“That’s the Last Time he Plays There” – Brendan Rodgers’ Right-Wing Gamble Fails

Benji Nygren has shown glimpses of promise since arriving at Celtic, especially in pre-season, but it’s been a frustrating and inconsistent start to life in Glasgow for the Swede.

While he scored twice in the 3-0 win over Livingston and once against Aberdeen, his overall impact in the early league fixtures has been mixed, and his role in the side is still unclear.

A key issue has been his deployment out wide. Brendan Rodgers has used Nygren as a right-winger in games against Livingston and Rangers, but the experiment looked doomed from the start. Against Rangers, it simply didn’t work, and anyone watching could see he’s not a natural winger. Nygren doesn’t possess the burst of pace or trickery that Rodgers has leaned on in the past with the likes of Scott Sinclair or Patrick Roberts.

Celtic failed to sign a true replacement for Nicolas Kuhn before the window shut. Their deadline-day arrival has been touted as someone who can play off the right — but as of now, Celtic are sorely lacking a quality, first-team specialist in that position.

Speaking on Open Goal, Andy Halliday summed it up: “Nygren’s no a winger, that’s the last time he plays there. If you’re going to have Nygren come in the pitch from out wide, you’ve got to have Ralston higher.”

It’s still early days for Nygren, and there’s clearly a player there but it’s increasingly clear that his future at Celtic won’t be out wide.

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