic treble for sure.

 

* that.

Treble every day for me.

 

If the double in question was the league and Scottish Cup, I’d consider it.