Motherwell v Celtic, Sunday 27th Oct, 3pm kick off

Gary67

Gary67

Well-known member
Live on Sky Sports Football (after the Edinburgh derby)
A game at Fir Park is tough at the best of times but coming off the back of an energy sapping game in Bergamo this could be a long grind. We could also be going into this game 3 points off the top if Aberdeen win on Saturday.
BRs press conference today should tell us if AJ is fit or whether CCV makes his comeback or if Taylor is back, I suspect no to all three and they'll be saved for midweek and the semi final next week. I think he'll change the midfield, bring back Kyogo and rest Diazen who's looked off it in the last 2 games.

Schmiechel
Ralston Trusty Scales Valle
Bernardo McGregor McCowan
Kuhn Kyogo Forrest

Subs Sinisalo Nawrocki Welsh Hatate Engels Idah Palma Maeda Yang

A hard fought 2-1 win
 
I agree with Gary - if AJ is doubtful then start with Ralston to keep him fit for next week. If CCV is fit enough to start then we really need to get him gametime but there is no way we should be dropping either Trusty or Scales after their midweek heroics, unless they are knackered. That would be unfair but also shatter their confidence (and send a clear message to all other fringe and youth players) as it would publicly state that no matter how well they play then they will be dropped as soon as a former starter returns to fitness.

One way round this would be for us to play a CCV Trusty Scales back 3 (in my beloved 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 formation that I think our personnel would thrive in in many domestic games against the bus parkers), with Valle pushing higher up on the left side where he is more effective, but this is probably not the sort of game to start experimenting in.

McCowan and Bernardo need to start with Engels and Hatate being used as impact subs, along with Idah and Maeda. Jamesie to finally break his scoring duck and continue his fantastic feat of scoring and assisting in every season. I fancy Kuhn to put in one of his spectacular performances and maybe even get an assist or a goal, or Idah to get that overdue goal.

This match is one of those ones that will probably be a slog and a very hard watch. 3 points is the most important thing, no injuries and no suspensions. If there is any entertainment or even comfort in watching the game then even better, but I will probably miss it.

My prediction. A hard fought and narrow away win (0-2 or 1-2?)
 
Will we have a European hangover 🤷.

Changes inevitable I think, I'd be looking to mix up the middle and a return to the all out attacking style..

Kasper..

Tony Austin Liam Alex..

Cal Luke Paulo.

Nik Kyogo Luis...

The hauners... Sin.. Maik.. Stephen.. Reo.. Jamsie.. Daizen.. Adam.. Yang..

Think we will be to strong and using the subs at the right time (Again) should stop any Euro hangover... 4 nuffin Celtic.. Goals from... Luis Paulo Kyogo and Luke... 😉.

Bet of the day Kasper to save a penalty...
 
This is going to be a tough energy sapping , fight to break them down as they will play the buses parked tactics.
After the effort put into the bergamo point won its a double energy sapper.
However we have the players to go there and do the business .
I think we will have to rest some , I'm thinking of guys like Engels , idah, Daizen, kuhn & AJ in particular, Hatate perhaps.
We have good replacements in Bernardo, McCowan, kyogo , Ralston, Forrest and Palma. And the luxury of bringing on those rested should we need to.
A hard fought 2-1 victory to the good ghuys.

Also , all eyes on this Aberdeen v Dundee utd game tomorrow, utd have returned with a bang and only trailer therangers by one point. They've had a fantastic return to the top flight and though I think the dons might well scrape it 2-1 I wouldn't be surprised if utd came away with a draw.
Should Aberdeen win this game then I think we genuinely have a title race on, even at this early stage, which of course would be a good thing for Scottish football.

So far all the talk has been can Aberdeen keep it up and continue their great start to the season, and that has somewhat allowed utd to quietly deliver solid good performances bringing home the points , 1 behind therangers. They cannot be underestimated, so this game is one to watch with interest.
 
Winter said:
This is going to be a tough energy sapping , fight to break them down as they will play the buses parked tactics.
After the effort put into the bergamo point won its a double energy sapper.
However we have the players to go there and do the business .
I think we will have to rest some , I'm thinking of guys like Engels , idah, Daizen, kuhn & AJ in particular, Hatate perhaps.
We have good replacements in Bernardo, McCowan, kyogo , Ralston, Forrest and Palma. And the luxury of bringing on those rested should we need to.
A hard fought 2-1 victory to the good ghuys.

Also , all eyes on this Aberdeen v Dundee utd game tomorrow, utd have returned with a bang and only trailer therangers by one point. They've had a fantastic return to the top flight and though I think the dons might well scrape it 2-1 I wouldn't be surprised if utd came away with a draw.
Should Aberdeen win this game then I think we genuinely have a title race on, even at this early stage, which of course would be a good thing for Scottish football.

So far all the talk has been can Aberdeen keep it up and continue their great start to the season, and that has somewhat allowed utd to quietly deliver solid good performances bringing home the points , 1 behind therangers. They cannot be underestimated, so this game is one to watch with interest.
Click to expand...
I think we need to be careful making too many changes especially in a game like this away from home.I'd always pick the strongest with Jamesy and Palma coming on later on .
 
