Palma due a start tomorrow night against Dundee at Celtic Park? If so he needs to show he has what it takes to succeed at the club…
Mid-Season Friendly, Showgrounds, Sligo 9/10/2024 Sligo Rovers vs Celtic Celtic’s Luis Palma celebrates after scoring his side’s third goal of the match with Luke McCowan 9/10/2024 Photo: INPHO/TomxMaher
Luis Palma has been having a hard time of late, and seems to have fallen out of favour with Brendan Rodgers as the Honduran international has seen his game time limited. He did make the most of the mid-season friendly in Sligo, when given a start and heading back to Scotland with match ball after scoring all three Celtic goals in the 3-2 win.
Daizen likely to be back-up striker
Luis could well be handed a rare start tomorrow night against Dundee as Brendan Rodgers might be tempted to shuffle his pack with two massive games on the horizon in the next seven days. Daizen Maeda could well be given the night off in preparation for the Hampden semi-final clash with Aberdeen on Saturday and the Champions League showdown with RB Leipzig next Tuesday night.
Mid-Season Friendly, Showgrounds, Sligo 9/10/2024 Sligo Rovers vs Celtic Celtic’s Luis Palma is congratulated by teammates after scoring his side’s third goal of the match Luis Palma is congratulated by teammates after scoring his side’s third goal of the match 9/10/2024 Photo INPHO/Tom Maher
With Adam Idah likely to be missing tomorrow, Daizen becomes the back-up striker and could be used to replace Kyogo after an hour. That would leave the left wing role open and Luis will likely be the man to take Daizen’s usual place, and he’s got to take full advantage of a rare starting appearance.
Luis Palma has talent that is not in question
Luis has talent that is not in question, but there have been concerns over his attitude or perhaps his workrate which maybe isn’t the greatest, or at the level required by Brendan Rodgers.
If Luis wants to succeed at this club he’s got to not only up his ability, but improve his attitude and effort in matches when he has not got the ball. It’s a shame because he’s a decent player when he’s on his game, and if he can do just that then maybe he will indeed have a future at the club.
Mid-Season Friendly, Showgrounds, Sligo 9/10/2024 Sligo Rovers vs Celtic Celtic s Luis Palma shoots to score his side s first goal of the match.Photo INPHO/Tom Maher
Luis has got it in his locker, he now got to show it
He’s got to start showing it on the park, starting tomorrow night if he’s given the opportunity, which is looking likely. His last start at Celtic Park was against Falkirk in the Premier Sports Cup and it’s fair to say he did not have a great afternoon that day. Luis has got it in his locker, he now got to show it and prove to Brendan Rodgers that he is worthy of his place.
Over to you Luis.
Just an Ordinary Bhoy
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Palma simply isn’t a Rodgers player. I like him, and in another system he might stand a chance but he slows the game down, and he doesn’t have the penalty box presence that Maeda brings (despite the tendency for Daizen to miss chances). Palma has great ball skills, a good delivery, and a quality strike in his locker, but more often than not he looks like a square peg i a round hole, even more highlighted by Kuhn’s upturn in form this year. I really wish him well and hope he can make a difference, but I just can’t see him tranform into the type of pressing animal that the incumbent left winger embodies so well.