CELTIC are back after that more enjoyable than usual International break. Seeing James Forrest score five goals in four days really was something special for a player who is now at the top of his game and surely will be a strong candidate for the various player of the year awards come the end of the season.
It’s back to domestic action for the Celtic players on Sunday and it’s another day on the plastic pithes – this time at Hamilton for them to endure. Celtic have picked up just one point from two games at Kilmarnock and Livingston on these pitches and that is not a trend that Brendan Rodgers will want to see continuing.
Today at the Celtic AGM Peter Lawwell and the manager outlined the club’s stance on these pitches and you can be sure that the CEO will be lobbying away in the background trying to get them binned.
They are here for this season though and we need to go to Hamilton – where we have a decent record – and pick up the three points. For Brendan he’ll be assessing his squad and will have various considerations to talk through with his staff.
There are players who don’t handle these surfaces well. Filip Benkovic is one, perhaps it’s not something he fancies given his Premier League credentials. Jozo Simunovic is another, even if he is fit, and don’t forget that we are already without Kristoffer Ajer, so we are short in central defence. Craig Gordon is also unlikely to enjoy playing on plastic given the injuries he has suffered in his career.
The manager will have to monitor the players arriving back from international duty. Some will be on cloud nine – the Scotland boys, especially Jamesie, others, like Dedryck, will be back with tail between legs after a ego bruising experience against the Swiss. Brendan will know that there will be tired legs and that there are so many games between Sunday and the game at Ibrox on 29 December.
One advantage for the club from the international break is that it gives injured players some time to recover. Guys like Scott Brown and Leigh Griffiths are now back training, as is the long term injured Nir Bitton. Craig Gordon too has had a chance to recover from his bruising encounter with RB Leipzig. Olivier Ntcham should be back in contention too having been out since going off at the interval against Hearts in the Betfred Cup semi-final.
And there’s another group of players to consider. The ones who haven’t been away on international duty and are fit and raring to go. Guys like Scotty Sinclair and Lewis Morgan.
So for Sunday, Brendan will be looking to protect some players from the plastic pitch, rest some tired legs, safeguard the players returning from injury as much as possible and also unleash fit players who have been champing at the bit at Lennoxtown.
That’s why Sunday could be an ideal opportunity for Lewis Morgan to make his mark from the start. He’s been speaking to this week’s edition of The Celtic View and started by talking about the plastic pitches in the Scottish game.
“Those pitches aren’t ideal, to be honest,” Morgan said.
“You’re trying to get the ball at your feet and it can get stuck under you.
“On grass, the ball runs true but on those surfaces it doesn’t move as well and can get caught under your feet. I know people don’t think there’s much of a difference but you do notice it, especially when you’re used to training and playing the majority of your games on grass.
“It’s something we just have to deal with because I don’t know if there’s going to be a change anytime soon. Ideally every team would have a grass pitch but we are where we are.”
Lewis though has happy memories of playing at Hamilton.
“I made my first ever start at Hamilton away years ago when I was with St Mirren in the Premiership.
“It’ll probably be a similar game to the one we’ve just faced against Livingston. There will be no surprises and we’ll come up with a game-plan to get round them.
“I had made my debut before that against Celtic but that was my first ever start for St Mirren. We got beat 1-0. It was the last day of the season and we were already relegated so it wasn’t the greatest of circumstances to be in, but it still meant a lot to me as a 17-year-old.
“We’ll work hard this week while some of the international boys are away, and when we come back we’ll look to hit the ground running again.”
Also on The Celtic Star today…
Unacceptable songs, Res 12 back in the long grass, everything else in the garden is rosy…See HERE.
Martin 0’Neill leaves Republic of Ireland job by mutual consent…See HERE.
The Waiting Game is over, the Celtic Board’s Resolution 12 D-Day…See HERE.
Radio Ga Ga! “The unthinkable has happened, a terrible disappointment to Hearts,” BBC Commentator David Francey…See HERE.
Jim Craig – Murdo MacLeod thundered a tremendous drive past McCloy…See HERE.
