Cristian Gamboa

Hopefully gets a run in the team now. I don't think he's a great defender but surely that'll come with more game time. Superb going forward though.

 

Good going forward but not so great at stopping the opposition getting crossed in

 

A backline of Tierney, Ajer, Lustig and Gamboa starts to sound like the best option.

Some might say Lustig isn't a CB but he is probably still a better CB than Hendry

 

Aye, today he was the guy who stood up and took responsibility. He was the natch winner. That deserves recognition midweek.

 

With his and lustigs contract both up at the end of the season he should get a run in the team to see he should be offered a new one ,I can't see lustig getting another and going forward losing 2 right backs at once could be a problem

 

Think most would agree he would be excellent cover for a top right back.

In the meantime he's the best option. By a distance in my opinion.

 

I really like him, not perfect but fits our style of play really well.

 

Been a breath of fresh air so far when he's played this season. Was fantastic going forward yesterday

 

Heard that Ralston is not fancied by Rodgers so don't see this happening

 

It's sad to see really, shows how quickly Lustig has lost his legs.

that performance by Gamboa, albeit against Partick was like night and day, if Gamboa can't be given another start after that showing then he should rightly be looking to leave as I don't know what else you can ask for

 

Very direct, probably the fastest guy on the pitch in any domestic game. It's a no brainer that he should be starting at the moment until we get someone in with more quality. Now is the time to convert Mika into a CB full time, seems clear as day to me! He has the defensive acumen, he's just too painfully slow to be the right back in the kind of system Brendan wants to play.

 

He would work well in a back 5 with him and Tierney pushing as wide men. Imagine the 3 centre back combo though .

 

Lustig is done allowing both crosses against AEK was criminal, and Ralston is * honking tbh.

 

Iustigs contract seems to be up at the end of this season, which is a relief. Hopefully hes used sparingly . Can see gamboa still getting sold but.

 

THERE was an unlikely new chorus in the Celticsupporters’ songbook on Saturday lunchtime. In fact, you could call it was the most surprising lyric to the theme of the White Stripes’ One Nation Army heard since the strains of ‘Oh Jeremy Corbyn’ sprung up around Glastonbury last year. Ten days away from celebrating his second anniversary as a Parkhead first team player, Cristian Gamboa heard his name sung for the first time.

Not that the hero worship wasn’t merited. Two of the 29-year-old’s instinctive thrusts down the right and instant deliveries had effectively decided the outcome of their Betfred Cup last 16 tie against Partick Thistle, leading to clinching late goals from Moussa Dembele and Tom Rogic. As the early season gloom around Parkhead started to lift a little, this was a special moment for the Costa Rican international, not least because his wife Melissa and sons Felipe and Julian were in the West End of Glasgow for the occasion.



I’ve been two years at the club and they hadn’t sung my name so today was really special especially as my family were here,” said Gamboa, whose starring role came after Andrea Mbuyi-Mutombo had levelled Leigh Griffiths’ opener, a goal which happened to be the little striker’s 99th for the Parkhead cub. “I’ve been in the shadows, working hard, trying to get a chance. Today, myself and my family got something back.

“My family and kids always helped me,” he added. “Sometimes, of course, you want more game time but I always had the target of going to the World Cup and getting whatever game time here the manager wanted to give me. Now I’ve got to keep going.”

Gamboa is one of these strange characters who find it far easier to get a game for their country than it is for their club side. He played ten times in all for Costa Rica last season, culminating in three World Cup starts, but only on the strength of a grand total of three Celtic showings. While he did a diligent enough job against Neymar for Costa Rica to be drawing 0-0 with Brazil when he came off after 75 minutes, one of the chances given by Brendan Rodgers came in the forbidding environs of the Allianz Arena.


But suddenly, he might just have played his way into the box seat for Thursday’s Europa League play-off tie with Suduva on Thursday night. While Rodgers is not prone to kneejerk reactions on players, there were signs against AEK Athens last Thursday that the normally consistent Mikael Lustig could do with being taken out of the firing line. While right back is a position Celtic have been keen to strengthen this summer, for now Gamboa is providing a bit of freshness and attacking energy, even if the rangy Mbuyi--Mutombo got the better of him defensively on at least one occasion. With Emilio Izaguirre playing as if he had never been away on the other flank, watching Celtic on Saturday was a bit like being transported back in a time machine.

Having watched from the stands as Celtic completed their double treble – a spectating position which Gamboa has grown accustomed to – the player spoke afterwards about having a ‘big decision’ to make on his future as he entered the final year of his contract. That still stands but having outstripped last season’s appearance tally already, he is hardly agitating for a move away.

“It’s been difficult but, like I always say, you need to be ready at this club,” he said. “You can never complain. There’s always someone at your back putting pressure on you. Last season was difficult for me but this season I feel like I’m doing the right things. Hopefully I can build on this game.


“I respect every decision,” he added. “I’m never going to say anything. It’s not my personality. My mother has always told me you always need to be loyal. I just need to keep going. If he [Rodgers] decides [to play him against Suduva] in the next game, I’m going to be ready. If not, I’m going to be waiting.”

The patient self-sacrifice of Gamboa could be said to be the counterpoint of the Dedryck Boyata affair, although the refusenik central defender will be welcomed back into the first team fold today - subject to admitting the error of his ways to his staff and team-mates.

 

Fantastic attitude.

Mad to think about his lack of gametime when he displays such commitment despite his lack of oppurtunities . It must be hard to keep positive when you are hardly getting a chance, especially when you consider who he is competing with for the right back position!

Then you hear Brendan say that Boyata will probably be back despite refusing to play in one of our most important games of Brendan’s whole reign here in order to try and force a move.

Doesn’t make sense.