As long as we continue to match or better Celtic’s results, we will safely win the league title long before the season’s end, however, we could do with sorting out the issues that have plagued us recently.
We haven’t been at our fluent best going forwards and there are various potential reasons for this with an obvious solution staring us in the face.
Whilst Kemar Roofe and Scott Arfield are absent, Steven Gerrard has fewer options than he would like, and with the midfield of Steven Davis, Glen Kamara and Joe Aribo failing to impress against Motherwell, he should re-try something that we only saw for a short while in December – Ianis Hagi playing in a deeper midfield role.
It is infuriating to see international players running onto the ball or picking it up in space, 20 yards from goal, only to turn back or play the ball sideways, just hit it, have a go, it might not go in but it might deflect past the keeper or go out for a corner, at least keep the defence honest.
Where is Hagi's best position?
As a number 8
As a central number 10
As a right-sided number 10
Playing Hagi – signed on permanent deal in the summer for £3million – in a deeper role in these games would allow him to impact the game from a central position and partake in his favourite past-time, shooting from long range, that he can use either foot is another benefit as defenders don’t know which way he will go, compare that to when Davis or Kamara are in similar positions and they know that they don’t have to throw themselves in to make blocks.
With Cedric Itten impressing again when he came on and pushing for a start, there is no reason why Hagi has to come out just because he is occupying one of the forward positions, and it will be interesting to see if Gerrard goes with the same XI against Ross County in mid-week or if he is a little more creative – something his midfield is crying out for.