James McFadden thinks Martin O’Neill was ‘quite clever’ to start Viljami Sinisalo ahead of Kasper Schmeichel for Celtic’s trip to Stuttgart on Thursday night.
After Schmeichel’s horror show from the first leg, McFadden stated that many expected Celtic’s number one goalkeeper to be dropped for the Hibernian match on Sunday, but he wasn’t.
Instead, Sinisalo came in for Celtic’s 1-0 win in Stuttgart, as O’Neill’s side were knocked out of the Europa League 4-2 on aggregate.
“I think it’s quite clever from Martin O’Neill,” said McFadden before the game. “If you look at it, many expect Kasper Schmeichel to be dropped at the weekend; he didn’t; he stuck by him, so that’s a big message from the manager to Kasper.”
But now that Sinisalo kept a clean sheet in Germany, and produced a strong display, it has got many people talking as to what happens for Celtic’s clash against Rangers at the weekend.
Has he played his way into the team for Ibrox?
Martin O’Neill hailed for being ‘quite clever’ with Viljami Sinisalo and Kasper Schmeichel in Stuttgart
McFadden stated on BBC Radio Scotland (26/02/25) that this move from O’Neill could now be seen as a ‘challenge’ for Schmeichel that he needs to sharpen up.
Given the nature of this second leg tie and how everyone felt that Celtic were already out of it, it has probably allowed O’Neill to use the excuse that he has made such changes to ‘freshen it up.’
“I think it’s quite clever from Martin O’Neill,” said McFadden before the game. “If you look at it, many expect Kasper Schmeichel to be dropped at the weekend; he didn’t; he stuck by him, so that’s a big message from the manager to Kasper.
“In this one, he can say, ‘it’s a rest.’ He doesn’t have to have a difficult conversation, which Martin O’Neill will have no problem having.
“But he can say and dress it up as, ‘I am just freshening it up. You need to be taken out of the firing line.’ No pun intended. To get a refresh.
“So, it is pretty clever, and it can be seen as a challenge. No player likes getting rested. I know that. But it can be seen as a challenge to maybe sharpen up yourself.”
James McFadden says Sinisalo ‘ready’ to start for Celtic at Ibrox
The above comments from McFadden came before the match. Once the whistle had blown in Germany, he felt that Celtic’s back-up keeper had done no harm to his chances of starting against Rangers.
McFadden thinks Sinisalo is ‘ready’ to take the gloves because he ‘took the pressure off’ his Celtic teammates, ‘made tidy saves’, and he also ‘looked assured’ in between the sticks.
But McFadden also wanted to point out that a lot will also depend on what O’Neill told Schmeichel before the match, and his reason behind this change.
“Well, he’s ready to (start at Ibrox),” expressed McFadden after the match. “Without him being outstanding. He didn’t have to be. I said before the game, ‘Do the simple things well.’ And I thought he did that.
“He did all that was asked. He took the pressure off in one particular one with the corner. Deep cross. He catches it. Made tidy saves. Looked assured.
“It depends on what conversations Martin O’Neill has had, if any, with Kasper Schmeichel to say, ‘Listen, I am going to put Sinisalo in. Give him a game, in case we need him further down the line. You will be back in on Sunday.’
“If he has done that, then that is going to be a difficult conversation, because Sinisalo came in and met expectations. It’s what you want. A goalkeeper who makes the saves he should make. Tidy. Didn’t really put his team under pressure with the ball. When he had to go long, it went long. He was happy to take it and recycle it.”
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