Mark Wilson has called for Brendan Rodgers to use the Celtic bench more, amidst fixture congestion.
He believes that if Celtic are to make it through such a difficult fixture pileup, Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers must utilise players like Hyeongyu Oh to navigate this challenging stage of the season.
Wednesday night’s match against St Mirren serves as a prime example of what the South Korean striker can achieve when given the chance off the bench.
Wilson told [Sky Sports]: “I think Rodgers utilising the strength of his bench, the support act if you like, coming on to play a major part is what is needed when you have so many fixtures.
“It was always good to see Oh get a goal, he’s been on the bench for long periods, playing bit part. When he got the opportunity, when his team needed him, he stepped up and got the three points.
“He’s been starved of chances, when he’s come on the games have sometimes been dead, Celtic taking their foot off the gas…He has to displace Kyogo, he has to put pressure on him and the only way to do that when he gets minutes, by scoring.”
While Wilson acknowledges the benefits of utilising the bench, a recent 0-0 draw against Hibernian illustrated that bringing substitutes on early in closely contested matches may not always be the solution.
Celtic introduced four substitutes during the game, yet none of the players brought on managed to score a winning goal despite Celtic having 71% of possession with an expected goals (xG) tally of 1.48 to Hibernian’s 0.57.
Expecting a young striker like Oh to consistently score with such limited game time is a challenging task. Giorgos Giakoumakis excelled at this but eventually left the club because he couldn’t displace Kyogo Furuhashi.
Oh, being younger than Giakoumakis, appears more patient to progress as a player coming off the bench. However, there will come a time when Rodgers will call upon Oh to start games, and that’s when we should judge him.
Criticising Oh for not scoring until Wednesday this season is unfair, as he showed his strengths to score in a high-pressure situation against a resilient St Mirren side, who currently sit third in the Scottish Premiership table.
In his first spell at the club, Rodgers faced a similar situation with Leigh Griffiths and Moussa Dembele. Griffiths initially started as the recognised first choice striker. However, an injury to Griffiths led to Dembele getting a start against Rangers, and he never looked back, solidifying his place as Celtic’s number nine.
This history shows that Rodgers has demonstrated his ability to manage strikers’ minutes effectively. As the season progresses, Oh will have more chances to demonstrate that he can be more than just a capable backup to Kyogo.
One undeniable factor affecting Celtic squad’s depth is the departure of Jota in the summer, which has made Rodgers more cautious about utilising his bench as freely as he might have with Jota in the squad.
This departure posed a significant challenge for the Northern Irishman in replacing one of the best wingers Celtic has seen in recent years. Despite receiving £25 million for the Portuguese winger, it’s nearly impossible to replace such a consistent player. Summer signings like Hyunjun Yang, Luis Palma, and Marco Tilio are considered as long-term investments, and it’s crucial to give them time to adapt to the club.
Yang and Palma have displayed great promise in recent weeks, with Yang impressing the Celtic fans with his performance off the bench against St Mirren, and Palma’s goal against Atletico Madrid highlights his ability to score in big games when given consistent playing time.
Celtic were also given the task of replacing Aaron Mooy who was more of an unsung hero in Celtic’s success last season. Despite initial reservations from many supporters about Mooy’s signing last summer, he played a significant role in Celtic’s treble-winning season.
Mooy initially had a slow start to the season, often coming on as a substitute to see out games, however, he gradually grew into his role as the year progressed. Eventually, he displaced Matt O’Riley from the starting eleven, which demonstrated the depth Celtic possessed last season.
However, with the new season came new players and departures, as Celtic looked to integrate young and hungry players like Odin Thiago Holm into the team. At 20 years old, Holm lacks the experience and knowhow to manage games like Mooy did. However, he has shown promise, with an assist against St Mirren on Wednesday night as an example of his progress at the club.
Expecting Holm to replicate Mooy’s impact off the bench is unrealistic. Holm needs more consistent opportunities to start games to develop as a player. Although, he must make the most of his game time when given the opportunity, to secure a regular starting role, especially considering the stiff competition for the central midfield position from players like David Turnbull and Paulo Bernardo in the absence of the injured Reo Hatate.
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