Podcast: The Celtic Huddle’s Glasgow Derby Preview as Skippy Tells Hoops to Up the Intensity

More from today’s latest edition of The Celtic Huddle Podcast featuring host Mark Wilson, Celtic legend Murdo MacLeod and special guest the former Celtic striker Scott McDonald – who is always good for a quote or two on all things Celtic.

Here’s Skippy giving his thoughts on this Sunday’s final Glasgow Derby of the season as Celtic look for their first win over Steven Gerrard’s side in five attempts and Mark Wilson points out that you have to go back over 20 years – to the John Barnes season – to get to the last time that Celtic suffered an entire campaign without beating a Rangers side playing out of Ibrox.

With Scott Brown set to play his final game for Celtic at Ibrox, McDonald reckons that the incentive is right there for Celtic to raise their game and get the win that would kill stone dead all this talk of them being Invincible, and comparable to the Celtic side on season 2016-17 that truly was Invincible – treble winning Invincible.

“People will say there’s not much to play for but there is. (the)Rangers are still unbeaten this season and there’s no way Celtic players, staff or fans want (the)Rangers to finish this season unbeaten,” McDonald noted. “So it’s a big game for Celtic. I think the best performances Celtic have had have been when they have gone back to their normal 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1 if you like.

“Hopefully James Forrest can be fit because he is so vital to that system – and they’ve really missed him in that system this season.

“Neil Lennon did well at the back end of last season with a 3-5-2 – but they began the season like that and it just did not work. It wasn’t flowing like it was the previous season, and then they lost the first Old Firm (sic) game and the pressure is on.

“I think the best two performances against (the)Rangers have been in a 4-3-3. If it was me, that’s what I would be suggesting for the weekend.

“I watched the first Celtic v (the)Rangers match of the season and Celtic played a back three and it was so frustrating to watch. There was no width in the game for Celtic.

“Celtic’s strength is out in those areas but they gave (the)Rangers that area to explore. We know that’s their strength with Barisic and Tavernier, so you need to fight the fight similar.

“And I think Celtic with the players they have in attacking areas can hurt (the)Rangers. You’ve got Christie and Turnbull but if Forrest is fit I would play James Forrest in this game.

It’s when you go wide against (the)Rangers that’s where the difficulties come for them, I believe.”

And the former Celtic striker was critical of Celtic’s recent performance at Ibrox, not just because of the terrible finishing but also because he reckons that the necessary levels of intensity shown by the team was insufficient for a Celtic team looking to win at Ibrox.

“The intensity – it was a little bit insipid, wasn’t it, the performance? There were decent spells within the game especially in the second half. There were chances to really put (the)Rangers under pressure.

“We’ve talked a lot about their defence but it’s been stuttering up front as well.Elyounoussi has probably been the pick of the bunch, you’d have to say, even though he’s not been in the starting XI throughout the whole campaign.

“Under Neil Lennon he was in and out a lot but I think there are a lot of people who would like to see him stay next season.”

The former Celts on the Celtic Huddle Podcast also discussed Scott Brown and whether or not John Kennedy should play the Celtic legend in what would be his last ever Glasgow Derby match on Sunday. Skippy was in no doubt whether Broony should play.

“Absolutely!” Scott McDonald said. “Scott is a natural leader and I don’t think at the moment anyone would grudge Scott playing in this game. And it would be a great fitting moment if he was to get a victory at Ibrox in his last ever game.

“So I think everyone would be 100-per-cent behind Scott to play this game — fans, supporters, the club. Everyone says it’s a dead rubber but for a lot of reasons it’s not. For (the)Rangers the unbeaten run, for Celtic it being Scott Brown’s last game. The game will still have a really good edge to it.”