Celtic must axe star who lost the ball every 4 touches

The wait to clinch the Scottish Premiership title will have to drag on even longer, with league leaders Celtic missing the chance to close in on that crown following Sunday’s shock defeat to bottom side St Johnstone.

A victory for the visitors would have ensured that a further win against Kilmarnock next week at Parkhead would have been enough to seal the deal, yet a rare off day for those in green and white has now delayed that title party.

Right from the off, Brendan Rodgers’ side didn’t appear to be at the races, with the hosts grabbing what was a deserved lead following a fine flicked header from centre-back, Daniel Balodis.

Typically, the Hoops tend to find a way in such fixtures, even when falling behind, yet up against an inspired Andrew Fisher in the home goal, the Old Firm side were unable to break down their stubborn opponents, with the Englishman notably keeping out James Forrest and Luke McCowan in expert fashion late on.

While that result matters little in the grand scheme of things, not least with title ‘rivals’ Rangers losing at home to Hibernian, there are some worrying signs creeping in among the high profile stars in Rodgers’ ranks.

Celtic’s worst performers vs St Johnstone

The dismal nature of Celtic’s display was epitomised by the Northern Irishman’s decision to hook both Jeffrey Schlupp and Nicolas Kuhn at the break, with the latter man having been particularly poor once again amid his ongoing woes in 2025.

While the German winger still boasts 32 goals and assists in all competitions in 2024/25,he has now gone seven Premiership games without scoring for the champions elect.

Against the Saints, the former Rapid Vienna star was notably denied in the first half with the goal gaping, while also at one stage producing what Sky Sports commentator Ian Crocker described as an “awful” wayward attempt after cutting in onto his favoured left foot.

It would be unfair to suggest that the 25-year-old was the only villain on the day, however, with 30-goal man Daizen Maeda also rather muted after registering just 19 touches in total, as per Sofascore, while fellow forward, Jota, was far from at his brilliant best after completing just one of his six attempted crosses, and completing just two of his five attempted dribbles.

Elsewhere, meanwhile, club-record signing Arne Engels also failed to grab a foothold in the game prior to his withdrawal just after the hour mark, while the returning Auston Trusty endured a difficult afternoon after winning just seven of his 12 total duels.

The American centre-back may find himself ousted by the resurgent Maik Nawrocki next time out, with Reo Hatate another figure who should finally find himself on the substitutes bench.

The Celtic star who now needs to be dropped

It’s fair to say that Hatate looked like a player who has only scored once in his last 11 league outings, with the Japanese playmaker having been particularly profligate in front of goal at McDiarmid Park.

While the 27-year-old did pose a threat at times for the Hoops, he was simply far too wasteful, having fired three shots off target in total as the away side went in search of an equaliser.

In truth, the midfield maestro may have been somewhat fortunate not to be among those replaced by Rodgers in the second half, with Hatate’s woes particularly laid bare as he lost the ball on 20 occasions from his 82 touches – effectively losing the ball once every four touches.

That erratic display on the ball did yield four key passes for the diminutive playmaker, although little came of those openings, as he also failed to attempt a single dribble during his 90-minute outing.

With young Paulo Bernardo now waiting in the wings, it does beg the question as to why Rodgers continues to put faith in Hatate instead, with this stage of the season perhaps offering the ideal chance to shuffle the pack and experiment.

With the aforementioned McCowan – who replaced Engels in the centre of the park – putting in another lively cameo, including his late prod towards goal, it could well be that both the Scotland star and Bernardo come into the side next weekend.

As for Hatate, if the £16k-per-week star continues to blow hot and cold, he could find himself on borrowed time at Celtic Park, having showcased a real lack of urgency and athleticism on Sunday afternoon.

Kuhn, it must be said, is the obvious figure in decline at present, yet it could be argued that Hatate is quietly proving even more disappointing in the engine room.