Some Celtic fans not happy with Callum McGregor playing vs San Marino

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Some Celtic fans have hit back at Steve Clarke for selecting Callum McGregor against San Marino yesterday.

Scotland managed to secure their first win since beating Cyprus as they hammered the worst team in world football 6-0. McGregor was, of course, central to the result too.

It adds to the long list of fixtures the midfielder has already played in this season. So far, the Scotland regular has played a grand total of 23 matches for both club and country. Considering it’s only mid-October, that’s a heck of a run for the Celtic man.

And some Hoops fans clearly weren’t happy that Clarke decided he needed him against San Marino. Here’s a look at some of the reaction to the selection on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/chris_mcquade/status/1183400166222684165

https://twitter.com/Raffaelopietro/status/1183415638896848896

Little respite for McGregor, but he didn’t last 90 minutes

It just keeps McGregor’s game-time rolling on and on. Clarke did, however, take him off after 69 minutes as he threw some fresh legs on in Johnny Russell and Stuart Armstrong.

Interestingly, however, you have to wonder whether he even needs the rest in any case. McGregor himself spoke about how he wasn’t tired in a recent Celtic View (Volume 55, Issue 13, Page 12). That came before Neil Lennon explained why McGregor didn’t need dropped (Scottish Sun).

However, over the course of a season, there is so much football to be played. When we get into the winter months, it can’t be ideal if McGregor has played over 30 games before December.

Celtic have a ruthless looking December schedule ahead of them as it stands. McGregor is likely going to be central to that.

But it’s also key to note that McGregor’s dip in form in the early part of the campaign may not have been down to fatigue either. After all, he had good games in Europe against Rennes and Cluj respectively. Then in matches against the likes of Hibs and Livingston, he struggled to take command of the midfield.

Some of the inconsistency doesn’t point towards tiredness. If that was the case, he wouldn’t be poor in stages like he has been in recent times. Hopefully, however, he continues to power through and make a positive contribution at Parkhead.