MartiMac said:
I think we need to be careful making too many changes especially in a game like this away from home.I'd always pick the strongest with Jamesy and Palma coming on later on .
Click to expand...
Aye I agree, my point was only that we have the depth to do this.
However that almost backfired big time against Falkirk so I'd say your likely right on that and we may see perhaps 3 changes.

Those 3 if I was to guess , which I am doing is that those changes would be Bernardo, kyogo, and possibly palma/forrest for Daizen or Hatate for McCowan , my guestimation is Hatate to retain his starting slot as his form has been improving, got on the scoresheet v Don's and needs the minutes.
Bernardo for Engels who has dropped slightly for form and kyogo for Idah though I'd expect to see kyogo anyway for this game and we can bring on idah and the rest if required.
 
Last edited:
MartiMac said:
I think we need to be careful making too many changes especially in a game like this away from home.I'd always pick the strongest with Jamesy and Palma coming on later on .
Click to expand...
I agree, but the strongest isn't always your best line-up, especially if there are several struggling with niggling injuries and they have are putting in a physically and mentally draining shift twice a week from the start of September right through to New Year. You only need a small drop-off in 2 or 3 players performances to start to struggle in tougher games. This is where you need to rely on your subs and squad/fringe players.

It isn't like the olden days where every side played pretty much the same 15 - 20 players for a whole season. Statistically it has been shown that every outfield player is covering more than double the yardage of players did in them days and most make far more sprints in every match than even stand-out players like Buzzbomb used to. Add in the fact that every minute of every match is scrutinised by fans around the globe and instant feedback is provided by all of us know-little "experts", it puts pressure on every player in every match. Yes, the players are handsomely rewarded, but they will be slaughtered if they misplace a pass, miss a chance or gift a goal, whereas in the past it was 50000 fans in the stands who howled with rage and then bumped their gums to half a dozen pals in the pub/bus afterwards.

Anyway, where was I before I started rambling ("Wintering"?)? Oh yes, often your strongest starting side may vary from match to match depending on the circumstances and opposition. Making wholesale changes can be risky, but so too can starting several players who are knackered or carrying an injury (e.g. AJ), or temporarily just a little bit off-form (e.g. Idah, Engels, Hatate & Maeda) - especially when their possible replacements are arguably actually playing better than them just now anyway.
 
From BRs pre match press conference today

  • Cameron Carter-Vickers and Greg Taylor are both back training with the squad and could be involved at Fir Park but a decision will be made on Saturday.
  • Rodgers praised the defensive performance against Atalanta but is pleased to have two "very important players" back in the fold.
  • He says the draw in Bergamo "galvanises" his players and gives them huge confidence as it showed they have "dig, grit and determination" as well as the ability to "play some brilliant football".
  • The manager was full of praise for defensive duo Auston Trusty and Liam Scales, who were "immense". Trusty's performance "shows why we signed him".
  • Rodgers says the team are finally reaching what he set out to achieve when coming back to the club - to "build something in Europe". Says the "graft, heart, desire and organisation that can help us going forward."
  • On Arne Engels, Rodgers says he is "nowhere near a finished article" but has great potential and it's his job to develop that.
  • He's expecting a very organised, committed Motherwell side who will want to bounce back from a poor result last week while he's looking for "big energy and big attitude" to continue a "great start to the season" from Celtic.
  • On former Celtic midfielder Tommy Callaghan, who has died at age 78, Rodgers said: "I think any player that's been signed twice by Jock Stein tells you how good a player he was. A sad day but a real legend of the club and all our thoughts are with his family."
 
Whether or not it's a fully fit team or who starts or whatever, we have to be focused on this game and not be so drained of energy that so often happens after a midweek CL game. To remain leaders we still have to have the strength and tenacity to get the better of the Murderwell cluggers.
 
Motherwell have been in decent form up until that result last week.
They've had a full weeks rest and will have been working the usual set up that attempts to stop us.
I think our next hurdle is to somehow find the right formula that stops the drop off we experience in every game that follows a CL match.
Especially one that we had to give every ounce of maximum physical and mental energy to.
So yes this will be a very difficult game and thanks to our super computer 🤔 it's another one of 6 away games following a European tie in comparison to 6 at home for the imposters.....go figure eh 🙄
This game is very much about getting over the line after a tough week of fixtures.
I'll take any result that gets us the points any which way that we can.
 
Magnificent 7 said:
Motherwell have been in decent form up until that result last week.
They've had a full weeks rest and will have been working the usual set up that attempts to stop us.
I think our next hurdle is to somehow find the right formula that stops the drop off we experience in every game that follows a CL match.
Especially one that we had to give every ounce of maximum physical and mental energy to.
So yes this will be a very difficult game and thanks to our super computer 🤔 it's another one of 6 away games following a European tie in comparison to 6 at home for the imposters.....go figure eh 🙄
This game is very much about getting over the line after a tough week of fixtures.
I'll take any result that gets us the points any which way that we can.
Click to expand...

The random super computer isn’t random, is it? They’re at it…

random by definition
/ˈrandəm/
adjective

made, done, or happening without method or conscious decision.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Members online

Total: 172 (members: 6, guests: 166)

Latest posts

Share this page

Back
Top