Celtic fans are very familiar with the team’s style of play.
Under Brendan Rodgers over six seasons, it has evolved, but largely remained well-established. The team values possession, and looks to build through the thirds – and sometimes, this requires patience.
This can be at odds with the Celtic Park crowd, and you can’t really blame them. No one pays their money to watch Liam Scales and Cameron Carter-Vickers pass the ball to each other 80 times.
The team’s system is designed to get dangerous players into dangerous positions – but at times this season, this simply hasn’t been the case.
And for one Hoops hero, there is a case to be made for more decisive changes to the team’s approach when things aren’t going to plan.
Jackie McNamara on Brendan Rodgers’ system
The Hoops have found difficulty in almost every game so far this season – slow starts and struggled in front of goal are hurting the team.
Rodgers has been largely wedded to his usual 4-3-3, but he made the rare move to change to a back three against Braga in the Europa League.
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For Jackie McNamara, teams are starting to suss Celtic out.
Speaking on Mixed Bag, McNamara agreed with the idea of Johnny Kenny getting the chance to play alongside Daizen Maeda.
He said: “Teams are sitting in, especially at Celtic Park, and as you say, you could’ve put Kenny on with Maeda up front.
“Because we’re overloaded in the midfield area, and we’re never getting in behind them. We never put crosses in.
“He changes the personnel, and though he did in the last European game, but he very very seldom changes his system, and a lot of teams have caught onto that.
“I just think you need to keep evolving. You need to change to find solutions. For me, football is problem-solving. You need to solve the problems that other teams are causing you.
“It’s all great when you’ve got the best players, but you really need to find other ways sometimes.”
Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic options
Sebastian Tounekti and Michel-Ange Balikwisha have been much-needed additions to the Hoops’ frontline, but the team still lacks balance.
The formation change against Braga saw Kieran Tierney move into a back-three position which he may be more suited to in his modern form, with Marcelo Saracchi operating as a wing-back.
Callum McGregor admitted that the squad hadn’t worked on the system a great deal, suggesting that the change was more of a sudden necessity.
But for McNamara, and many other fans, change in approach could go a long way to getting this Celtic team playing.
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