‘Bye-bye’: Rodgers doesn’t want this “really good” Celtic player, who is now considering leaving through the window

Whilst Celtic are locked in a tight race with their city opponents for the Scottish Premiership title, one eye has remained on the transfer window, with a forgotten player’s departure from Parkhead apparently now imminent.

Celtic hand benefit to Rangers

For the first time in a while, the Scottish Premiership appears perfectly poised for a interesting finish with each Celtic and Rangers in rivalry for the title. Not continually a shut race, Celtic’s as soon as healthy gain at the summit has been cut down by recent draws with both Aberdeen and Kilmarnock.

Brendan Rodgers’ men are now under good sized pressure to wrap up the league after being heavy favourites to raise the title and conserving a massive lead over Rangers for a whole lot of the season’s early proceedings. With a day trip to Ibrox penciled in for the start of April, Celtic will have earmarked this fixture as an possibility to put themselves returned on the pinnacle of the tree.

Where Celtic preserve the benefit over their Glasgow opponents is their absence of European football. Whilst Rangers have to juggle league and cup campaigns with the latter degrees of the Europa League, Celtic can keep sole focal point upon home competitions, potentially giving them the edge.

One man who has yet to characteristic in all this on the other hand is Yuki Kobayashi, and he is now seeking greener pastures away from Scotland.

Yuki Kobayashi set for exit

As first said by means of Football Insider’s Pete O’Rourke, Kobayashi is exploring out-of-window strikes away from Parkhead. The 23-year-old looked close to leaving Celtic last week, however a move to Finnish facet HJK Helsinki collapsed at the closing minute. Well-placed sources within the club have told O’Rourke that Kobayashi stays free to pursue different provides and that the participant is eager to invulnerable a pass away from the Glasgow giants.

In truth, it is no surprise why Kobayashi is pursuing different avenues, as the central defender has regarded in inexperienced and white on simply seven activities given that his arrival from Vissel Kobe in November 2022. His last motion for Celtic got here in May 2023, with this season bringing about zero possibilities for the former Japan youth international.

It wasn’t usually like this for the 23-year-old, as a stretch of fixtures toward the backend of closing season saw Kobayashi begin in the heart of defence and earn praise for his performances. Speaking after a complete 4-1 victory over Kilmarnock in April 2023, former Hoops’ boss, Ange Postecoglu sang the praises of his player, telling reporters:

“I idea he was actually good. It wasn’t effortless to play on the floor and they were physical. It used to be desirable to get him 90 minutes but in all the games he’s played, he’s infrequently put a foot incorrect and he’s developing as a player.”

A as soon as promising profession at Parkhead has now come crashing down with Kobayashi in all likelihood to in no way pull on the famous inexperienced and white stripes again. Hopefully, the opportunity to play regular soccer someplace else will see the defender inserting in the performances he is capable of on a normal basis.

Greg Taylor says the Rangers aren’t interfering with Celtics’ title aspirations, but he also acknowledges this in a “hazy” way

Taylor insists anxiety from the stands isn’t affecting the players regardless of losing points in 4 home games already this season.

Celtic fans applaud Greg Taylor

Greg Taylor admits Celtic are struggling from a loss of control.

And the Parkhead defender insists his side really can’t find the money for to lose focus as nicely or their title imaginative and prescient will become hazy. Taylor and his team-mates went via some other vastly irritating afternoon on their own ground as they were held to a 1-1 draw by Kilmarnock. Brendan Rodgers’ group had the game in the draw close of their hand having been passed a first-half lead by way of top-scorer Kyogo Furuhashi.

Entering the 2nd period, Celtic had the hazard to step on the gasoline and race the sport away from their Ayrshire opponents. But, instead, the toiling hosts misplaced control and hit some other massive title bump when Derek McInnes’ facet pulled alongside and cast a deserved stoppage-time equaliser. That delivered a cascade of anger from the home stands at the frustration of two greater dropped points in the battle for the flag.

Taylor may want to wholly understand the frustration of the supporters. What he determined greater challenging to comprehend was once the way the sport veered off their intended course.

With a 1-0 lead on their personal patch, Taylor predicted his group to boost from that role of electricity and similarly punish tiring rivals. But Celtic failed to make Killie wilt, leaving the door open for them to snatch their factor and plunge Parkhead into angst.

Taylor said: “I thinking in the first-half we have been tremendously dominant. We were just waiting on that probability coming and Kyogo took it. We had precise manage of the game, but in the latter stages, we misplaced that control. That’s disappointing and it’s about us trying to work out why that is.

