CELTIC have a game against Dundee Utd on Wednesday before the players can focus on the Glasgow Derby but pundits are already looking beyond the mid-week fixtures to focus on the weekend derby.
Kris Commons has implored his old side to be brave at the home of their rivals on January 2nd, if they don’t, the league could be over at full time.
The former Celtic midfielder believes a draw is no good and the bhoys must go all out for the win.
With that in mind, Kris wants to see both Edouard and Griffiths start at the weekend. Playing both makes Celtic more dynamic upfront and they give centre-backs major issues.
The only problem with playing two upfront is how the rest of the team is going to line-up. In recent games, we’ve seen Celtic use a midfield diamond but the Celtic manager has also used a 3-5-2 system which hasn’t really worked this term.
Writing in his Mail column as cited by SunSport, Commons wrote: They need to be brave. Why?
“Because they simply have no alternative. A draw is no use whatsoever to Celtic. This is a game they simply must win if they are to resurrect their title challenge.
“At the home of their greatest rivals, Celtic will know it’s win or bust when they travel to fortress Ibrox next Saturday at lunchtime.
“I fully expect Edouard and Griffiths to play together up front. So the real question is how Celtic will shape up defensively.
“More specifically, how will the rest of the team be put together in order to accommodate two strikers?
“Celtic tried the 3-5-2 earlier in the season without really having any great success. I feel it’s a system which, a lot of the time, tries to mask the shortcomings of the three centre-backs.
“If the manager doesn’t quite fancy any of them as a pairing, it just provides that little bit of extra cover to have an extra body in there.
“I don’t see Lennon going back to that. I expect he will stick with the 4-4-2 midfield diamond that we have seen over the past couple of games. The team has looked nice and balanced.
“I expect Kris Ajer will be partnered in central defence by Christopher Jullien, if he’s fit, with Shane Duffy being the one to miss out.
“I can’t envisage Celtic going to Ibrox for the biggest game of the season without Scott Brown in the team, so I expect the skipper to come back in and anchor the midfield.
“So you’ll then have David Turnbull and Callum McGregor, with either Ryan Christie or Ismaila Soro battling for the final place in midfield. I expect Christie will get the nod.
“The midfield battle will be absolutely vital because that’s the one area above all others where Rangers have absolutely bossed it over the past few Old Firm games.
“Celtic didn’t lay a glove on them when the teams met at Parkhead back in October. If that happens again, it will kill the dream of ten in a row once and for all.
“It’s a must-win game for Celtic, so I’ve heard it suggested that Rangers might look to play it almost as a European game and play largely on the counter.
“They’ve perfected that system in the Europa League over the past couple of seasons, but I don’t see them playing it cagey like that.
“I believe Steven Gerrard will want his players to make a statement. They will see it as an opportunity to bury their rivals once and for all this season and put the final nail in the coffin.
“They will want to rub Celtic’s nose in it and kill off any lingering chance of a title race. For Lennon and his players, they need to relish that challenge and defy the odds.”
Celtic will have to make sure they win against Dundee Utd or this whole discussion becomes moot. There’s no room for error for this Celtic side and Utd offers a big challenge before the weekend.
If Celtic can continue a winning run then the players will start to believe and so will the support.
