Brendan Rodgers should be praised for his part in masterminding a brilliant Celtic comeback against Motherwell this afternoon.
The Celtic manager looked down and out after going in at the break 1-0 down but after a rousing half-time team talk and some changes, Rodgers inspired a brilliant fightback which helped keep the pressure on at the top of the table.
However, it was Rodgers’ starting line-up that had Chris Sutton raising questions about the Celtic manager and making a claim that after almost a full season, the Hoops gaffer still doesn’t know his best starting eleven or formation.
Sutton said, [Sky Sports], “What it tells us is that Brendan Rodgers is uncertain of what his best eleven is right now. And that’s regard to the formation as well.
“Kyogo goes up as the central striker today, which is where he should be playing. Not hanging off Adam Idah albeit that’s an option.”
Rodgers made four changes to the team that drew against Kilmarnock and for a spell it looked like Sutton was bang on the money.
Out went Ralston for Johnston, Nawrocki replaced Welsh, Iwata was drafted into the midfield with Idah being dropped to the bench and Kuhn started ahead of Luis Palma after Daizen Maeda was despatched on the left wing.
In the first-half Celtic looked like a team that had never played together before. Misplaced passes, unforced errors and lack of understanding at the back allowed Motherwell to go 1-0 up just before halftime but no one can say the goal wasn’t coming.
However, changes in the second half were inspiring as Adam Idah and Luis Palma put The Steelmen to the sword to reduce the gap back to two points at the top of the table.
Sutton may well have been correct before today’s game kicked off. Maybe Rodgers is still trying to work out his best starting eleven. Let’s be honest, off-form players and injury issues haven’t helped the Celtic manager’s cause this season.
What should be a lot clearer to Rodgers now is that there are players who should not be in Celtic’s first eleven and I think we will start to see a more regular selection pattern after this result today.
In other news, Brendan Rodgers says Celtic will ‘write their own story’ in message to media after Motherwell win
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