Celtic discovered themselves on the receiving finish of a loss within the Scottish Premiership for the second time of their final three matches on Sunday afternoon.
The Hoops have been overwhelmed 1-0 by bottom-of-the-league St. Johnstone in a shock consequence at McDiarmid Park, as they conceded to Daniels Balodis after simply 4 minutes.
It was an extremely irritating afternoon for Brendan Rodgers and his facet as a result of they’d 26 efforts on aim and created two ‘large probabilities’, however failed to search out the again of the web a single time.
The Premiership leaders didn’t convert the standard alternatives that they original all through the match, as their star attackers didn’t step as much as showcase the most effective of their skills.
Daizen Maeda, who has scored 30 targets and supplied 9 assists in all competitions to date this season, solely had 19 touches of the ball and two of Celtic’s 26 pictures, while he didn’t create a single probability for his teammates throughout his time on the pitch.
Rodgers has some tough choices to make forward of the conflict with Kilmarnock at Parkhead subsequent weekend, and one star who have to be ruthlessly ditched from the staff is winger Nicolas Kuhn.
Why Nicolas Kuhn ought to be dropped
The German ahead was withdrawn from the motion as a part of a double substitution at half-time after a irritating first half of motion on the suitable wing.
Kuhn has left himself able the place supporters and the administration staff anticipate large issues from him due to his kind earlier within the marketing campaign, having racked up 18 targets and 14 assists in all competitions.
He established himself as a star performer for the Scottish giants and that’s the reason it’s so noticeable when he’s not at his greatest, as a result of the staff suffers on account of his lack of influence.
Nicolas Kuhn | Vs St Johnstone | 24/25 Premiership (per sport) |
|---|---|---|
Objectives + assists | 0 | 0.67 |
Photographs | 2 | 1.8 |
Photographs heading in the right direction | 0 | 0.8 |
Key passes | 1 | 1.7 |
Huge probabilities created | 0 | 0.4 |
Go success charge | 72% | 76% |
Stats through Sofascore | ||
As you may see within the desk above, Kuhn has averaged a aim or an help as a rule, and a shot heading in the right direction as a rule, within the Premiership this season, however he managed neither in opposition to St. Johnstone.
Put merely, extra is anticipated of the previous Speedy Vienna star than he confirmed within the 1-0 defeat on Sunday, which is why it was a disappointing show and why the supervisor should, now, drop him for the conflict with Kilmarnock.
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Rodgers does have loads of choices at his disposal to make alterations to the beginning line-up, and one doable substitute for Kuhn can be Hyun-jun Yang.
Hyun-jun Yang’s enchancment at Celtic
The South Korean whiz joined on a everlasting deal from Gangwon in the summertime of 2023 and endured a tough first season with the Scottish giants.
Yang ended the 2023/24 marketing campaign with a tally of only one aim and three assists in 31 appearances in all competitions, as he failed to supply a lot of a menace on the prime finish of the pitch.
On condition that paltry return in entrance of aim, it might not have been a shock to have seen the ahead moved on from Parkhead in the summertime switch window final 12 months. As an alternative of leaving, although, the 22-year-old ace stayed to battle for a spot within the squad, and has earned one.
Hyun-jun Yang (Premiership) | 23/24 | 24/25 |
|---|---|---|
Appearances | 24 | 20 |
Begins | 10 | 8 |
Objectives | 1 | 4 |
Conversion charge | 5% | 27% |
Go accuracy | 81% | 86% |
Assists | 3 | 3 |
Stats through Sofascore | ||
As you may see within the desk above, Yang has been as artistic as he was within the Premiership final season, however has provided much more of a menace as a goalscorer for the Hoops.
The South Korea worldwide has racked up 5 targets and 6 assists in 30 matches in all competitions, which signifies that the winger has supplied 5 extra targets and three extra assists than he did final time period.
Regardless of that apparent enchancment from Yang within the last third, it’s Adam Idah who ought to be introduced in to interchange Kuhn within the beginning line-up subsequent weekend.
Why Adam Idah have to be unleashed
The Eire worldwide ought to are available in to begin forward of the German winger, with Maeda shifting out huge on the left and Jota shifting over to the suitable, to play because the quantity 9.
Idah’s tempo and energy was on full show within the defeat to St. Johnstone after he got here off the bench to throw his hat within the ring to begin subsequent outing with a robust displaying.
The Irish marksman ought to have had an help for an equalising aim when he brilliantly burst down the suitable channel and produced an inch-perfect cross for James Forrest, who fired his shot down the center of the aim to be blocked by the goalkeeper.
Idah, who received 5 of his six duels, ended his 29 minutes on the pitch with one dribble accomplished, two probabilities created, one ‘large probability’ created, 5 pictures, and one shot heading in the right direction.
These statistics present that the previous Norwich Metropolis centre-forward, whose expertise was as soon as dubbed “unimaginable” by Rodgers, made an influence off the bench on Sunday, which is why he ought to now be introduced in to indicate what he can do from the beginning in opposition to Kilmarnock.
The 24-year-old attacker, who has scored 14 targets in all competitions, has scored eight targets and created six ‘large probabilities’ in 15 begins within the Premiership to date this time period.
Idah’s ending has not all the time been adequate, with 13 ‘large probabilities’ missed, however he causes opposition defenders issues along with his tempo and energy, as he did off the bench in opposition to St. Johnstone, which is why Rodgers should carry him into the XI subsequent weekend.
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It’s now right down to the previous Liverpool and Leicester boss to ruthlessly ditch Kuhn from the staff to unleash Idah, while shifting Maeda again out to the wing.
