The Celtic win over Motherwell was one that showed Brendan Rodgers’ team has the mettle to take this title fight to the wire.
Brendan Rodgers surprised everyone by making four changes to the team that drew against Kilmarnock the previous week and after another tepid first-half, it seemed that those changes had made not one bit of difference.
However, one of those changes the Celtic manager made is one that the fans have probably been crying out for over the last few weeks.
And when he was subbed off, it was met with a reaction from the Celtic fans that left Pat Bonner absolutely baffled.
Celtic fans booed Tomoki Iwata’s substitution vs Motherwell
Tomoki Iwata got his first start for Celtic since December and he certainly showed what the team are missing in the middle of the park.
As per Fotmob, Iwata was rated 8.0 in the 77 minutes he was on the park. With a passing accuracy of 93% the Japanese international made eight passes into Motherwell’s final third, made three clearances, won 100% of his tackles and made 11 defensive actions.
He really was having a good game and when he was taken off, Bonner said he was surprised at the reaction of the Celtic fans.
Bonner said [Scottish Football Podcast], “There was a reaction, obviously, when Iwata was taken off and McGregor went back into the middle. It was strange.
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“There was a big reaction. They obviously thought that things were going quite well and he didn’t have to change it at that point.
“McGregor got back where he normally plays. You’re not gonna have any difference from the way he plays with Iwata.
“But he didn’t need him back there because they had so much of the ball anyway at that stage from that perspective. They wanted him in that support-forward position.
“But yeah, listen, that was a kind of a strange reaction.”
I think Iwata’s stats prove exactly why the fans were unhappy with his substitution. However, what’s important to remember is that he hadn’t played a minute since the 2-1 defeat at Kilmarnock in December.
He will be lacking match fitness and the fact he lasted 77 minutes bodes well for the Dundee game on Wednesday night where I would expect him to start again.
In other news, ‘Ticked every box’… Stephen Craigan believes 23-year-old Celtic player was flawless vs Motherwell
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Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
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