Should the Celtic boss consider dropping Scott Sinclair for Patrick Roberts when he’s back?
Chris Sutton got Celtic fans thinking last month when he claimed that Scott Sinclair had gone backwards from the player he was last season.
The former Swansea City ace, signed for £3.5 million in 2016 (The Record), had just had a bit of a stinker in the Old Firm derby with Rangers and missed a couple of great chances.
If that form continues into the second half of the campaign then it’s not unthinkable to wonder whether Brendan Rodgers could drop Sinclair and, with Patrick Roberts on the comeback trail, it’s certainly an option for the Celtic manager.
Roberts is due back from his hamstring injury in February but, given that James Forrest is probably the Bhoys’ best player this season, he won’t be playing back on the right wing. Rivalling Sinclair on the left seems much more plausible at the minute.
Dropping the English winger would also represent a major statement by Rodgers.
He was a big-money signing and won the Premiership Player of the Year last term, but giving him a spell on the bench would surely let Sinclair – and indeed every single Hoops player – know that they won’t get away with slacking. There needs to be constant improvement.
Prior to the winter break, quite a few Celtic lads were under-performing and some of them need a kick up the you know what as a reminder that they are not undroppable.
Sinclair is one of those in need of a kick and it’ll be interesting to see if Rodgers administers it when Roberts returns
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