Tierney brings quality and tactical options but not Taylor’s inverted specialism

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The Celtic Star

·20 Mei 2025

Tierney brings quality and tactical options but not Taylor’s inverted specialism

Could Brendan Rodgers have other plans for Kieran Tierney? That’s a question some Celtic supporters have been asking as the former Hoops hero leaves Arsenal and returns home to Paradise…

Brendan Rodgers and Kieran Tierney of Celtic are seen during the UEFA Champions League Qualifier between Celtic and Alashkert FC at Celtic Park on July 18, 2018 (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Tierney adds quality to Celtic – no-one doubts that

The signing of Kieran Tierney will undoubtedly add quality to the Celtic squad in the next campaign and in more ways than one. The Scotland international as we know all too well is a cultured and talented left back but as we also appreciate that he is capable of playing anywhere across the back line and one position in particular which is left centre back.

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Greg Taylor. St Johnstone v Celtic, Scottish Cup semi-final at Hampden Park on Sunday 20 April 2025. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Fading hope on Greg Taylor staying at Celtic

There’s still some hope that Greg Taylor can be persuaded to stay, but if not we will be in the market for a new left back and whoever is added to the squad will be like seen as something of a ‘back up’ but something tells me Brendan could have other plans in store for KT meaning that Greg Taylor – of he stays – or anyone else who is brought in will have a bigger say than some might initially believe.

Jeffrey Schlupp of Celtic FC controls the ball during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Knockout Play-off second leg match between FC Bayern München and Celtic FC at on February 18, 2025 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Alex Grimm/Getty Images)

Schlupp is a free agent and is keen to stay at Celtic

Brendan will also have a decision to make of Jeffrey Schlupp who has indicated that he would like to stay on at Celtic and will be a free agent after leaving FA Cup winners Crystal Palace.

Cameron Carter-Vickers as we know is our best centre back and naturally main man in the centre of the Celtic defence, however he’s not had a regular partner since the departure of Carl Starfelt.

Cameron Carter-Vickers and Liam Scales. St Mirren v Celtic, Scottish Premiership, Saturday 1st March 2025. Photo: Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Liam Scales and Auston Trusty regularly pair up with the big strong man but neither have totally convinced the support – and more importantly the manager – that they are the permanent mainstay solution.

Tierney can also play left-sided centre back

Could Kieran Tierney end up forming a centre-half partnership with CCV going forward at Celtic? That would clearly be an option for domestic football at least. In the UEFA Champions League Greg Taylor is often targeted by opponents most notably by Borussia Dortmund in the Group stage match and Bayern Munich in the first leg of the play-offs at Celtic Park.

Schlupp certainly solved that problem in the second leg in Munich, where he had his best game in a Celtic jersey. That will not have gone unnoticed by Brendan Rodgers and Schlupp staying would allow that CCV/KT partnership to be used in Europe.

Greg Taylor shakes the manager’s hand after being substituted. Celtic Champions 2025. Dundee United v Celtic, 26 April 2025. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Only Taylor offers the inverted full-back specialism

Yet Greg Taylor provides so much as an inverted full-back, especially playing against a low-block in domestic football. How Celtic replace that is still unclear. That’s probably why Brendan is so keep to keep him and when you consider all of the above then you might come to the same conclusion as me that the best place for Greg Taylor to play is football is at Celtic.

If he does go elsewhere I certainly hope that I am wrong and he does really well for himself at his new club.

Alistair Johnston. Photo by Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

Likely Celtic back-four for Scottish Cup Final

Taylor is likely to start at left-back on Saturday in the Scottish Cup Final against Aberdeen. That could be his last game for Celtic. Liam Scales is likely to play left-sided centre-back alongside Cameron Carter-Vickers with Alistair Johnston making up the back four at right back.

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