january 3rd

Go for the jugular. It's on our turf and we'll need to make a point of that from the word go.

Our biggest problem, as has been for way too long now, is our central defence. If the filth get a decent through-ball or two past Calders or Loovens then we're left with pinning our defensive hopes on the holy goalie. Albeit I still think we have the best goalie in the SPL but even the best need the defence to step up to the plate too.

The N'Guemo/Crosas partnership in midfield is shaping up well and N'Guemo's tackling has been doing wonders to lessen the load on the back four. As for them hitting form. yeah, it's a concern but we're finally finding the net now too and I do think we've enough in the cupboard to trouble them with.

There's also the new and the unknowns we can throw at them. I'm not a great fan of new bhoys making their debut against rangers, but Zheng Zhi did well in the last outing and maybe Mowbray will do the same withh our new Korean kid.

For my money, stick with the recent lineups to run out on the park. If Sammy and Fox are injury free:

Boruc
Fox, Loovens, Caldwell, Hinkel
Robson, N'Guemo, Crosas, McGeady
Samaras, McDonald.

Subs:
Zaluska, McGinn, Zhi, Sung-Yong, Caddis, Fortune, McManus

 

We will need to go for the jugular straight away joemc because that's how Rangers have been gaining their momentum - killing teams off within the first 20 minutes. If they get an early goal then it might become a very hard game for us.

We've been getting ourselves into a horrible habbit of giving teams an early advantage at times this season and none are more obvious than our last game - Rapid Vienna. 3-0 down in 20 minutes.

 

Attack them

They can't handle it, see Sevilla, Stuttgart

 

thats right, but our finishing is abysmal. when a player gets a through ball your just hoping he doesnt mess it up. hopefully we can start scoring more often though. we're making the chances all the time, just not taking them

 

Samaras and McGeady are in big form, add a viper like McGinn, and the Huns will be in trouble. How do we keep our goal safe, I wonder. I'd play Thompson in the defense.

 

Yes, that's the solution, play a kid with next to zero experience and who hasn't been given much chance so far in the biggest game of the season up to now. Get a grip.

 

It seems that we leak goals so easily yet can only convert about 1 in 5 chances ourselves. Smith will know exactly how to set up to get what he wants from the game. I dont know if weve got enough to get past them.

 

We look dangerous going forward but we do not have one defender on good form at the moment and look like conceding every time the ball goes near our box.

One of the worst Celtic defences I've ever seen and that's saying something.

 

We miss chances the huns wont miss and we give away goals they dont. Im not confident going into this game

 

Form and the rest goes out the window for these games. Come 3rd of January we are at home and will be favourites to win the game and as long as our defence can keep it tight we will have a good chance.

Anyway I think we will only be a point behind come then as I reckon Hibs will beat them at Easter Road. Get this defence sorted and we are fine.

 

The huns are *, don't fear them. Although, if we lose this game the leagues finished.

 

They've put 9 past 2 of the better sides in the SPL in the last 2 games, whereas we scraped past Motherwell and just lost to a pish Hearts team.

 

agreed here! and with the way our defence is at the moment ? i wonder how much they might score against us?

 

c,mon could he be any worse than whos playing at the minute?

 

not happy with this one mind no confidence what so ever,this is hard to swallow

 

If it would be snowing a lot on the third, are there any chances that the game would be cancelled? Its just that I coming over and want to anticipate any dissapointment...

In Belgium it is a problem every year (today the game between the first two teams of the league was cancelled)...

 

If you had asked me last week after the Motherwell game I would have said that we'll do those huns at least 2-0, but after the performance today I fear the worse. I honestly don't know what disappoints me more the fact that our defense is so poor or that we miss such easy chances like an open goal. Anyway lets hope Hibs can get some points of them cause we don't want Rangers going into this game on the 3rd being able to lose and remain top of the league.

 

smith will set them up with a midfield of 5 and 1 attacker.id match up with the midfield and play 3 at the back.i would put robson bang in the middle bcoz thats were that * plays their hatchet men with n'guemo + crosas with mcgeady + mginn ripping papac and clubfoot appart.lets go for it and get this league back.

 

i think we will be 7-10 points behind after that game, after we get a new striker and CBs we may start going on a winning streak with a hope of catching rangers up, im not expecting much from the OF game