As Celtic gears up for a critical league showdown against Rangers on Sunday, Sportscene pundit Michael Stewart has pinpointed the need for improved attacking efficiency as key to securing victory.
Despite a comfortable 3-0 win against Livingston, Celtic nearly went the full first half without registering an attempt on target, with their first shot on target coming after 45 minutes through Kyogo.
Stewart, however, sees a silver lining in the return of crucial players Cameron Carter-Vickers and Reo Hatate, who have both recently made their return from injury.
Carter-Vickers’ presence offers stability and confidence to the defence, while Hatate’s reintegration into the midfield has been seamless, despite a lengthy injury layoff.
The challenge for Brendan Rodgers and his squad will be to refine their approach in the final third. Stewart points out that while Celtic managed to create promising situations against Livingston, especially from wide areas, the lack of precision in the final delivery was evident.
“It is a huge game,” Stewart said to the BBC.
“The positive for Celtic going into it is the fact they’ve had two of their main players coming back in and doing well.
“[Cameron] Carter-Vickers is such a calming influence at the back. And [Reo] Hatate comes in, he’s been out for such a long period of time, yet he’s come back in and been a really good performer in the centre of the park [against Livingston].
“It’s real positives that their big players are coming back.
“Their one concern would be that against Livingston they got into some really good areas out wide but the final ball wasn’t there.
“They’re going to have to be more clinical in those areas against Rangers. If they get into those positions they’re going to have to be more clinical than that.”
There are certain elements which set Celtic apart from the rest in football – our supporters and our extra-dimensional players. Both were in vogue away at Livingston on Sunday, our indomitable fan power demonstrating once again that, whilst others self-promote as ‘The People’, we would have more claim to that title should we be so self-superior.
As we don’t feel the need to volunteer baseless boasts in a bid to big ourselves up, we simply demonstrate it week in, week out as we did with the marvellous full-length tifo to celebrate the Irish freedom fighters of whom our diaspora is so proud.
Of course, Easter Sunday is a landmark day in the lives of the majority of the Celtic support, celebrating the resurrection of Christ. The wearing of the Easter Lily by many is also a signific memorial of the purity of Christ, and adopted as a celebration of the Irish martyrs who gave their lives during and after the 1916 Easter Rising.
This is a highly poignant memorial in the history of the vast immigrant support with the obvious correlation being the inception and rich history of Celtic Football Club.
As the players emerged from the tunnel onto an appalling plastic pitch to be greeted by such a momentous reminder of what it means to stand up for what you believe despite overwhelming opposition, they could not be anything other than galvanised by a raucous support, and thus, putting themselves on the line in return.
That they did, and with almost a full-strength side out for the first time in months this season, Celtic went about their business with ambition, and then some.
The return of Reo Hatate and the stability brought to the defence by Cameron Carter-Vickers had the crowd in good heart with two-thirds of the away venue bedecked in green and white. There was a sense of security and a glow about us which we have often lacked this term.
The first half was not memorable despite a domination which belied the 0-0 scoreline in the first 45. The second, much, much better. With the crowd playing their part, our other vital spark, Reo Hatate was peerless on his comeback and his passing and movement gave the masses a glimpse of what we have been missing for months.
Should his audacious swerving drive gone under and not over the bar, we would have been in dreamland. However, the Japanese maestro was instrumental in opening the scoring and his drive amidst an almighty scramble in the box was deflected into the back of the net by a gold shirt. Fortunate yes, deserved, for sure.
Celtic were carving the Livvi boys up at every opportunity with Nicolas Kuhn showing exceptional flair, but, to be fair, the west Lothian outfit was as bad as anything I’ve witnessed this season. Martindale’s post-match venture that he will ‘continue to set them up to win’ was a serious head-scratcher.
Celtic’s second crucial goal was anything but; it was a thing of absolute beauty. In a devastating attack, our substitute and man of mystery, Paolo Bernardo played a cute one-two before setting himself and driving a supreme strike low and hard into the corner of the net from outside the box.
Hopefully the Portuguese is setting himself up for a long-term stint at Parkhead, and if he continues this form, I’d take it. Paolo has the skill, but, does he have the minerals to perform week-in, week-out? Time will tell.
During our horror injury crisis Tomoki Iwata has stepped into Callum McGregor’s shoes as if they were made for him and that can only be good news for our date with destiny at Ibrox next Sunday.
Should the skipper be deemed unfit to start in Govan there will be no fears over his commanding, hardworking deputy. Tomoki is proving to be a gem of a find and with his countryman Reo Hatate looking back to his best, the fears will be all blue.
With Matt O’Riley looking interested once more, adventurous, and finding the net for Celtic’s third goal, Ibrox no longer feels as intimidating as we’ve built it up in recent weeks.
The only cog in the wheel may be in the form of the officialdom which craves injustice week-on-week as they set out to disrupt Celtic’s progress and chance of the Title through sheer corruption.
As theRangers were gifted a more than debatable penalty on Saturday against Hibernian, Celtic were denied a stonewaller when Kyogo was downed in the box by a heel trip and a knee to his hamstring. Krys Boyd said ‘no penalty’ as there was no gun used.
