Luis Palma

He's arguably the only winger we have suited to Rodgers style even at his worst almost all our play in the wide areas goes through him which is why he has the numbers he does this season. I don't say that to state a case for him being anywhere near it at the weekend but for me only Palma and Haksa are anywhere near suited to this supposed style we play

 

He’s not doing much different but it’s just not coming off since the break mate, look at him hitting the bar for Maeda tapping it in against St Mirren.

Or on the weekend scuffing a half volley into the ground and the keeper full stretch getting a hand to it rather than start of the season, things like that bouncing wee bit higher and going in, he wins the follow up and its cleared off the line, scuffed off the line.

And then he overthinks finishes when * like that’s happening, you seen that so much last season when it was a big thing he’d not scored. He gets too careful trying to make sure things come off, gets obvious what he’s trying to do or too powderpuff when he’s doing that. He needs a goal again and he’ll get the wind behind him again.

Could be a couple things not going right for him, after a credible move to Madrid not happening. And doubt creeping in that maybe he should have forced it through, will that opportunity come round again… and suddenly, things are going wrong that were just going right when he was confident as *.

It’s something that just seems unlucky but I’ve seen it happen so many times through the years that it’s baffling, when you’re confident you’ll get a lucky bounce for a goal. When you’re no the ball bounces just out of reach. The latters going on with him just now.

 

Abada is the main one that is tailor made for Rodgers, and pre-season it looked like we were shaping up for us to get the best out of him and play to his strengths. Which was also playing to Kyogo’s strengths and Maeda at CF. Then he got injured and I don’t think he ever had any other idea bout what to do. He tried to put Maeda into that role instead, then MJ and Yang. None of which have anywhere near Abada’s position or football IQ movement wise. Both are reactionary off the cuff guys who don’t think things through. In different ways right enough but still

 

Him-and Benny-so easily brushed off the ball

 

I must watch different * than other * man, he’s a stocky wee *, brushed off the balls a thing that doesn’t happen to him at all really. Most of the time he beats a man it’s outmuscling them shoulder to shoulder or surprising them for half a yard.

 

Same, I mind at the weekend thinking how is he never cutting inside to have a shot here, as the 5/6 times he was on the ball and had end product it was all going to the byline and crossing with his left which he does well.

Then you read on here all he does is cut inside when thats 100% not whats happening lol

 

Palma is a good player in my opinion. He'll do well under the right manager.

Even Jota would be struggling big time under this Rodgers system. You can't give a wide player the ball and expect them to beat two men. What the * kind of tactic is that?

It reminds me of Lennon giving Frimpong the ball and telling him to dribble all the way through to make something happen.

Funnily enough, when it inevitably didn't work Frimpong was criticised by the support. He's now arguably one of the best attacking RB in the world.

 

Palma is a good player. He will come good if played right.

When Rodgers was here the first time he got the best out of some wide players. Sinclair, Forrest and Hayes all performed well under Rodgers. Now his style is stifling our wide players.

 

Aye he goes left loads to be fair..

I'd stick him wide right the weekend and Idah left of Kyogo..

Still wanna see him in a 10 type position at some point..

 

I think a big part of that problem is that the centre halfs aren’t moving it quickly enough. There was loads of times on Saturday when Palma was one v one if the ball had been moved quickly to him. 5 or 6 touches later and the opposition are back in a shape and then Palma is receiving the ball with Kilmarnock’s full team in front of him. Starfelt is an absolutely massive miss.

 

One thing Palma has got, is the ability to whip a ball. Not from set pieces right enough, because he is abysmal at them, but from open play he can deliver. Play him wide right and get him whipping balls in. He doesn’t have to beat his man with pace, just simply buy half a yard and fire it. We’ve got Idah who is 6ft 3 and Kyogo who has unbelievable movement.

 

It's definitely part of the problem.

My own view is the players are taking the easy option of going wide, which is the easy way to retain possession along with going back.

You need to drive the ball aggressively through the middle or the channels to try and work space for the wingers. Once you get the opposition reacting to you, the space opens up for wide men to exploit.

As you say, one way to drive the ball is like Starfelt used to do with incisive aggressive passes into the likes of Hatate, and the team could pivot off of that.

Rodgers seems to start out wide and ask his wingers to work a move or dribble. It's very easy to defend against.

 

Listened to 2 pods today, both slated Palma to * again. Saying Maeda is the only winger who offers anything. All said they'd drop Palma. Mind boggles how the majority of people think he's pure pish.

 

He has been pish for a number of games now, although I do think he has it in his locker if he started playing for the team and stopped trying to show off all the time....

 

His form hasn't been as good, I agree with that. But he's still by far our most productive winger.

 

The issue is despite Idah being 6’3 he is abysmal in the air. Don’t get me wrong some of what Palma does is infuriating and doesn’t come off but most games he gives you 2 or 3 moments of quality that either assist for a goal, secondary assist or earlier in the season he scores.

Most games Palma plays he puts a cracking ball right into the 6 yard box just begging to be attacked and no one does or Idah shuts his eyes and misses it since he’s been here. He’s only played like 3 and a half games but failed to connect with two free headers properly about 6 yards out that should be certain goals.

 

It's fairly evident, he doesn't have the mental fortitude or work ethic to make it here . Technically good when he wants to be , but also too slow. On every single metric he is miles below Jota

 

I hate him and would happily pay for his taxi to the airport if anyone wanted to buy him; but I don't think he's p***. I think he's a relatively good player; I just really dislike him for 3 reasons:

He isn't on the same level as the player he replaced yet he has been our best signing. The highlight of the last 2 windows has been a downgrade. This just irritates me.

He keeps taking too many touches and slowing our attacks down (although Rodgers has to bear part of the blame for not doing something to stop him). It drives me crazy.

I just hate his face with his big, stupid, cheesy grin. It really winds me up. It's a feeling that genuinely surprises me towards any football player, let alone a Celtic player. I don't know why I feel this, but I do.

 

I think the fact he's replacing Jota and the team as a whole are dysfunctional, which just highlights it more, has worked against him. If he was in an Ange team and Jota was on the other wing I don't think people would have the same feelings about Palma.

He has the highest assists and expected assists per 90 in the league overall. He also has also created most chances for us 63 total in the league which is 4.3 chances per 90 mins, a whole 2 chances per 90 more than O'Riley and the best in the league by more than a chance per game (Tavernier is next best with 3.1). For comparison, Our next best winger is Yang who has 13 chances created. Maeda has created 0.6 chances per 90 and is 93rd best player in the league for chances created.

Incidentally, Jota created 62 chances in the league, at 2.5 per 90, in the whole of last season and even less in his first season.

I'm not saying Palma is better, Jota had more to his game for sure, I loved the guy. But I'm just highlighting that Palma isn't maybe as bad as some him out to be, as frustrating as he can often be.

The fact majority don't like him is just indicative of the season we're having I think, along with the fact he's replaced a star and hunskelper, who absolute got it. But Palma is far down on our list of problems in the wide areas for me.

As a side note, statistically we could do alot worse than sign Danny Armstrong from Killie

 

Also would like to note - he scored 2 goals in the Champions League this season as well. Same as what Jota done in a better team last season.