One of the biggest talking points from Celtic’s 4-3 loss to Cluj which saw the Hoops crash out of the Champions League was Neil Lennon’s decision to play Callum McGregor at left-back.
The move did not pay off, as McGregor looked uncomfortable in his unnatural position. Thankfully the Hoops boss has not repeated the mistake since.
Now as the Hoops prepare to face Cluj again, this time in the Europa League, Lennon has the chance to rectify his mistake.
Perhaps there is an argument to be made for McGregor to be left out of the side. He has not been in the best of form recently.
A mainstay this season
It is unlikely however that the Hoops boss will leave him out of the team. He has been a mainstay of the Hoops side for most of Lennon’s time as Celtic manager.
So good were McGregor’s performances in midfield last season that he was named as player of the year by his Celtic team-mates, and Leicester were reportedly planning a £17.5 million bid for the player.
The decision to play McGregor at left-back can be considered a one-off mistake. Perhaps the Hoops boss was concerned about the early season form of Boli Bolingoli. At that time, he hadn’t had the best start to his Celtic career.
Bolingoli has now settled into the Celtic team. Therefore, there is no reason for McGregor not to return to his natural position for this game against Cluj.
Tasked to help the Hoops control the midfield
Should McGregor start the match, he and Scott Brown will be tasked with making sure the Hoops control the middle of the park.
That didn’t happen in the earlier defeat to Cluj. The loss of the midfield area played a part in the Hoops’ poor performance in the second-half of that game. That could have been because McGregor didn’t feature.
That could all change if McGregor is restored to his place in the first-team.
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