Celtic Injuries. A blessing in disguise

How many clubs can count themselves lucky to pick up a few injuries for the sake of change in a side that almost picks itself every week?

Towards the end of last season Paul Hartley and Barry Robson edged their way into a Celtic side that lacked any up and go in the middle of the park. Hartley and Robson got in to the team due to injuries and put some much needed energy into a jaded midfield.

Saturday at Celtic Park Scott McDonald was missing in action with a groin strain. I don’t know about the rest of ya but I was full of anticipation at the thought of Samaras getting a starting place and hopefully lasting the 90 mins. Skippy has looked sluggish since pre-season and once the proper football got going he still looked like he hadn’t shaken of KitKat Senses he was scoffing on his holidays. Injury or no injury I wouldn’t of had Skippy on the park on Saturday, he (like a few others) needs to know that despite his marvellous goal haul last season he has no right to automatic selection. He seems to have also picked up a habit of moaning.

The real question is if he had no injury would big Sam of got his starting spot or a measly 5 minutes at the end? This is not Strachan bashing, I’m not in the anti-Strachan brigade but the point needs to be raised, Does Gordon Strachan have a starting 11 that is unchangeable unless injuries are apart of the equation? And if so, WHY?

How long would we have to wait and see Loovens get a game if Caldwell had not of picked up a knock? I don’t think Caldwell has had a bad start to the season but I have a sneaking suspicion it wouldn’t of mattered Strachan has stuck with him before when he should of found himself on the bench. The more the crowd roar the more Strachan sticks to his guns, which must be great for a player to know they have 100 per cent backing of the manager.

Maloney, Crosas and Sammy are all the talk from the Falkirk game so the big question now is have they earned their game against Rangers on Sunday? Samaras will probably be an automatic choice with Skippy said to be out for 4 weeks – Goodtimes.

Jan is doubtful for Sunday so this could leave room for Maloney to get a full run out. Again not a major disappointment, Maloney looks more than ready to step in from where he left off but it does leave us short of Cover up front.

In a nutshell the injuries have led to exactly the players I wanted to see playing on the pitch I just hope they can make a stake in the team and give Gordon Strachan a headache when everyone is fully fit.

Totally agree!!! 1st!!!

What a load of tosh.. glad that Celtic players are injured.. what happens then if Samaras gets injured or wee Shaun or MacManus , Loovens etc ??? who will cover them .. what kind of supporter wishes their own players injured .. Celtic are ok now because you got what you wanted ??? I,m not against WGS but.. The usuall tosh. FFS lets all get on board and support the team to 4 in a row,, stop doing Rearangers job for them.. there are enough people who want to put us down i,ve supported Celtic all my life i am now in my 50s and i have never seen or heard as much criticism of my beloved hoops , i have never witnessed the ground so quiet on match days and i have never read so much tosh from Celtic supporters , websites or magazines..
lets leave that to the Pro rearangers media and let us help the bhoys to the next title ..as it has been said here in Ireland .. We all have our part to play no matter how small .. hail hail

irishbhoy

well said, could not have said it better. McDonald is a moaner , but knows who to moan too and who not to moan too, I have noticed over a number of games now that Skippy gives Hinkle a lot of stick.... this is not the ideal for bonding parterships and team spirit, Come on Skippy stop blaming people for your mistakes. maybe it's bourne out of sheer flustration , so Skippy knuckle down, give encouragement to all your team mates, and STOP MOANING.

Mate i am 100% behind the team and the management for that matter but you can't expect people to go cheering through a season and not mention one or two faults along the way - we'd all need to be taking happy pills for that to happen.

Too many celtic players have been enjoying a free ride in the Celtic Team no matter what type of form they are shown if you can't agree to that then were watching too completely different football teams.

Silence in any football ground is usually a result of a team not playing up to the standard they are capable of. A cheering crowd doesn't make a player play to form, the threat of losing his place does and thankfully GS has brought in players this season that can threaten people for their places.

I never said i wished to see players getting injured FFS i wouldn't even wish that our rivals players get injured. The point i'm trying to make is that these changes wouldn't of happend without injuries. I hope skippy, jan and caldwell make speedy recoveries but i also hope they don't walk back into the team unless there gonna offer more than who ever replaced them.

No manager in the world can go through a season without some criticism and if you think loads of mags/websites are giving a hard time then stop and think that they might have a point.

Id rather samaras played up front with 2 playing behind him, the formation we saw v feyenoord, tho jan was the target man then. maloney and naka behind him would cause chaos in the huns defence

If skippy and Jan are out i don't see anyone else who can pair up with sammy - not for an OF. I'd say maloney will play just behind him and naka will take up his usual spot.

mind tricks going into the Huns game????

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"FROM 30 YARDS MY LEFT FOOT IS THE MOST DEADLIEST IN SCOTLAND'' Shunsuke Nakamura
http://www.irishlobbyusa.org/

Strachan doesnt have the guile for that - FFS he canny even tell naka and mcgeady to switch sides now and again to worry fullbacks.

No way is he gonnae change formation

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Think your right mate. If skippy hadnt got injured Samaras would have been limited to 10-15 mins in games. 90% sure he'll keep his place for sunday and I for 1 would like to see Crossas get a start in place of Brown.

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