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News
‘Baffles me’… Mark Wilson says Brendan Rodgers is doing something really ‘odd’ at Celtic
Celtic’s defeat to Kilmarnock on Sunday has opened a huge can of worms at Parkhead this week.
From the title race being blown wide open to critiquing the players’ performances, no one is escaping any criticism as the focus lies sharply at Paradise.
Even Brendan Rodgers is now on the receiving end of the backlash for his team selection.
Mark Wilson was speaking about Nat Phillips being chosen ahead of Gustaf Lagerbielke when the former Celtic defender said that Rodgers’ insistence on picking the on-loan Liverpool defender ‘baffles’ him.
When he was asked if he thought Phillips was any better than Lagerbielke, Wilson was unequivocal in his answer.
Wilson said [], No. That is the thing that baffles me. Because every time I have seen Nat Phillips, whether that be domestically or in the Champions League, I have never once came away saying he looks like a worthy replacement for Cameron Carter-Vickers because he looks composed on the ball and he looks like he can defend his box with authority.
“I have never came away saying that. I think Kilmarnock realised that in possession, they could leave him with the ball and he would give it back, which he did.
“Out of possession, he was getting dragged everywhere. He goes for the ball across the face of goal which results in the own goal.
“That leads me to think Brendan Rodgers sees something I don’t and a lot of the Celtic fans don’t. He keeps playing him when Carter-Vickers is out. It’s an odd one for me.”
I said last night on TBR Celtic that Phillips should be immediately dropped from the Celtic first-team after his Kilmarnock performance.
I just can’t see what he brings to the defence that’s not already there in Lagerbielke and Maik Nawrocki.
The warning signs were there against Hibs on Wednesday night but yet Phillips was still given the nod at Rugby Park.
And despite a poor second half on Sunday, Phillips would no doubt still be chosen ahead of Lagerbielke if Carter-Vickers was still out.
Rodgers’ reluctance to pick players he spent over £7m for in the summer is strange. It’s no wonder Mark Wilson is perplexed.
In other news, ‘Not up to it’… Chris Sutton claims £2m Celtic player looks nowhere near good enough