Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain

Yeah I, I, well, I've got a question here.

Thomas Gallagher asking from Facebook, "Why isn't Martin O'Neill playing Oxlade-Chamberlain even off the bench? Um, Oxlade-Chamberlain, when he played a few y- weeks ago, ran the midfield." Is, is there...

Do you suspect he might come into the midfield on Sunday, Tony? He didn't have a great game at Ibrox last year, but I think he's improved this year.

Now, as the, the commenter says, he was, he was impressive a couple of weeks ago.

If McGregor's in no man's land at Ibrox on Sunday, then that's gonna be a massive problem.

Um, so I just, we just need Callum McGregor to have a really good game, and, and he needs support around him.

We're talking about Oxlade-Chamberlain.

Is it Bauer you're thinking just starting with McGregor-

Um, but to be honest, I, I'd be willing to just trust- Gravenberch to 10 and cost us a left back.

What's going on here, like? [laughs] Bring Oxlade-Chamberlain back, lads.

Um, no, yeah, no, K- Kirkez, uh, Kirkez, Jacques, Van Dijk, and, um, and Roberto Firmino.

And he was bringing up Brendan Rodgers and singing his praises as well earlier on.

Interesting, Kev.

Yeah, I do think Bower, if he doesn't make it, of course, Oxlade-Chamberlain comes in.

I've got to say, big shout out to anyone who, um, has slagged us off and criticized us in the past, anyone who thinks it's a good idea to ban fan media, anyone who comes on like the, uh, token Hearts fan who's been on today trying to wind up Celtic fans, because whilst I was away, a Celtic State of Mind were nominated for three international national awards, international stroke national awards.

First one is Best Podcast International.

Uh, well, I've got a question here.

Thomas Gallagher asking from Facebook, "Why isn't Martin O'Neill playing Oxlade-Chamberlain even off the bench?" Um, Oxlade-Chamberlain, when he played a few weeks ago, ran the midfield.

Is, is there...

Do you suspect he might come into the midfield on Sunday, Tony? He didn't have a great game at Ibrox last year, but I think he's improved this year.

Duran through the middle who on the bench was saying on the right and my only other thing would be Paul with Nigren is again going back to that argument the Celtic you need calm heads particularly up against 50,000 Rangers fans you need calm heads You need experience and you need people that are calm in possession and will just pick a pass and keep possession and kill the game when it needs to be killed.

So I'd be very, very tempted to put Oxlade-Chamberlain in beside McGregor and Bauer and leave Negron out at the start of the

11th.

You're still thinking about that pass that... led to the exit from the Champions League.

I know.

So, obviously, when I was trying to figure out Mark's Kieran Tierney set scenario, it now makes sense.

So that's quite a dilemma for Martyn Hill, to be honest, because when you're talking about Negrin, the goals he brings to the team... and then you're missing Yang how do you fit in Oxlade-Chamberlain's had a couple of manly match performances how do you fit all those into the system to play against Rangers so I don't even want to start guessing but whatever Martin picks then that's the one that the players will just have to trust but he's got an abundance of options which is only good for the team

Who's your number 9? Is it Kasper Hu or is it Camilo Duran? Who's through the middle?

I think he'll go with Negrin.

And, you know, I think Oxlade-Chamberlain's going to get a run out.

But he got absolutely demolished in that

two-weeks derby.

I don't think he's better than McGregor as a six.

You can even throw people like Oxlade-Chamberlain in, who's done really well this season, looks a lot fitter.

He definitely plays before him for me as well.

So, it's still early days, but these are problems that you do want, because you are going to need to use him at some point this season.

I think going forward, if you compare Celtic to last season, there's no doubt that Celtic look a bigger danger.

I still have concerns about the midfield area for Celtic, and while whoever plays, whether it's Oxlade-Chamberlain, whether it's Callum McGregor, Mika Bauer, Benjamin Negren, it's going to be three out of those, you know, four.

They've got the boy in from Parma, Oliver Sorensen, on loan.

I think that, I mean, I'm not going to judge Oliver Sorensen just yet, but...

Sorensen, I think there's signs of a good player, but he wasn't good enough on Wednesday to justify starting him.

And then who else? Oxlade-Chamberlain.

There's a world you could maybe start him and McGregor.

I think that's the only thing you could maybe

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I wouldn't be surprised if Ox came in, but I think, as you said there, obviously, it's a good point as well about last, but I think, like, with Bauer in the midfield, it's good for, like, obviously, when you're missing angles, I think Bauer brings that sort of, like, he brings the legs into that midfield as well, especially with Callum McGregor, but, and then, obviously, Nigri, and sometimes, you know, he can be non-existent, but he'll come up with the goals, so I think, with the midfield, you know, you probably would go Bower just because he was brilliant as well on Wednesday, got his goal, but I think the only thing, maybe just bring in the Ox because he has been good this season, the way we've seen, but why is it?

That's a fair point you made there about Bower's the legs in the midfield because I also just took a step back and thought about the pace of Benjamin Nigro and Oxlade-Chamberlain and Kyle McGregor is a three and a shuddered so that could end badly the amount of times we said last season there was no legs in that midfield when Engles wasn't there so I don't think there will be a change but I think if there was going to be a change you would go for that

you got to say something else here Dylan no I was just going to say you guys obviously Ciaran said that I came to my head about Ox did struggle a wee bit at Ibrox last season didn't