Paulo Bernardo deserves to start at Ibrox, but I reckon Brendan will play Arne Engels alongside Callum McGregor and Reo Hatate in the Celtic midfield…
Tomorrow will see us kick off our first game of 2025, and it’s a tough one with the small matter of a trip to Ibrox to negotiate.
Ibrox side in disarray
The Ibrox side might be in a bit of disarray at the moment, but it will still prove to be a difficult task to earn the three points, so it’s vital we play to the best of our abilities, and that means fielding our strongest starting XI.
With a fully fit squad to choose from minus James Forrest who is unfortunately injured, the side kind of picks itself. However there is one area that we have a bit of conundrum in, and that is in the middle of the park, with four players all vying for three places. Three will start and one will come off the bench and only Brendan Rodgers will know who will start.
Paulo Bernardo or Arne Engels?
I reckon that the Celtic manager will favour Reo Hatate alongside Callum McGregor with the other spot being a straight choice between Paulo Bernardo and Arne Engels.
Paulo Bernardo has been absolutely fantastic these past few games, while Arne Engels has been in and out of the side, but after the Belgian’s outstanding performances against Motherwell and especially St Johnstone, I reckon he will be the man that Brendan selects come 3pm tomorrow.
It will be somewhat unfair on Paulo who has done nothing wrong this season, but I’ve just got a hunch that Brendan will give the nod to our record signing.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
Very hard call to make for Rodgers?
The experience factor still seems to hold plenty of weight within Rodgers decision making, in the bigger games especially?
That’s why I believe Taylor will still get the place ahead of valle, even though I would prefer valle to start personally?
If Rodgers was to follow the same format, then Paulo would get the decision ahead of Engels?
Could be a factor especially as Engels will have faced nothing close to the level of toxicity that is expected tomorrow?
Still the midfield 3 of Calmac, Hatate and Paulo didn’t work out to well last time out in the final against the scum, and the best of the 3 in Paulo was hooked for Engels?
Thought it was a strange decision at the time, so weighing up everything?
I think Hatate may well be best used later on in the game, when it opens up moreso, to maybe make a bigger impact imo?
Very hard to call, what you will get from Hatate still, as when he’s on form, would still class him as the best midfielder in Scottish football?
Yet Paulo has been our most consistent midfielder to date, and also our most versatile also imo?
Regardless, we should have a midfield area, well capable of dominating the majority of possession for the full 90 minutes, capable of producing the chances required to not only winning the game, but destroying the scum in the process?
If our attacking options are clinical, the scum can do what they do best, in walking away earlier than usual?
Personally, I would play both of them ahead of McGregor (yes, I know I’ll get slaughtered for this) but I felt the team was much more positive. When McGregor came on, back we went to the awful sideways, backwards style of boring football. Its sad such a talented player is so negative.