Celtic’s draw with Motherwell has put a laser focus on why, for the second time in a season, Celtic failed to beat a side at home who are struggling at the bottom of the table.
The disappointing result still leaves Celtic sitting pretty eight points clear at the top of the Scottish Permiership after Rangers blew the chance against Aberdeen yesterday to close the gap.
However, it wasn’t the manner of the performance that disappointed Mark Wilson in Celtic’s draw with The Steelmen. It was what Joe Hart was trying to do prior to Obika’s header that really got under the former Celtic defender’s skin.
Wilson said [Clyde SSB], “I just didn’t like the way Celtic set up. Sometimes you just need to do your job. Bigger guys have been brought on.
“Greg Taylor’s with the goalkeeper but it’s a ploy from Joe Hart to get Greg Taylor and between him and Obika so Joe Hart can then push Greg Taylor into him.
“So you’re trying to be fly there and push him out. But what happened is he manages to push Obika into the space where he actually gets his head onto it.
“I just didn’t like it. Instead of Joe Hart concentrating and cooming for that ball and punching it, he’s concentrating and trying to be fly and push his player onto him.
“So I don’t like that aspect of it.”
Is Joe Hart under pressure now at Celtic?
The £1m signing from Tottenham has been excellent for Celtic over the past two seasons. However, that still doesn’t stop questions being raised about the recent run of mistakes he has been making.
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Against Livingston, the 36-year-old was red-carded after being caught out of position and had to rush out to make a clearance and instead took out the Livingston attacker.
People raised questions about his part in the Feyenoord goal in the opening game of the Champions League.
For me, that wasn’t entirely Hart’s fault but many do believe he had a role to play in the defeat despite being praised for his performance in Rotterdam.
However, against Rangers in the 1-0 win at Ibrox, Hart was superb. The veteran ‘keeper was brilliant at organising a makeshift defence to claim the first Glasgow Derby scalp of the season.
With Hart’s contract up at the end of the season, Celtic will have to look at either offering him a new deal or signing a long-term replacement.
Whatever they do from now until then, Hart cannot afford any more slip-ups as the Celtic fans are starting to lose patience with the former England man.
In other news, Hugh Keevins makes an absolutely ludicrous Brendan Rodgers prediction after Celtic’s draw vs Motherwell