VAR didn’t even give that one the benefit of a second look and the flute band played on. Should Celtic win this darned Flag, then, despite our lack of form at times, we will have overcome ridiculous judicial odds, just as our club forefathers have for generations.
Now, onto Ibrox and the hope of glory. We’re on top of the league looking down on theRangers and should we pull a rabbit out of a hat this weekend, there we will stay.
Eddie Murray
Celtic fans expected January arrival Nicolas Kuhn to have a much greater immediate impact than he did.
The German winger came through the door but didn’t set things alight as he took a while to settle in amid fitness and weight issues.
In recent weeks, however, the 24-year-old has looked stronger and more efficient. He beautifully assisted Daizen Maeda at home to Livingston in the Scottish Cup a few weeks ago before scoring and setting up another versus Kilmarnock six days later.
Soccer Football – Scottish Cup – Quarter Final – Celtic v Livingston – Celtic Park, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – March 10, 2024 Celtic’s Nicolas-Gerrit Kuhn in action with Livingston’s Cristian Montano REUTERS/Russell Cheyne
On Sunday, he didn’t register any goal contributions but Kuhn still stood out. The SPFL named him their Man of the Match, a judgement that is difficult to argue against.
Indeed, Kuhn was the main architect of his team’s opener, showing tremendous determination to win the ball back from Steven Bradley when the chance looked to be gone.
As well as this, he created several other opportunities and could’ve had a few goals for himself.
Speaking after the game, centre-half Cameron Carter-Vickers was full of praise for Kuhn, admitting how he and his teammates have always seen his talents in training. “His last few games have been really good”, he said (Sky Sports).
“Even before that, the boys in the team could see in training that he had the skills and the pace to affect the game and it’s good for him now that he has put it all together.”
It was a genuine contender for the ugliest goal of all time. But, as far as Celtic were concerned yesterday, it was also a thing of considerable beauty.
The unfortunate Jamie Brandon may have been the wrong man in the wrong place and at the wrong time and the Livingston right-back knew little about his critical contribution as it happened. He may still be wondering this morning how he managed to ricochet the ball into the back of his own net. None of which will trouble Celtic in the slightest.
All that mattered for the defending champions was that it got there and from the moment they made the breakthrough the outcome of yesterday’s contest was never in any kind of doubt. That the words “Livingston away” are about to be expunged from the vocabulary of the top flight is just a happy coincidence. This pounding headache of a football match was a reminder of why Davie Martindale’s side will be no loss when, inevitably, they do depart from Scotland’s Premiership and take their plastic pellets with them.
Martindale may have worked a variety of miracles to keep them in the league for so long but they are now as good as dead and buried and there will be no coming back from here on in, Easter eggs or not. Again, that’s not Celtic’s problem either and it certainly won’t have been weighing on any minds on the journey back along the M8.
Because all roads now lead to Ibrox and the fact that Celtic will cross the River Clyde at breakfast time on Sunday morning still clinging on to top spot, is precisely the scenario for which Brendan Rodgers would have been hoping when he settled into
his seat in the main stand at the Tony Macaroni to serve his one game suspension.
That he watched Reo Hatate get 64 minutes under his belt will have come as another big boost for the manager with the Old Firm showdown in mind. Because both of these sides appear to be getting through the worst of their respective injury pile-ups.
On Saturday at Ibrox, Todd Cantwell also returned to action and the talismanic Englishman could be a key man for Rangers now that the run-in has begun. That Abdallah Sima and Dujon Sterling also made cameo appearances from Philippe Clement’s bench indicates that the Belgian’s options are opening up at such a critical stage in the campaign.
Yes, he’s still soldiering on without two expensive attacking influencers in Danilo and Oscar Cortes but, as neither of these recent arrivals has been fit enough for long enough to make much of a contribution to the campaign so far, Clement is well used to making do without them.
If, as expected, Celtic skipper Callum McGregor is also given a clean bill of health ahead of derby day then both of these teams will be in decent shape heading into a match which might prove to belong in the season-defining category. More importantly, neither of them will have any ready-made excuses to fall back on when the dust has settled and the points have been allocated. One way or the other.
There’s something satisfying about the notion that fatigue and fitness issues cannot be considered as key factors when so much is about to be placed on the line. On the contrary, with their treatment rooms emptying at the same time, this one will be determined by the players who are on the pitch rather than those who could not make it.
And that means what happens at lunchtime on Sunday should offer up a fairly accurate reflection of where exactly the power lies in a deeply divided city. Of course, there is also the question of what’s between the ears because, in situations as fraught and combustible as this, the mental state can be as every bit as important as the physical.
If there are players on either side who aren’t quite up to speed or who haven’t yet figured out the all-consuming essence of this rivalry, then they are likely to be among its first casualties.
For example, after an inauspicious start, Nicolas Kuhn is showing signs of getting to grips with the task of adding pace and creativity to Celtic’s attack, to such an extent the German looks like a certain starter at Ibrox. But is he really ready for what’s about to come?
Likewise, Rangers’ recent recruits Mohamed Diomande and Fabio Silva have made a good impression since joining in January but have yet to experience this madhouse of a fixture for themselves. Do they have any idea what’s about to hit them? Either way, Clement will soon find out – and the manager may also discover if any of his longer servers have been so scarred by derby day over the years that they have forgotten how to embrace it.
