Greg Taylor

Trusty leaves too big a gap to him for their goal. I've watched it back a few times and you are talking analysing microseconds, certainly wasn't as straightforward as petrov suggested (chaperoning olise out wide) like olise was nearly coming back towards goal when receiving the ball.

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Agree to disagree on that then

 

It probably does by a lot..

But most I think are quite fair with him.. I know I give him plenty of praise when he plays well..

It's very difficult for a lot of players to make that step up in quality but for me it's glaring at times for him..

We need better, it's fine to have him as a squad player, some say.. until we need to play him in games like last night.. we looked instantly better when Schlupp came on, just the physicality at this level makes all the difference..

 

I agree with this post completely, Taylor does get a lot of stick and I confess I am not his biggest fan but I do think he is an asset against teams where we dominate the ball and he can come inside with limited defensive involvement in a game.

Now this isn’t Greg Taylor’s fault but in modern day football at Champions League level, you don’t get full backs who are as small as he is with no pace. They are either built like a traditional centre back around 6ft and strong or if they are smaller they are very quick with a good leap or more often than not now they are both.

There will not likely have been another full back playing in the CL knockout round that has a physical profile like Taylor, so he is at a disadvantage and it shows. Now Olise is a great player but his positioning both in relations to his other 3 defenders, probably because he feared getting out paced was poor and he was too deep, his body shape was all wrong, if it was right the ball wasn’t that high he could have got ahead on it before it got to Olise, and once Olise brought it down he was showing him the inside and basically just got brushed past standing square to his man. Yes he was unlucky as it hit his knee and Olise then got a deflection to take it on but the mistakes that lead to that were really basic stuff for an experienced defender.

Schlupp isn’t a left back, and if I am honest was giving me the fear when he first came on and was standing at right centre back etc but he is a solid physical presence and once he settled into actually being at left back done fine. I think he intercepts the ball to Olise and puts it out for a throw in.

It’s a big if but if Tierney can stay fit, I am not sure the last time we will have seen such an upgrade on a position in our team.

 

Any time anyone says anything bad about him it's seen as some sort of bullying, as if he's the only player that gets criticism.

Engles gets it, Hatate gets it, McGregor gets it, Trusty gets it, Idah gets it, Bernardo gets it ...

Nobody is above a certain level of criticism. Just happens to be that he is our most obvious weak link at times. He always gives 100% and I don't think anyone would disagree, which is a massive credit to him. It's just that physically he isn't able to compete at CL level at times, which is hardly a slight on him. Not many of our players are at that level really but being a defenders, any mistake you make can lead to a goal which makes them more obvious.

 

The only player I haven’t heard any Celtic fan criticise this season has been Kuhn. Even heard Maeda and CCV get it early in the season. None of our players are currently at the level Bayern showed last night, but some are further away than others. Taylor is competent in our league, he is way way way out his depth in Europe. The frequent passes straight out of play last night were infuriating. That said getting on a players back at the game helps no one. He isn’t bullied he isn’t singled out he’s just the weakest link in our team and there is no need for it.

 

His good work doesn’t get ignored. When he plays well he is praised. It’s evident in here.

But when you essentially cost the team a goal at a massive point in the match, so easily, then it doesn’t really matter that he made a couple of decent tackles or passes.

Without that mistake we go in 0-0 and it’s a completely different game.

 

GT certainly divides opinions.

It’s not his fault he was selected, and then ultimately found wanting for a game of this magnitude.

In many aspects, he’s been an outstanding professional during his time with us. And even while his contract runs down, I haven’t heard a squeak about his standards and professionalism dropping.

Could the club have made alternative arrangements for the left back position sooner? Certainly

Is that Taylor’s fault?
Certainly not

Probably fairest in the grand scheme of things to compare him to that dimwit Bolingole, who he replaced.

Now there was a poor left back

 

He shouldn’t have shown him inside but the criticism for the goal is a bit OTT.

I was more annoyed at him being pressured by them and playing the ball out of play, but it wasn’t an easy game against them.

 

not finding a suitable replacement for tierney ,when had £25m to do so isnt taylors fault .constantly being at fault for goals we conceed in europe is his fault . used to think he was really pish ,then not as pish as he was then hes doing alright but always gets roasted in europe . i find it hilarious he wont sign a new contract and wont be sad to see the back of him

 

For me I'd be happy if he left, we need better.. alright as a squad player until we need to play him in games like last night..

 

I see what @Mr Shelby means. We'd struggle to get anything better than him as backup.

Having Tierney as first choice and Taylor as second is fantastic, even with Taylor's limitations.

 

Would rather have KT and Schlupp in the short-term..

Like I say Taylor is only fantastic back up until we need play him in games like last night.

 

GT has been * to excellent in at least half the games in this CL campaign, and better overall than a fair number of players.

Has made mistakes (along with everyone else) which has seen him crucified, but has also been a big part of a lot of our forward play while rarely getting the credit for it.

As I said earlier, pathetic.

 

Doing olise a disservice by saying Taylor cost us the goal. Olise pace is electric and the strike is sensational. Some times you've just got to accept that your playing against top quality player who, one on one, can do that to anyone in our team.

 

With zonal marking you do.

 

It was Johnston who lost his man.