There were not too many bright spots for Celtic as they lost 3-0 at the hands of the Rangers at Ibrox. The Hoops have rarely stumbled in Glasgow Derbies in recent years but they fell completely flat on this occasion for sure. Brendan Rodgers has a lot to think about coming out of this contest and a clear need to get better.
One has to wonder whether it is time to look towards the centre-back market once again. It is something that Celtic have been struggling to get right in recent seasons.
Signing Gustaf Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki did not work out. And Auston Trusty has not been the most impressive either, although he has done a decent enough job when playing alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers.
At Ibrox, it was Liam Scales who put in one of the worst performances of his Celtic career. It is remarkable that he actually played the entirety of the game. It is safe to say that fans were not happy with his performance on the day.
You’ll be hard pushed to find a worse half hour of football than we’re seeing from Scales and even Hatate here.
— 20 Minute Tims (@20MinuteTims) January 2, 2025
Surely this is the last game we will see Scales for a while now.
— Danny (@dxnnyclintxn95) January 2, 2025
Celtic player slammed for performance against Rangers
Scales does come up with decent performances here and there. But all things considered, he does not seem to be someone who is good enough to be a starting centre-back for Celtic.
Is Trusty the answer? We do not know that either. But there is a genuine chance that Celtic end up going for another centre-back this January or next summer.
Stephen Welsh is believed to be closing in on a loan exit. Belgium seems like his most likely destination as things stand. On the other hand, Nawrocki is viewed as someone who might soon be on his way out as well, having struggled for playing time since his arrival in the summer of 2023 for a transfer fee believed to be in the region of €5 million.