For Almaty: Shin Yamada or Johnny Kenny

Can see that and as @saltire78 says, new partnership, it will surely come. Tierney was always better with a guy like Sinclair in front of him, who is natural at cutting in, taking the ball with him and finding the space for the shot. It allows Tierney to 1-2 with him, pass it in to him, or if the option isn't there for a Sinclair type, Sinclair would be able to pass back out to KT who would be doing the underlap and become the guy who would cross it in.

The "issue" with Maeda, as much as he IS better at being in the middle, he isn't a natural winger/wide player who would curt in with that ball. So he has spent his time out wide being a bit of a jack of all, but ultimately being the guy with the energy to run the entire left side and just knock balls in - which have improved under Rodgers!

Will take time for him and KT to find that partnership and allow Maeda to hopefully drift in more central allowing KT to do the wide work. Which may help Maeda situation, as he doesn't seem best pleased (if we listen to the rumours) of being on the wing any more. Bit of best of both worlds if him and KT can click sooner rather than later and allow Maeda to drift centrally more.

 

Nygren. I know it’s not his best position, but I think Engels has to be in for his set piece deliveries and a bit of athleticism in midfield.

 

Maeda or Yamada

 

Jota and KT will be a partnership from the first minute together. Naturally. That’s the sort that love to play together.

Maeda has played his full Celtic career when he’s LW infront of Taylor, who was in the middle most of the time, and keeping the width until the games pushed very high and then he would make the run inside.

He’s still doing that.

 

I don’t think we can say for 100% what Nygren’s best position is.

Think he’s looked natural both RW and at CM. I think right now Engels is much better having on the pitch, if Nygren is on the right, than whoever is on RW if Nygren is in the middle with Engels on the bench

 

* forgot Jota while typing all of that as well! And 100% that partnership will be great once our Portuguese prince returns.
Lets just hope we get Maeda back through the middle by then as that could be a quality and deadly aspect of our game, KT with Jota and Maeda reactions and movement in the middle. Do the same with a RW who compliments AJ and we would be superb!

 

Yang if he is fit for it, if we are doing Maeda through the middle.
Alternatively, I would not be against a youth player - Osmand?

 

Yang.

McCowan we briefly tried on the wing last season and that lasted maybe 45 minutes.

Forrest is RW only now I think, which is odd I thought him slowing down a bit with age, LW would suit him more. Hasn’t anytime we’ve seen it suited him for maybe 3 seasons though.

Yang came on last week and was our best player, by a long way I think. It’s a situation and a half we’ve gave ourselves, but he’s earned that chance.

 

If he does provide that from the wing I’d be delighted with him. I don’t think I can confidently say that he does though.

If we had Inamura in the squad, which we choose not to, I’d rather Tierney step further up the pitch. Like he done briefly for Arsenal last season.

Honestly, and it’s not a happy thought for me, if Maeda isn’t on LW then Yang is the next option. McCowan if asked would jump at it. But it’d be hanging him out to dry. Especially on LW.

 

Yang is either the best wonderkid going, or absolutely dugshit - usually dictated by if he starts or is a sub to be fair.

Osmand though, he played a friendly on the left side and seemed reasonably comfortable with it. I'd not be against it if it meant Maeda through the middle.

 

Yang will likely play a part whether we like it or not

 

We keep trying to find the patterns in what makes Yang click. There’s no pattern. Sub or start, RW or LW, level of opposition, style of defence he’s facing.

Yang is chaos theory distilled into a footballer.

He either is or is not

 

Jury is still out on shin but he’s already shown that he’s got more to his game than Kenny and idah in terms of movement and making runs and he’s got pace which we badly lacked and in the first leg.

maeda shin yang/forrest

 

As it stands with the squad just now, he’s earned a place. The closest we came to changing the game and winning it was pretty much directly down to Yang.

 

Getting his hole - the only consistent factor to when he is decent

 

It’s either that or just as I had said to a mate I couldn’t stand him, just *. It was the cup game he scored 2 I think it was, and had that run of games round that time.
Was definitely to prove me a clown. It’s not the first time that’s happened to me

 

I stand by, the Hearts game 2 seasons ago now, where he got red carded for NOT making contact for a "high" boot, completely shot his confidence and the run of form he was on as well. But reality is, he likely would have had a * game sooner or later then anyway