Because if one or two of them don’t fancy being thrown back into the heat of the battle again then it won’t take their highly astute manager long to spot it. After all, this is the opportunity which Clement has been waiting for since agreeing to take on the job of fixing the mess that Michael Beale left behind.
Win it and Rangers will leapfrog the neighbours and claim top spot with a two-point advantage and a game in hand with only seven left to play. Lose it and they will allow Celtic to reclaim the box seat for the run-in. Even though the margin would remain tight, the momentum Clement has worked so hard to build up would shift across the city.
In other words, only those with the strongest of constitutions can be relied upon to turn up for their work on a day such as this. If Clement is to inflict a bloody nose upon Rodgers then he will require players with cool heads but with a fire ablaze inside their bellies.
With 19 wins from his first 22 league games in charge – and a points total of 58 from 66 – the Belgian appears to be the real deal. The next 90 minutes may very well determine whether or not the same can be said of his team.
Charlotte FC boss Dean Smith has lifted the lid on the positive reports emerging from Parkhead over Liel Abada.
The 22-year-old sealed a move to the MLS earlier this month for a fee in the region of £10million having only signed a new four-year deal with the Scottish Premiership champions last September. But the Israel international was left out of the matchday squad by Brendan Rodgers due to personal reasons amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East amid criticism in his homeland
The winger faced mounting pressure with elements of the Celtic support flying flags and showing their support for Palestine. An exit would be green lit with Abada singing the praises of the Hoops as he signed off from a trophy-laden spell at Celtic Park – and he is now set to make his first appearance as a Charlotte player against Cincinnati under former Aston Villa boss Smith.
And after positive reports from Celtic Park, the gaffer has admitted he is considering throwing his new recruit in at the deep end against the Eastern Conference leaders. Ahead of the clash, he told club media: “He’s just been involved in the international window.
“He played 25 minutes for Israel, so I would expect his fitness levels to be up there. I spoke to the people I know at Celtic as well and there were no qualms about his fitness levels. So, I don’t expect him to have lost too much fitness.
Tomorrow is something of a tough fixture, against a side of giants, hammer throwers playing industrial football, who are all but relegated and have nothing to lose. Throw in the fact that we have to play them on that horrendous concrete carpet and it’s a fixture we could have done without a week before our most important game of the season.
Brendan has some tough decisions to make regarding his starting XI. Particularly in the centre of defence. Does he start CCV? The best defender in the country by a distance, but someone who has had several injury issues this campaign. Cameron Carter-Vickers is just recently back after yet another injury so is he worth the risk with Ibrox looming?
Cameron Carter-Vickers of Celtic during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Celtic and Ross County at Celtic Park on January 27, 2024. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
It’s a tricky one as he makes our defence and team more confident and solid as a unit. That was evident in his absence and when he went off against St Johnstone in our last league outing. Even last time out against Livingston in the Scottish Cup at Celtic Park earlier this month when we were missing CCV it was clear how poor and ineffective we were without him in the side. We looked very vulnerable at home against the side rooted at the bottom of the Scottish Premiership.
Tomorrow we play the same side on their own patch, is it worth the risk of leaving CCV out? Yes Ibrox is deemed more important, but it will be a lot more difficult if we don’t get a result on Sunday.
For me we have to pick our strongest XI and that would mean starting with CCV. It’s a risk yes, but it’s a risk we will have to take. Fortune favours the brave!
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
As a pundit, Barry Ferguson isn’t the worst out there.
He can be balanced when he needs to be, and often, he jumps to the defence of Celtic.
Unlike other pundits of an Ibrox ilk.
But in his article in this morning’s Daily Record, he’s really getting a bit over excited.
Now, I suppose you can’t blame him when you consider the position his favourite side are in.
Thanks to our frugal board, they won’t have a better opportunity than they have now to win a league title.
To be fair to Bazza, he’s come up with a real rocket science way for the Ibrox side to wrap up this season’s title.
Wait for it.
Wait for it.
Here it comes.
Get 12 points out of 12 in the next four games before the split!
Wow, just WOW!
Here’s Bazza’s masterplan:
First, I’d look at the next two weeks before the split and four massive league games. Deal with Hibs at Ibrox, win the biggest game of the season at home to Celtic eight days later and follow that up with wins away to Dundee and Ross County. Take 12 points from these games and you’ll go into the post split fixtures in an incredible position. It really is that simple.
It really is that simple!
Bazza reckons if that doesn’t get the adrenaline pumping, then the Ibrox player are wearing the wrong shirt.
Which, to be fair to him, is spot on.
It’s this next paragraph that kind of throws a spanner in the works:
Over these next few weeks they are about to have their temperament examined as well as their ability to handle the pressure. And I’ve seen enough from this group of players already to believe that they have the mentality and the bottle required to finish what they have started over these last six months.
Barry is jumping the gun here in my opinion.
You see, three key take outs in that paragraph are something the Ibrox players often lack.
The ability to handle pressure.
Bottle.
Mentality.
Barry has seen enough this season to believe they have it.
