Tempo and fluency will rocket- Sutton pins Celtic title hopes on duo

Chris Sutton is waiting for the final two pieces to be slotted into Celtic’s double winning season.

At the end of March there has barely been a sustained run of form under Brendan Rodgers with a six match winning run either side of the winter break the most sustained run of the season.

So far it as been stop start and consistently inconsistent with points dropped to Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Hearts in recent weeks undermining the hopes of retaining the SPFL Premiership title.

Last week at home to St Johnstone Celtic looked more recognisable, 3-1 was by no means a fair reflection on the 90 plus minutes.

Kyogo Furuhashi and Cameron Carter-Vickers returned to the Starting XI while January signing Nicolas Kuhn showed that he has something to offer as the campaign enters the home stretch.

Looking forward to two other additions, writing in the Daily Record Sutton points out:

I saw a passage of play in that St Johnstone game when the striker made a brilliant run from deep which cut him straight through the visitors’ defence.

Had Iwata spotted the pass, Kyogo would have an age to go through on the keeper and pick his spot. Unfortunately for Celtic, he didn’t see it, but you can bet your last coin Hatate would have spotted it.

It’s not being harsh on Iwata, it’s just a fact. The tempo and fluency in Celtic’s play will rocket if Hatate, McGregor are in tandem again.

Keep Kyogo on form, keep Cameron Carter-Vickers fit and add that midfield trio and Rodgers could go into the final two months with as powerful a selection hand as he’s held all term. Potentially, if Celtic can get through the Scottish Cup semi-final against Aberdeen, there are 10 games left in their season.

Every single one of them promises to be massive and it is going to take big game players. Having them all his disposal through until the end of May would be perfect timing for him.

The equation is pretty simple for Celtic. Win all 10 of those remaining games starting at Livingston next weekend and the Premiership and Scottish Cup double is theirs.

It’s a big period and it calls for stars who can make it happen. Hatate and McGregor are two who can shine more than any in the country.

Timing is everything, there must be huge doubt over whether Hatate and McGregor can start on the plastic pitch at Livingston a week tomorrow, April 7 at Ibrox won’t be the occasion for anyone less than match fit.

Behind closed doors at Lennoxtown next week the non-internationalists will be working harder than ever knowing that only eight victories ensure a third successive SPFL title.

Celtic talisman back in spotlight as pundit issues verdict on his most ‘dangerous’ role

Celtic will spend the international break at the top of the Scottish Premiership table and have time to reflect ahead of the season run-in.

The Bhoys were imperious last weekend against St Johnstone, dismantling Craig Levein’s outfit with minimal fuss to move a point ahead of Rangers at the summit.

Kyogo Furuhashi looked much like his old self and got the ball rolling just before half-time after latching onto a pinpoint cross from Nicolas Kuhn.

The Japan international turned provider early in the second 45, timing his run superbly before squaring to the onrushing Kuhn, who would’ve found it easier to miss from point-blank range.

Undoubtedly, Celtic were in cruise control at this point; however, James Forrest made a point of putting the game beyond doubt, taking one touch before lashing a powerful left-footed strike past Dimitar Mitov following a switch from Matt O’Riley.

Connor Smith earned a late consolation for the visitors; nevertheless, Brendan Rodgers’ men were deserved winners and can take major encouragement from a convincing showing.

Now, we are into the international break, which will take precedence until next weekend, when the Hoops travel to Livingston on Sunday, 31st March, for the next instalment of their push for a domestic double.

Celtic striker Kyogo Furuhashi’s role under the microscope

Following his strike last weekend, Furuhashi took his tally to 15 goals and four assists in 40 appearances this campaign, building on his encouraging cameo against Livingston in the Scottish Cup the previous Sunday [Transfermarkt].

Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard, pundit Gordon Dalziel has offered Celtic boss Rodgers some advice, indicating the 29-year-old is more productive when ‘on the shoulder’ of the opposition defence instead of in a deeper role.

Dalziel stated: “There’s no doubt for me, he’s a bigger threat when he plays on the shoulder. He’s played in the number ten as well; if Idah was playing, he’d play in the number ten.

“I think it was against St Mirren. He scored as well, so he can do both jobs. I think that maybe sometimes you over analyse it; it might just have been a lack of form, that confidence because you’re a goalscorer, you live and breathe getting your goals, and your confidence comes from that.

“Kyogo may just have been snatching at one or two, but if I’m Brendan Rodgers, I’m saying to Kyogo, ‘Look, the most dangerous you are is in the shoulder. ‘ Defenders don’t like that because he’s timing the runs well, he’s a clever player, he’s pacy, and he can finish.

“He comes off the bench (against Livingston), the confidence kicks back in again, and all of a sudden, he’s up and running. He is a threat; there’s no doubt about that.”

Furuhashi has hit form at a great time for Celtic

On his day, no striker in Scotland comes close to Furuhashi in terms of his movement, finishing, and ability to press from the front, though we haven’t always played to his strengths this season.

Regardless, it does seem like something has changed a little in the last couple of weeks. Celtic have been more productive in the wide areas, which seems to have improved the relationship between our wingers and chosen striker when looking to break down opposition backlines.

Either way, our talisman appears to have found a rhythm, and he now has a real opportunity to kick on and put up some impressive numbers before the campaign draws to a close

Chris Sutton Not Buying Matt O’Riley Celtic Fan Theories

Compared to the beginning of the season, Matt O’Riley’s Celtic form has taken a slight dip. The Danish midfielder was nothing short of a standout in the opening half of the campaign but since the turn of the year, he has not hit such heights.

He did grab an assist in the Hoops’ dominant 3-1 win over St. Johnstone on Saturday afternoon but O’Riley has netted just twice in the 11 games he’s played in 2024 to date.

The 23-year-old has dropped off in form, leading some Celtic fans to theorise that transfer interest from the likes of Atletico Madrid potentially turned his head.

Pundit and ex-Celt Chris Sutton, though, is not buying these claims. He believes that O’Riley has had to carry the burden of being The Bhoys’ sole consistently fit midfielder this campaign and that it has taken his toll.

Soccer Football – Scottish Premiership – Rangers v Celtic – Ibrox, Glasgow, Scotland, Britain – September 3, 2023 Celtic’s Callum McGregor and Matt O’Riley Action Images via Reuters/Lee Smith

He also thinks that it would be difficult for the midfielder to keep up the levels he reached at the start of the season: “There’s been a lot of talk around Matt O’Riley going off the boil in recent weeks and it’s got some Celtic fans jumping to conclusions”, he said (RecordSport).

“He must have had his head turned by that Atletico Madrid bid in January. All this stuff about £25million offers in the summer has distracted him and he’s taking his eye off the ball. I’m not buying it.

“Look, it may be the case O’Riley isn’t quite hitting the heights he reached in the first half of the season. It was always going to be tough for him to maintain that level as he set such a high bar. There was going to be a drop off at some point.

“You have to take into account it’s not just O’Riley that’s seen a dip – the entire Celtic team hasn’t clicked often enough since the turn of the year. Or more of the season, in fact. O’Riley hasn’t been helped by the inconsistency of selection either.”