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44% pass accuracy, gradually becoming a FLOP something must be done immediately”- Rodgers told must drop Celtic dud who was worse than McCowan
Celtic will head into Christmas at the top of the Scottish Premiership table, despite being held to a 0-0 draw by Dundee United at Tannadice Park on Sunday.
The Hoops are nine points clear of their closest rivals, Rangers, in second place, with a solid lead to carry into the second half of the season.
Brendan Rodgers’ team has already secured the League Cup, beating Rangers on penalties earlier this month, and are on track to qualify for the Champions League play-offs.
Despite their success in the League Cup, where they scored three goals before winning on penalties after a 3-3 draw against Philippe Clement’s side, Celtic couldn’t carry that attacking form into the Dundee United match, which ended goalless.
Rodgers was without key players like Cameron Carter-Vickers, Auston Trusty, and Nicolas Kuhn, but was still let down by others, including midfielder Luke McCowan.
Luke McCowan’s Struggles Against Dundee United
The summer signing from Dundee started against his former club’s rivals, with Arne Engels and Paulo Bernardo on the bench.
McCowan had contributed five goals and four assists in 14 Premiership appearances for Celtic and Dundee before this match, making him an intriguing option. However, his performance against Dundee United was underwhelming.
McCowan struggled both in possession and in defense, losing the ball 23 times in just 62 minutes. Though he did create one chance and had two shots, they were not enough to help Celtic break the deadlock.
Kyogo Furuhashi’s Disappointing Display
Celtic’s striker Kyogo Furuhashi was another player whose performance fell short.
Leading the attack, Kyogo had a golden opportunity to score when Adam Idah sent him through on goal, but the Japan international mishit the ball, allowing the goalkeeper to gather it easily.
The miss was so poor that Sofascore didn’t even consider it a shot on target or a “big chance” missed.
Kyogo’s overall performance was subpar, with just 44% pass accuracy and no chances created for teammates. His inability to link up effectively with others and his wastefulness in possession was concerning, especially given his full 90 minutes on the pitch.
Why Kyogo Should Be Dropped
Given Kyogo’s underwhelming performances this season, it might be time for Rodgers to reconsider his place in the starting lineup.
He has only scored twice in his last nine appearances and failed to provide any assists. His finishing in Europe has been particularly disappointing, with only one goal from 2.36 xG in six Champions League appearances.
In the Premiership, Kyogo has missed more than twice as many big chances as he has scored, further highlighting his inconsistency.
It may be time for Rodgers to give Adam Idah a run of games in the starting XI, especially with Idah’s impressive record of five goals in five starts this season.
