Paul Bernardo looks more worthy of a place than Reo at this moment in time. The same could be said of Luke McCowan who yesterday outperformed Arne Engels…
There’s been a lot of debate amongst supporters recently over whether Reo Hatate or Paulo Bernardo should be playing alongside Arne Engels and Callum McGregor in midfield. I reckon that going on recent displays you would have to say that Paulo is now more worthy of a starting place than Reo and it’s going to be done to the Japanese midfielder to raise his game to guarantee a starting place in this Celtic side.
Reo Hatate as we all know is a magnificent footballer and brings Celtic much needed creativity, but he’s looked a little off form in the past few weeks, and dare I say it, perhaps a little disinterested.
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Paulo Bernardo has performed well in the starts he has made, Dortmund apart, but then again who did cover themselves in glory on that terrible night at the Westfalenstadion?
He’s also got that bit of dig about him, and does things off the ball that perhaps Reo is unwilling to do. There was speculation that Reo was a target for various clubs late on in the window so maybe that’s bearing heavy on his mind?
It’s not just Paulo who is pushing Reo for a starting spot, the same could be said of Luke McCowan. The £1 million signing from Dundee has looked lively in every appearance he’s made from the bench so far and that continued yesterday. Luke looks like he’s been part of our side for years and looks to be a very shrewd acquisition by Brendan Rodgers. Hopefully we will see him handed a deserved starting spot some time soon.
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Arne Engels didn’t have good game up at Dingwall and it’s clear that Luke McCowan was significantly better when he arrived into the game, indeed watching back Celtic’s winning goal, it was the work done by first Bernardo then McCowan that allowed Alistair Johnston to put that lovely forward pass through for Nicolas Kuhn to do the rest and win the three points.
What a great signing the former Dundee captain is looking like for Celtic. Has Luke done enough to earn a start? Maybe not quite yet but he’s making a case for himself and Brendan Rodgers will be well aware of his effectiveness going into a game a goal down and helping turn it around so dramatically.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
As much as our summer transfer business looked very decent overall in the end, it still left question marks as to how our midfield areas within our squad, was actually constructed?
Never really thought that having only 5 midfield options was enough in a 25man squad?
Finally getting in McCowan just before the window shut, looked like a signing moreso in making up our homegrown quota, than what he was expected to add to our team, especially with how he has been used in game time to date imo?
Looked like Holm was going to give ourselves a 6th midfield option, but has been frozen out all together at present?
And would agree that Hatate is starting to look like a player who sees his future elsewhere, and not considered a 90 minute player by Rodgers, so very unclear as to how that situation will unfold, over the course of the season?
So potentially a number of unanswered questions still remains within our midfield areas, especially with a midfield area, that looks to be set up with calmac expected to play every minute of every game?
So still don’t believe that we are best covered for if any injuries should start impacting our midfield areas?
The use of Hatate and McCowan could do with getting sorted out moreso, especially when the body language of the 2 players, are telling 2 completely different stories, and is that starting to come out within games now?
Both Paulo and Engels are both young players, where consistency levels are always going to be an issue within the younger player?
Wasn’t it such an issue that O’riley had to endure and overcome for himself while with ourselves, in the earlier stages of his Celtic career?
So overall, as much as I like our midfield players within our squad, still believe that a very dangerous midfield set up, is still in operation for ourselves also?
Still believe that our midfield areas will have to hopefully be addressed in January, as question marks remains as to whether having only 5 options available to ourselves at present, is going to be successful enough to match our demands, over the full course of the season?
Still playing a bit of Russian roulette in that regards, in where our current midfield area options are currently in operation imo?