So…an actual game.

By: Matt | July 17th, 2008

All the rumors and silliness of the transfer season will be put on hold tomorrow as Celtic will take on Championship side Southampton FC. The Saints will be honoring Southampton legend Claus Lundekvam for his testimonial and will be welcoming past Saints stars such as Matthew Le Tissier and Michael Svensson. Celtic have requested that the game be as competitive as possible played with all professional players with the three exceptions of Le Tissier, Svensson, and of course Lundekvam. While the Saints will be celebrating one of their own, Celtic will be looking to shake the cob webs off of the team and start the process of getting into season shape. Celtic have played two closed door friendlies at Lennoxtown over the past week. One match against Morton had Celtic victorious 5-1.
The only notable absences from the starting XI during this match was Artur Boruc who was replaced by Marc Brown, Japanese bhoy Koki Mizuno for his country mate Shunsuke Nakamura, and Chris Killen starting for Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink. Both new contract bhoy Aiden McGeady and Barry Robson netted two goals a piece and Chris Killen also got a goal.

Southampton struggled last season in the Championship. They started the season after a summer of sold players and board room unrest. Then coach George Burley went for greener pastures to vacant Scottish National Team job. The Saints hovered in and out of the relegation zone all year but stayed afloat on the last day of the season after a 3-2 victory over Sheffield United. It hasn’t been an exciting offseason for the Saints, with homegrown bean poll Peter Crouch possibly being sold to arch rivals Portsmouth. However, it is not all bad with the Crouch transfer as Southampton as set to bank 500,000 from the sale.

Artur Boruc and Shunsuke Nakamura do not seem to be training with the team yet, but I would expect to see a majority of the expected first team at least for the first half. Paddy McCourt will probably get his first chance to show his stuff in the hoops as well. Most Tims are eager to see Provo Paddy’s stuff, as well as how youngsters Koki Mizuno and Ben Hutchinson do. While the first teamers will likely get a run, expect to see a younger group of Bhoys to finish the game. Celtic will clearly outclass Southampton, but seeing as class means somewhere between “fuck all” and very little in these type of friendlies, who knows what the result will be. My guess is 4-2 to the Bhoys with the Saints scoring one on a Le Tissier free kick. I believe the game is on Sentanta Sports, but who really knows. I’m sure it is also on Channel 67 for a nominal fee.