Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers took the opportunity to shake things up against Dundee by making six changes to his starting line-up after the Bhoys’ victory over Motherwell last Sunday.
While first-team regulars Cameron Carter-Vickers and Greg Taylor claimed their first starts after recovering from injury, the Irishman also gave some minutes to fringe players at Parkhead.
Hyunjun Yang came in for his first start of the campaign. Meanwhile, Luis Palma and Anthony Ralston made a rare foray into Brendan Rodgers’ line-up from the beginning, offering some rest to key players.
His choice to rotate has helped keep the squad fresh while maintaining the Hoops’ position at the top of the Scottish Premiership.
However, how did the manager see the impact of those who came in? Post-match, he offered his thoughts on their respective performances.
Brendan Rodgers on how Celtic changes influenced Dundee clash
Speaking after the match, Rodgers acknowledged that bringing in one or two peripheral figures led to a bit of disconnect in his side finding a ‘final ball’ on the night, but believes their contribution was ‘steady’ all things considered.
He stated via Celtic’s YouTube channel: “We, at times, probably just lacked that wee bit of final ball, but I understand that, players coming in that haven’t been playing for a little while, but our intention then going into the second half. Ambition was good in the second half; we make the changes.
“We’re obviously trying to manage the squad through a really, really physically demanding period. I thought our intention in the game was good. At times, we maybe lacked that bit of cutting edge around the final third, but I think the players gave everything in the game.
“Those guys that haven’t played for a little while came in and were steady, and as I say, the guys coming off the bench bring that new energy to the game.”
Celtic’s fringe trio in focus against Dundee
When the team lines broke last night, most Celtic fans were drawn to the inclusion of Palma and Yang amid their lack of involvement during the campaign.
Ralston also earned a rare start, enjoying a fairly indifferent game before being substituted for eventual match-winner Johnston.
Palma’s display contained sporadic moments of class, but he never really pulled it all together. Saying that, he did create four goalscoring opportunities, according to stat-trackers Fotmob.
On the right, Yang made a slightly left a slightly more energetic impact and laid on the opening goal. Again, a lack of minutes probably didn’t help his case, though it was encouraging to see him gain a rare start and he definetely has promise.
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