Well, well, well. He only went and did it.
The most courageous, yet easiest, managerial decision Neil Lennon has made this season was to go with the 4-4-2 today and that is what he’s done.
Last night’s ghastly “leaked” team sheet is in no way representative of today’s team.
There are surprises in the side. Of course there are.
No Scott Brown is a big, big surprise to me because I thought he was a certainty to play and especially after giving a very credible performance in the cup final, one of his best performances of the season.
But Lennon has gone with Soro, which is excellent news and shows great loyalty to the player who, for me, has been man of the match at least twice since the manager started picking him.
Turnbull plays which was a no brainer.
He’s kept Christie. He’s kept Callum.
The midfield is the solid unit we were all hoping to see … and he’s gone with Griffiths and Eddie up front.
You could not ask for more or for better. Except at the back.
The injury to Jullien is a hard hit, and that pretty much guaranteed Frimpong at right back.
He has a big day in front of him here, a day in which he can prove that he is tough enough and confident enough for these massive games. They will try to rough house him. He has to fight through it and put on a show for us. We know he has the skill-set.
Bitton is a surprise as well, because the manager could have gone with Duffy.
This is the kind of game Duffy was signed for. I think we can conclude this is a vote of no-confidence in him. It’s damning that he isn’t considered up to snuff for the kind of game we all assumed he would thrive in. Maybe I’m being too harsh, but it’s pretty stunning to see him left out.
Laxalt is one that’s going to divide opinion, but this guy has played in Serie A against better players than he’ll come up against this afternoon. I can’t believe there is any online debate over whether he is a better player than Taylor.
I like Taylor. Laxalt beats him in every department.
This is the kind of game he was made for. Let’s see how Tavernier does against him.
Ladies and gents, I am happy with that.
That’s the team we all wanted to see, save for those defensive changes, which have been forced on us, at least in the case of Jullien. The Ibrox side hasn’t faced a team who has pressed them for 90 minutes and has the firepower to do them damage, not before this afternoon anyway.
I don’t think they’ll be able to handle us.
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