Fitbaw Talk: The games around this weekend's Old Firm derby

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00:00 [MUSIC]

00:04 And looking ahead then to this Sunday's potentially season

00:09 defining Old Firm contest at Ibrox.

00:12 Ben, at the time of recording, this is Tuesday morning.

00:17 We've just found out that John Beaton has been confirmed as

00:21 the referee for Sunday's game.

00:26 Obviously, his performance is almost certain to come under scrutiny at some stage.

00:31 Well versed to an old firm fixture,

00:36 he's taken charge of many over the last couple of years.

00:41 Just want to get your take on predicted teams ahead of this weekend.

00:48 We obviously don't know what the kind of latest injury situation is, but

00:52 from a Celtic point of view, can you see Rodgers making many changes from

00:57 the team that started there against Livingston on Sunday?

01:01 >> Can't imagine so.

01:03 I think obviously John Beaton's being named referee is interesting a couple

01:08 of weeks after Brendan Rodgers called him incompetent and things like that.

01:13 So that's how we added quirk to that.

01:15 But I think it'll just be the same for Celtic.

01:17 It'll be Hart and Goale, Johnston and Taylor at right and left back.

01:21 It'll be Carter-Vickers, Scales, centre back, Perham.

01:25 If McGregor's fit to start and Attati's fit to start again,

01:28 it'll be those two with O'Reilly.

01:30 Maida and Kiyogo.

01:32 And then the interesting one's probably at left wing,

01:35 who, because that's probably the position this season for Celtic,

01:37 that's been a bit inconsistent, chopped and changed.

01:39 If Palma's injured, then it will be Nicholas Kuhn.

01:43 I don't see James Forrest starting.

01:46 And Brocovac is obviously a youngster, he won't start.

01:50 So I think it'll be pretty self-explanatory for the Celtic team.

01:53 I wouldn't imagine there'd be too many shocks.

01:55 I would probably, I don't know if you're going to speak about the Rangers team,

01:58 but I would imagine the Rangers team is probably the one that has,

02:01 it's got more options in some places and very limited options in others.

02:05 Yeah, it's an interesting one, isn't it, with Rangers?

02:09 Because we know Philippe Comonte has been well used to

02:13 kind of heavily irritating his team over the last couple of months.

02:18 You'd imagine Rydvan Yilmaz will probably, if he is fit,

02:23 he'll come back into the team to replace Borna Barisic at left back.

02:28 And that'll be a kind of fairly settled back four with Jack Butlin and Gaule Tavenier,

02:33 Goldson, Suter and Yilmaz potentially.

02:36 In midfield too, you're probably again looking at Diomandie and Lundström.

02:39 They seem to be the preferred pairing at this moment in time.

02:42 Raskin can't really seem to get much of a look in.

02:45 And of course Ryan Jack, his days at Ibrox are very much numbered.

02:50 Potential changes, I guess, coming in the forward line.

02:55 I thought Cyril Dessers on Saturday there against Hibs led the line terrifically well.

03:02 I must say, I thought his hold up play,

03:05 his ability to kind of drag others in around him, hold the ball up,

03:11 I thought he was really, really good.

03:12 And obviously, marked it with a goal as well.

03:16 I think he'll continue to deputise in the number nine position.

03:20 I think Todd Cantwell was probably, you know,

03:23 all of Rangers' most creative attacking play came through him at the weekend.

03:28 I can't see him being dropped personally.

03:31 I think he'll be given an odd,

03:32 even though Tom Lawrence has been in terrific form this season.

03:37 I'd be questioning whether or not Scott Wright keeps his place.

03:41 I know he started the game on Saturday quite well,

03:44 but then really faded out of it as kind of the half wore on

03:49 and was eventually replaced early in the second half.

03:52 Might Ross McCausland come back in there on the right-hand side?

03:56 I think he's obviously was given the last 25 minutes or so at the weekend

04:03 to kind of build up his fitness.

04:06 He'd be certainly one that you'd look to potentially come back in.

04:09 I guess Fabio Silva on the left has looked more comfortable out on the left.

04:13 Would that be fair to say,

04:16 given he's so, I guess, versatile, he can play as a number nine,

04:20 but can also play out wide.

