30 Apr 2014 17:33:53
Right, I know we've done things like this before but I think they always seem fun n we get loads of random different players for different reasons. Post MON signings only, not including youth players promoted - who would be our strongest starting XI? You can use as many (or as little) of WGS, Mogga + Lenny's signings? That means:

Mark Wilson, Roy Keane, Du Wei, Paul Telfer, Adam Virgo, Shunsuke Nakamura, Maciej Zurawski, Artur Boruc, Mo Camara, Kenny Miller, Gary Caldwell, Jiri Jarosik, Evander Sno, Derek Riordan, Lee Naylor, Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Thomas Gravesen, Steven Pressley, Mark Brown, Jean-Joel Perrier-Doumbe, Paul Hartley, Scott McDonald, Tomislav Pavlov, Scott Brown, Chris Killen, Massimo Donati, Laurence Gaughan, Luca Santonocito, Andy Hinkel, Koki Mizuno, Ben Hutchinson, Georgios Samaras, Barry Robson, Paddy McCourt, Matty Hughes, Marc Crosas, Glenn Loovens, Shaun Maloney, Niall McGinn, Milan Misun, Willo Flood, Filip Twardzik, Patrik Twardzik, Lukasz Zaluska, Marc-Antoine Fortune, Landry N'Guemo, Danny Fox, Josh Thompson, Greig Spence, Jos Hooiveld, Tam Rogne, Morten Rasmussen, Diomansy Kamara, Paul Slane, Edson Braafheid, Robbie Keane, Charlie Mulgrew, Cha Du-Ri, Joe Ledley, Daryl Murphy, Efrain Juarez, Gary Hooper, Beram Kayal, Dan Majstorovic, Emilio Izaguirre, Fraser Forster, Anthony Stokes, Nicky Feely, Olivier Kapo, Freddie Ljungberg, Tony Watt, Kris Commons, Kelvin Wilson, Adam Matthews, Dylan McGeouch, Victor Wanyama, Mo Bangura, Badr El-Kaddouri, Andre Blackman, Mikael Lustig, Rabiu Ibrahim, Pawel Brozek, Efe Ambrose, Miku, Lubos Kamenar, Lassad, Rami Gershon, Tom Rogic, Viktor Noring, Colin McDade, Amido Balde, Virgil van Dijk, Steven Mouyokolo, Derk Boerrigter, Nir Biton, Teemu Pukki, Max Oberschmidt, Holmbert Fridjonsson, Stefan Johansen and Leigh Griffiths.

I'll fire up my team at some point this evening, but I've got a few headaches I've came across like Boruc or Forster? What 2 out of VOH, McDonald, Keano, Hooper or Samaras? Lustig or Hinkel? I'm dead cert on my MF though: Ki + Wanyama at DM, Robson at RM, Ledley at LM and Naka at CM!


1.) 30 Apr 2014
I think I've settled on a squad, but no doubt I'll change my mind later again:

GK: Boruc (Strachan)
RB: Lustig (Lennon)
CB: Virgil (Lennon)
CB: Caldwell* (Strachan)
LB: Izzy* (Lennon)
DM: Ki (Mowbray)
DM: Wanyama (Lennon)
RM: Robson (Strachan)
CM: Nakamura (Strachan)
LM: Ledley (Lennon)
FW: Keano (Mowbray)

* I'd still say that LB + LCB are weak links but.


2.) 30 Apr 2014
GK - Boruc
RB - Lustig
CB - VVD
CB - Wilson
LB - Izzy
RM - Matthews
CM - Wanyama
CM - Keane
LM - Ledley
CF - Robbie Keane
CF - Zurawski


3.) 30 Apr 2014
Forster
Izzy
Virgil
Caldwell
Matthews
Wanyama
Brown
Ki
Naka
Commons
Keane


4.) 30 Apr 2014
Gk - boruc
Rb - lustig
Cb - Virgil
Cb - mulgrew
Lb - izzy
Rm - naka
Cm - Brown
Cm - wanyama
Lm - Robson
St - venegoor
St - Hooper

Lot of dead ball specialists in mine lol. But with all those epic crosses coming into the box, a tall striker is a must


5.) 30 Apr 2014
Damn it lol I want Sammy as my lm lol


6.) 01 May 2014
I don't know why anyone would include Robbie Keane over Hooper, Venegoor or McDonald. He only played about 15 or 16 games (granted, he did score a few goals but so did the others) but he wasn't here long enough to be considered a member of the team. Just my opinion.

Hail Hail


7.) 01 May 2014
Aye I agree Chris, his comments after he left annoyed me as well. Guy is a vagina imo lol.


8.) 01 May 2014
HamiltonBhoy’s question just asks for the strongest 11, that was why.


