Gordon Dalziel says Celtic midfielder is proof that people in Scotland are too quick to judge

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Celtic are going from strength to strength after their latest showing.

It’s amazing what a few performances and results can do because the recent Champions League games have changed the tide at Parkhead.

After Celtic conceded seven to Borussia Dortmund, the mood around the place was pretty glum and fans were feeling pretty low.

At the time, a few interesting debates were emerging about the Celtic squad and who should be starting for Brendan Rodgers.

Even though Matt O’Riley left Celtic for Brighton in the summer, it has further enhanced the competition for places in the XI, especially in the middle of the park.

Paulo Bernardo signed permanently, whilst big bucks were paid to bring in Arne Engels, with many wondering who would partner Callum McGregor in the middle of the park.

You would have thought that it would be McGregor, Reo Hatate, plus another, but even the Japan star was being questioned not so long ago.

But, as Gordon Dalziel pointed out, that’s no longer the case!

Gordon Dalziel says Scotland is too quick to judge amid form of Reo Hatate for Celtic

Celtic’s win over RB Leipzig in the Champions League was one of their best performances in Europe for many a year.

Nicolas Kuhn rightfully got the plaudits for his brace, but Hatate could argue that he was the best player on the pitch.

Some of the stuff that he did just lifted you off your seat, with Gordon Dalziel lauding the 26-year-old as ‘class’.

But talking to Open Goal, he thinks people in Scotland are ‘terrible’ at judging players so quickly, as he also used Kuhn as an example after his arrival in January and struggles.

“He is class, yet a couple of weeks ago, there were people saying ‘oh, his form has dipped, leave him out,” said Dalziel about Hatate.

“You go back to it. We judge so, so early. We are terrible for it. But you have got to do it because you are asked on the spot. ‘What do you think? How is he playing?’

“You look at Kuhn coming in. Everybody thought ‘is he going to be a star?’ No, he’s struggling. We didn’t know obviously. Teeth thing (dental problems). Plus, the fact that it takes time to settle into clubs. We have all been there.”

Hatate’s stats for Celtic this season

Form is temporary, class is permanent and Hatate is showing that.

He is too good to be dropped, and even if he has an off day, he is still worth keeping in the team just because you know he can turn the screw and do something ridiculous in an instant.

If Celtic want to progress in the Champions League, then they need Hatate firing at his very best.

WhoScored has rated his Champions League performances at 7.03, with 1.3 key passes per game in Europe’s elite tournament.