Greg Taylor made ‘scapegoat’ at Celtic: ‘No wonder’ he wants out
Celtic defender Greg Taylor is wants to leave the Scottish champions after being made a “scapegoat” in the Champions League loss to Bayern Munich, according to Tam McManus.
The 27-year-old was subbed off after 65 minutes against the German giants in a 2-1 loss on Wednesday (12 February), having struggled to deal with Michael Olise.
Taylor was involved in a bust-up with Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers earlier in the season, but has been reintegrated back into the fold.
He was replaced by Celtic new boy Jeffrey Schlupp, who joined on Deadline Day from Crystal Palace, following Alex Valle’s move to Como after his loan was cancelled.
Olise opened the scoring on the stroke of half-time, with the Scotland international failing to tackle the French winger.
The former Kilmarnock defender has been criticised for his performance against Bayern, and McManus believes he has been unfairly scapegoated, saying: “No wonder Greg Taylor is wanting out of Celtic. Just looked up Scapegoat in the dictionary and his name was under it. Getting caned for Olise goal c’mon man its a tremendous finish but he gets so lucky with 1st touch & pinballs aff both players legs to sit perfect to hit!
Celtic have ready-made replacement lined up in Arsenal defender Kieran Tierney
Football Insider Verdict
Kieran Tierney has signed a pre-contract agreement to join Celtic in the summer, and Taylor’s contract is set to expire in the same period, leading to rumours that the defender could leave the club.
The Arsenal man is a popular figure at Celtic Park, having come through the academy before joining the Gunners in 2019.
There had been hopes at Parkhead that a deal could be struck between the two clubs that would see Tierney join in January, as opposed to the summer, but that transfer failed to happen.
The former Real Sociedad full-back is a talented player, but he has struggled with injuries during his time in North London, and would need cover from an experienced player should he continue to suffer with fitness issues.
Jeffrey Schlupp could be brought in as Kieran Tierney back-up
The 27-year-old has already proven himself once this season, beating out Valle for the starting spot at Celtic Park, and may have to do it again, following Schlupp’s move from Palace.
The Ghanaian defender is a Premier League champion from his time at Leicester, and whilst he has little resale value at 32-years-old, that experience may make him a much more difficult opponent as a starter in Rodgers’ side than Valle was.
Schlupp’s contract expires in the summer, at the same time as Taylor’s, and Rodgers may be looking at the Ghanaian as another replacement for their current starting left-back, if Celtic fail to extend his contract.
Palace are not expected to renew Schlupp’s contract, leaving him available to the Bhoy’s, should he perform well this season.