Celtic told substitute is better than one regular starter
Celtic have a stacked squad at this point of time and there is a lot of competition for places. That is exactly what you want at a club like this, where the expectation is to win every game. It keeps the players on their toes at all times. Even then, there are some who have managed to establish themselves as regular starters in Ange Postecoglou’s team.
The first-choice partnership in the heart of defence has been consistent since last season, with Cameron Carter-Vickers and Carl Starfelt a mainstay of the starting XI. Postecoglou has other options at the back as well though.
One of them is Yuki Kobayashi, who was signed in January by Celtic. He has not gotten a lot of opportunities since then though and has had to spend most of his time sitting on the bench. In the opportunities that he has been given, the Japanese star has impressed.
In fact, Frank McAvennie seems to believe that Kobayashi might be better than Starfelt. As reported by Football Insider, the former Celtic player said:
"“He is left-sided, he plays great with Carter-Vickers. I think he is a better option than Starfelt.“He [Starfelt] looks a bit awkward sometimes because he is not a left-sided player.“"
Celtic told substitute is better than one regular starter
It remains to be seen if the Japanese defender gets more chances in the future or not. He has certainly been pretty much faultless in the appearances that he has made for the Hoops.
At the same time, one has to recognise though that he has not played a lot, and not against top tier opposition either. As a result, it might be a bit too early to judge what he can offer this team. Starfelt has already proven himself time after time.
Of course, things could change in the future and Kobayashi can move ahead of Starfelt in the pecking order, but don’t expect to see that this season. At the same time, one has to point out that the Swedish centre-back has been linked with a summer move away.