Should Nir Bitton be a regular in the heart of Celtic’s midfield?

Bitton has had moments to forget

Despite all his qualities, the Israeli has had moments to forget in a Celtic shirt as well. His sending-off against FC Midtjylland in the Champions League qualifiers is believed by many as the reason the Hoops never truly capitalized on their early dominance in the tie, ultimately costing them a place in the next round of the qualifiers and perhaps even the group stages.

The red card in last season’s New Year Glasgow Derby was the turning point in a fixture Celtic simply had to win to preserve any title hopes. And we all know, how that turned out.

Fans have also called him out on a lack of positional awareness at the back and holding onto possession unnecessarily at times.

An often quiet component of Celtic’s success

Most criticism regarding Bitton has come while covering in central defence, a role that he has played on numerous occasions, although he is a natural midfielder.

Furthermore, it’s easy to forget Bitton’s influence in the capture of seven league titles and several domestic cups. The Israeli was a mainstay in Ronny Deila’s midfield throughout his tenure at Parkhead and was also a staple of Brendan Rodgers’ midfield before he departed to Leicester City.

Even when he has not played regularly, Bitton has always been a great option to have on the bench, whether it is helping out in defence or delivering a sense of calm to the midfield. His contribution to the club’s success over the years should not be overlooked.

Nir-ly there?

The Israeli’s most recent run in the team was halted by a knock sustained against Bayer Leverkusen, but a run of consecutive matches in central midfield allowed Bitton to demonstrate the value he brings to the side, and he must be in Postecoglou’s first-team plans now.

The manager’s recent comments after Celtic’s defeat in Germany offer an insight into the situation. As reported by the Daily Record, Postecoglou said:

"“I was a bit disappointed to see Nir come off and in terms of how he is going to be I’m not really sure. “We will assess him, but he has been pretty influential for us and did well for the second goal in Germany to help set it up. “It was disappointing to have to take him off because I just felt we needed him in there just to help us control that middle of the park.”"

Given the development of the modern game and Bitton’s command over many of its facets, not to mention that he appears to be back in the manager’s plans, this could finally be the moment we see him realise his full potential in a Celtic jersey.