Preparations for the Glasgow Derby are well and indeed underway this week after Celtic took over business at Livingston on Sunday.
The 3-0 win propels Brendan Rodgers’ side to the top of the Scottish Premiership and sets the perfect level for Sunday’s derby.
If Celtic win, we will be 4 points ahead and we will put a lot of pressure on Rangers and on those who want to win their difficult game in Dundee.
And to do that, we want our most productive players to be our own. This weekend, we saw Reo Hatate return to the Celtic squad, just in time before the game against Rangers.
But it wasn’t the Japanese midfielder who inspired Jackie McNamara at the weekend.
The former Celtic hero spoke about Livingston’s win when he said the American defender’s speed blew him away.
McNamara told [Scottish Football Podcast]: “He’s never angry. I think its greatest quality is clearly its strength. He reads the game very well. And it’s also incredibly fast.
“He uses his structure and has a calming influence on the rest of the defence. At times they seemed a little shaky over the course of the season and were a little intimidated. We saw that in the game against Motherwell.
“So he brings a genuine tenacity to the defense that sets up everything else. “
The importance of Carter-Vickers to this Celtic team has been highlighted many times over the past 3 seasons.
As McNamara says, it brings peace of mind to a defense that was at times chaotic when Carter-Vickers disappeared.
For Celtic to win at Ibrox on Sunday, we will need Carter-Vickers in the squad and after his performance in Livingston on Sunday, the American defender seems to have compatibility, have compatibility and be in battle position.