Nir Bitton

We definitely need a proper DM..

Bitton was terrible last night, horrible performance..

However, that midfield trio was never working, Rogic and O'Riley equally inept..

He hasn't let us down much this season tbf, to him..

But, we need better options and I'm hoping Ange is quite brutal in the summer, with what he wants from the squad..

 

He's *. How he is still a celtic player is beyond me. Let alone being given the armband if mcgregor isn't on.

 

His performance last night was worse than *. Everybody knows he's *. What he did last night, wearing the captains armband should be enough for him to never play again, unless it's a dead rubber. It was lazy and pathetic.

 

I * hate how he hides in that 6 role. It's so important for our game that our 6 is constantly on the move when our CBs have it and it makes my eyes bleed when I see this lanky * walking about behind someone on the other team, offering nothing.

He was fine today.

 

Was decent tonight and let McGregor get forward. I think going forward though we need to recruit a tall, ball playing, imposing CDM. Not McCarthy or Bitton....

 

He also point blank refuses to turn with the ball or be on the half turn even when unmarked. Always plays it back and slows everything down, doing a small cameo in games like tonight fair enough but I do think defensive midfield is a position we have more quantity than quality. McGregor is a cracking player but there’s games where it suits to have him pushed on like tonight.

We then have Bitton, McCarthy and Soro who don’t suit and should be moved on. Then Ideguchi who it’s very early to tell if he will be good or not. We could do with an imposing player in there who is comfortable in that role, the boy Hagen from Bodo/Glimt impressed me against us. He was mobile, had decent vision, always showed for a pass and got the transition from defence to attack going quickly. Someone in that mould would be ideal.

 

Thought he was good when he came on last night.

 

Should start on Sunday, let Cal operate further forward, we have to change it up, just not working recently.

 

Id like to see him play too, think we need to be getting to the byline more and cutting it back low to on running midfielders - Forrest gives you that. Lumping a ball in is what Livingston want. He's better at dribbling than Abada if he's fit.

 

Should play to let cal play further forward and also I have zero confidence in hatate putting in a good performance in this fixture currently

 

Really good today, so calm on the ball and just shielded them off with ease.

Exactly what we needed in there, good change by Ange.

 

Solid.

 

Outstanding

 

Had a good game but it was small margins for me, lost his man far too easy for Hart’s outstanding save early on and he lost his man at the front post for their goal.

It worked, and he done well on the ball and it went our way but on another day we’d be slating him for that.

We need a better option for me.


Had some outstanding moments as well though, that pass for Jamesy was something else.

 

He's been excellent domestically for us, genuinely feel calm whenever he plays.

Should be nowhere near Europe or even the huns, but he's a good option otherwise.

 

Teams create far less chances when Niro sits in front of the defence

 

Was it not CCVs man that got his shot away for the Hart save?

 

Bitton was man marking him, then let him completely go when the corner was hit, CCV was trying to cover for him.

 

Despite his brain farts and tendency to slow the game down unnecessarily, he's a better defensive midfielder than McGregor, no doubt about it.

We should use him there when necessary (like today) until the end of the season. But in the summer, we should be definitely trying to buy an out and out ball winner who is good on the ball. We majorly need to upgrade that position, especially for Europe.

Bitton can't be trusted long term. McGregor isn't a DM and Ideguchi looks to be squad filler, although I'm not writing him off yet. I hope to * Ange has realised by now that having McGregor shielding the back four in Europe is asking for trouble.

Sell: McCarthy, Soro, Shaw

DM Options: New DM, Bitton, Ideguchi

CM Options: McGregor, Hatate, O'Riley, Rogic, Turnbull.

That will do me.