The SPFL shafted us yet again on Flag Day, but apart from that, it’s not that bad a start and Celtic should look to take full advantage…
The SPFL and SKY TV have shafted us yet again after they both were responsible in handing us a diabolical opening day slot (or should I say night) as we host Dundee on Monday the 3rd August with a 7.30pm kick off.
Granted, there were other circumstances due to a combination of other events taking place, but there should have been much more scope for greater dialogue regarding the issue and logistical issues for supporter should have been considered. Yet the only concession was to bring the original 8pm kick-off forward by half an hour.
Favourable fixtures give Celtic early season opportunity
Anyway, what’s done is done, and despite the furore over the situation, I’m sure we can all agree that, as opening rounds of fixtures go, we can’t really complain as it’s a very decent run of games to kickstart the defence of our title.
Dundee at home won’t be easy especially as we’ve struggled against Stephen Pressley’s side in recent fixtures, but it’s a game we should be winning, especially on flag day, and at a packed Celtic Park where the atmosphere will be cranked up a notch.
Kilmarnock away on the grass
Next up is an away trip down the M77 to Rugby Park to face Kilmarnock the following Sunday, and once again it’s a game we should be fancying our chances, even more so when you consider that the Ayrshire side have done away with their horrendous plastic surface as they make a return to grass.
Rugby Park used to enjoy a well deserved reputation for having the best playing surface in Scottish football so hopefully that’s something that will return with their new grass pitch growing over the close season.
Big Celtic backing at McDiarmid Park
Another away fixture beckons the following weekend, this time we will travel to Perth to take on newly promoted St Johnstone, and once again it’s a game we should be very confident in taking all three points. Celtic will have a larger support at McDiarmid Park, although the last time that happened we lost!
After that our next trio of fixtures see us play at home twice with consecutive Paradise fixtures against Falkirk, and Aberdeen, before facing St Mirren in Paisley.
Setting up a Beautiful Sunday
That’s a run of games that we should be expecting to earn maximum points, and if we are successful in our aim, it would set us up nicely for the first Glasgow Derby of the season at Celtic Park on 20 September for what hopefully will be another Beautiful Sunday.
It’s never that straightforward of course, but as an opening run of fixtures go, it’s certainly not too bad and it presents an opportunity to build a lead at the top of the table.
We just need to get our act together regarding the backroom staff and the signings that will be needed so that we are ready to go come the first Monday in August.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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1 Comment
Understand the release of the fixtures starts to wet the appetite for the new season ahead?
Don’t tend to take that much notice myself?
Agreed that the start isn’t as daunting as expected imo?
But haven’t really looked yet at them. But would be most interested in cross checking, our potential European dates, with the fixtures involved before and after those dates?
That will determine the strength of squad required, especially within a rebuilding process, for our planning of a season imo?
At a total guess, would imagine plenty of tricky away matches involved, with teams having a full week to prepare, while we are on European football duties imo?
This alone, covers 10 matches within a 38 game season, where points can easily be dropped, after midweek European encounters?
So unrealistic to expect all of our players to be on top form, during the 3 matches in a week process, especially if they are regarded as more high profile matches imo?
The solution these days, is to be able to freshen up a starting 11, which wasn’t always possible last season, with such an injury list in operation for ourselves?
Hence the requirements of squad depth in place for ourselves, with the reduction of quality between 1st and 2nd choices in positions, within the squad building process?
Now, I don’t expect ourselves to have a full 25man CL quality squad in place for ourselves, especially as I don’t even think it’s possible?
But I do believe that we should have a 25man squad in place for a SPFL campaign all the same imo?
Even at that, the 8 homegrown quota requirements, are still sufficient in terms of rotational options moreso for SPFL than the expendency within European football imo?
When players can’t produce either, then problems will exist within our 25man squad as a result, even moreso if and when injuries occur?
Personally don’t believe it is to hard of a planning process for the season ahead to understand imo?
But we can tend to struggle to approach it properly, especially with such big demands placed upon our bigger players in footballing terms, with such a packed and hectic footballing schedule in operation for themselves these days imo?
So getting a strong starting 11 in place for ourselves, is never going to be enough, with looking at potentially 16 players out of 25 to fulfill matches on a regular basis for ourselves?
Hence the requirements of squad depth applies even more so, with the commitments of European football involved?
Doesn’t seem to apply to much within the rest of the SPFL at present, but does for ourselves all the same?
This will potentially have a knock on effect, after a world cup, with a shorter rest period involved for players, so has to be taken into consideration also, within the decision making process imo?
Plenty of factors involved within the planning process, but still have to be better prepared and covered, for the unforseen involved?
Already, think that this policy of Calmac having to play every minute of every game will have to be addressed imo?
Along with, do you leave a European place available for Jota, if he’s aiming to return by October, or wait to see, what the situation is, come January, when he could be regarded as 1 of the 3 changes allowed within a 25man European squad?
Depending upon where we actually are as a team of course?
And not the only 2 decisions that MoN will have to consider within his squad building process either, by any means imo?
So would like to think that the release of the fixtures now, can actually start to ramp up the planning process, as it’s going to be a growing and huge requirements involved, especially with the expected rebuilding squad process to take part imo?