Greg Taylor has given an interesting insight into his on-pitch role under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic.
The Scotland international was a huge player for two seasons under previous Hoops manager Ange Postecoglou. Taylor would regularly find himself in a central-midfield role when Celtic were attacking under the Australian.
That kind of positioning hasn’t been nearly as evident to the naked eye since Rodgers‘ arrival. Yet Taylor sees his role as being very similar, if not identical.
“There is still a clear structure around how we want to play,” he explained to The Herald ahead of Saturday’s clash against Livingston.
“But the manager spoke at the start about how he loved the way we played last season and how he didn’t want to take away our strengths. My role hasn’t changed a lot in terms that the demands are still fast, attacking football.
“That’s the way the manager wants to play, it’s the way the club demands. It has a rich history of playing that way. Whether that’s being inside or outside, it’s just where the space is in the game. I wouldn’t say my role has changed, if at all.
“Against Dundee, they were in a more rigid block, so you try and nick inside. There will be times when the opponent will follow you and the space will be on the outside. It doesn’t really matter. It’s not as clear and concise as you need to be on the inside or the outside. It’s about trying to find the space.”
Taylor’s words about space are interesting and pretty typical. As fans and the media obsess over whether he’s playing in an inside or outside role, the issue is far more complex than that.
Having said that, it is a surprise to hear that he feels his role hasn’t changed from last season. Many supporters would certainly feel that he isn’t dictating games nearly as often this campaign.
It is also interesting to hear that Rodgers told his Celtic players that he didn’t want to take away from their strengths. That message would have been delivered shortly after his arrival in the summer, and it’s an important one after Postecoglou.
So far, Taylor and Celtic have been unable to hit the consistent performance levels of last season. There may be reasons for that, with a high player turnover and horror injury run contributing.
We’re still waiting on that big game where things click for the team under Rodgers. It may just take one blow-away performance to have everyone on top of the world again.
With a four-point advantage already over our rivals Rangers, things could be far worse. Let’s hope we start to see some big performances from the team.
In other news, what Rodgers told Celtic players in dressing room after defeat to Feyenoord
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