League Cup Ross County 1 - 4 Celtic

Agreed. Use the squad for this. Id rest the majority of the starting 11 and have something like the above. I wouldn't normally dismiss the league cup but we have bigger fish to fry. We have a league to win and a champions league group which we could conceivably qualify from and the next two games at Parkhead will go a long way in deciding both. This game is nothing more of a hinderance as far as I'm concerned. The squad players should still be more than capable of getting the win anyway.

 

While this makes a lot of sense, I do worry about too many changes disrupting team flow. Have a frustrating game due to changes and we lose momentum for the big games ahead.

Don't want to risk injuries though so I guess we'll see at least four changes.

 

Hart
Ralston
CCV
Starfelt
Bernabei
Mooy
McGregor
Turnbull
Abada
GG
Forrest

 

Just going to put a few facts here and food for thought...

No Celtic team has defeated County in a Cup game since 2011.

Only 1 player from the starting XI still at the club that started the last Cup match between these sides...

In Nov 2020, the Celtic starting XI was...

Barkas
Bitton - Julien - Ajer
Elhamed - Brown - Christie - Laxalt
Rogic
Ajeti - Edouard​

That was less than 2 years ago... That is some incredible turnover Ange has overseen, considering the only survivor is Ajeti, who is about as fringe a player we have in the squad. CalMac came off the bench, while Ralston and Taylor were unused. That was also the end of the 36 Cup game winning streak and ended the chances of a 5th consecutive treble.

Overall in Cup games... P4 W1 L3

LC Nov 2020 - Celtic 0-2 County (CP)
LC Jan 2016 - County 3-1 Celtic (Ding)
LC Sept 2011 - County 0-2 Celtic (Ding)
SC Apr 2010 - Celtic 0-2 County (Hamp)

The point being, don't underestimate County, especially in Cup games. It has happened too often in the past and don't want to slip up. We have some very big games coming up, so don't want to let those distract attention away when there is a potential banana skin right in front of us that the Bhoys need to deal with first.

 

I'd make a few changes tbh, the new bhoys would defo get a game.

Siegrist
Ralston
Starfelt
Jenz
Bernabei

Hetate
Mooy
Mcgregor

Saed H
Gia
Forrest

 

From what I have read Haksa has been training alone for a while, so I doubt we'll be seeing him get a start for a few weeks yet, until he can get up to speed, otherwise we risk an injury to him. I'd expect a few sub cameos will be all we'll see of him for a bit, so I'd pobably go with Maeda.

I'd also be going with Welsh at CB, probably along side Starfelt who needs games. If Guchi is back I'd probably play him instead of McGregor, and Turnbull instead of Hatate. Other than that I'd probably be going for a similar line up to yours. We have plenty that can come off the bench for half an hour to turn things around if it's not happening.

 

Didn't think Ange was the type to make wholesale changes fir any game but we did see it a couple of times last season. BUT, we're still relatively early in the campaign so fatigue is not an issue just now, so it's a question of building momentum more than resting players.

I reckon there may be 2 or 3 changes but nothing major. Personally I'd go:

Hart
Ralston
CCV
Starfelt
Taylor
McGregor
Hatate
O'Riley
Jota
GG
Abada

But really it could be any number of different lineups. The beauty is that Ange wants everyone able to come in and keep to the same high standards, so I don't think it matters much who starts. As long as we keep our intensity, which you know for a fact we will.

Am saying 6 - 0.

 

You can make subtle changes to the line up for this one I'd say.

Siegrist
Ralston Jenz Starfelt Taylor
Mooy
Turnbull Hatate
Abada Giakoumakis Maeda
​

With arguably the only exception being Taylor, Maeda and Hatate, the rest arguably need more minutes in their legs due to absences via injuries/illness/just not playing regularly etc.....but I don't think this is that dangerous of a line up in terms of risking the result of the game.

Guys like Jota, Juranovic, Kyogo can all be used from the bench if needed

 

It’s a cup!

It matters.. plenty of us want a treble this season and Ange will be one of them….

Just as important (to me anyway) is making sure the Huns win fckkall…. We are at the stage where the only way to achieve that is for Celtic to win everything.. so good enough reasons why we should be taking both the match and the competition seriously.

It’s only a Diddy cup once another team is knocked out..

Amazing how important it is the moment one of them wins it!

 

What is frustrating is I think the modern game has made money the bigger incentive than trophies like this one.

It's awful to say but I'd much rather focus on trying to impact Europe at any level, win our league, then go again with the auto spot in CL again next season.

And with Ange in place hopefully we then see a regular level of talent coming to club because of the success financially.

 

Play the strongest team, I want the treble.

 

For me it's not so much about resting players, it's giving others that we might come to need at some stage game time, while also minimising the chances of injuries to our key players when we have potentially season defining matches right around the corner.

 

With the quality in the squad we have now I see no reason why we cannot rest some players tomorrow night and still put out a really strong team more then capable of winning the tie. For instance Ralston in for Juranovic or Giako up top for Kyogo as 2 examples.

 

Aye but too many changes at once could potentially disrupt the momentum we're building. This is why I think 2 or 3 would be ideal, the time for more than that will come further down the line imo.

 

Hart

Ralston CCV Jenz Taylor

Mooy

McGregor Turnbull

Abada Giakoumakis Maeda​

 

Start with a few changes to see how we do and, if we are struggling in any way, bring on the big guns

 

I’m not for wholesale changes… but would seem sensible to give Hart a miss after getting assaulted in Sunday…

Maybe Kyogo and Jota out in bubble wrap and ice until Saturday. To protect them from the Highland cloggers as much as a rest. Abada, GG and Maeda should cope fine.

 

Siegrist
Ralston CCV Starfelt Taylor
Mooy
O'Riley Turnbull
Abada GG Maeda

 

Siegrist
Ralston CCV Starfelt Bernabei
Mooy
O'Riley Turnbull
Forrest GG Maeda

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