Chris Sutton blames Brendan Rodgers for Celtic hero's struggles

A lot has been made of Celtic's struggles since the arrival of Brendan Rodgers as manager in the summer to replace Ange Postecoglou. Many believe that it is the Northern Irishman who has gotten things wrong. On the other hand, there are others who have pointed towards the club's unremarkable transfer activity this season.

It is worth pointing out though that this is a squad filled with treble winners. And while it is valid that Celtic have not shown enough ambition when it comes to signing players, Rodgers has also not gotten the best out of the players available to him.

Kyogo is perhaps the best example of that. The Japanese international has gone from the best forward in Scotland by a country mile to struggling for goals.

It is quite clear that he is not the right fit for the style of football that Celtic are trying to play right now. But unfortunately, Rodgers has not made the adjustment required to get Kyogo playing at his best level once again.

Sutton blames Rodgers for Celtic hero's struggles

As reported by Football Scotland, Sutton told the Daily Record:

"Brendan Rodgers has been outspoken about needing quality yet he can't find a way to get the best out of the highest-quality striker in the country.

"Now Kyogo has been left out of the side. If that continues, could it lead to him inevitably looking to leave? The Japanese star has gone from being the most-feared forward in Scotland to barely getting a chance in a game. It's actually quite remarkable and, for me, it's not got that much to do with the boy himself."

Sutton went on to further add about the matter:

"Ange Postecoglou found a way to supply him, Rodgers has not. We keep hearing the need for speed, yet Celtic have a guy with the sharpest feet and the sharpest mind who hasn't operated fully due to a team who, for most of the season, have gone through the motions.

"It's Brendan's failure if he doesn't find a way to get the best out of Kyogo. Celtic have a proven gem who's on a different wavelength to most around him and it's a failure of the environment. In truth, he's currently too good for this Celtic team."

To be very honest, that is actually a fair assessment of the situation from Sutton. Kyogo simply has not been supplied with enough chances to show what he is capable of.

What Celtic are in need of right now is consistent goals. Yet, they do not seem to be playing to the strengths of someone who scored 34 times just last season.

The lack of speed in their play means that a lot of Kyogo's strengths have been neutralised and the opposition defence is having a much easier time dealing with him. Unfortunately, if Celtic continue to play with this slow and methodical build up, we might never see the best of the Japanese striker again and it would not be a surprise if he chose to leave in the future. Hopefully, it won't come to that and Rodgers will find a solution soon.