Callum McGregor

He needs phased out pronto, or I fear we'll have another Scott Brown situation on our hands.

Whoever the next manager is, they need to have the baws to rotate McGregor or drop him when it's needed. I'm sick to death of this mentality within Celtic that you can't drop the captain just because he's the captain. It's ridiculous and very small time, like a junior's Sunday league team where the captain is the manager's son or something.

McGregor isn't the biggest issue in this team domestically (in Europe I'd say he is), but he needs rested, rotated and played NEXT to a proper defensive midfielder. Ideally we'd upgrade him but you just know he'll be playing the most minutes out of everyone at 36 still.

Whatever European competition we're in next year, if we're starting McGregor as the lone DM we might as well not turn up. Mitchell Frame won more tackles in about 20 minutes vs Feyenoord than McGregor did across the 6 group stage games. Let. that. *. *. sink. in. please.

He isn't a DM, never has been and never will be, and he isn't going to get any better at this stage of his career. His wild punt in the sky today under no pressure was bizarre. This, from a player that some on here would have you think is Scotland's answer to Xavi.

 

Usually manages to avoid criticism on here as he’s the captain and been here for years and has a good games against Rangers often. But he’s been off it most of the season. If he isn’t trying to pass it backwards as quick as he can he’s poring for others to do it.

 

That’s the worry for me too. It’s the whole jobs for the Bhoys thing, it’s not just at boardroom level. Brown was the same, he was utter horrendous at the end but still always played as he’s Scott Brown Celtic legend. Would’ve got offered a new deal no doubt too.

That’s why we won’t progress much as it’s not who’s best for the job whether it’s upstairs or on the pitch. If your a “Celtic man” you’re ahead of anyone.

 

He had a good first half tbf to him. Only so much he can do himself though. Calls to phase him out are stupid atm.

 

And completely * disrespectful.

Aye, the whole team haven't been up to scratch, but there are bigger fish to fry than our multiple title-winning captain.

 

His pass up in the air to no one at the end of game was so un Callum McGregor like, needs to improve massively so does the whole club.

 

*...Move on

 

McGregor says "it's a big job to turn this around" after Saturday's 1-1 draw at home to Killie

He doesn't mean the 2 points gap either, he means the teams confidence and performances - that's our captain?
What would Broony have said?

 

The whole team is gash at the minute. Rather than point at individual players, ask why the collective have regressed so much since last season.

Phasing out - nonsense!

 

CELTIC skipper Callum McGregor admits Rangers now have the title momentum.

And he also confessed there’s a major question mark over the champions’ bottle to hold off the challenge from the Light Blues, because they aren’t doing the basics well enough.


McGregor, 30, vowed to rally his team-mates to stave off the prospect of seeing the Premiership trophy heading to Ibrox.

He said: “That’s the only difference between the two teams — momentum.

“One side are full of confidence and cheering every tackle and every throw in, while the other side are in a bad moment where the confidence is low and there’s an atmosphere around the place.

“That’s up to us as players to fix that.

“I guarantee you, if you do fix it, then the whole thing changes.

“I’ve been there many times. One result can change everything and alter the mentality.

“We have 12 games to turn that. I’ve got no doubt that if we do turn it, we can still go on and have a successful season.

“Mentality is so key when you play for big clubs. You need to be mentally strong and be together. You need to do the basics of the game together

If you do that you give yourself a chance.

“If you don’t do that, it becomes individuals running about trying to do their own thing

We found ourselves in a position again with ten minutes to go when we’re defending a 1-0 lead.

“But the reality is we should have put the game to bed before that.

Over a 38-game period, if you keep putting yourself in that position you’re going to struggle and get punished.

“The second goal in games is crucial. If we’d got it the game wouldn’t have got to that point.

“But that’s something we haven’t been good enough at this season, we ended up emergency defending again.

“The more chances you concede in the box, the more goals you’ll lose.


It’s a big job to turn this around. There’s 12 games to go and we HAVE to find a way.

“We have to get through to everyone and make them understand what’s required here.

“How we play, there are non-negotiables. If we don’t do that, the whole team suffers.

“We have 12 games to solve it. The players must be aware that there’s a certain standard required on the pitch

You turn up and something happens out of the blue where you think, ‘Where did that come from?’. That’s telling me that there’s something missing right now.

“I’ll find the answer to that, I’m sure of it.

“I will leave nothing unturned until I find the answer to that question.

“We’ve been in this position too many times this year

But it’s all about doing the basics right.

“When you don’t do that then the question gets asked about bottle and nerve.

“The game should be 2-0, and it should be done by half-time or by 65 minutes.

“No one’s questioning your bottle at that point, you’re doing the basics, you’re doing what the team’s asked you to do


Maybe we do now have a question to answer about bottle, about nerve and about everything else.

“But we have a game plan and we have the ability to be killing games early doors.

“It’s about fixing this middle period where you kill the game, and nobody asks any questions as the game’s done after 60 minutes.”

Rivals Rangers face St Johnstone in Perth at lunchtime today, and will go two points clear at the top with a win.

McGregor added: “It doesn’t really matter whether you play first or play second, or you fall behind in the title race with 12 games to go.

“It’s about who is at the top of the table on the last day.

It’s going to be tight and I think everybody’s going to have to brace themselves. It’s going to be really close.

“It’s about us. We have to take that responsibility as a group to fix it.”

 

He’s a good leader but there’s not enough leaders round about him.

He totally shat the bed yesterday when he surrendered possession with no one around him, just kicked it right up in the air.

He’s way too soft to be playing as a single CDM for us, he’s been bullied and overrun time and time again this season.

He needs help in there big time.

 

One of the best attacking midfielders we've had in last 20 years and we continually waste him by playing him as a defensive midfielder.

He's still best attacking midfielder at the club (Hatate doesn't count coz he's never fit), maybe we should actually play him there.

Seen stats today about how much more teams are playing through us. So not only are we wasting Mcgregor by not playing him in his natural position he's actually * as a defensive midfielder anyway.

A poor defensive midfielder playing in from of a full 2nd choice back 4. Absolutely * mental

 

Who’ll be left to impart our identity onto new players when he leaves or phases out?

Jamesy, Ralston or Welsh or maybe you don’t think that’s something we need at the club, identity…

 

Hes been absolutely * this season bar a handful of games but phasing him out is a bit harsh. He's been played out of position by a manager that's completely lost it imo. He can still di a job but not in the position he's been played, simply really, well unless your Rodgers

 

Bring in a DM and have Cal play the 8 or 10 when MOR goes. Give him adequate rest when we eventually bring in younger replacements to eventually phase him into retirement.

 

Calls to "phase him out" are totally uncalled for. Jesus * Christ.

 

Get Iwata behind him at Motherwell and see how we go.

 

Same things said about Broony at the same age as Cal is now, riduculous to suggest he is done and should be phased out

 

He's isolated in the team in terms of a leader. Out with Hart, there is nobody in that team that has any leadership qualities to stand up and be counted, I include CCV amongst that. Mooy had a that when he came in and it's exactly what we needed in January. But again the board brought in a dud from Austria and a bench warmer from Norwich.