Junior Adamu and Tomas Cvancara’s form could force a major tactical decision

With both Junior Adamu and Tomas Cvancara in great form, Martin O’Neill could make a big tactical change.

With both Junior Adamu and Tomas Cvancara impressing so far for Celtic, could we see them lead the line together? Since joining the club, Cvancara has hit the ground running. He has impressed in both league games he has played, scoring in one and assisting on his debut. Adamu also found his feet quickly as he saved Celtic’s Scottish Cup run against Dundee with a 97th-minute equaliser. The forward wheeled away in celebration, mimicking the legendary Henrik Larsson, and immediately won over the fans. Both players are on loan, but supporters are hoping that the club could make a permanent move for them in the summer. Focusing on the here and now though, we have a problem. With both players seemingly in great form, who do you start? They both offer something different, and while rotation is possible, it could be time for Martin O’Neill to give them a shot in a two-striker formation. Time to experiment? It could be time to experiment, but with two strikers up front, we would also be running the risk of dropping points by running a formation that the players aren’t familiar with. If we were to switch to two up front, that would mean dropping one player from the midfield. Celtic have always fancied a midfield three, usually made up of Callum McGregor, Arne Engels and Benjamin Nygren, so one of these players would have to drop out. It won’t be McGregor, it simply can’t be Nygren, and there is no chance Engels would be happy to sit on the bench either. Focusing on the two players who would be playing up front, their styles would complement each other perfectly. Cvancara seems to have brilliant link-up play and can hold the ball up well. Adamu has the pace to run in behind and drag defenders to get into space. This sounds like the perfect partnership. And what better time to try it than against bottom-of-the-table Livingston at home on Wednesday? If O’Neill is to experiment, this is the last time he will be able to without massive risk. Adamu can also play on the wing. If we aren’t going to change the formation, we could at least utilise him there. While on the attack, he could be allowed to cut inside and run into space. If Cvancara is up front, that could offer the same results as if we were to play both of them centrally. This seems more likely as Celtic won’t be keen to drop their attempt at midfield dominance. With three solid players in the centre of the park, that is their goal, and you run a lot of risk changing it, especially this late in the season and with so many away games coming up.