Fran Alonso and his Celtic team have had a lot of time reflect on their recent SWPL1 draw with Spartans, coming as it did just prior to an international break.
Now that could be looked upon as a long time to stew over a league title race setback or it could be seen as an advantageous circuit break to allow a little reflection and ironing out of tactical and line-up inconsistencies.
Whatever way it is being viewed within the Celtic camp there is no better way to return to action than a one-off cup tie against your rivals and against an opponent so fearful of Celtic’s record against them that they have taken a decision to prohibit Celtic fans from attending this afternoon’s League Cup Quarter final at (Murray Park) Rangers Training Centre – sounds familiar that one! Someone is scared and it’s not just down to the game falling on Halloween.
Fran Alonso has once again been keen to play the underdog card in the build-up to today’s Glasgow Derby, but in truth it’s a hard label to justify when Celtic completed the green and whitewash over theRangers last season and Alonso himself has a tactical dominance over opposite Malky Thomson that probably brought the Halloween terrors early to theRangers boss’s overnight nightmares. After all such a dominance over an opponent is likely to have resulted in a few sleepless nights of tactical tossing and turning.
Alonso and his Celtic team themselves have remained unbeaten this season, however a move to a new system and regular squad rotation has impacted on the fluency in some games. The midfield still appears yet to have got to grips with the loss of Lisa Robertson and injuries to Sarah Harkes and the improving Izzy Atkinson have not helped. Add to that the new three at the back formation has taken time to bed in and Celtic have often looked exposed down the flanks as they try to get a handle on new ways of working.
If that is why head coach Alonso still feels his side are underdogs, then it something very much within his own powers to remedy. As such it would be good to see Celtic’s strongest eleven take the field, less square pegs operating in round holes, and preferably a formation the players are both comfortable with and one that has delivered outstanding results against our cup quarter final opponents in the past.
There was an element of a backlash when it came to such a disappointing result against Spartans, but that could be construed as a blip. What couldn’t be is to see a surrendering of a dominance over a rival by sticking to tactics and formation that so far has lacked cohesion, at the expense of an approach that had rival rocking and lacking in answers last season. That would be a difficult corner to manoeuvre out of for Fran Alonso.
Celtic have the players to beat theRangers today. Whilst our opponents have strengthened and retained the best of their players from last season, it is not as if Celtic haven’t made some shrewd purchases. None more so than the free scoring Charlie Wellings but also in Mengyu Shen, Cheyenne Shorts, Olivia Chance and Clarissa Larisey. Indeed, Larisey and Wellings appeared to have built up an early understanding and today would be as good a day as any to have both those players given another opportunity to develop that partnership.
Meanwhile Celtic have a core group to support the new signings in the likes of Kelly Clark, Chloe Craig and Caitlin Hayes who have the added advantage as supporters who know exactly the demands made of any Celtic team, and I don’t believe any of those players will view themselves as underdogs this afternoon.
There may be no Celtic fans in the stands today but there should be a few chosen for that starting line-up who will know exactly what is at stake as they go into the pressured situation of an away day derby and a cup tie to boot.
This Celtic side are capable of putting the Halloween frighteners on theRangers today and it will be down to Fran Alonso to ensure they are given every opportunity to disturb their rivals.
For those locked out of today’s game you can purchase a pay-per-view stream for £3.49 and support the Celts in Spirit from home. https://rangerspayments.streamamg.com/account/register/step1
After an international break to reflect on that Spartans result it will be interesting to see what changes this afternoon. After all a Celtic inflicted horror show for theRangers could have a serious impact on the psychology of the title race never mind this one-off cup tie. This is just the opportunity for Celtic to emerge from that Spartans nightmare and lay down a marker for the season ahead.
It should a cracker of a cup-tie and history suggests Celtic have an edge over today’s opponent who will still have last season’s psychological scars to contend with. And that is a far scarier proposition to deal with than anything the trick or treaters have in store this evening.
COYGIG!
Niall J
A big week starts today…
🆚 Rangers
🏆 @SWPL Cup
🏟️ Rangers Training Centre
🕓 4pmCome on you Ghirls in Green! 🍀#SWPLCUP | #RANCEL | #COYGIG pic.twitter.com/J79X88pPE3
— Celtic FC Women (@CelticFCWomen) October 31, 2021
Yesterday @_clarewilde @Lorenzo__LP and @SRFootball_ talked about all things @CelticFCWomen ahead of today’s cup derby. We also talked in detail about how Fran has been setting up the team and looked over some analysis of the season so far
— Cynic Women (@CynicWomen) October 31, 2021
