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News
‘Uncomfortable’… BBC pundit claims Kilmarnock targeted 26-year-old Celtic player yesterday
All the buildup to the big kickoff in Celtic’s game against Kilmarnock surrounded whether or not Brendan Rodgers would risk Cameron Carter-Vickers on the Rugby Park pitch.
The American defender was taken off against Hibs on Wednesday night as a precaution after Carter-Vickers felt his hamstring tighten up in the first half.
Rodgers decided not to risk the 25-year-old and opted, instead, to play Nat Phillips. And that would have been music to Derek McInnes’ ears according to BBC pundit, Stephen McGinn.
The Falkirk captain was on punditry duty this weekend when he said that having played for McInnes before, he knew that he would have told his players before kick-off to target Phillips.
McGinn said [], “Before the game even when the team lineup comes in and Carter-Vickers doesn’t play and it’s Nat Phillips, I’ve been in the dressing room and I’ve played under Derek McInnes they will have focused on that.
“Go and make him defend, he’s not used to playing and he’s not been playing and he is looking a little bit uncomfortable. Go make him defend and let’s get after them.
“And at halftime, even though they were 1-0 down there was enough signs, enough warnings for Celtic that belief for Kilmarnock that was there for them.”
And it turned out to be true. The on-loan Celtic defender had a torrid time against the Killie frontmen as he looked short of pace and out of ideas on how to deal with the threat of Danny Armstrong and Darius Vassell.
Named by Rodgers as a player who disappointed in the second half, Phillips is likely to return to Liverpool when his current loan deal expires at the end of this month. Especially after being found wanting against Hibs midweek.
I think it is fair to say that after eight appearances, the hype that surrounded the capture of the 26-year-old failed to live up to its expectations.
In other news, Pat Bonner names three Celtic players who simply weren’t good enough vs Kilmarnock