A permanent deal for Jeffrey Schlupp makes perfect sense given Greg Taylor’s likely Celtic exit as confirmed by Brendan Rodgers on Saturday…
Jeffrey Schlupp put in a decent showing on Saturday in the comfortable 3-0 victory over Hearts at Celtic Park, after the previous week being struck by the Celtic defensive wobbles against theRangers, just like the rest of our defenders with the notable exception of Maik Nawrocki.
The on loan Crystal Palace utility player was a great attacking threat as well as being defensively sound, due to his skill and strength, something that we’ve lacked in the left sided defensive area for quite some time.
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I’m not knocking Greg Taylor far from it, as he’s contributed massively to our success and has given nothing but one hundred percent commitment in his time at the club, but Jeffrey is a class above, he clearly wants to be here and as a utility player he can play in numerous positions which makes things easier for the manager when he is short of options due to injuries.
Greg Taylor’s head might not be in the right place at the moment due to the confusion surrounding his future, so naturally Jeffrey will be seen as ahead of him in the pecking order for the rest of this season.
It’s a must that we do our best to persuade Schlupp to sign on a more permanently when his loan deal expires in the summer at the same time that his contract with Palace ends. It’s a no brainer. He’s talented and experienced and he won’t cost a penny due to him becoming a free agent.
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Kieran Tierney will be arriving in the summer, and will naturally be seen as first choice at left back, but with Greg Taylor likely to leave, we need a replacement, and Jeffrey ticks all the boxes. It was pleasing to hear Brendan clarify that Greg Taylor does NOT have a financial issue with the offer Celtic has made, it’s all about first team football and it looks like Taylor has looked over to the other side of the Celtic defence where Alistair Johnston is the established right back and does not fancy becoming Celtic’s left-back alternative to Anthony Ralston.
Here’s what Brendan was saying post match on Saturday about Jeffrey Schlupp being open to a permanent deal at Celtic and Greg Taylor likely to leave for purely football reasons.
Q: How well is Jeffrey Schlupp playing at the moment?
Brendan Rodgers: “I think he’s got more to come. I think he’s come in, Jeff, and it’s not that Greg hadn’t been playing well, but I think when we put him into the team and in those Champions League games vs Bayern Munich, he was outstanding. But he’s still getting to grips with being on the inside, being outside. He’s had a few months at it. Greg’s had a few years at it and has been superb. And will get some games also. I’m really pleased with Jeff. It’s been a big move for him, coming to a big club. Expectation is huge here, but I think he’s settled in really well.”
Q: He’s just told us if there’s a possibility of him being here next season, it’s something he’d look at?
Brendan Rodgers: “I bet he would! He’s 32, coming to here, coming to Glasgow. I think it’s something between now and the end of the season we look at, but don’t commit too early! Or else they go a bit soft. He’s a great boy. I knew what I was getting. He’s a good guy, but more than a good guy, he can perform and play. Like I said, I think there’s more to come. We obviously know we have Kieran Tierney coming in the summer, who’s high, high level. And we know that we’re going to have to have someone else if Greg Taylor moves on. My ideal was always to keep Greg, and still is. But we have to see how the last few months develop.”
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It will be sad to see Greg Taylor go but Jeffrey Schlupp is experienced, talented, and can play in a number of positions. Get it done Celtic.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
I for one will be sad to see Taylor go.
He has been a whipping boy for a large section of our support for a few seasons now. He gives us more options when he comes into midfield that few full backs do. He can pick a pass from there as well, remember the dink he played for Hatate to score at Pittodrie early in the season. Tierney doesn’t have a pass like that in him.
Taylor isn’t the tallest and that seems to be people’s problem with him for defending the back post. He certainly stops more crosses coming in than Schlupp does. Schlupp is very poor at getting out to stop the ball coming in.
Schlupp is older than Taylor and will probably demand similar, if not more, than Taylor to sign.
I don’t think Taylor is demanding to play every game and, with Tierney’s injury record, he could end up playing just as many games as him if he does stay.