This season has been a hard watch for Celtic fans for many, many reasons, but Andy Halliday wanted to defend the players’ role in this.
From the get-go, and when Brendan Rodgers was in the dugout, Celtic were playing some turgid, sleepwalking football, and it hasn’t stopped now that Martin O’Neill is in the dugout.
The champions of Scotland have lost that ability to control matches, as proven during Celtic’s Scottish Cup semi-final win over St Mirren last Sunday.
But Halliday feels the Celtic players are ‘caught between styles’, and they do have the ability to play out from the back, as he named Anthony Ralston, Liam Scales, Auston Trusty and Kieran Tierney, who have that skill set.
“I have seen Ralston under Ange Postecoglou; he can play out from the back,” said Halliday.
“I have seen Liam Scales and Trusty. These guys under Rodgers are playing out from the back. Kieran Tierney got a move for £25 million because he could play out from the back.
“But I do think Celtic are caught between styles at the moment.”
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Anthony Ralston, Liam Scales, Auston Trusty, and Kieran Tierney can play out from the back
Celtic’s season was epitomised by that Scottish Cup semi-final. Going 2-0 up. Not being able to hold the lead, losing control, being forced into extra-time, and then going goal crazy for ten minutes.
But while Celtic fans have the joys of a Scottish Cup final to look forward to, and it will be up against a familiar face in Neil Lennon’s Dunfermline Athletic.
There are sections of the fanbase questioning why on earth the Hoops are playing out from the back, because they are showcasing signs that they can’t.
That was on display at Hampden when Viljami Sinisalo looked a nervous wreck, but thankfully, Celtic weren’t punished by St Mirren.
But rather than looking at the players, Halliday, who plays for a Motherwell side that has been lauded and applauded for their style this term, has pointed his finger at the coaching, as he told Clyde 1.
“I disagree, in terms of saying ‘the players aren’t good enough to play out from the back’, I think they are,” said Halliday.
“I would argue, are they coached to play out from the back? Because I think it’s a different argument. I agree that Martin O’Neill has never been that type of manager when you go back to his heyday at Celtic, when he played 3-5-2. They were never that type of team.
“I have seen Ralston under Ange Postecoglou; he can play out from the back. I have seen Liam Scales and Trusty. These guys under Rodgers are playing out from the back. Kieran Tierney got a move for £25 million because he could play out from the back.
“But I do think Celtic are caught between styles at the moment.”
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