“There’s enough experience out there that we ought to be capable to take full manage in these games, in particular as soon as you get the goal. It can be difficult when you’re up in opposition to a low block and you’re tiring a team out, however when there’s a group that has performed towards you man-for-man for an hour or 65 minutes, we ought to be coming into our very own in the last 20, 25 minutes. That’s the time when we should certainly be inserting these teams to bed, so that’s probably the most disappointing thing.”

Taylor’s straightforward admission was once a reflection on the positivity which has surrounded his former club as they set-up for the contest. Killie’s refusal to just camp in their very own territory have given Celtic extra room in advanced areas to exploit and explore.

That’s a scenario Rodgers’ team are predicted to thrive upon and Taylor admitted: “Yeah exactly. They [Killie] came right here to attempt and compete and ruffle you up and be sturdy in the tackle, etc.

“I think, without a doubt for an hour or so, we had the majority of the ball, all the chances, we didn’t supply them a lot. But as I touched on, in the remaining 20 or 25 minutes it’s necessary that, when a crew has long gone man-for-man, they should be tiring and we take full control of the ball. We didn’t do that, and that is frustrating.”

David Watson scores to make it 1-1

Killie boss Derek McInnes’ daring strategy was built upon two wins over the champions already this term at Rugby Park. But the fact that Celtic have started to end up fallible on their personal patch may additionally well have in addition improved Killie’s belief.

Celtic had dropped factors in three preceding domestic Premiership video games with a loss to Hearts and draws with St Johnstone and Motherwell. Killie became the fourth group to take some thing and Taylor admitted: “It’s disappointing. It shouldn’t be us.

“We’ve received such a robust home file normally, so to drop any factors here, by no means thinking in 4 games, is disappointing. I wouldn’t say it’s due to the fact of anxiety from the stands, I think players must be capable to deal with that.”

Celtic’s trendy slip offered another opening for Rangers in the title race ahead. But Taylor insists his group can’t subject themselves with the challengers from across the town and said: “No, however it is virtually vital that you continue to be completely focused on what we can do due to the fact as soon as you lose focus on that then you’re chasing things, you’re hazy.”

The late setback towards Killie came with Taylor already off the park. The Scotland defender made his return from a month on the injured list to start the contest and had performed well to assist his crew into the lead.

Greg Taylor applauds the fans

Taylor said: “No-one likes being injured so it used to be encouraging to be returned out there.” The full-back lasted an hour and added: “The pitch was once pretty heavy. It was once four weeks out and I was feeling my calves a bit, so we didn’t choose to take any chances. But I experience fine.”

Feeling quality was a reference to fitness, but, of course, it wasn’t a description of his actual thoughts related to the eventual outcome of the game. Celtic are now attaining a stage in their title defence where the margin for error is doubtlessly becoming tiny and the strain is mounting.

Rodgers’ crew need to locate some structure and do it quickly if they favor to ensure they again get their hands on the Premiership trophy.

Taylor’s group may additionally not be in a position to have the funds for any extra slips, but, when asked if they wished to be perfect from now until the finale, the defender said: “Who knows?

“There are 12 league video games to go and hopefully three cup games, so we’ll see. We just want to focus on ourselves and getting back to the levels we choose to.”

The Celtics scenario involving Liel Abada demonstrates how younger fans are “prisoners” of their phones as the former director reminds them

Brian Dempsey can see a break up in the Celtic assist it really is generational when it comes to fan politics.

Liel Abada has Brian Dempsey’s sympathy while being caught up in a game of political soccer at Celtic Park.

The Israel global is beneath overwhelming pressure from his native land whilst playing for a membership with a physique of fans who wave the
Palestinian flag at domestic and away matches. Abada’s time in Scottish football is unlikely to lengthen past this season while his contribution to the rest of a championship poised on a knife-edge would possibly be nonexistent.

Brendan Rodgers left the participant out of Saturday’s league game against Kilmarnock and ultimate weekend’s Scottish Cup tie with St Mirren because Abada wasn’t in the “right frame of mind” to play. The preceding midweek saw Abada run up the tunnel at the give up of Celtic’s league win over Hibs instead than be part of in the post-match celebrations with the fans. Dempsey said: “Abada’s scenario is a manifestation of the generational and societal differences inside the Celtic support.

Brendan Rodgers and Liel Abada

“You have a team of supporters who say they don’t go to fits to be worried in politics – and they’re entitled to preserve that opinion. Then you have the younger issue who say, ‘We’ll wave any flag we like, somewhere we choose.’

“They are driven by way of social media, the prisoners of their cellular phones. It is the age in which we live.

“What they have to have in mind is that Celtic’s season, and these beyond, will be in the arms of the players. And the fans favor the fantastic gamers Celtic can get in the switch market.

“But now it looks one of Celtic’s fantastic gamers doesn’t experience phase of the club any more.”

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