Celtic V Rangers: Co-Operative Cup Final Thread, Hampden Park, Sunday 15th March

After the last time we played the huns i think its going to be a low scoring game again.
1-0 to the celtic.
One thing is for sure after that crap against st.mirren none of them will take it lightly.

 

time to put down a marker.
3-0 celtic

 

3-0 nil time to stand up and be counted

 

my side

------------Boruc--------------
hinkel---Caldwell--McManus---naylor
Mcgeady-brown---crosas-----flood
--------naka----------------
-------------McDonald------

i wish robson was avalible for this game, we need some 1 with his drive, hence y i put flood in, some1 made the point yesterday about putting naka upfront,which at first i thought was kinda stupid tbh, but on second thought i could work, not right up front, i would put him just behind the sticker, i think his first touch could come in very useful plus he's capable of scoring.

 

]
agree 100% mate... need to pull our finger out and show them up

 

honestly i KNOW Samaras is going to get the opening goal

 

you do realise that only formation only makes 9 outfield players are you wanting us to play with a man down.

 

:icon_mrgreen: Owned!

 

I wouldn't hold your breath to be honest..

 

Cup Final

Positives: 2-0 Celtic

Negitives: Keep Hartley out the team he is slower than a week in the jail.
The Naka up front behind Skippy would have been one to think about, but as already mentioned previously McManus and Caldwell punt the ball forward all the time (pure pish really) so Big (No Pace) Jan must start.

It will be close but Wee Skippy will win it fot the Tic.

 

I would like to see us play a 4-2-3-1 with:
Boruc

Hinkel Caldwell McManus O'Dea

Hartley Crosas

Naka Brown McGeady

Skippy

Think this would give us good balance, as hartley can sit back and protect the back 4, crosas can cotrol the game, naka and mcgeady can run at broadband and papac and brown can support skippy. Think its better thn startin with Sammy or JVOH. I still think we will go for the same team/formation as we did against St Mirren though. just a shame robson isnt back yet.

 

OK, the cup doesn't matter much but this time it's different when you look at the opposition. We can't afford to give them a lift going into the business end of the season.

I would change the team from the last side which was so ineffective against St Mirren to play on the big Hampden pitch.

.................................Boruc

Hinkel...............Caldwell.......McManus.........O'Dea (if Naylor is out)

Nakamura..........Brown..........Crosas............Mizuno

..........................Samaras
...................................McDonald

I think this is a game where we could test out Broadfoot and Weir's lack of pace in particular what with the pitch dimensions. Mizuno and Samaras would give us a good bit more pace with VoH and McGeady on the bench for plan B if it goes pear shaped.

 

Fick it... first post and willing to get shot down in flames!
if smith plays a 4-5-1 against us then i think we should go with a 3-5-2...if however he plays with 4-4-2 (which you could see him doing with miller and lafferty scoring against hamilton) then i think...we should go 4-4-2 with ...hutchinson up front...i know, i know..."madness mental bull...he's never played for more than 15 mins in the first team hes untried untested blah de blah"...but he has been putting the ball in the net, he has got pace and he's not JvOH or samaras! those 2 need confidence to play and they ain't got it (granted that leaving them out for a kid would be a blow to the ego but rather that than suffer an ineffective display that costs us the cup to the manky mob) and beside if they have the audacity to fling a 17 year old in against us why can't we do the same? Personally i thought with the boys scoring record alone he was due a chance 30 mins at least against a pumped st mirren would have been a useful exercise IMO. BUT i think strachan is persevering with JvOH because of loyalty, because he's hoping he gets that goal to kick on from and "he's a great guy in the dressing room" and i think he does the same for samaras as well but to a lesser extent. No one here can say to me scoring in 1 game in 21 matches for JvOH doesn't merit being dropped and giving someone else a chance, and no-one can tell me that not scoring in 11 games and looking uniterested by Samaras doesn't merit being dropped and giving someone else a chance.
I think Hutchison is an unknown quantity and he could surprise the huns (as well as us) if given a chance. I mean does the team lose really? Missing JvOH and Samaras from the team?? Give the boy a half and see how he does, think he could prove a few doubters.
Bourc
Hinkle Caldwell McManus O'Dea/F*** Naylor fit or not!
Naka Broonie Crosas McGeady
McDonald Hutchison

or Just to be mental a 3-5-2 against a 4-5-1
(it would never happen i know, Don't think strachans ever played anything other than 4 at the back)
But...
Boruc
Caldwell McManus O'Dea
Hartly
Brown Crosas
Naka Mgeady
McDonald Hutchison
...well at least admit you'd be kinda interested to see the results!...lol

 

Putting the ball in the net against Rangers is a different class from scoring against reserve sides

 

pmslno like you to want mcgeady droppedbelieve me the one player wattie does'nt want to see playing is mcgeady,,5 man mid for the huns lets them double up on mcgeady in a 4 he'd get so much room..there for Im certain that laffatyou will start but wether its lw or cf depends on wether we start mcgeady,,aiden starts they play 5 in mid if he does'nt they will switch to 4 and play two cf's....wattie will set his stall out expecting mcgeady to play...

 

not disagreeing with you there...but at least he is scoring, I'd rather see a young guy chomping at the bit with a bit of confidence with a goals per game ratio of 1:1 playing, rather than 2 guys who at the minute can't hit a coo's erse with a bandjo! don't get me wrong i hope they come good I hope the start scoring for fun! but based on recent performances i'd rather have someone like hutchison in before them just now, EVEN if he is only scoring in the reserves.

P.S. You'll only ever score in the reserves if thats the only place you ever get played...and how many goals do you need to score before you get a chance?
P.P.S. you're giving rangers to much credit!!

 

Mizuno would certainly make a mess out of his man on whichever flank he's played. Samaras wouldn't give much to the team, I'm afraid. If he at least knew how to hold the ball properly, then it'd be another story. I'd rather see Naka behind McDonald, and McGeady at left wing.

 

I would be tempted too play a 4-5-1 wouldn't play Jan or Samaras they just haven't been good enough Skippy upfront himself, i would like too see us beat this mob but for me the league is far more important.

 

I would drop both strikers and go with hutchie up front. It would * them off but I don't care. I hope Naylors fit cos o'dea is never a left back and I would go with Caldwell in the middle with brown, and loovens at centre back.

Plus I would go with more attacking options on the bench. Against St Mirren we only had sammi that could of changed the game!

 

I really think that after the st mirren defeat the players will be pumped up for this.i pray to * that the striking problem comes to an end on sunday as we cant rely on mcdonald for the rest of the season.
As for the line up id go for
Boruc
Hinkel - Caldwell - McManus - O'Dea
Nakamura - Brown - Hartley - McGeady
McDonald - VOH

with

Brown
Naylor
Crosas
Hutchison
Samaras
on the bench.