But, and this is a big but, they didn’t have it when they faced us at Ibrox last September, albeit under a different manager, and they didn’t have it when they faced us last December.
Under their current manager.
So regardless of what Barry believes, he should pause those beliefs until the full time whistle next Sunday week.
Fair dues, if they manage to beat us, then Bazza is fully entitled to those beliefs.
Now, I’m sure most Ibrox fans were fully sure we’d be headed to Ibrox with the disadvantage of having no manager on the touchline.
Fortunately for us, and unfortunately for them, that has not come to fruition.
During both tenures as Celtic manager, Brendan Rodgers has only lost 1 game to the Ibrox side.
He has won 12, drawn 2, and lost 1.
Philippe Clement’s record, on the other hand, stands at played 1, lost 1.
Now that’s pretty ominous, and I’m fairly sure the messiah has his players all fired up to right that particular wrong.
But, despite all the poor performances we’ve seen this season from Celtic, one thing you cannot dispute is Brendan Rodgers’ ability to own the Ibrox side.
He has an uncanny ability to consistently get all of his calls right in these games.
I don’t see that changing on the 7th of April either.
It would have been a huge blow to us to have been missing Rodgers from the dugout at Ibrox.
But he’ll be there now, and he will see this as a huge opportunity to prove to everyone that he is still an elite, top tier manager.
Many people are writing off Brendan Rodgers as a busted flush, including a lot of our own support.
Clearly Barry Ferguson thinks he’s a has been, and that Philippe Clement is the real deal.
Just as Barry Ferguson should pause his beliefs until the final whistle on the 7th, people should reserve judgement when it comes to Brendan Rodgers until then too.
Then, and only then, will we be in a position to decide what Rodgers is, or isn’t for that matter.
As for Barry Ferguson?
His rocket science approach to the next four games is ground breaking.
How Celtic didn’t think of it is beyond me.
But I have just one question for him.
What happens if Celtic steal his masterplan, and score 12 points out of 12 in the next four fixtures?
What then Barry?
I guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens, won’t we?
Me personally?
I don’t see it being as straightforward as Barry thinks.
There are a lot of twists and turns left in this season yet.
You’d better believe that.
Celtic have had some players with some interesting hair styles over the years that have created conversation among supporters.
In one of the strangest articles I’ve ever chosen to write, Scott Brown remained bald for almost all of his Celtic career, and his chosen style added to his image of being a brilliant enforcer in the middle of the park.
Since retiring and trying his hand at management, eagle-eyed fans have noticed that he does actually have the ability to grow hair, though he chose not to during his playing career for reasons we will find out later.
Now in the dugout at Ayr United, the Celtic legend who managed to win 22 trophies at Parkhead has the Honest Men four points off the Scottish Championship playoff positions.
The Ayrshire side face a tough season run-in; regardless, what a story it would be if Brown could achieve promotion and potentially face Celtic come 2024/25.
Like many other years, the second tier has proved to be extremely competitive, making it too difficult to call when discussing who is the most likely to make the step up to the Scottish Premiership.
Former Scotland international Brown will be back at Parkhead later this year as he prepares to don the captain’s armband again for the Celtic Legends vs Borussia Dortmund charity match on May 26th.
Speaking to BBC Scotland, he revealed that shaving his hair was purely a measure to intimidate opponents, and he has since grown it back for his children.
Brown stated: “(I did it) To intimidate people. It worked quite well if I’m honest. During COVID-19, the kids asked if I actually did have hair, and I wasn’t 100% sure if I actually could grow it or if I had a receeder.
He then added: “I thought ‘we’ll go eight, nine weeks’, and it started to grow. I always had really think, Brillo pad hair. No style to it whatsoever but it just grows out like a tennis ball.”
Later on, he said: “I ended up getting my first pictures going back to Celtic after COVID-19. Got the pictures with hair and then shaved it for the first game. You can imagine the media team were not happy with me!”
“I was always going to shave it for the games; it was part and parcel of who I was.”
Everybody has their vices, and Brown clearly felt that shaving his hair off was a way to channel some of his energy into being the best version of himself on the pitch.
On the face of it, there is a certain humorous element to this conversation; however, it certainly didn’t do him any harm during his Celtic career, it is fair to say.
After watching Scotland in this international break it is clear that Steve Clarke has glaring issues within his team that could be solved if he utilised one of Celtic’s most trusted players.
The 1-0 defeat to Northern Ireland could be classed as an embarrassing result for Clarke. Especially as the Irish are undergoing a rebuild under Michael O’Neill and Clarke has a Scotland squad full of players from the English Premier League and the top clubs in Scotland.
Northern Ireland’s goal came from a mistake by Everton fullback, Nathan Patterson. The youngster did well to recover when Scotland lost possession in the middle of midfield but gifted it back to young Conor Bradley whose deflected shot found its way into Angus Gunn’s top left-hand corner.
Patterson never really recovered and now the right fullback position has come under scrutiny as the Euros get ever closer for Scotland.
So how can Steve Clarke address this issue? Well, the answer is rally simple.
The Celtic fullback was an unused sub in last night’s defeat. He had to watch from the sidelines even though he did ok when he came on as a sub in the 4-0 defeat to the Netherlands.