04:23 He's looked more comfortable on the left, hasn't he?

04:25 I think in the Benfica game in particular,

04:27 whether he was just a former Porto player just wanting to prove a point or not,

04:32 but I thought that game in particular off the left, it looked very good.

04:36 So it'll be interesting.

04:38 That'll be probably one of the more intriguing battles.

04:40 And this is sort of the fullback versus wingers area

04:44 because Greg Taylor's probably won at Celtic this season.

04:47 He's come under a wee bit of criticism.

04:49 Alistair Johnson's been fairly steady.

04:51 So whoever comes out, whoever starts at left wing for Rangers coming up against him,

04:56 that'll be a tough test.

04:57 And then the right wing as well.

04:59 It's one of them where obviously you've got Scott Wright as well,

05:01 sort of like one of these players.

05:03 He's like, he just doesn't seem to want to ever go away.

05:07 People keep writing him off.

05:08 He's not good enough.

05:09 He's this, he's that.

05:10 But he's still there and in the mix for these big games.

05:14 So it's an interesting, I think as we've touched on,

05:18 I think it is the forward lane for Rangers.

05:19 That's the big thing out of probably both teams, to be honest.

05:23 I think Celtic, you can predict their 11 pretty comfortably

05:26 and get nine or 10 out of 11.

05:27 But the Rangers forward lane really could look like anything

05:31 because you've still potentially got Ross McCausland.

05:33 There's someone like that to, if they come back in,

05:36 you've got Dujuan Sterling's played there as well.

05:37 If he wants to be.

05:39 So there's a number, there's probably none of the first choice options,

05:43 but a lot of square pegs for round holes that could all fit

05:48 and it could be a range of different possibilities.

05:51 And I'm guessing hugely important for Clement

05:54 because it's probably the first time this season

05:56 where he's been able to name a bench,

06:00 with only one academy graduate on the bench.

06:05 He's got these players returning,

06:07 he's yet to have his fully-strength team and bench.

06:11 So a really strong position that the Rangers find themselves in.

06:15 And just finally, Ben,

06:17 just highlight a couple of key head-to-heads to look out for this weekend

06:23 for supporters who might be tuning into their first home front clash.

06:29 It'd be interesting to see Hatati, how he goes up against Lundstrom.

06:33 Especially coming back, with all due respect to Livingston,

06:38 playing an in-form Lundstrom is probably a bit different

06:41 to playing the Livingston midfield.

06:44 It's a very different game for them in that you're having to pick spaces

06:47 and you're trying to find wee gaps in the Livingston defence,

06:49 whereas you'll probably have a wee bit more room to play here.

06:52 Because Rangers will be expected to be on the front foot at home.

06:55 So that'll be interesting.

06:56 And probably Kyogo versus Butland.

06:59 I know that might be a bit odd,

07:01 but Kyogo just seems to like scoring in this fixture

07:04 with one shot on target that he'll get.

07:06 So that'll be an interesting one.

07:08 But I think just generally on the game as well,

07:10 I think it's more defining for Celtic than it is Rangers.

07:13 I think if Celtic lose this,

07:15 and then Rangers play Dundee in a few days' time,

07:18 they go five points clear,

07:20 then it's... I mean, they win the game at Parkhead,

07:23 then it's irrelevant, because they still need somebody else

07:28 to beat Rangers or hold them twice.

07:31 So I think it's more incumbent on Celtic to at least not lose this.

07:34 I think a draw in a weirder way would kind of suit both teams at the minute.

07:39 I'm not saying they would obviously go for that,

07:40 but it's not a bad result for either team.

07:43 Rangers get to keep Celtic at arm's length,

07:45 still get the chance to go top on the Wednesday.

07:48 But I think if Rangers win this,

07:50 then that's a... you would probably say the title's...

07:55 I think it's on a knife edge at the minute.

07:56 I think it would tilt towards Rangers if they won this weekend,

07:58 because then they could... they hold all the cards,

08:01 then Celtic are left in a pretty...

08:04 not an impossible chasing position, but certainly a difficult one.

08:07 Well, that's all we've got time for on today's show.

08:12 Many thanks to my guest, Ben Banks.

08:14 Stay tuned for the next episode of Football Talk.

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