Celtic Banter Archive March 11 2020

11 Mar 2020
New image uploaded to the
Celtic Player Sightings page entitled, This would be my 11 for Sunday. Forrest and Christie narrow behind Eddy allowing them to add numbers to the midfield where we have been over run in the last 2 derbies.

11 Mar 2020 23:27:11
Taylor for Hayes, drop Frimpong and have griff up top with Eddy.

12 Mar 2020 10:51:28
I looks like a similar formation we played away to Lazio 5-4-1.We defended in numbers but also bombed forward in numbers and caused problems.
Celtic should have a very strong bench to step up a gear when needed. I think we will be too strong for them. I just wish Ajar’s agent would have kept his mouth shut about his future a couple of days before a high pressured game.

12 Mar 2020 11:33:35
I can't see the season finishing for obvious reasons. What will happen if that's the case? Surely we get the title.

12 Mar 2020 12:37:03
I think the first option will be (1) play behind closed doors then if any player at any club is affected (2) suspend league and restart at some future date which would be my choice or (3) award title to Celtic which I wouldn’t like to see happen. I’d rather pump them legitimately over a season.

12 Mar 2020 12:47:39
I like that formation with one up top and 2 CAM it's the same that Dortmund usually play and they score for fun. Would mean sacrificing Griffiths but that's the best way of getting Brown, McGregor, Ntcham, and Christie all in the team. But as it stands I would like Moi and Christie as the 2 CAM behind Eddy.

12 Mar 2020 14:27:00
Got to play Eddy and Griff together for me. Rangers look really poor at yhe back and those two together has seen some of our best football. We have a wee bit of atoning to do in this fixture so let's stick it to 'em.

12 Mar 2020 17:23:56
They're pitch is like a tatyie field so we might have to play longer than we would like. av seen junior pitches in better nick it's an embarrassment they couldn't even let Bayer train on it.

12 Mar 2020 21:56:28
With Brown in the team, it will be the same performance as the last two or three times we have played The rangers, drop Brown, and play Griffiths and Eddy up front.

11 Mar 2020 14:04:44
I see the lad Turnbull is making positive steps at Motherwell with his comeback from injury. If he plays well for the remainder of the season and gets some good first team action I hope we'll go back in for him in the summer. HH.

11 Mar 2020 14:47:11
He's no better than McGregor or Ntcham though. Granted we might lose one/ both of them, and if there was any SPL player (based on last season) I would go for it would be him. But at the minute he'll just be yet another squad player. Until Soro gets a look in or we are being serious about the first team we might as well not spunk any money away. The squad is big (more importantly) good enough for the domestic scene. First team players only.

{Ed007's Note - He could replace Rogic who it looks like will be leaving in the summer.}

11 Mar 2020 16:32:18
Aye he could Ed I have no doubts about that but does that really mean that much? Rogic is only really getting a game through injury, despite what his International coach is saying. Yes you need to keep the squad ticking and in principle it's good in my eyes to have Scots/ British/ Irish younger players coming through as a core. But right now I'd take him or leave him. I guess it would come down to who departs. Not to mention Turnbull has to get to the level he was at.

{Ed007's Note - Who's injutedNtcham could be off in the summer as could McGregor and Brown will be another year older and going into what will probably be his last.}

11 Mar 2020 16:42:13
Turnbull has a lot going for him and will improve further. I'd definitely grab him while we can. HH.

11 Mar 2020 16:57:34
I would hope we sign better than Turnbull in the quest for 10 in a row!

11 Mar 2020 17:55:24
Well Ntcham is injured is he not Ed and Christie is only coming back. Correct me if I'm wrong but if those two were fully fit and match sharp I'd like to think Rogic was no where near the first XI. As it happens I reckon Ntcham will be off and we might well be staving one or two offers for CalMac. If one or the other does leave then Turnbull would be a good option providing we bring in a better quality as first pick. Truth is he couldn't lace McGregor's boots and it would be a step backwards.

{Ed007's Note - I wouldn't have him in as a first choice player either mate but he would definitely add more to the squad in Rogic imo as long as he's over his injury. We don't want another McGinn scenario.....😏 😋
I forgot Ntcham was just coming back.}

11 Mar 2020 19:21:19
He's just signed a new contract so that usually means bigger transfer fee. I definitely wouldn't pay more than £3-4 million. Decent player with good potential but he'll need to get back to his top form.

11 Mar 2020 22:00:04
Steph the contract he signed was only a years extension which basically put him back where he was when we tried to sign him. What he has done is show Motherwell loyalty and respect after they just nursed him back to health.
If that's the type of man he is then that's another good thing for our club if we sign him.

12 Mar 2020 02:40:28
Fair do's I should've looked more into that. I agree that was the right thing to do.

11 Mar 2020 09:10:11
Team no longer picks itself due to having players available.
If a 3-5-2
Julien, Ajer, Elhamed, Bitton, Jozo
Broony, Calmac, are a given then any 3 from
Forrest, Frimpong, Ntcham, Christie, Rogic, Elyannoussi, Taylor, Hayes
Griff, Eddy

For me
Julien, Ajer, Elhamed
Frimpong, Broony, Calmac, Hayes
Christie
Eddy, Griff.

11 Mar 2020 12:27:48
I'm confused by this post you've left button and jozo out of the players that you said are a given or am I misreading the post completely I don't know I'm so confused.

11 Mar 2020 13:35:06
I think it'll be
Forster
El Hamed Ajer Jullien
Forrest brown Calmac Rogic Taylor
Griff Eddy

If I was picking I'd swap frimpong for forrest and Christie/ ntcham (if fit) for Rogic. But I'm not.

11 Mar 2020 13:56:53
That's my team apart from rogic id go with Christie for his work rate.

{Ed007's Note - It would be absolute craziness to play Elhamed who has played a whole 9 minutes of football in the past five months.}

11 Mar 2020 14:13:43
Dont know why anyone would play frimpong over forrest
Sorry ed I don't agree. I'd play elhamed. His pace could be crucial down that side. didn't he miss a stack of games before that first game and get thrown straight in?

{Ed007's Note - No, his game-time was being managed because he struggles (or was struggling) to play two games a week and he was playing in Europe for us. He was dropped for the Motherwell and Hearts games that sandwiched the LC match against Dunfermline and then played against TRIFC and Accies, the next game against Kilmarnock he was on the bench and came on for 11 mins (his last domestic appearance) before finding himself benched and an unused sub for the next 5 matches in the league before getting injured against Lazio.
If Elhamed plays in every remaining match this season - which is highly unlikely - he will have managed one more game than Derk Boerrigter did in his first season for us.}

11 Mar 2020 16:52:29
Totally agree ed but think the last time we went there he was jyst back from injury and had a stormer he's maybe one of they guys that doesn't need a lot of game time.

{Ed007's Note - Or maybe he's another Simunovic or Rogic that's going to spend more time out injured than playing.}

11 Mar 2020 17:02:31
ElHamed over Bitton.

11 Mar 2020 18:45:14
I like elhameds pace but I think bitton just adds a calmness into the back line that's not always there.

12 Mar 2020 13:00:41
If it is 3-5-2 then I'd rather Hayes as LWB over Taylor purely over pace. Taylor better defensively but can see him being caught out up the pitch and doesn't offer any overlaps as he can't beat a RB for pace. Elhamed is a big risk as he's hardly played no time for getting players up to speed it should be 100% fit players but could be used as he makes the defence flexible to a change of shape.