With 986 first-team Celtic minutes this season, the argument could be posed that he hasn’t played enough football to earn a place in Clarke’s starting lineup. [Transfermarkt]
That may well be the case but when you see that Patterson has only managed 1367 minutes himself, then that’s not really an argument you can use.
With Ralston what you have is a player who is a winner, knows what it takes to play under pressure and he barely makes any mistakes in defence.
Used by Ange Postecoglou in his double-winning season, Ralston performed brilliantly for Celtic in that season under immense pressure. Ralston won over 74% of his tackles, and 59% of his duels, created 1.45 chances per game and even scored four goals with the most memorable being that 97th-minute Ross County winner. [Fotmob]
This season Ralston’s stats remain almost the same despite his lack of first-team minutes. His tackling success rate is still over 71%, duels won is over 58% ground and over 61% aerial and he’s still creating over 2 chances per game for Celtic.
With his experience of winning titles and cups at Paradise, maybe it’s time to give Ralston a go in the next international break because he has proven time and again that when it comes to performing under pressure (which Clarke us under after a seven-game winless streak), he is more than up to the task.
Celtic midfielder Matt O’Riley is claimed to be a transfer target for Leeds United, with the Whites previously reported to have had a bid rejected last summer
Celtic star Matt O’Riley has already spoken about his future amid fresh links with a move to Leeds United.
The 23-year-old midfielder has been a standout player for Celtic since signing from MK Dons in January 2022. This season has been significant for O’Riley, who has registered 26 goal contributions across 39 games in all competitions, as he has made his Champions League debut and earned his first cap for Denmark.
Leeds were previously touted with a £10m bid for O’Riley last summer while Atletico Madrid saw a bid rejected in January. However, a fresh report from Give Me Sport has claimed that Leeds will be ‘tempted’ to make a new offer for O’Riley, should Daniel Farke’s side achieve promotion to the Premier League.
The report claims that O’Riley is valued at £25m and has also attracted interest from Brighton and Brentford. The midfielder has previously commented on his Celtic future as he continues to impress for the Scottish giant.
“Celtic received an offer from them (Atletico Madrid), and that was cool. I wasn’t really close to leaving because Celtic wanted more money. I’m not upset about it,” he told Danish outlet Tipsbladet.
“For me, it was just cool that a club like them would want me. It’s not often you receive an offer from Atletico Madrid, so of course, it’s great, we have to see what happens (next).”
Before the January window, O’Riley spoke of his pride at playing in the Champions League, where he recorded three assists in six group games, including against Atletico Madrid. Having successfully made the step up, O’Riley admitted that he wanted to stay at the highest level.
“I have played in the Champions League against many good teams, and I feel I am ready (to take the next step), but I am already playing for a good team. It’s hard to say what is going to happen,” O’Riley admitted.
Manager Brendan Rodgers revealed Celtic’s stance on O’Riley’s immediate future during the January transfer window. The former Leicester City boss took charge of Celtic for the second time in the summer and has enjoyed working with the midfielder.
“There was that, but Matt is a player we don’t want to lose and he won’t be going anywhere in January,” Rodgers told Sky Sports. “It’s a great testament to him and what the club can do for a player.
“He won his first international cap this season and Atletico Madrid are a big club in European football. He is very much part of what we are doing. He has been a joy to work with.”
Celtic are currently sat at the top of the Scottish Premiership table during the international break after their 3-1 win over St. Johnstone last weekend.
Goals from Kyogo Furuhashi, Nicolas Kuhn, and James Forrest put the Hoops 3-0 up before a late consolation strike from Connor Smith for the away side finished off the scoring.
They are now one point clear of rivals Rangers, whose game at Dundee was postponed due to a waterlogged pitch, having played one more match.
After the international break, Celtic should be hoping for a strong end to the season in order to win the SFA Cup and Premiership title, rather than enduring a trophyless campaign.
The national team matches may have come at the perfect time for Brendan Rodgers, who could have a couple of key players back fit by next week.
Captain Callum McGregor has been absent in recent weeks with an Achilles injury but could be back in action after the break, with the manager hopeful that he will be available to face Livingston.
There is no guarantee that the Scotland international, who was not in contention to feature for his country this month, will be ready to return for that match but the ex-Liverpool tactician will assess the midfielder’s fitness ahead of that game.
Central defender Maik Nawrocki suffered a hamstring injury last month and there has been no timescale given on his return to first-team involvement, which means that it remains to be seen whether or not he will be available to face Livi.
| Maik Nawrocki | 23/24 Premiership |
|---|---|
| Appearances | 8 |
| Starts | 5 |
| Pass accuracy | 86% |
| Ground duel success rate | 70% |
| Aerial duel success rate | 46% |
| Stats via Sofascore | |
One player who looks set to be in contention to feature against Livingston, however, is central midfielder Reo Hatate after he made his return in a friendly earlier this week.
The Japan international played 45 minutes in a bounce game against St Mirren on Wednesday, a match in which Gustaf Lagerbielke and Hyeon-gyu Oh also took part.
Hatate has been out of action since the winter break after he suffered injuries to both of his calves whilst playing for his country back in January.
