At this point in time, Celtic are struggling for consistency, not just in results but in performances as well. Yes, this team does know how to win games even when they are not at their best. That being said, that is not the kind of football that you want to see every week. One would hope that they find their rhythm at some point. But for that to happen, Brendan Rodgers might need to drop a few big names, who might no longer be starting on merit at this point.
Last night, we made the case for Kasper Schmeichel to be one of them. But he is not the only one. There is another player who has looked like a shadow of his former self for quite a while and could do with some time on the bench.
The player in question is none other than Reo Hatate. The Japanese international was completely off colour once again last night, giving away the ball constantly against Red Star Belgrade, and failing to control the middle of the park. When you think about it, that has been the case pretty much every big game for a while now.
On top of his game, Hatate is probably the best midfielder in the league. But can we just keep on starting him based on that, when he has not delivered performances of that level on a consistent basis since Ange Postecoglou left?
'Embarrassing' - Celtic fans want starter to be dropped immediately
It looks like a good portion of Celtic fans have already given up on Hatate. One wrote: "He has 1 decent match every 8 or so. Nowhere near good enough or consistent enough. Our midfield has been embarrassing this season, and he's one of the main reasons."
Then there are those who believe that it might be down to the combination in midfield rather than the individual talent involved, as one fan wrote: "Midfield has been terrible all season. Nygren and Hatate can’t play together. Clear as day."
Whichever maybe the case, it is quite clear that Rodgers needs to come up with a solution and quickly. We have seen this midfield combination struggle all season.
Then again, at times, it does look like Benjamin Nygren is capable of pulling something exceptional out of nowhere, like his run and assist for Kelechi Iheanacho's goal vs Red Star. It has been a while since we saw that from Hatate. So, if anybody is going to be dropped, it has to be him.