Scott Sinclair failed to impress once again as Celtic lost 2-1 to Kilmarnock in Sunday’s Scottish Premiership clash at Rugby Park.
Celtic have dominated the Scottish game since Brendan Rodgers took over two years ago, winning the domestic treble in both 2017 and 2018. But things have changed at the start of this season.
As it stands, Celtic are sixth in the table after their worst start to a league season in 20 years. Sunday’s 2-1 defeat away at Kilmarnock – sealed by a last-minute winner from former Hoops kid Stuart Findlay – means the Glasgow giants are now six points adrift of early pacesetters Hearts.
A number of Rodgers’ key players are struggling for form but none more so than Scott Sinclair.
Celtic’s talisman and the SPFA Player of the Year in 2017, Sinclair is miles away from that form right now and was hauled off with just over an hour to go at Rugby Park, a week after being left out entirely for the goalless draw at St Mirren.
“Brendan won’t change the way he plays and they’ve got a number of players playing within themselves. Sinclair is a pale shadow of the player he was. It was sad to see,” Kilmarnock striker Boyd told Jim White on talkSPORT (24 September, 12.50pm).
“He looks low on confidence, doesn’t want to take anyone on. He was hiding behind defenders, he doesn’t want the ball.”
Boyd also believes Celtic are suffering from a lack of a real strike partnership, a la Scott MacDonald and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink or Chris Sutton and Henrik Larsson.
Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths have been fighting for one position under Rodgers and Boyd believes this has made Celtic predictable.
“If they don’t play through you, they’ll struggle to score,” he added. “Teams understand how to play against Celtic now. They look scared to try things and give the ball away.”
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