Celtic have let their gap slip at the summit of the cinch Premiership, with the turn of the year seeing Celtic produce some performances that fans really aren’t happy about.
The displays have been frustrating, with supporters grumbling and frustrations being heard following last weekend’s draw with Kilmarnock which saw the players booed off of the park.
Celtic are a very inconsistent team this season, with the differences between first-half and second-half performances being night and day.
However, one thing that has been consistent since the turn of the year is the underwhelming performances from Celtic’s wingers. Whilst playing in a deeper role has seen Kyogo Furuhashi becoming more involved in matches, he still isn’t receiving the service necessary to hit anywhere near the heights he was hitting in the previous season.
It seems that Brendan Rodgers is just chopping and changing things with regards to the wingers, but nothing seems to be working at the moment. With the likes of Luis Palma and Daizen Maeda both struggling from starting positions, who starts at Fir Park against Motherwell at the weekend?
Luis Palma
Since signing from Aris Thessaloniki in the summer, the Honduran has shown to be a very hot and cold player, almost epitomising Celtic’s season so far.
His numbers are impressive, but they come in bursts with a few goals or a few assists all coming in the same game, followed by a lacklustre run of games.
His knack for popping up with a goal may have kept him in the team over the last few weeks, but Rodgers’ brutal hooking of the 24-year-old at half-time last weekend suggests he may be dropped against Motherwell.
Daizen Maeda
Daizen Maeda can be an incredibly important player for Celtic with the qualities that he brings to the team. His energy, pressing and determination all make him a player that you want on the park at all times, but over the last few weeks his technical ability has been badly exposed.
Poor passing, dribbling and finishing have all seen Celtic look toothless in the final third, and he may struggle to keep his place in the team.
Yang or Kuhn?
Nicolas Kuhn has been the whipping boy over the last few weeks, with the new signing failing to impress in his brief appearances in the team.
Lightweight and failing to beat a man when he plays, he has struggled with the physical aspect of things in Scotland so far and he shouldn’t be expected to appear from the start against Motherwell.
Yang Hyun-jun brings an energy and electricity to the team that has helped spark some urgency into some lifeless second-half Celtic performances, but ultimately it hasn’t wielded the results that the South Korean would have been looking for.
However, his willingness to try and make something happen when no one else has may see him afforded the chance to impress from the start against Motherwell, also affording him the chance to rectify his incredibly poor display at Fir Park earlier in the season as well.
James McKenzie // @JamesWHMcKenzie
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