Celtic are a different proposition these days under Brendan Rodgers and operate in a vastly different system to last campaign.
Rodgers’ style of play seems to be centred around patience and waiting for space in behind to open up gradually; meanwhile, previous boss Ange Postecoglou favoured a more fast-paced, direct route to goal.
Either way, there is more than one way to skin a cat; however, the former has come in for criticism from the likes of Chris Sutton, who believes the Bhoys should be performing well above their current levels.
Sutton stated on BBC Radio 5 Live: “Brendan Rodgers should be doing better domestically than he is, at this moment in time, with the players he has available.”
Granted, Celtic are missing some key players, such as Cameron Carter-Vickers, Alistair Johnston and Reo Hatate, who will all inject some form of dynamism into his side’s on-field efforts upon their return.
Nevertheless, there is more than enough about the available players in the group to be hitting higher standards, and the manager will always carry the can in football regarding collective failure.
The Irishman remains in a position where he can still bring a domestic double to Parkhead, something that would constitute a successful campaign, even in the face of a topsy-turvy period.
Pundit says one key Celtic attribute has vanished this season
Motherwell loanee Andy Halliday believes that Celtic have lost their clinical edge this season and reckons their ‘wasteful’ nature in front of goal has contributed to the Hoops’ recent downturn.
The 32-year-old stated [Clyde 1 Superscoreboard]: “I don’t think Celtic’s issues can be pointed in one direction, whether that be the manager, the board or the players – it is spread across the board.
“A big thing is that they have seemed to have lost that ruthless streak they had at the start of the season and last year where if they go 1-0 up, they quickly get a second, or they create three, four chances and put one or two or three of them away.
“I think now we see them sometimes being pretty wasteful, not only in an attacking sense but in both boxes.”
Celtic haven’t been clinical enough this season
Celtic have scored 58 league goals this campaign, though anyone who has been keeping an eye on their performances is able to see that they have lacked genuine firepower.
Kyogo Furuhashi has cut a lonely figure in attack, netting nine times in the Scottish Premiership; however, his Expected Goals rank at 11.82, signifying that the Japan international hasn’t been as clinical as he would’ve liked this term, per Fotmob.
Of course, the 29-year-old has recently hit two in two across all competitions in a slightly deeper role, playing just off Republic of Ireland forward Adam Idah, and this may be the way to go in the short term amid his greater influence on the ball [Transfermarkt].
On a wider point, Celtic have notched just three goals from open play inside four league matches since returning from the winter break, two being heavily deflected, so you see what I’m getting at here.
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