Haissem Hassan has been questioned over his lack of work rate after he was dropped by Celtic boss Martin O'Neill before the international break.
The Bhoys went into the break on the back of successive wins, securing a brief break from some of the intense criticism that has been levelled at them this season. There are still questions over the way the team is playing and the lack of quality within the squad.
Some good signings were made over the summer, but the recruitment was still subpar overall, and it doesn't help that players like Hassan and Kasper Hogh are yet to reach their best levels.
Hassan has been better than Hogh, but while it is obvious the talent is there, he has not been consistent enough and not taken full advantage of his talent. The Egyptian has the pace and trickery to beat defenders consistently at this level, but he is only managing it here and there, which isn't enough when there are defensive concerns
“You’ve got to have an end product as a winger. And if you’ve not got that regularly, you need to at least hard work," former Celtic star Charlie Mulgrew said on the Go Radio Football Show.
“I think that’s where the manager likes Yang. Because he puts a shift in, he works back the park. Hassan, sometimes, can switch off when Celtic don’t have the ball.
“If you’re going to be that kind of player, you need to be really clinical with your finishing, your crossing or your assists. Because you can’t, carry players.
“But it’s a strange one that Tounekti’s ahead of him on the bench, for me. I find that strange. I don’t understand that. I know Martin O’Neill, the word he said was ‘manoeuvring’ the squad… yeah, I don’t understand why Tounekti’s in there. But he’s got some decision to make, and that’s not one that I would’ve made.”
It is true that Hassan's defensive work isn't sufficient, and in truth, he might get away with it with someone more defensively sound like Alistair Johnston behind him, but it's not the case with Colby Donovan.
That is no slight on Donovan, who has been excellent, but he is more of an attacking right-back who will take chances defensively, relying on his pace to recover. Those kinds of full-backs require some help from the players in front of them. Hassan is offering little.
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