Celtic Player Ratings v Hibs

Celtic were very much off the boil in a goalless draw with Hibernian today. The Hoops gave up some vital ground in the title race as they dropped points in the league for the first time since December.  

There were very few standout performers in the Celtic team today nonetheless I present to you my player ratings from the match. 

Joe Hart - 6/10

The Englishman was sparsely called into action and had a nervy moment late in the match when he conceded a corner whilst trying to play out from the back. In spite of this, Hart was able to keep yet another clean sheet for Celtic. 

Josip Juranovic - 7/10

Josip Juranovic was back in at right back after Anthony Ralston deputised there against both Bodo/Glimt and Dundee. The most notable involvements in the match from Juranovic were his two free kicks which evidently came to nothing. 

Cameron Carter-Vickers - 7/10

The American centre back was calm and composed when defending and persevered in building up attacks from defence for Celtic. Carter-Vickers remains a stick-on in Ange Postecoglou’s side, especially after Christopher Jullien wasn’t included in the Celtic squad for today’s game. 

Carl Starfelt - 7/10

Similarly to his central defensive partner, Carl Starfelt played relatively well. He showed great composure when he back-heeled past an onrushing Hibernian attacker to amply deal with the pressure deposited on him. The Swede was rather harshly booked in the first half though when a tussle with Kevin Nisbet in the middle of the park resulted in the striker having to be withdrawn through injury. 

Greg Taylor - 6/10

Greg Taylor came back into the Celtic side this afternoon after Josip Juranovic and Liam Scales took up the left back position in the past two games. Taylor got forward well on the left hand side however it is fair to say Celtic should be looking for an upgrade on the twenty four year old in the summer transfer window. 

Callum McGregor - 6/10

After coming on as a half time substitute against Bodo/Glimt, Callum McGregor was reintroduced to the Celtic lineup this afternoon. The captain sat just in front of the backline in midfield and the ball evaded him on the edge at the box right at the death as Celtic searched for a winning goal. 

Reo Hatate - 6/10

The Japanese midfielder came back into the Celtic midfield this afternoon however he failed to bring any real energy or exuberance to the engine room. Hatate played the full game although the impact he had on it was minimal. 

Tom Rogic - 5/10

Tom Rogic’s recent slump in form continued into this afternoon after he was unable to impose himself on the game. The Australian midfielder was picked over Matt O’Riley in the starting eleven and that appeared to be the wrong call from Ange Postecoglou who hooked Rogic just before the hour mark. 

Liel Abada - 6/10

The Israeli’s foremost opportunity came in the first half when he latched on to Jota’s cross field pass however the ball only made the side netting ripple. Liel Abada has been such a consistent performer for Celtic this season yet he couldn’t provide the spark for the Hoops today. 

Daizen Maeda - 6/10

Daizen Maeda had a rather muted display this afternoon. He didn’t get many opportunities to write his name on the scoresheet and failed to offer much of a threat going forward. He took up the position of Giorgos Giakoumakis in the Celtic lineup who bagged a hat-trick against Dundee last week. I’m sure the return of the Greek, who missed out today through illness, will be hotly anticipated as St. Mirren visit Celtic Park on Wednesday evening. 

Jota - 5/10

The Benfica loanee was another member of the Celtic team who was lacklustre today. Jota played the full game at left wing however failed to significantly affect the match. The Portuguese took a number of shots from questionable positions which flew way off target. He has not been among the goals in a few weeks but will be looking to get back on form on Wednesday evening against St. Mirren. 

Substitutes 

Rather questionably, only one substitution was made by Ange Postecoglou in a game where the performance, at least in my opinion, was lethargically sluggish. Said change saw Matt O’Riley replace Tom Rogic just before the hour mark. The twenty one year old was arguably one of Celtic’s best midfielders on the park despite playing just over half an hour yet was unable to unlock a stubborn Hibernian defence. 

It was undoubtedly disappointing for Celtic supporters to see their team falter on Sunday however it cannot be denied this type of performance has been somewhat of a regularity in recent weeks. Since the first half at Pittodrie, Celtic haven’t really played to their full capabilities. 

Furthermore, a trip to the Tony Macaroni next weekend will be a match many a fan will be concerned about. However, immediate focus turns to St. Mirren at Celtic Park on Wednesday night as the Bhoys look to get back to winning ways. 

Thank you for reading this article. If you have any thoughts or opinions, leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @Josh_Footblog for more Celtic and Scottish football content.