Reo Hatate has candidly opened up about the difficulties he faced when transitioning from Ange Postecoglou’s dynamic style to Brendan Rodgers’ more possession-based approach.
Speaking to Japanese media outlet Sportiva, Hatate shared his wider ambitions in football beyond Celtic and offered a player’s perspective on the shift in playing style.
Understandably Reo is ambitious and it comes across as he speaks about his career. “There are still higher leagues, so if I can challenge for those leagues, I want to do so,”
“Unless I aim for that, there is no point in me continuing as an athlete. I want to keep aiming high. I would like to play in the Premier League, as well as Spain or Italy.”
Speaking about last season and how the transition between managers brought about significant changes in the team’s tactical approach. Hatate highlighted how Postecoglou’s emphasis on direct, fast attacking football starkly contrasted with Rodgers’ focus on ball retention and control.
“The biggest part of the game was that, in Ange’s time, the first thing we did was play goal-oriented football,” Reo explained. “We were told to go vertical as much as possible. But Rodgers’ coaching style is very much about the ball. Even in situations where you can attack quickly, the first priority is to keep the ball. I believe that is the main change.”
The midfielder further pointed out how the new style led to fewer goals from crosses compared to the previous season. This adjustment period under Rodgers was a challenge for the whole squad.
“There are also other obvious differences, like the fact that fewer goals were scored from crosses compared to the 2022-23 season. I think it was a difficult season, as it was the first year with Rodgers as manager. If I had to say, it was more a sense of keeping the good parts of the previous team, and trying to adapt to what the new coach wanted to do.
“That’s why we struggled in the beginning, but as we worked on it, we came to understand what each other wanted to do. As a team, we have found a good response, but we also wanted to do more. Personally, I enjoyed the more aggressive and faster goal-oriented style of football. But I also discovered new things, including how to take care of the ball, so it was a good experience,” Hatate commented.
Adding to the on-field challenges, Hatate’s season was marred by injuries. The setback saw him missing a significant portion of playing time not long after the season had started. After making a comeback, he was sidelined again with another injury. Despite these hurdles, he managed to play 16 league matches, scoring 3 goals and providing 4 assists, helping Celtic finish strong.
Now that Hatate is fit and ready to go, we’ll be hoping for a strong 24/25 season from the Japanese midfielder.
