Wednesday evening’s match against Hibs saw Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers rotate around his midfield. The Parkhead boss made a change many were eager to see, and it turned out to be hugely effective.
Indeed Tomoki Iwata gained his maiden start of the campaign. He started at the base of the trio, and this allowed Callum McGregor to push further forward.
Rodgers has been keen to deploy such a system for a while, although Iwata’s lack of fitness didn’t allow him to. He said (Glasgow Times): “It would have happened before but he [Iwata] wasn’t available. Whatever the game needs, that’s something we will look at.
“He’s shown up very well in training and in the games where he’s come in, he’s done well. Against a good side like Hibs, you can see it’s something that can function well.”
Along with the double-treble-winning manager, many Celtic fans were eager for this tweak to be made. Going forward, it could turn out to be Rodgers’ first-choice midfield because it undoubtedly brings out the key qualities of many key players.
