Celtic were on the end of a disappointing 3-0 defeat against Rangers at Ibrox yesterday that has halted their unbeaten start to the season under Brendan Rodgers.
Remaining faultless was never going to be easy, but the bigger picture remains that the Bhoys still retain a double-digit lead over their rivals at the summit of the Scottish Premiership.
Defensively, Celtic failed to perform against Rangers, conceding chance after chance as the midfield lost their battle and looked sluggish against a side that simply came to the table better prepared.
Making himself clear, Chris Sutton slammed Liam Scales and Nicolas Kuhn after their displays against Rangers. However, there needs to be a collective response to events that went down at Ibrox.
Offering his own verdict on affairs, Andy Walker is certain the Bhoys need to bring one of their key stars back into contention.
Andy Walker on the Celtic star who deserves another run
Speaking on the Go Radio Football Show, Walker made the point that Auston Trusty should be thrust back into the firing line after his recent absence that has enabled Scales to have a run in the side.
He stated: “I think you’re judged every week on your level of performance. You might be able to have one poor performance. The manager, the coach and staff will have a word with you.
“You’ll look at the game again. You’ll analyse where you went wrong. To be fair, I think Celtic have been very consistent this season.
“But at this stage of the season when Celtic are going for progress in the Champions League, obviously to retain that 11-point lead at the top of the table, Scottish Cup is coming up soon.
“You’re not allowed too many off days because if that’s what you come up with, there’ll be others that are there to take your place. And Trusty, you would imagine, will be back in the team soon because I think when you invest £6 million in a player, you need to give him game time.
“And he’s had plenty of game time, but he’s had one or two problems himself. You know, at the moment, Scales is the one who’s got the jersey.”
Auston Trusty’s price-tag justifies cause for a Celtic slot
Last summer, Celtic paid £6 million to purchase Trusty from Sheffield United, and he hadn’t done much wrong prior to his omission from the side.
The American has made 18 appearances in total for the Bhoys and established himself alongside Scales and Cameron Carter-Vickers despite initially playing on the wrong side of the backline.
Rodgers substituted Trusty at half-time during Celtic’s cup win over Rangers last month, claiming Scales was more comfortable in possession as the Bhoys went on to claim silverware.
With that said big-money investments cannot be disregarded. The former Arsenal man may need to bide his time, but it doesn’t feel like fans will be waiting long to see him back in action.
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