His appearance in the friendly clash earlier this week suggests that the terrific midfielder could have a chance of being in the squad to face Livingston when the Hoops return to Premiership action next Sunday.
With this in mind, Rodgers could brutally ditch Tomoki Iwata, who has emerged as a regular this year, from the starting XI to make way for Hatate, whether that is in the next game, or whenever the Japanese star is ready to be selected from the start.
The 26-year-old battler has worked his way into the starting line-up for the Hoops during the second half of the campaign, after a difficult start to the season.
Nine of his 11 appearances in the Premiership have come since the start of November, and all six of his starts in the division have come since the start of December.
The Japan international has provided a calm presence on the ball at the base of the midfield set-up for Rodgers, with a pass completion rate of 92% across those 11 top-flight clashes.
However, Iwata has left a little bit to be desired with his lack of quality out of possession for the Scottish giants. He has lost 56% of his duels, including 62% of his battles on the ground, and only made 1.1 tackles and interceptions combined per match in the Premiership.
This suggests that opposition players have found it too easy to outmuscle and get the better of him in the middle of the park at times, whilst the midfielder has also struggled to make multiple defensive interventions per game.
| 23/24 Premiership | Tomoki Iwata | Squad rank |
|---|---|---|
| Key passes per game | 0.6 | 16th |
| Dribbles per game | 0.0 | Joint-27th |
| Shots per game | 0.8 | 21st |
| Assists | 1 | Joint-12th |
| Goals | 1 | Joint-15th |
| Stats via WhoScored | ||
Whilst his pass accuracy speaks to his reliability and composure on the ball, the statistics in the table above show that Iwata has not made a big impact in possession at the top end of the pitch.
If Hatate is back fit and available, Rodgers must brutally ditch Iwata to unleash the “outrageous” – as described by Scotland international John McGinn – whiz in his place.
The £16k-per-week dynamo has scored two goals and provided two assists – twice as many of each compared to his compatriot – in just eight league appearances in an injury-disrupted campaign so far.
Last season, the 26-year-old magician was a regular starter under Ange Postecoglou and caught the eye with both his contributions in and out of possession for the Bhoys.
Hatate averaged 1.5 tackles and interceptions per match, which was marginally more than Iwata has managed this term, but his strength in his duels stood out. The impressive gem won 56% of his battles on the ground and 59% of his aerial contests across 32 league matches.
This suggests that he could offer more than the current starter in terms of his strength off the ball, as he can dominate opposition players in duels – rather than being dominated.
| Scottish Premiership | Reo Hatate – 22/23 | Tomoki Iwata – 23/24 |
|---|---|---|
| Appearances | 32 | 11 |
| Goals | 6 | 1 |
| Assists | 8 | 1 |
| Big chances created | 10 | 1 |
| Key passes per game | 1.3 | 0.6 |
| Dribbles completed per game | 0.8 | 0.0 |
| Stats via Sofascore | ||
As you can see in the table above, the recently injured Celtic star also has the edge over Iwata when it comes to making things happen at the top end of the pitch.
He has the quality to score and create goals at an impressive rate – with more Premiership goals than any other central midfielder in the squad last season – and could provide the team with another threat in possession over the coming weeks and months.
Therefore, Rodgers should brutally ditch Iwata from the starting line-up as soon as Hatate is fit enough to start, due to his superior qualities on and off the ball in the middle of the park.
Daizen Maeda may have been dealt a brutal put down for his ability on the ball by one of his country’s most famous players.
But Celtic team-mate Greg Taylor insists when it comes to qualities OFF it, the Hoops have one of the best in the world. Maeda’s non-stop work rate and pressing has seen him dubbed the ‘Duracell Bunny’ at Parkhead. And even though Taylor reckons the Japan ace likes to recharge his batteries during the week, he says his energy on matchday is vital to powering Celtic’s charge into the business end of a frenetic title race.
Maeda was the only member of the Japanese contingent at Parkhead to get the call for international duty this week and played a full 90 minutes as the Samurai Blue defeated North Korea 1-0 in Thursday’s World Cup qualifier. But he was hardly given the warmest of welcomes home when former Japan hero Marcus Tanaka called for him to be dumped and branded him “terrible with the ball”.
Taylor, though, insists there’s no way he’d ever be under-valued among his colleagues in the east end of Glasgow. He said: “Not within this building, and certainly not by me. I’m Daizen’s biggest fan and I’ll never under-appreciate him as a player.
“He’s a breath of fresh air, he works ever so hard for the team and is always willing to do that bit more. His pressing, I think he’s genuinely one of the best at pressing in the world. I think his presses and his numbers are right up there. In training I actually think he recharges the battery through the week at times!
“There’s a couple of days out there where you think Daizen’s just getting ready for the weekend, and sure enough, when the weekend comes he normally doesn’t stop. That’s a good way to be, he knows his body.”
Earlier in the season Maeda was clocked as the fourth quickest player in the entire Champions League after scurrying around at 35.6km/h. But there’s more than just being a pest to opposition defenders that sets the Hoops hassler apart.
