Celtic's forthcoming Champions League clash with Aston Villa has ignited significant debate surrounding the team's current squad dynamics and tactical strategies. This discussion was particularly evident during a recent segment on BBC Sportsound featuring Patrick Sinat from the 67 Hail Hail fan group. The focus has shifted to the return of Jota to Celtic, juxtaposed with the notable absence of Kyogo Furuhashi, who has made a move to Rennes, necessitating strategic adjustments from the management.
Manager Brendan Rodgers finds himself under considerable pressure to secure a positive result in England, leading to scrutiny of his starting XI for this pivotal encounter. The suspension of Daizen Maeda has forced the inclusion of Yang, prompting Sinat to remark, "It's probably the best that Rodgers could pick considering the circumstances that he's been left with. Obviously, losing Carter-Vickers is a massive blow." He elaborated on the ramifications of missing key players, stating, "I think if he'd asked me last week if I was confident in this game, I'd have said definitely. But then we lost Kyogo, and Maeda is missing as well. So that's three players that have been crucial to us this season, and who would have been crucial to the way we play."
Sinat expressed a cautiously optimistic outlook regarding Yang's potential impact, noting, "For me, I think there's a player in there, but he kind of flatters to deceive a wee bit. His final product is pretty poor. He is quite brave at taking on players. But I think considering what Celtic has lost over the last five or six days, it's probably the strongest team we can go with."
With Adam Idah set to lead the line at Villa Park, Sinat underscored the importance of the striker rediscovering his scoring touch. "He's a striker Rodgers likes. He's big, he's strong and if you look back at previous players that Rodgers has played up front like Moussa Dembele and Odsonne Edouard, he fits the profile. He's just lacking in confidence, Kenny, he just needs to get that goal." Sinat recounted Idah’s near-miss in the recent match against Young Boys, stating, "I felt for him last week when it looked as if he was going to finally score against Young Boys, but he obviously played a big part in the own goal. But I think once he gets that elusive goal, I mean, what is it? He's not scored in the last 10 games? So I think for him, it's getting the goal. And I think we'll see him flying like that last season."
The summer transfer window has been relatively uneventful for Celtic, yet the return of Jota offers some solace following Kyogo's departure. Sinat reflected on the transfer situation, saying, "It's been a bittersweet window so far, I think, Kenny. I think losing Kyogo was a big blow, but that was obviously softened up a wee bit with the return of Jota." However, he cautioned that Jota will need time to regain his previous form: "The only issue I've got with is it's going to take a bit of time for Jota to get back to the kind of player that we saw in his first spell at Celtic. He needs to get his fitness up and I reckon that's going to take a good few weeks."
Sinat expressed his disappointment over Kyogo's exit, labelling him a joy-bringer for the fans. "Losing Kyogo, that's been a heartbreaker. He's been a talisman and he was a kind of player that brought joy to Celtic fans, especially after that COVID season where we went from being treble champions to losing every trophy we had." He remains hopeful that if Rodgers can secure the signings of Kieran Tierney and potentially another striker, the transfer window may still yield a positive outcome despite the loss of Kyogo.
As the highly anticipated match approaches, the performance of Adam Idah could prove crucial in helping Celtic recover from an early deficit against Aston Villa. Should Celtic manage to secure a draw or clinch a victory, it would undoubtedly enhance morale as they return to Glasgow.