The Celtic supporters have big concerns about the midfield situation at Parkhead – in particular the partnership between Tom Rogic and David Turnbull.
Incredibly, both Turnbull and Rogic have played a part in all 16 of Ange Postecoglou’s competitive games in charge of the club. That means they’ve been on the pitch regularly in a host of games already this term.
However, Celtic are having clear problems with their inventiveness in the attacking midfield positions.
Jota and Liel Abada were again the main attacking threats for the Hoops against Dundee United in our 1-1 stalemate today. It was the same in last week’s 1-0 loss at Livingston. All of Celtic’s best chances are coming from exploiting the flanks. A fine tool to have, but it needs to be aided by a threat in the central area.
Once again, we had to watch Rogic and Turnbull try to produce in the exact same position. Both played in behind Albian Ajeti this afternoon, yet their service to him was non-existent. At times you could see the duo clearly get in each other’s way too as they struggled to decide who should seize the initiative.
David Turnbull and Tom Rogic struggling to offer Celtic what they need
Turnbull and Rogic have both struggled for consistency this season. And it’s coming from the fact they’re born to play the exact same role in the team. There’s a clear struggle in chemistry between them on the pitch, and even when they do manage to get some space to work their magic, their final ball has suffered badly recently.
It’s difficult to know how much of a difference Callum McGregor would’ve made this afternoon. He certainly would’ve given us a better balance than James McCarthy. But that still doesn’t stop the lack of creativity and communication that’s coming from our attacking midfielders.
Postecoglou needs to find a way not to play both at the same time. They’re stifling one another and neither has thrived for the Hoops this season. It would be interesting to see how much the other is responsible for that.
For now, there are no signs that Postecoglou is learning that lesson. Both men continue to start regularly and continue to repeat the same mistakes. And it’s something the Celtic fans have had enough of.
Here’s a look at how they reacted to the duo’s performance today:
In other news, Ridiculous injury crisis is making it difficult to judge Celtic boss Ange Postecoglou
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