Rotation may be an unnecessary risk for Rodgers at Rugby Park this afternoon which is why he should go full strength…
Brendan’s toughest opponent
Over his two spells with Celtic, the Irishman has found travelling to Ayrshire a challenging task. Rodgers has lost at Rugby Park on four occasions as boss with the Hoops which included two defeats against Derek McInnes’ side last season.
It is Kilmarnock who are the domestic team in Scotland that have had the most joy over Celtic’s manager during his trophy-laden time in the dugout with the Scottish champions. Whether it is the advantage of the plastic pitch, or the dogged ‘get football banned’ type tactics under Steve Clarke (that got him the Scotland job!) or McInnes, Rodgers has too often been disappointed leaving Rugby Park.
Brendan’s last visit was something else entirely
However, Celtic’s most recent visit facing Killie at their home was one to remember. A 5-0 thumping secured three in a row status in May as the Hoops produced a stunning display as Rodgers’ men clinched an historic 54th league championship. More of the same this afternoon Bhoys.
Selecting his strongest starting XI
Rotation versus Motherwell a fortnight ago following a defensive masterclass in Bergamo against Atalanta made sense. Today’s test will be a third game in eight days but is one where Rodgers should wheel out his strongest starting XI.
With the international break looming, starting majority of the same players that competed and convincingly defeated Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig in a generational performance on Tuesday evening in the Champions League would make sense.
Enforced changes may be required
Enforced changes such as Cameron Carter-Vickers or Auston Trusty may be required, but rotation from the off would be a bold move from Brendan. Of course, he trusts the squad and utilising it in the Scottish Premiership should not be an issue. But, the momentum and confidence is flowing. There is no reason to disrupt that, especially at Rodgers’ historically hardest away venue.
Meanwhile, Celtic head into the outing with Killie three points behind league leaders Aberdeen. Jimmy Thelin’s Dons responded positively after suffering his first loss since arriving at Pittodrie from the Celts at Hampden Park in the Scottish League Cup semi-final last weekend.
Heading into a two week break at the top of the table, into a domestic final, and being only three points off reaching the knockout play-offs of the Champions League will have ticked every box for Celtic during a whirlwind period.
Kick off at Rugby Park is 3:00pm and will be shown live on Sky Sports Football. For Hoops supporters outside Britain and Ireland, Celtic TV will display full coverage of the match.
Conor Spence
The only problem I see today is the fact it’s Remembrance Sunday and the morons from outer space will disgrace our club by not respecting the minute’s silence. Simple solution, if you don’t want to show respect, stay outside the ground and let the grown-ups get on with it.
Hear ! Hear ! If those who died in WW2 had stayed at home, there would have been no free Republic of Ireland that those 20 years previous had fought for.
Wouldn’t class today as Rodgers using a rotation policy, if he was to make a few changes to the starting line-up that started against Leipzig imo?
Even in the Leipzig match, we used the 5 subs, without even forrest or McCowan involved, and we were still stronger, the longer the game went on?
We have used such an approach in a fair few games already this season, and has got ourselves as a full 90 minute team nowadays?
Would expect forrest and McCowan to potentially be involved in some capacity today, but that would mean 2 from the Leipzig match, not getting used today?
That can’t be looked upon as any reflection upon the efforts produced against Leipzig either imo?
The surface, along with the possible very physical approach from kille, throws up extra challenges for Rodgers to overcome today, especially with our team having a few niggling injuries in operation, along with the fatigue factor?
So still plenty of big calls for Rodgers to make today, and able to get a full 90 minutes performance from our team also?
Of course we would like the game won before half time, yet as we saw against the sheep, among other matches, that isn’t the case for many matches?
Yet a big feature for our team, which was missing from many matches last season, is we now are a team of finishing matches very strongly?
Could be the case yet again today, which would also involve ourselves applying a fatigue factor into killie, by remaining so controlled and dominant in possession and to keep killie constantly on the move, all over the pitch?
We will still have the extra quality to call upon from the bench, to take advantage of the extra space available, as the game opens up more so, later within the match hopefully?
Getting the first goal will always be crucial for ourselves today, which will draw killie out at some stage, for ourselves to take advantage of the extra space available hopefully also?
Like every game we play within the SPFL, it will be decided upon just how clinical we are within the final third?
We have so many match winners in our squad, that are all well capable of providing big moments for our team, weather it be the first or 90th minute, as that is the team we have now become?
This is the mentality that Rodgers has installed within our squad at present, and can’t see that approach changing today, regardless of who starts or finishes the game today?
The mentality will remain the same throughout the whole squad, and so many capable of delivering also for our team, when required to do so also?
The question might remain as to whether Rodgers will take some unnecessary risks today?
But with potentially so many factors in place today, what actually is an unnecessary risk these days, with so many factors in operation?
Rodgers job involves getting the best results possible for ourselves, and certainly has an overall squad to deliver the likes yet again today, regardless of who starts and finishes the game today, and the right result should also be delivered for ourselves also imo?