Sometimes it only takes a few good games to get fans waxing lyrical about a player if they put in a string of top performances. However, I’d argue it only takes one or maybe two dodgy performances for the wolves to come out and condemn a player – even if they have previous for being brilliant.
The latest man to get this treatment from some of the harder to please in our support was Tom Rogic. A mixture of injury, the player being out of sight since last season and Ryan Christie playing very well put Tom in the firing line for some when he returned.
Here Tom’s game time since returning from injury.
- Hamilton (A) – 23 minutes played
- Kilmarnock Home (H) – 6 minutes played
- Partick Thistle (H) – 90 minutes played
- Ross County (H) – 90 minutes played
- Lazio (H) – 25 minutes played
- Aberdeen (A) – 90 minutes played
A player who hadn’t kicked a ball since May coming back in from injury in September and playing some sporadic minutes – the full 90 in the League Cup to get that into his legs before being put into the Ross County game due to Ryan Christie’s suspension.
It was after the Ross County game I personally read some of the discontent about how Tom was done and perhaps if a decent offer comes in we should take it. This a sharp contrast from the sheer jubilation last year when the Aussie signed a new five-year deal with the club.
Celtic won 6-0 on the day but Tom was admittedly more of a passenger than contributing to the result. Then we get to the Dons game – the Celtic star looked more like himself, not 100% but you can see the wheels turning and the cobwebs being shaken off.
It takes time for a player to get back into the swing of things and people should know how good this lad is regardless. Too many jump to conclusions or have their own favourites and agendas.
Tom is still a vital part of the squad in my eyes and will only improve the more game time he gets. Celtic are fighting on many fronts and there’s no reason Ryan and Tom can’t timeshare going forward.