9.) 01 May 2014
If Keano played 100-150 games like McDonald, JVOH and Hooper then he'd have scored just as many (if not more) goals than them. Without a shadow of a doubt!


10.) 01 May 2014
@9) Yes HB, I agree he could have. But he didn't. Coming to Celtic was like a fanciful thing for him to do rather than be committed. He scored goals, no one can argue with that point but he lacked application to be included in my 11. The others hung around for a while and gave back to the club in performances what the club had given them in wages and opportunity.

Hail Hail


11.) 01 May 2014
@8) My original comment took that into consideration. A flash in the pan performer for us doesn't qualify as being among the best.

Hail Hail


12.) 01 May 2014
4-2-3-1
Boruc
Hinkel
Izaguirre
Van Dijk
Loovens
Ledley
Wanyama
Maloney
Commons
Nakamura
Keane


13.) 01 May 2014
Boruc
Lustig
Virgil
Wilson
Izzie
Nakamura
Wanyama
Ledley
Sammy
Keano
Hooper


14.) 01 May 2014
So ChrisBhoy, who would you say would be our strongest XI in the WGS, Mogga + Lenny era signings? That's the point of this, to see different teams you would pick. Rather than moan about players others have listed.


15.) 01 May 2014
Boruc
Lustig
Mulgrew
vvd
Caldwell
Hartley
Brown
Ledley
Samaras
Keano
Hooper

I think!


16.) 01 May 2014
@14) HB, I'm not moaning at all. I'm simply giving an opinion about a player. My own 11 may not meet with the approval of others and if someone has an issue with it then they're entitled to share their thoughts. Isn't that what a forum is all about HB?

For the record, my 11 is as follows:

GK-Forster
RB-Lustig
CB-Van Dijk
CB-Wilson
LB-Izaguirre
CM-Wanyma
CM-Broony
LM-Ledley
RM-Nakamura
FW-Hooper
FW-Venegoor

Hail Hail


17.) 01 May 2014
With the players available, a few decent teams could have been chosen, lots of decent players with potential or already brilliant but just didn't stay long enough or get a chance/fit in!
Hard to pick, even with different formations, if we were allowed subs it would have been slightly easier, thanks for the headache HB.

GK. Boruc
RB. Hinkel
CB. Lustig (just because the rest are mince)
CB. VVD
LB. Izzy
LM. Naka (his original position)
CM. Wanyama
CM. Broony
RM. Maloney
CF. Big Jan
ST. Hooper

Pretty strong 11?! And struggled to leave a few out. Between Strachan and Lennons signings we could all pick a great 18 man squad.


18.) 01 May 2014
@ChrisBoy I don't see that team not meeting expectations. They're all good teams that have been picked. I think the fact most of us are picking Lennon's signings, yet we're currently underachieving shows that the players have the pedigree but the coaching staff don't have the knowledge to get them playing at their best!


19.) 01 May 2014
My teams gubbed. Maloney shouldn't be a selection on criteria.!

Change Maloney for Hartley only because he should be in anyway, and can swap wae Broony?!


20.) 02 May 2014
@18 I'm sure if you go back one more manager to MON you would find a massive change in picks from all over the park. Oh to have some of those players back.


21.) 02 May 2014
I'm a bit shocked only two of us have chosen Sammy . On his day absolutely devastating and has been with us for seven years . Just my opinion bhoys and ghirls


22.) 02 May 2014
@18) Yes it's always a challenge to pick the best side with so many options. I think Lenny is a decent enough manager but he seems to become complacent for cup games and this is what ultimately costs us.

Hail Hail


23.) 02 May 2014
Jim1972 Hence why I picked from Strachan onwards, only a few guys out the 50+ transfers I listed would get in to that team lol. Chalky, I was between Ledley or Sammy @ LM then Keano or JVOH/McDonald/Sammy/Hooper up front. How d'you guys think we would do in Europe if we played a 4-5-1 with a diamond midfield? For example:

------------Forster-----------
Lustig – Virgil – Ambrose - Izaguirre--
------------Biton------
Brown – Johansen – Mulgrew-----
---------Commons-----
----------Griffiths-------

?


24.) 02 May 2014
02 May 2014 13:43:19
playing a 4-5-1 and picking players who played a significant number of games for celtic:

gk - forster
dr - lustig
dl - izzy
cb - virgil
cb - mulgrew
rm - nakamura
cm - brown
cm - wanyama
cm - ki
lm - ledley
st - hooper

would have liked to have seen this team playing at their peak though:

gk - forster
rb - lustig
lb - izzy
cb - vvd
cb - mulgrew
rm - nakamura
cm - keano
cm - wanyama
lm - ljungberg
st - keane
st - hooper