This game looked like an absolute non event when you consider how rancid Partick Thistle have been so far this season. The appointment of Ian McCall should help over time, but it still shouldn’t make a difference for tonight.
Neil Lennon has to be a bit careful, Celtic are still on for the quadruple treble, so the fans will never forgive him if that run was broken at home to a poor lower league team. You always thought that run might be ended by a Glasgow rival, however Partick probably weren’t the team in mind.
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It’s still a chance to get some first team minutes for some of the forgotten fringe players and get a couple of debuts in. Here’s a look at how they could line up:
The most notable and possibly obvious inclusion needs to be Greg Taylor. He looked certain to play regularly when he signed, but his Belgian teammate Boli Bolingoli has improved and actually proved himself as a bit of a cult hero among fans. This is the ideal chance for him to get used to Celtic Park and have a bit of attacking freedom.
On the opposite side, Jeremie Frimpong is billed as a pacey attacking full-back, so it’s a chance to see what he can do. Jack Hendry’s Celtic career may be over anyway, it’s impossible to see him forcing his way into the side but it could be an opportunity to put himself in the shop window.
Scott Sinclair in the number 10 role doesn’t seem natural, but it’s evident he has no future in his favoured left-wing role. He was fantastic when he joined, but he became so predictable and completely lost his form. Perhaps a move to the centre could allow him to show a different side of his game and prevent him being ineffective on the wing.
Finally Scotland need a fit and confident Leigh Griffiths to call upon in the next round of international fixtures, this is the ideal game to get hit fitness up and score some goals.
Celtic did struggle to get past Dunfermline in the last round, but you would be shocked to see anything other than a convincing home win here.