Former Celtic defender-turned-pundit Mark Wilson has pinpointed a key factor that may prove to be crucial in Sunday’s League Cup Final between Celtic and theRangers at Hampden. With the teams in great form, supporters of both clubs are anticipating the game and speculating on how the match will turn out.
Speaking on Clyde 1 Superscoreboard on Tuesday night, Wilson told listeners that a major factor in the draw last month was the fact that Greg Taylor was forced from the pitch due to injury.
“Both sides were, I thought, were nervy on the day. And I was surprised with Celtic and how they played. They were careless in possession and that’s never like Ange Postecoglou’s side, especially with the players in that midfield area.
“It’s a funny thing to mention, but when Greg Taylor went off, I thought that’s when the game started to turn. But Taylor’s back fit now. Best left back in Scotland for me.
“But in terms of possession on the day, I think both managers will be disappointed in the way their teams approached that. I think we’ll see a different game at Hampden.”
Taylor was forced off with Celtic controlling the game. Ange Postecoglou’s Scottish Champions were 1-0 up thanks to a goal from Daizen Maeda before the full-back pulled up injured with a hamstring complaint. This resulted in Josip Juranovic, fresh from the World Cup Third Place success, having to come on and play at left back. Unfortunately, he struggled and was caught out by the pace of January’s penalty-cheat Fashion Sakala.
Ange will now be able to call upon the Scotland Internationalist, one of his most trusted lieutenants on the pitch. Taylor, much like the skipper Callum McGregor, is always looking for the ball, keen to battle back for possession and build play with clever passes. Taylor’s running, and ability to drift into promising areas compliments Reo Hatate so well. The pair are almost telepathic, knowing where each other is. This is helped by Daizen Maeda’s strong running in the left wing position.
It will certainly prove to be an excellent game given Celtic’s attacking prowess. There is also the factor that Wilson doesn’t mention, namely that the Celtic squad were suffering from a virus around the time of the game at the beginning of January.
