After the 9-0 hammering of Dundee United yesterday attention for Celtic turns to the second trip of the season to Dingwall to take on Ross County in the League Cup. And this game signals the end of that rather usual period at the start of the season when Celtic played just one game per week. Here’s the Unique Angle showing all nine goals….
🚨𝗔𝗻 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗰 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗹𝗲
Here are 𝗔𝗟𝗟 𝟵 𝗴𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 from Tannadice in our record breaking win against Dundee Utd
Watch and enjoy the scintillating football from Ange’s Bhoys! 🍀#DUFCCEL | #COYBIG | #cinchPrem pic.twitter.com/3CDDrDEoPm
— Celtic TV (@CelticTV) August 29, 2022
Ange Postecoglou could be forgiven for having a look at the next three fixtures starting in Dingwall and then the two home matches against theRangers in the cinch Premiership on Saturday lunchtime and then against Real Madrid in the Group F opener in the Champions League a week tomorrow.
Yesterday’s team selection perhaps had an eye to what’s ahead with the manager changing from a consistency of selection to introducing players who hadn’t been starting for one reason or another into the side. Carl Starfelt was selected ahead of Moritz Jenz, a hint that Ange wants his more experienced central defender ready for the next two home games.
Reo Hatate was selected ahead of David Turnbull and Liel Abada, who has been coming on from the bench got a start yesterday and of course grabbed a hat-trick alongside Kyogo.
For the trip to Dingwall, Ange will get the chance to implement his squad strengthening strategy and that means giving game-time to some of the others who are very much par of the manager’s first team plans, while allowing others to sit this one out.
Celtic are likely to have our strongest bench of the season in Dingwall.
Joe Hart was in the wars early on yesterday, and Chris Sutton made a very good point about introducing concussion substitutions that have been successful in rugby into football, and yesterday was a perfect example of that.
Big Joe is likely to be sitting on the bench in midweek as Ben Siegrist makes his competitive debut for Celtic. Expect the two first pick full-backs Josip Juranovic and Greg Taylor to be sitting next to the former England goalkeeper as Anthony Ralston returns to the starting line-up, no doubt causing fear and alarm among the home support after his exploits up there last December. And he’s likely to be joined by new signing Alexandro Bernabei who got some game-time late on at Tannadice yesterday.
Ange might be tempted to give Cameron Carter-Vickers a rest, give Carl Starfelt another outlining and bring in Moritz Jenz to play alongside the Sweden international.
In the middle of the park Aaron Mooy is likely to be sitting with our captain Callum McGregor pushed further forward to play alongside David Turnbull.
James Forrest will probably get the nod for the right wing with Daizen Maeda out on the left hand side of the park. Giorgos Giakoumakis, if Ange is correct in his assessment that the Greece international striker is going to be fine for midweek after feeling unwell at the weekend, will most likely lead the line.
So expect a side along the lines of Siegrist, Ralston, Starfelt, Jenz, Bernabei, Mooy, McGregor, Turnbull, Forrest, Maeda and Giakoumakis – a team selection more than capable of getting the job done, with numerous players trying to impress the manager for the next two games coming up.
With Hart, Juranovic, Taylor, Carter-Vickers, O’Riley, Hatate, Abada, Jota and Kyogo on the bench that as good a list of Celtic substitutes as you’re likely to see all season!
Ross County have beaten Celtic in the League Cup at both Hampden and Celtic Park and will be looking to compete the set with a home win over the holders. The Highland side have increased the allocation of tickets for the Celtic support for this match, after the poor take-up form their own support for their first league match of the new season against the Champions earlier this month.
The game is also live on Premier Sports, who are also the League Cup sponsors this year. Ross County v Celtic on Wednesday 31 August at the Global Energy Stadium in Dingwall kicks-off at 7.45pm.
