I will try to keep it short and to the point. First off, the players we know are definitely out for Rangers: Katic, Arfield and Jack. On the other hand, Forrest is definitely out for Celtic. While some are holding out hope for Jullien, it seems highly unlikely at the moment. News coming out from their training is that the defender did not take part in it. As such, it seems highly unlikely that Jullien will play any part in the upcoming match.
And here is a massive problem for Celtic. I don’t believe for a second Lennon will start Duffy, and as such, there is no one in that defence who is good in the air. Bitton should replace him in my opinion. That defence looks, for lack of a better word, lightweight.
If Celtic plays the diamond on top of this, they would simply be asking for trouble. It’s all good and well playing this formation against the likes of Hamilton B and Ross County, but it could be disastrous for Neil Lennon. The diamond will leave acres of space for the Rangers fullback to exploit on the wings and if Morelos and Roofe both start as I expect them to, anticipate fireworks.
The diamond requires a lot of work from the midfielders to stop a 4-3-3, particularly in nullifying the fullbacks. This seems very risky, especially given how good Tavernier and Barisic has been all season. On top of that, Rangers have a real aerial threat.
If Lennon instead plays one striker up top, that would infuriate the Celtic fans and rightfully so. They have looked woefully dismal when breaking down teams playing one up top, so how do you think it will go down against this Rangers defence?
I watched the replay of the Celtic Vs Dundee United game today. I must admit, the number of chances Dundee United created caught me by surprise. I am sure Gerrard is well aware of everything. I am certain Gerrard will stick with the 4-3-3 given how well Rangers have looked playing in that formation. Since the defeat in the League Cup Vs St Mirren, Rangers have been winning in dominant fashion.
I will be honest, I don’t know what Celtic’s best formation is, but I suspect neither does Neil Lennon.
2-0 for Rangers.
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