Callum McGregor

He’s nowhere near finished but McGregor is not alone in that most of the team that day against them were very good and the same vs Atletico at home, Lazio at home, away to Tyncastle. However, they have been continually lacklustre against the smaller teams in the league week in week out.

It is as if we don’t prepare properly for those games or the motivation has gone. The game post those two defeats looked like we had turned a corner, suddenly hardly conceding anything and creating plenty ourselves.

My worry overall isn’t games against them it is the lack of consistency across the others.

Off topic but this has been an odd season, I cannot remember a season where one team won both the first two derbies but looked like losing the league?

Interestingly looking at Clements Belgian title wins his record against the top teams in the league actual challengers was quite poor but his teams won against the rest, it’s what we have seen here so far too.

 

McGregor can influence the game so much more if he is higher up the park. He has the ability to split a defence and also chipped in regularly with goals previously as well. So although we just about get away with him playing as a 6 domestically, I suppose the question is, why would you want him playing the role? I just don’t think he is naturally defensive minded. The goal away at Killie being a good example. He didn’t track the boy not because he is a lazy player, that can never be aimed at him, I just don’t think he naturally sees the danger. It’s clear as day that in Europe it’s a major problem the number 6 position.

If Hatate was fit, domestically I’d maybe be content with McGregor as the 6, but we are lacking so much creativity with Hatate missing.

 

It's simple.
Get a proper, high quality 6, unburden McGregor to play his best football further forward.
CalMac has been a lazy option for the club for far too long, feel sorry for him tbh

 

The fact he can’t be subbed when we are chasing a game holds us back. As good as he is when we are playing well hes unlikely to pull us out of a hole. Think he should’ve been off before Bernardo.

 

His passing tonight was * awful, * poor tonight, really needs to push up as can be dangerous there.

 

Gets hung out to dry in our midfield.

He’s good as a deep lying playmaker but he is * poor when it comes to the defensive side of the game.

None of the midfielders around him can defend either and it’s one of the main reasons we are so vulnerable when losing the ball.

Teams can play right through us bypassing our midfield and the defence get no protection from them.

 

He played too high up the park I thought, every time we lost the ball we had no midfield.

 

I fail to see how blaming the guys playing the 8/10 role are at fault for mcgregor playing the 6 role well.. he's been pish and needs to step up. Simple as. He bossed the last hun game in the same role no reason why it shouldnt be the case against Aberdeen or hibs.

 

He's had a poor season.

 

Exactly this. What happened to him coming deep to receive the ball off the defenders, turning and playing us up the park? He's never there for it, always hiding behind his marker. Is this down to instruction?

There's also the added bonus of the defence having no * to give it to so pass it amongst themselves till they almost lose the bal due to opposition press.

Honestly think this is where all our problems on the pitch begin. Sort this situation out and we'll be able to up the tempo and fluidity. Rodgers must be * blind not to see this.

 

Poor again tonight. Gave the ball away constantly. There were plenty others on the park not good enough as well, but you expect McGregor to be setting an example and taking games like tonight by the scruff of the neck. He isn’t going enough for me. Midfield would look much better with Iwata in there. O’Riley and Bernardo are too alike anyway, and playing both isn’t really working.

 

These last 2 games though he's not been sitting in there, he's wandering about in the same areas as Bernardo and O'Riley.

We play like this now....

Hart



Welsh---------- Scales


Ralston------------------------------------------

------------------ McGregor
O'Riley ------------------------------
Kuhn ---------------------Bernardo---------Bernabei
-------------------------Idah--------------------- Maeda

​

With the ball in near constant possession of Welsh or Scales, McGregor isn't in there deep on the ball he's running left and right betwen like O'Riley and Bernabei laying passes off to them so they can pass it back to Welsh and Scales

Almost all the play comes down the left as well as Bernabei, Bernardo and Maeda or Palma just seem to get into the better areas and hold the ball better. Johnston/Ralston have hardly made a pass to Abada or Kuhn and as Kuhn never gets it O'Riley is barely seen either.

Under Ange, McGregor would sit deep, and move side to side, recieve it turn and usually pass it to Taylor in behind and he'd turn and pass to Maeda and we just cut through teams with ease. Now we have two centre-halves as our playmakers.

The position McGregor plays now is where Taylor used to play under Ange only Taylor had McGregor feeding him, McGregor isn't being fed and its Scales mosrtly who is passing to Bernabei after he turns like a robot in slow motion and passes to him when everyone can see the pass coming.

McGregor now only recieves a ball when Bernabei or Maeda are too tight too each other and can't turn or move and they turn backards and pass inside to McGregor who then only has either them to pass it back to or back to Scales.

 

He's greatly suffering from Taylor not being there inverted.

 

Felt he was hiding a lot tonight, wouldn’t make himself available at all to recieve it from the defence and when he did and he could’ve turned he played it safe and passed it back rather than turn out. Not good enough from cal. His passing was * poor also. We really need someone else in the 6 and to push cal further forward where he can make driving runs in behind and get more involved in attacks. He was getting high up the pitch today and hiding behind bodies.

 

Taylor has played nearly every game this season. McGregor has been poor in a lot of the games as well. We’re taking away so much from his game having him play as the 6. Get Iwata back fit and in the team and release McGregor higher up. It would make the midfield a lot more balanced as well, because Bernardo and O’Riley together isn’t the answer.

 

Look at us out of possession and you’ll see he is deserted in the middle of the park.

Anytime Hibs got the ball last night in transition MoR and Bernardo were too far up the park and not quick enough to get back in.

McGregor has been under par 100% but I don’t think the tactics are suiting him.

His strength is taking the ball and starting attacks yet we rely on CBs taking the ball and penetrating from the back. Hibs marked him out the game last night.

If you remember correctly the Huns stood off us and gave him tons of space. Rodgers should be able to tweak things in-game to free McGregor up but he is failing to do this.

 

AWOL last night. A very poor season by his standards. Deserves all the plaudits for a great Celtic career so far, but deserves the criticism for his form now. Been a passenger too many times now.

 

Thats why we miss hatate so much. He's great at linking play up. If he gets marked out, then we've got mcgreggor linking play. When only one is available then they get marked out the game.