Let's just begin by saying that we all know that Brendan Rodgers has not been dealt the best hand in his second spell as Celtic manager. Over the course of the three seasons, the squad has been constantly weakened with every passing transfer window. And on top of that, they have a number of major injury problems to go with it.
That being said, is Rodgers making the most of the options that are available to him right now? That is a question that needs to be asked after the performance and result against Hearts this weekend which left them eight points adrift of the Edinburgh club in the title race.
It would be somewhat understandable if the Rangers were leading Celtic. The two clubs work on similar budgets. But Derek McInnes is pulling this off while working on a fraction of it.
One decision made by Rodgers that has come under scrutiny is the one to play Dane Murray. The youth graduate had a horror show against Hearts and played a major part in the loss. Rodgers does not believe that it was the wrong call to start him ahead of Auston Trusty, someone the club shelled out £6 million to sign just last summer.
Brendan Rodgers disagrees with Celtic fans and defends decision
As reported by The Celtic Way, Rodgers said when asked about the situation starting Murray over Trusty:
"He's left-footed. The balance of the centre-halves works better for me when we have the balance of a left-footer and a right-footer at centre-half.
"So, the price tag never comes into it. It's about what the team needs."
Now, in some ways, it is understandable. In the past, we have seen Scales and Trusty struggle a bit while playing with each other. The left-right combination is certainly a thing.
That being said, it is not enough of a factor to drop a proven international centre-back. Trusty would have perhaps done a much better job than the one Murray did against Hearts. It was clearly a mistake on the day.