The first of these was on Thursday night as the Bhoys faced Partick in the Scottish cup.
No surprise then that M.O.N deployed a “B” Team comprising a mixture young talent and a few of the more experienced old lads..

And it was the oldest lad of them all, Paul Lambert, who stood head and shoulders above everyone else on the pitch, dominating the first half to mark a welcomed return. It was one of the next generation, however, who opened the scoring on the half hour mark. Craig Beattie took his chance with great composure, dispatching a great first time finish low into the corner. For Beattie, this was a turning point in his performance, with the excellent display which followed seeming to stem from his opening goal.

As the second half progressed, it became obvious that M.O.N was intending to give as many squad members as possible a game with even Steve Guppy getting a run out. Celtic’s “B” Team were always in control, and Jamie Smith sealed the win with another first class finish after some neat play by Sylla down the right. Given that they are shite, Partick were unable to mount a serious challenge as the match faded out. A tricky tie at Hibs in the next round should provide more of a game, but given the incentive of a semi-final clash with Rangers another convincing hoops victory will be expected.

To be honest the match was generally shite, but promising performances from Beattie and Maloney up front, and John Kennedy at right back made it worth watching. It was also good to see Maljby and Lambert getting some much needed match practise under their belts. The choice, however, of John “ I think I’ll play a 4-2-2-2, like what Brazil do…” Barnes as the face of football on Channel 5 did not help the evenings viewing. Surely a man of his managerial talent and astuteness in the transfer market should be helping to drive manager less Spurs or even Leeds into the First Division and beyond.

P.S All the best to ex-Celt Colin Healy after his recent leg break while playing for Sunderland.