A first hat-trick in Scotland as Livingston were dumped out the Scottish Cup a fortnight ago suggested he was hitting top form in front of goal at the right time of the season too. Whether that’s down to his new hairdo is anyone’s guess. But Taylor said: “He said he was growing it for his daughter, so that’s quite a nice touch and it’s worked for him, he’s notched a few goals since!
“He’s got many strengths and adding goals to his game will only improve him. Our relationship is really good, I think you can see that going back through the last few seasons, we work really well together.
“His strengths complement mine really well and it’s a relationship that’s been pretty strong through different circumstances. He’s been on the left, he’s been on the right, he’s been playing up front at times as has happened this season, but that’s part and parcel and it’s nice to have that relationship back.”
If Maeda is a key man for the Hoops launching into the final leg of the title race then Joe Hart is providing a solid platform at the back. The veteran goalkeeper has already revealed he will hang the gloves up in the summer.
And Taylor – who dubbed the 36-year-old one of England’s greatest ever keepers – is determined to ensure he goes out a champion. He said: “Harty has been a massive part of our success in the last few years. He’s great on the pitch and an amazing guy off it.
“We want to finish it the right way for him, But that is just one of many reasons. We want to give the supporters a trophy to celebrate and you also want to do it for yourself and your own personal pride.
“We also want to do it for the manager as you know the sacrifices he makes and the belief he has in us as a squad. But doing it for Joe is also one of them.
“Joe is the perfect professional. He’s always willing to put an arm round a player if he needs it and if someone needs a bit of firing up he is there as well.
“He really reads every situation well and carries himself like the top professional that he is. How humble he is after everything he has done in the game is unbelievable. He’s arguably one of England’s greatest goalkeepers, Man City’s as well, he’s just a real credit to himself.”
Hart has turned the clock back with a string of huge saves at key times. And Taylor said: “He’s been massive. Certainly since Christmas, it’s been picked up on some of the massive saves that Harty has made for us, it’s been vital in some of the games.
“I think that has been pretty consistent throughout his time here, he’s made big saves when he’s been needed and we’ll miss him of course when he goes.
“But he wants to go out when he’s feeling good, he doesn’t want to carry on any longer than he feels is necessary. As I said, and also he believes, he wants to try and finish the season right.”
Yet, amidst his numerous victories, Celtic stands out as a rare stumbling block in his otherwise illustrious career.
Having faced the Scottish giants twice in the 2016/17 Champions League group stages without a win, Guardiola finds Celtic alongside Wigan as the only two teams he has not managed to defeat in his managerial career.
The first encounter between Guardiola’s Manchester City and Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic ended in a thrilling 3-3 draw. Notably, Celtic never trailed in the match. Moussa Dembele’s memorable performance, highlighted by an overhead kick, alongside a Kieran Tierney goal that deflected off Raheem Sterling, showcased Celtic’s capability to challenge top-tier opposition.
The subsequent match at the Etihad Stadium further cemented Celtic’s ability to stand toe-to-toe with Guardiola’s side, ending in a 1-1 draw. Patrick Roberts, on loan from Manchester City to Celtic, made an immediate impact by scoring early, only for his goal to be equalised minutes later.
As both teams prepare to meet again in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, on July 23 during Celtic’s American pre-season tour, Guardiola will undoubtedly seek to secure his first victory over the Scottish club.
Celtic comfortably saw off St Johnstone at Parkhead yesterday, on a day when Brendan Rodgers’ men made a compelling case regarding their title-winning credentials.
Kyogo Furuhashi opened the scoring not long before the interval, heading home from an impressive Nicolas Kuhn centre, capitalising on a period of dominance during proceedings for the hosts.
Straight after the whistle sounded for the restart, Furuhashi returned the favour, sliding a low ball across the goalmouth that would’ve been impossible to miss. The latter subsequently claimed his first goal for the Bhoys.
Veteran winger James Forrest prolonged Celtic’s stranglehold over St Johnstone in the 68th minute, taking advantage of a sweeping pass from Matt O’Riley to rifle home a third.
Connor Smith provided a late response from the visitors; however, his mere consolation couldn’t take the shine off an imposing display from the Hoops.
Rodgers’ reigning Scottish Premiership champions recorded 74% possession and had 23 efforts on goal, ten of which were on target [BBC Sport].
Looking forward, a period of reflection during the international break will ensue before we return away to Livingston on Sunday, 31st March.
Celtic have several players who are gearing up for international duty over the coming weeks; meanwhile, there will also be a core of individuals who stay at Lennoxtown either to continue their recovery from injury or simply as a result of not being picked to represent their respective nation.
Rodgers is the man tasked with keeping his squad ticking over during the break, and he has revealed there are plans in place to ensure his group remain fit amid a spate of injuries within the camp.
Speaking post-match, the Hoops manager revealed that a behind-closed-doors bounce fixture has been organised to help maintain match-readiness levels.
He stated [Celtic FC YouTube]: “There will be a little bit of rest but there’s still work to be done, we’ll have a game behind closed doors to get one or two of our players up to speed.
Later on, Rodgers added on Cameron Carter-Vickers’ successful outing: “But really good news, seeing the likes of Cam in today and working well. All being well, all of the guys come back fit, and we can really attack this last part of the season.”
