da bet7k： As he discussed after Sunday’s performance at Hampden Park, Brendan Rodgers was keen to highlight the role of his substitutes.
da supremo： Leigh Griffiths caught most of the attention with his stunning assist for Moussa Dembele’s match-winner but the Celtic boss was also keen to play up the contribution of Stuart Armstrong.
Just like in September’s Demolition Derby, the former Dundee United man was introduced early in the second half to telling effect.
Rodgers has demonstrated that rare managerial quality of the telling, rather than the dumbfounding, substitute. In almost every match he makes a change of two, either half time tactics, or more likely bringing on a substitute that seems logical and changes the game.
As early as the Champions League qualifiers at home to Astana and Hapoel Beer Sheva he was making bold substitutions, changes to have a positive impact on the match rather than safety first.
Wednesday’s trip to Ross County comes in the middle of a testing run of three matches in seven days – the sort of schedule that calls on much more than just a starting XI.
From Sunday’s Hampden squad the Celtic boss can bring in Liam Henderson, Ryan Christie and Emilio Izaguirre but a place on the bench is as much as any of those three can wish for.
Managers like to tell us about one match at a time but it’s natural for Rodgers to have an eye on Saturday’s match at Aberdeen when he selects his side for Dingwall. Expecting the same players to peak against Rangers, Ross County and Aberdeen in less than a week is asking too much.
So here’s a look at three changes Rodgers could make for the clash with Ross County…
LEIGH GRIFFITHS
The phrase ‘champing at the bit’ could have been invented for Griffiths at the moment – the bhoy is desperate to start a match.
Sunday proved that he has lost none of his sharpness despite extended bench duty; give him the ball, give him the chances and he’ll tuck them away.
Griffiths thrives under pressure, he knows the impact that Moussa Dembele has had on the team and will be confident of at least matching the achievements of his younger team-mate.
PATRICK ROBERTS
Like Griffiths, Roberts lost his place due to injury and watched his deputy, James Forrest, come in and run into the best form of his Celtic career!
Roberts offers a different type of wing trickery to the Scotland man but must be wondering what is happening to his loan move to the SPFL as he watches too many games from the bench.
After starting against Barcelona he has been on the bench for the matches against Manchester City and Borussia Monchengladbach, and Dingwall may be an unlikely venue for him to stake his case for a starting role in next week’s return match with the Germans but it’s a chance he has to take.
STUART ARMSTRONG
Could easily have been a casualty of the new regime but now looks close to getting a chance in his preferred central midfield role.
Instantly at Hampden he brought more energy and purpose to the side than the departing Nir Bitton, at last Armstrong is looking like the player that impressed so much while at Dundee United.
Last season’s injury problems look to have been kicked into touch as a brighter fresher prospect emerges. Dingwall won’t present any problems to the midfielder, who knows that he must take every chance possible to impress.