Chris Sutton hasn’t held back in his latest assessment of Reo Hatate, claiming the Celtic midfielder is “miles off it” this season.
He’s had a quieter start to the season than some would expect, but then again, so has pretty much the full squad. You could argue that no one has hit top form yet, or even close to hitting it.
Writing in the Record during the international break, Sutton singled out Hatate for criticism amid a string of underwhelming performances:
“I look at the likes of Reo Hatate. He’s been a shadow of the player we’ve seen at Celtic in recent years.
Everyone goes through peaks and troughs and Hatate has always been one who could throw in the occasional poor game. But right now he just looks miles off it.
We’re not seeing the runs into the box down the left channel, the moments of magic have been few and far between.”
Hatate was left out of Japan’s national squad and has remained at Lennoxtown during the international break, training alongside a small group of senior players including Callum McGregor and James Forrest.
The Japanese manager clearly doesn’t fancy the player, who has travelled for squads before, not to play a single minute.
The decision to keep Hatate at home could be a selfish blessing in disguise or Celtic.
With extra time to work on fitness and sharpness, Celtic fans will be hoping the 27-year-old can rediscover the form that once made him one of the first names on the teamsheet.
Competition for places in the midfield is fierce, with Arne Engels, Luke McCowan and Paulo Bernardo all pushing to get into the starting team.
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