Tam McManus hails Reo Hatate as ‘one of the best’ amid questions over his Celtic starting place

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Reo Hatate is frustrating a lot of Celtic fans right now.

That’s because many are aware of what Hatate is capable of, but he isn’t showing it, as Tam McManus stated he is ‘one of the best’ in the Premiership when on form.

But of course, that hasn’t happened for a long time; that’s why McManus thinks Hatate is now a ‘problem’ for the Hoops and Martin O’Neill.

Hatate was hooked off at half-time against Kilmarnock on Sunday, and it remains to be seen if he starts Celtic’s Europa League clash against VfB Stuttgart on Thursday night.

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Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain to start games for Celtic ahead of Reo Hatate?

Arne Engels is injured, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain isn’t registered for Europe, so it leaves Celtic even lighter in the midfield area for this first-leg playoff clash.

But in the general matches, McManus thinks the man who will eventually start is Oxlade-Chamberlain because Hatate is portraying a figure who would rather be ‘anywhere else’ than in the colours of Celtic, as he told PLZ Soccer.

“I don’t know what’s going on with him and Maeda,” said McManus. “They just don’t look interested at Celtic, particularly Hatate.

“I have watched him in the last couple of games. He looks as if he would rather be anywhere else, bar Celtic, so that’s a problem, especially with Engels injured.

“That’s a problem because you are light in there now. You need a Hatate firing. Hatate is one of the best players in the league if he is firing, but he hasn’t been all season.

“It might be an opportunity for Oxlade-Chamberlain to come in and start games.”

Hatate’s stats for Celtic this season

The writing is on the wall for Hatate, even if Celtic secure trophies at the end of the campaign, he needs to be sold and moved on in the summer.

Yes, he isn’t the only one in that boat, and there are several other senior stars just like him, but an overall refresh at Celtic is needed.

Hatate might be the best on his day, but the fact of the matter is, it has hardly happened this season, as the stats suggest.

• Premiership games: 22
• Starts: 16
• Goals: 1
• Assists: 2
• WhoScored rating: 6.49

• Europa League games: 7
• Starts: 5
• Goals: 3
• Assists: 1
• WhoScored rating: 6.34