After an extended run of away games, all negotiated successfully and with some real style, Celtic are back in Paradise on Wednesday night in the top versus bottom Premiership clash. Hearts are already talking about not risking some players as the Hamilton game at the weekend is more important to them so that's an indication of how this one should pan out. They'll try to park the bus and frustrate Celtic.
Leigh Griffiths and Odsonne Edouard will be back as will Fraser Forster, Callum McGregor and Jozo Simunovic.
Neil Lennon is likely to go with a 3-5-2 after reverting to a 4-2-3-1 against Clyde.
Team could look like this, although there may be a temptation to play Ryan Christie.
Forster
Ajer, Simunovic, Jullien
Forrest, McGregor, Brown, Ntcham, Taylor
Edouard and Griffiths
Highland Paddy has some great pics of the old Celtic Park up today on The Celtic Star. I remember being in the Jungle in the early 1980s - 1 April 1981 actually - and Celtic thrashed Hearts 6-0 with the Jungle signing "April Fools, April Fools, April Fools...Hearts I think were bottom of the league then too, oh and they stayed there and got relegated. This was Celtic's highest ever victory over Hearts until December 2013 when we beat them 7-0 at Tynecastle.
Celtic might not hit them for six as that exciting Celtic team in 1981 did, or seven as the 2013 Hoops managed through at their place, but five would do nicely.
The Celtic team that April Fools night was
Bonner
McGrain, McAdam, Aitken, Reid
Sullivan, MacLeod, Burns
Provan, McGarvey, McCluskey
Subs - Conroy, Nicholas (coming back from injury)
Scorers were McCluskey 23 pen, 48, MacLeod 62, 75, McGarvey 29, Provan 24. The crowd was just 13,300 although arithmetic was never a strong point for the old board. This was a fine Celtic side.
I wonder how the Celtic team listed above would do against this Celtic team from 1981? Thoughts anyone?
Wednesday night? I reckon Celtic 5 Hearts 0.
Leigh Griffiths and Odsonne Edouard will be back as will Fraser Forster, Callum McGregor and Jozo Simunovic.
Neil Lennon is likely to go with a 3-5-2 after reverting to a 4-2-3-1 against Clyde.
Team could look like this, although there may be a temptation to play Ryan Christie.
Forster
Ajer, Simunovic, Jullien
Forrest, McGregor, Brown, Ntcham, Taylor
Edouard and Griffiths
Highland Paddy has some great pics of the old Celtic Park up today on The Celtic Star. I remember being in the Jungle in the early 1980s - 1 April 1981 actually - and Celtic thrashed Hearts 6-0 with the Jungle signing "April Fools, April Fools, April Fools...Hearts I think were bottom of the league then too, oh and they stayed there and got relegated. This was Celtic's highest ever victory over Hearts until December 2013 when we beat them 7-0 at Tynecastle.
Celtic might not hit them for six as that exciting Celtic team in 1981 did, or seven as the 2013 Hoops managed through at their place, but five would do nicely.
The Celtic team that April Fools night was
Bonner
McGrain, McAdam, Aitken, Reid
Sullivan, MacLeod, Burns
Provan, McGarvey, McCluskey
Subs - Conroy, Nicholas (coming back from injury)
Scorers were McCluskey 23 pen, 48, MacLeod 62, 75, McGarvey 29, Provan 24. The crowd was just 13,300 although arithmetic was never a strong point for the old board. This was a fine Celtic side.
I wonder how the Celtic team listed above would do against this Celtic team from 1981? Thoughts anyone?
Wednesday night? I reckon Celtic 5 Hearts 0.