Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou's big midfield derby call

By Lewis Laird

April 27, 2022

In the week of a Glasgow derby fixture, there is always likely to be much discussion regarding which team starts at Celtic Park this Sunday.

It is fair to say that the starting 11 has almost picked itself for the majority of this season.

But, with the strength and depth Ange Postecoglou now has at his disposal, there is a discussion to be had as to who will start in a couple of those positions – one of which being the midfield.

The midfield three in Postecoglou’s Celtic side has gone through many transitions, with several different players holding the starting spot in that area of the pitch this season.

At the beginning of the campaign, the 56-year old stuck with the trio of Callum McGregor, David Turnbull and Tom Rogic.

But, the arrival of Reo Hatate and Matt O’Riley in the January transfer window offered the Celtic boss more quality options to turn to in the attacking areas of the midfield.

Since then, we have seen Postecoglou rotate who starts within the trio, with McGregor and Hatate being mainstays in the starting 11.

Both O’Riley and Rogic have shown their capabilities alongside the duo, going through spells of impressive form on the big stage for the Hoops.

But, he will now have a decision on his hands as to who that final member of the midfield will be heading into the Rangers game this weekend and the other three games remaining of the season.

O’Riley’s Dingwall display shows why Postecoglou should continue with Sunday’s midfield three

After a good performance from his side in the 2-0 win over Ross County, Postecoglou could look to continue with the midfield three that started on Sunday.

The link-up between the midfield and forward line was very impressive at times, particularly in the first half.

Down the right-hand side, we also witnessed some nice interchanges between O’Riley, Jota and Kyogo – a trio we haven’t been afforded the opportunity to see all that often this season.

The former MK Dons man has also shown his capabilities of performance under pressure on the big stage, playing his part in the emphatic 3-0 win over Rangers at Celtic Park back in February.

Don’t get me wrong; Tom Rogic has performed exceptionally well this season after being rejuvenated under Postecoglou in a Celtic shirt.

But, O’Riley has shown why he should continue to keep his place in the starting line-up for the final few games of the 2021/22 campaign.

In other news, calls for Celtic to back rivals in Europe are an insult and make absolutely no sense.