Undoubtedly, injuries have played a major part in the tale of this campaign, and any measures that can be put in place to ensure we have sufficient depth heading into the last portion of this term will be welcomed by supporters.
Hopefully, we can have as close to a clean bill of health as possible once the Scottish Premiership calendar resumes after the international break.
Celtic winger Nicolas Kuhn stood out in the Hoops’ dominative 3-1 win over St. Johnstone on Saturday, adding a goal and assist to his name.
The German wide man set up Kyogo Furuhashi for the opener just before half time with the vivacious striker returning the favour just after the break when he slid a rapid ball across goal for Kuhn to tap home from.
He came off with just under half an hour to go to a standing ovation and was later named the in-stadium Man of the Match.
Later on Saturday evening, the 24-year-old took to Instagram, captioning a few photos with ‘Really enjoyed today’, and a few emojis:
At the minute, the right-wing spot in the Celtic team seems as though it is Kuhn’s to lose. He has come into the side over the past few games and grasped his opportunity with both hands.
There is competition out wide with Yang due to return from a suspension versus Livingston and James Forrest making a few cameos here and there. It likely will be Kuhn, though, who gets the nod at the Tony Macaroni Arena in a fortnight.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day One of my favourite 1890s newspaper quotes refers to Celtic player Paddy Gallagher and the day:
“socks, pawn tickets and shamrocks were kicking about the Celtic’s pavilion on Saturday, in commemoration of Pat Gallagher’s day.”
Today is a day when a great many pubs will report higher takings than normal; many Celtic fans may help boost those profits. This might be because it is St Patrick’s Day, although other fans may simply be choosing to try and drink to forget recent performances from Celtic!
The Bhoys are not playing today, instead they were yesterday in action against St Johnstone. It was a positive result for the Celts with all three points staying at Parkhead after Celtic’s comfortable 3-1 victory.
The Celtic squad arrived at Celtic Park yesterday afternoon sporting the new Irish heritage kit…
Over the years, Celtic have been in competitive action on St Patrick’s Day on 23 occasions. Some of these have been momentous and memorable occasions, others best forgotten.
Of these 23 games, 14 have resulted in wins for the Bhoys in different competitions, alongside seven draws and two defeats. Celtic have averaged around two goals scored in each of these matches (40 goals in 23 fixtures), whilst at the same time conceding on 30 occasions.
The vast majority of these matches have been league games, but there have some cup fixtures too.
Celtic Supporters at Celtic Park yesterday with an Irish/ Palestine tribute from the Green Brigade.
Mainly the Scottish Cup, but also the Southern League Cup (which became the Scottish League Cup after World War Two) and one European fixture.
That match – a home 1-1 draw against East German side FSV Zwickau – eventually saw Celtic exit the European Cup-Winner’s Cup following a 1-0 away defeat. This second match saw Celtic have to ‘adopt’ then 17-year old Roy Aitken so he was allowed to travel!
The club’s first St Patrick’s Day runout was a disaster. Playing in 1894 in Edinburgh against Leith Athletic, Celtic lost 5-0 in the final league game of the season. However as the green-and-white stripes had already clinched the title, it mattered little.
Although the Bhoys again played on 17 March in 1900 (an exciting 4-4 draw with Third Lanark in the Inter-City League), it took until 1917 before the now hooped Celts could celebrate a win on this day. This came in the form of a 2-1 victory when visiting Airdrie.
Perhaps the most famous and celebrated St Patrick’s Day game for the Bhoys came in 1991. Rangers came to Celtic Park in the Scottish Cup – and left two goals and three men down. You might say they were ‘massacred’.
When the Celts repeated this victory the following week with a 3-0 ‘Palm Sunday Humiliation’ league win, it was one of few highlights for the club in that era. This was in fact Celtic’s most recent St Patrick’s Day home game, more than three decades ago.
Outwith this victory over Rangers, perhaps Celtic’s other best fixtures on St Patrick’s Day have been two 6-0 victories. In both cases these games were played in Lanarkshire with Celtic winning away against Airdrie in 1954 and then at Motherwell in 1984.
Celtic’s most recent 17 March came five years ago in 2019. The Bhoys went to Dens Park and came away with a 1-0 victory thanks to a very, very late Odsonne Edouard winner.
Although there’s no game for Celtic men’s team today, the Bhoys very much need the luck of the Irish if they are to get anything from the rest of the season. Remember that if you’re out celebrating today.
And keep an eye on the Celtic FC Women’s SWPL1 match against theRangers Women which kicks off at 4.10pm this afternoon. Elena Sadiku’s side can narrow the gap to just one point with a win and the Celtic manager is confident that her team will deliver some St Patrick’s Day cheer to the Celtic support on this very special day.
Hail Glorious St Patrick, dear saint of our Isle!
Matthew Marr
Follow Matthew on Twitter @hailhailhistory
Matthew’s debut Celtic book titled ‘The Bould Bhoys – Glory to their name’ was published by Celtic Star Books last year and is available to order HERE for HALF PRCE or alternatively you can pick up a copy at any official Celtic store. This brilliant book is also available on Amazon Kindle for just £3.49 and includes all photo sections that appear in the hardback edition.
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