Naka and Skippy to log frequent flyer miles
By: Matt | February 6th, 2009
The 5th round of the Homecoming Scottish Cup (or as I like to call it, The Scottish Scottish Cup) sees Celtic take on lower division minnows Queen’s Park. In all accounts, it should be an easy win for Celtic and progression through to the next round, but then again, a trip to play relegation bound Caley would also seem to be an easy three points as well. While Celtic will need to not play with overconfidence as Queen’s Park will certainly be up for it as trips to Celtic for these smaller teams are their Champions League Final, I do not foresee Celtic having too many troubles on Saturday. Usually, ties like this are a chance for youngsters to get a run out and get their feet wet. I would personally like to see Milan Misun make his Celtic Park debut, seeing as the 18 year old is one of the few purchases of the transfer season and supposedly the leftback of the future. Well, the future is now I say. Young Koki Mizuno is also likely to get a run out since countryman Shunsuke Nakamura has gotten the week off to prepare for Japan’s huge World Cup Qualifier against Celtic teammate Scott McDonald’s Australia socceroos and to get some rest for next week’s vital clash against Rangers. McDonald will not be taking the early flight to Japan with Naka however, as the striker decided to stay in Glasgow and play in Saturday’s cup tie. McDonald said, “I chose to stay for the game. I was given the option by the manager but it’s different for Naka. He was going home to his family, but I’d have been sitting in a hotel room in Japan by myself for a few days. I’m always hungry for more goals and it would be nice to get on the score-sheet tomorrow against Queen’s Park.” Hopefully Skippy will do just that and Celtic win by a comfortable margin on Saturday. It would be nice to go into next week’s tie with Rangers with some momentum.
Category: 
Subscribe
|
Print
|
Share
      |
Comments
-
Hail! Hail!
Great! We are up 2-0. Glad to see a historic club like QPFC still competing.
However, someone explain to me WGS approach to our youth / reserve system.
You are 1-0 up;
home;
2nd division pomp
By all accounts, you have the most influential mid-fielder the reserves have – on your bench;
Marc Crosas gets a knock;
And you substitute not Paddy McCourt, but Massimo Donati? I don’t think he’s played a competative fixture in two months.WGS approach to our youth / reserve system is disturbing.
Hope we win and then sign David Moyes.
Ryan M Liddell
Posted from
United States
-
Hail! Hail!
I’ve also decided that Jim Craig is an idiot. He, along Joe Morgan from ESPN, are quite possibly the dumbest former professional pundits.
Paddy McCourt didn’t play well?
He provided two excellent through balls, one to VoH that, if not for a poor first touch, should have been a goal.He found Aiden McGeady and Andy Hinkle with Naka-type switch passes multiple times and he was in position to score when Scott McDonald elected to shoot rather than lay-it-back.
He showed strength on the dribble and was routinely open for service. He also was willing to compress QPFC back.
Am I saying McCourt start over Naka, Aiden or Shawn? No.
But how Barry Robson continues to get minutes when you have Mizuno and McCourt on the roster is beyond me.GK – Boruc
GK – NOT BROWN!
D – Caldwell
D – McManus
D – Loovens
D – O’Dae
FB – Hinkle
FB – Wilson
FB – Naylor
FB – Djoumbe
MF – Brown
MF – Crosas
MF – Hartley
WH – Nakamura
WH – McGeady
WH – McCourt
WH – Mizuno
W/S – Maloney
S – VoH
S – McDonald
S – Samaras
S – HutchinsonBoruc
Hinkle Caldwell McManus Naylor
(Wilson)(O’Dae)(Loovens)(Djoumbe)Crosas
Nakamura Brown McGeady
(McCourt)(Hartley)(Mizuno)Voh McDonald
(Samaras)(Hutchinson)Call it 4-4-1 or 4-1-3-2, if you are concerned about the best eleven and blooding the future, then Robson and Donatti should never get another minute.
That is not to say Robson or Donatti don’t have value, just not on THIS team.
Our veteran-leader off the benchy is Hartley.
Our skillfull, flair players are Naka and McGeady.
Our on-field general is Caldwell and, to a lesser extent, McManus.
Our ball-in-net guys are VoH and McDonald…with a nod of the head to Samaras
Our “over-lappers who can compress the field” guys are Hinkle and Wilson…when healthyEvery other position should be filled with young players, too good for the reserves. Robson and Donatti have no role. And frankly, unless we move McGeady, neither does Willow Flood.
Again, that is not to say Flood is not good. I was under the impression the role of “Left-footed mid-fielder, surplus to requirements, willing to be pigeon-holed into unsuitable positions” was filled four times over?
Ryan M Liddell
Posted from
United States -
Ryan-Jim Craig is an idiot, but I am not sure if anyone tops Joe Morgan in terms of worst commentators. “Well, in baseball, you want to throw strikes.” Thanks Joe.
I have to echo your sentiments about Strachan’s youth usage, though I’m surprised McCourt played today because I thought I heard he picked up ANOTHER injury. Guess not though. Thought he played some decent balls today, however I am big Robson fan. I think if you put him in the middle and not the fucking wing like Strachan likes to do, we control the middle of the field. Just look what he did to Rangers at Ibrox. Absolutely gave them fits.
Posted from
United States -
Matty,
I love Robson, too. Really. And if we were not paying Hartley and Donatti, he could fill that role for us, aptly.
I’m just talking about building a “team” where everyone has a role. Everyone has purpose and feels as though they have a contribution to make.
I’ve become jaded by the Riordan fiasco. I agree with Derek, he was brought here more to keep him off Rangers books, rather than to help us. He feels he was jipped and I’ve begun applying the same mentality to some of these other signings.
What is the point of prying Mizuno, McCourt, Hutchinson away from other suiters if not to develope them and phase them into the system?
Why spend the money on Lennoxtown if Caddis, Sheridan, Millar, McGowan are not going to be blooded?
We still have Kennedy and Djoumbe out there, whom, apparently, have lost their jobs through injury. I did’nae think that was supposed to happen.
All the money we spend on players such as Hartley, Robson, Maloney, Flood, Garvesen, Donatti, Crosas…
Perhaps three of those players could fill specific roles. Then, depth of position and competition for places comes from our own youth academy or prized youngsters from outside Scotland (Mizuno, McCourt) pipped on the cheap.
We could then consolidate revenue saved from redundant purchases and score that one big fish which puts us over the hump.
Just a thought.
Glad we won though.
Ryan M Liddell
Posted from
United States -
I think Mizuno was brought in to replace his countryman when he leaves at the end of the season. McCourt and Hutchinson I feel like were seen as low risk gambles. If they turn out, great and if not we didn’t spend too much on them. Both are still relatively young and might still play a role.
I think Caddis will be a starter next year and we loaned him to keep his fitness up. I don’t really rater Sheridan that highly so I am not too distraught that he doesn’t play much.
You say we are spending lots of money on guys like Hartley, Robson, Maloney, Flood, Gravensen, Donatti, and Crosas, but all except Gravensen were relatively inexpensive deals.
I can see your frustration (and my frustration) though. It seems like Celtic would rather buy cheap and hope for the best rather than spend a fair amount of money for proven quality. Like you said, if we’re going to buy these youngsters, at least give them a shot. A cup game against Queen’s Park seems like a good opportunity to do just that…
Posted from
United States
Comments are closed
Home 
