Celtic’s shift to a back three under Wilfried Nancy has already exposed some structural issues in the squad.
Auston Trusty has had a run in the team in recent weeks, and started in the right against Hearts, but it was clear that he wasn’t best suited to the position.
Trusty started on the right side of the back three, despite being naturally left-footed.
Speaking on Sky Sports, James McFadden highlighted why it didn’t quite work.
“Having a left footer at right centre-back, he wants to play this expansive football, he wants his side centre-backs to step into the game. I don’t think Trusty stepped into the game enough, and it’s not a slight on Trusty and his ability, I think if he was on the left-hand side, he would have stepped into the game a lot more,” said McFadden.
“But that’s where your spare player is, and if you’re not willing to step in, allowing Hearts to shuffle across, then you don’t have the spare man, because you’re not making them work hard enough.”
The game again underlined how much Celtic are missing Cameron Carter-Vickers. The American, out for the season, is a right-footed defender who would’ve been a natural fit for the right-sided role. Without him, Nancy is working with a patchwork defence, trying to plug gaps while implementing a new system on the fly.
Simpson-Pusey, who started his first Celtic game at right-back under Martin O’Neill, may be an option moving forward. He arrived in the summer on loan from Man City, but minutes have been hard to come by.
Dane Murray was on the bench, but his performances this season haven’t convinced.
One way or another, Celtic will need to address the issue in January. The demands of Nancy’s setup require defenders comfortable stepping into play and distributing under pressure, qualities currently in short supply.
Keep Reading
