Questions on Celtic’s tactical balance and squad choices

One of the most glaring talking points was the absence of Greg Taylor and the knock-on effects his leaving the club appeared to have on Celtic’s overall shape and rhythm.

With Taylor having moved on to PAOK in the summer, both full-backs—Kieran Tierney and Alistair Johnston—opted to remain wide rather than inverting into central midfield. It’s understandable given both players’ strengths lie in striding forward, overlapping or underlapping in wide and high areas, rather than occupying interior spaces deeper in midfield.

But the consequence was a lack of central overload, which has historically been a key feature of Celtic’s buildup under Brendan Rodgers and prior to his return.

This tactical choice meant that Celtic’s centre-backs, Liam Scales and Cameron Carter-Vickers, were left to initiate some of the buildup. However, neither player is particularly known for line-breaking or progressive passing, and their hesitancy in this role seemed to slow down transitions and left Celtic looking short of ideas through the middle.

The structure also saw both Reo Hatate and debutant Benjamin Nygren frequently dropping deep to collect from the back line. This was likely an attempt to avoid isolating Callum McGregor as the sole conduit in midfield. Yet, this reactive reshuffling arguably underutilised both players. Neither is blessed with explosive or a change of pace and expecting them to carry the ball through midfield from deep compromised their natural strengths higher up the pitch.

Nygren’s debut was ultimately underwhelming

Nygren’s debut was ultimately underwhelming—not entirely surprising given the responsibilities asked of him were far from tailored to his profile. Similarly, Hatate looked a wee bit subdued in deeper zones where space was tight and time on the ball was limited.

As a result of the lack of central progression, Celtic resorted increasingly to a more direct style—balls over the top for Daizen Maeda to chase. While Maeda’s tireless running is a valuable asset, relying on this approach as a primary tactic felt like a regression, and pointed to deeper issues in the build-up phase.

One of the biggest head-scratchers of the day was the absence of Hayato Inamura

One of the biggest head-scratchers of the day was the absence of Hayato Inamura from the matchday squad. Having shown promising signs during pre-season—especially his composure on the ball and natural ability to invert into midfield—Inamura looked like an ideal option to fill Taylor’s inverted role.

Rodgers has spoken of managing Kieran Tierney’s minutes, and Tierney appeared to be nursing an issue with his upper thigh before coming off. Yet when he did, instead of being able to turn to Inamura, Rodgers shifted Liam Scales to left-back and brought on Auston Trusty to play centre-half. This not only removed Scales from his best position and where he was having an impressive game but left Celtic without a natural progressive outlet on the left flank when chasing the game.

Even more perplexing was the makeup of the bench.

Celtic had three central midfielders—Paulo Bernardo, Luke McCowan, and Arne Engels—alongside two strikers in Johnny Kenny and Shin Yamada. Tony Ralston had made it on to the bench, and you’d assume that was due to Johnston’s late return to pre-season and there being a concern 90 minutes may be beyond him, Ralston however can only play one position. But there was no inverted left full-back option, and Inamura’s exclusion seemed even more glaring when that hole became obvious during the match and when you consider, unlike Ralston the Japanese defender can play two defensive positions.

Similarly, as we covered in more detail earlier on The Celtic Star, the decision to bring on Johnny Kenny instead of Yamada to replace the ineffective Adam Idah also raised eyebrows. Assuming no injury concerns, Yamada seemed a more natural choice in a game where technical quality and control in tight spaces were required.

It’s hard to ignore the possibility that Rodgers’ selection choices were making a statement.

It’s hard to ignore the possibility that Rodgers’ selection choices were making a statement. If he’s frustrated with the lack of depth or dissatisfied with recruitment, perhaps these decisions were a quiet protest—subtle signals to those in the main stand with the power to act. However, there’s a fine line between making a point and compromising performance, and fans will be rightly concerned if any tactical imbalances were the result of managerial brinkmanship.

Rodgers has history in this area. Frustration with the board or internal disagreements at Celtic, and previous clubs, have occasionally bled into team selection or tactical tweaks. While supporters are largely sympathetic to any calls for better recruitment, few want that message delivered at the expense of results or performances—especially in a tight title race.

Celtic got the win, but there were uncomfortable signs

Celtic got the win, but there were uncomfortable signs—disjointed build-up play, tactical rigidity, and a bench that arguably didn’t offer a balance of solutions.

Whether the absence of Greg Taylor, was just obvious because we’ve become so accustomed to seeing him drift into midfield over several seasons now, or if yesterday was the beginning of a deeper tactical rethink, what’s clear is that Celtic lacked the fluidity and midfield control that have become trademarks of their recent domestic dominance. The inclusion of Hayato Inamura—or at least having the option—might well have made all the difference.

The league title may not be won in August, but these are the kinds of margins that decide it by May. Maybe we got away with it yesterday. But going forward, at least until a suitable left back option arrives, not having the option of Inamura from the bench seems somewhat counterproductive – albeit it with the advantage of hindsight the manager wasn’t afforded when choosing his team or his bench.