Callum McGregor

He cannot be our number 1 holding midfielder next season.

He will have a massive role to play and no doubt rack up 30 plus appearances but it can’t be as a mainstay holding midfielder.

He wouldn’t have made a difference yesterday.

This is the most important and most taxing role in our team given our style of play. You need someone who can firstly do the dirty side of the game to protect the defence but also have the ability and vision to dictate the play and tempo.

McGregor has never been a defensive minded midfielder and that won’t change. He’s also now noticeably slower and his passing range has become so predictable. He’s basically struggling in both elements.

We’ve spent £11m on Engels but I think he’s more box to box than a sitting DM. Alongside a striker, we need to spend considerably on a holding midfielder in the summer.

 

He may have made a difference, but we’ll never know.

What we do know is he plays far too many games when he doesn’t need to.

65 mins v faith and countless other ‘rountine’ home games. He has almost 4000 minutes played this season… why is he still so relied on.

 

Yesterday showed that without him there are no leaders on the park.

 

See the wee debate that’s been going on about McGregor in the 6, that I’ve been baffled about. The fact he is always there, and he has been for a long time, people have took for granted his ability and just what he brings.

Yesterday that first half was the ultimate example of that.

 

Nah see the thing is, we do. AJ, Kaspar, CCV all are definitely. Maeda is in a different way, sheer work rate and taking responsibility. So is Jota, he takes responsibility demands the ball, helps those around him. *, McCowan has shown a lot of those qualities as well.

Schlupp to some degree has shown they qualities so far. Yesterday wasn’t about leadership for me, outwith two players (well one for 45 minutes, 2nd half he tried to step up) Kuhn and Engels, they were cowardly. And Engels was replacing and supposed to do the job that we rely on from Callum, and are too used to relying on.

Although, there was a lack of leadership in the dug out from Rodgers. And I don’t say that lightly.

 

He needs help in there. Sick and tired of saying we need a ball winning midfielder with a bit of a presence. Surely to * that's not hard to find. Then he wouldn't need to play or be relied upon half as much.
Yeah he's had a shocker against then the last couple of times we have played them but he's also shined against them playing at parkhead. Cup final and going away to them are completely different games.
Baffling to say we didn't miss him on Sunday. He talks players through the games and that was missed 100%

 

See I don't agree with that. I'm not underestimating what he can bring as a player but I felt in the last couple games we played Rangers they more or less kept him out the game. That's not to say they wouldn't have done the same to another DM, I just don't see McGregor as making the difference required to win us that game on Sunday.

 

3-0 at Ibrox, it wasn’t quite that, but it was them knowing how to deal with him and stop what he does for us for the first time. They would always try to man mark or kick him out the game. And he is better than who they’d get to do that. They didn’t man mark, or close him down. They closed the pass to him, and where he can get it and turn on the ball. Think that was them knowing they can’t stop him showing and receiving the ball but can make him be in a position that he’ll get it, when he was facing our goal. And was showing for it where he wouldn’t want to actually need to be getting it by pressing the fullbacks and pinning them back, who would take up him showing for it gladly, because he is always that option.

I’m not saying for a minute that him being fit, is an automatic win for us, they sussed us out how we play with him. But it was such a distinct difference us without him that 1st half sunday, we were lost. At New Year it was us being over reliant on continuing the same approach because he could take the ball, when it was only going to hinder us by the setup.

Two very different poor things from us there, but both of them highlights just how much Calmac is the heartbeat for us. And that’s why he’s captain. But Rodgers has formed the system, reliant on him, and it will work usually because he is reliable but we need to have other ways to play

 

Should CalMac ask to get back into Scotland squad

 

Good to see he's training. Hopefully the break has allowed him to recover properly.

 

Great news lets face it...
He's so influential in our play and we rely on him heavily at various stages of a game. Whether it's is getting us going forward, making himself available for out balls by pressurised team mates, pressing himself and leading the line, 'taking one' for team occasionally when required, regaining lost possession, scoring the odd goal or three and assisting in many more. Our Captain Dependable has been missed. His niggling calf injury is hopefully gone now and doesn't return to hinder his inclusion in team selection in future games either in the run in or cup.
It's only to be expected, with the amount of games he features in, it takes its toll in some way. Just want him to be more considerate between now and the seasons finale. By all means heal away once the seasons done but before then avoid any kind of injury. Please , if ya dont mind Ta!

 

We have a fair sprinkling of midfielders, but we lack a defensive midfielder as everybody and his wee dog knows on this forum and elsewhere. McGregor provides the leadership, so with him missing from the Hun game it was a big miss. Bernado is about the nearest we have got to a defensive midfielder and he also has been missing for a long time, so having both McGregor and Bernado out at the same time, handicapped us to a certain extent in the midfield. Engels can fill in at DM, but there is still debate being had, about what actually is his best position, he's not a ball winner or an out and out leader per se in the style of a Broony or Wanyama I feel, so hopefully the management can now see the need for a defensive midfielder who can break up play, screen the back four, and also has the innate ability and clear vision to dictate the play and tempo. It's integral to the way we play, especially in the Champions League, and it's a void that desperately needs filled, if we are to remain top dog at home and in Europe next season.

 

Good game from the captain, still vital to everything we do.

 

Looked good and unlucky with strike in 2nd half. Glad to have him back.

 

Was right up for it today.

 

That assist was world class