Celtic midfielder Reo Hatate has come in for huge praise since arriving but it seems he left teammate Greg Taylor and pundit Andy Walker frustrated on Sunday.
Celtic travelled across Glasgow on Sunday afternoon as they took on bitter rivals Rangers at Ibrox.
Knowing a win would all but seal the title, Celtic had to dig in and battle – especially after falling behind to Aaron Ramsey’s early opener.
Celtic responded brilliantly though. Tom Rogic’s equaliser quickly brought Celtic level before Cameron Carter-Vickers secured the 2-1 win.
Now with a six-point lead at the top of the table, Celtic are seemingly coasting towards the title.
Whilst this is obviously a time for Celtic fans to celebrate, not everything on Sunday was perfect for the Bhoys.
Midfielder Hatate wasn’t able to replicate the two-goal show he put on against Rangers in February and actually struggled in general.
The Japanese star made such a huge impact after arriving at Celtic but the effects of playing so many games in Japan before coming to Scotland may be taking its toll on him.
Whilst Hatate played a key role in Rogic’s goal, he didn’t quite seem at his best against Rangers.
There was one key moment in the second half when Rangers were launching an attack and Hatate was lagging behind the play.
Unsurprisingly, Hatate was substituted shortly after as Ange Postecoglou went with fresher legs in the middle of the park.
Pundit Andy Walker pointed out on Sky Sports (03/04, 1:15pm) that teammate Greg Taylor was ‘angry’ with Hatate for his inability to track back.
Walker added that Hatate looked ‘absolutely spent’ at Ibrox, and whilst he is effective on the ball, his off-ball contribution didn’t quite match up.
“No wonder Taylor was angry with him there, he could not get back!” said Walker. “I know he’s decent on the ball but he looked absolutely spent there,” he added.
We know what Hatate can offer at his best, but Postecoglou’s style demands high intensity at all times.
The hope will be that Celtic can ease to the title and maybe rest Hatate occasionally after a very busy season for the midfielder.
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