Saturday’s late win poses selection issues for Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers…
A late winner at Fir Park courtesy of a winner from a tall, elegant midfielder. Talk about déjà vu. In what was a frustrating performance from Rodgers’ men, few players shined as a 90+7-minute winner from Matt O’Riley was required to see off an impressive and hard working Motherwell side.
Celtic will now look to carry that momentum heading into Lazio on Wednesday night in the Champions League, but what are the team selection conundrums facing Rodgers ahead of the game?
Who starts at centre-half?
Liam Scales and Gustaf Lagerbielke have been impressive in their run as Celtic’s starting centre-half pairing, never losing a goal in the Scottish Premiership while playing as a pairing. Scales has outshone his compatriot so far in a Celtic shirt, with the Swedish international unsurprisingly looking slightly rawer and more indecisive, both traits of a young, inexperienced centre-half.
With Lagerbielke suspended after his red card in Rotterdam, this poses the question whether Rodgers should bring in the much more experienced Nathaniel Phillips for Wednesdays clash with Lazio. Phillips was given 28 minutes at Motherwell on Saturday, surely with an eye to the game this coming Wednesday.
Although not completely match sharp, Phillips will bring assurance and physicality to the backline, two things that Lagerbielke lacked in Celtics 2-0 defeat in Rotterdam. The alternative is to play Tomoki Iwata at centre-half, a decision that seems highly unlikely considering Phillips is available.
The big Englishman should make his first start in the UEFA Champions League for Celtic on Wednesday night.
Who starts out wide?
Across Celtic’s starting front three at the weekend, Kyogo, Maeda and Yang all struggled to leave their mark on the game. With much of Celtic’s play coming down the wings and a limited supply of crosses into the middle, Kyogo’s lack of involvement in the game can be excused.
Against teams such as Motherwell who sit in a low block, you can’t help but think Celtic need much more quality on the ball on that left wing. Luis Palma showed such quality coming off the bench, providing the goal and showing the technical quality he possesses with the ball at his feet.
Even with Maeda’s technical inconsistences, his pressing ability and freakish pace make him a must start in European games. Yang has been impressive this season and has showed glimpses of quality, but still remains rather raw.
It is set up for Palma to start on Wednesday, fresh from scoring his first goal in a Celtic shirt at the weekend. Rodgers will need his players to show quality such as the Honduran showed at Fir Park, making him a must start, despite his underwhelming showing in Rotterdam.
James French
