Greg Taylor

For me the worst left back I can recall.

Guess Mo Camara runs him close although he didn't play as many games.

Offers zilch, as already said played a big part in the opening goal for them and the amount of times he hits a player and constantly knocked the ball out of play was unreal.

And let's not discuss that throw in, it was so bad it looked intentional.

 

I think anybody analysing our games and thinking Taylor being out of the team has been one of our problems, is way off the mark.

 

I agree. This generation’s Owen Archdeacon. Won’t be loved; isn’t brilliant; does at least a half-decent job when called upon.

 

GREG Taylor has admitted that being dropped from the Celtic side has made him a far tougher character – and expressed confidence that every one of his Parkhead team mates has the mental strength needed to bounce back from their slump in form and enjoy a successful season.

Taylor found himself on the bench after Uruguayan international Diego Laxalt arrived in Glasgow on loan from AC Milan back in October and only reclaimed his place earlier this month.

The left back has started in the meetings with Kilmarnock, Hearts and Hamilton in the past fortnight and performed well as Neil Lennon’s men have stretched their winning run to five matches.


Now he is hoping to feature for the quadruple treble winners in their massive Premiership games against Dundee United at Parkhead on Wednesday afternoon and Rangers at Ibrox on Saturday.

“Anytime you’re out the side you’re disappointed, especially when we were on a bad run because you want to see the boys do well and win,” said Taylor.


“Any opportunity you get to play for this club is a massive honour and every time I get the chance to do that I look forward to it. It’s a chance to impress and I leave the rest up to other people.”

Asked if having to force his way back into the Celtic starting line-up had made him a stronger character, he said: “100 per cent. In the tough moments, you see what character all the boys have got. That’s one thing the we’ve got in abundance in this team - lots of character.

“You don’t win 12 trophies on the spin without massive characters. We’re fortunate we’ve got that right through our team. When you’re out of the team, you just have to work that bit harder to get yourself back involved.

“What I’ve done has been no different to the rest of the boys. I train hard every day, as does everyone. If that merits me playing on Wednesday and Saturday, I look forward to the honour and the opportunity.”

Taylor added: “There is competition for places all around the squad. We are fortunate enough to have a management team that fills us with information so every player knows the role he has to perform when he comes into the team, whether it is 10 on the bounce or the odd game.


“It’s important to be flexible. We are fortunate that we know a few systems. There will be different times that you are called upon to play them.”

Lennon played with Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths in attack on Saturday and they scored Celtic’s opening two goals in their 3-0 victory over Hamilton at the FOY Stadium.

Taylor was particularly impressed with how Edouard, who took his tally for the 2020/21 season to 11 when he won and converted a second-half penalty, performed against Brian Rice’s team.

“I thought he was super, really good,” he said. “I’m sure he’ll be delighted with his goal and overall performance. Odsonne looked right at it and long may that continue.

“It (the Edouard-Griffiths partnership) was important last season for us. They looked good on Saturday. I thought they played well together. I think they enjoy it. We have got lots of strong options, but those two both scored on Saturday so I’m sure they are pleased.”











GREG Taylor last night revealed that Celtic’s players are ignoring the 16 point lead that Rangers have built up in the Premiership and are focusing fully on extending their five game winning run.

This is a massive week for the Parkhead club, who beat Hamilton Accies 3-0 at the FOY Stadium on Boxing Day, in their bid to make Scottish football history and complete 10-In-A-Row.

If they can beat Dundee United at home on Wednesday and then win at Ibrox on Saturday they will pull closer to their city rivals in the league and increase their chances of retaining the title.


However, left back Taylor, who is hoping to get the nod to play in the derby from his manager Neil Lennon, knows that Celtic can’t afford to slip up against United first and foremost.

And he stressed that beating Micky Mellon’s team is the main concern for the quadruple treble winners, who have three games in hand, and not how far Steven Gerrard’s side are ahead of them.

“We’re just trying to plug away and focusing on the next game, which is Dundee United,” he said. “It’s important to put on another performance and get another three points.


“If we can continue doing that we’ll see where it takes us. I can assure you all of the management team’s focus will be on Wednesday and getting three points then.

“Of course there is a sizeable lead, but our focus is on ourselves, chipping away at it. It’s important to focus on Wednesday. It’s the next opportunity to get three more points and that’s what we’ll try to do.”

Taylor has been encouraged by how Celtic have performed in the past three weeks and feels that he and his team mates have got their self-belief back at a crucial stage in the season.

“I’m just grateful and thankful we’ve picked up a wee bit of late, again with an important win against Hamilton, and hopefully it can continue,” he said.

“I don’t know what the difference has been. Getting a wee bit of confidence back maybe. We were maybe a bit short of confidence. When you’re on a bad run its natural.


“Slowly but surely it’s important to chip away and get the three points which we did against Hamilton.”

 

I can't make my mind up on him.

Reasonably solid as a SPL player but hot and cold when it comes to having that extra bit of class needed to play for us and do it in Europe.

 

I think he is an average player with a lot of heart and always gives 100% however, like Frimpong, he is quite small and, as a result, suspect to high balls/crosses

 

I think hes *, should be struggling to make the bench.

 

Decent squad player but not Celtic class.
A Celtic full back just needs a lot more attributes, especially going forward. Most SPL games our full backs are actually expected to operate like a winger.

 

We have 16 wins in all competitions this season Taylor has played in 12 of those .
We have conceded 43 goals only 10 of them when Taylor has played we are a better balanced team when he plays . I do think we can get better than him but we win more and concede less when he plays

 

Taylor at Ibrocs defenately.

 

Like Frimpong he needs to stay by the bye line and stop cutting in , keep whipping the crosses in and the goals will flow .

 

It's annoying, stats seem to hint at Taylor being better for us when it comes to a defensive unit.

But I can't help but feel the aggression that Laxalt has in his play might serve us better against huns.

 

Laxalt is a decent one on one defender but he’s positionally awful.

 

the thing is if we play him we wont have much of a left side and that means the huns will work extra hard on nullifying ajer at right back if lennon plays him there which he should as thats been where hes shone this season! best right back at the club, * bulldozer on that right side

id think its got to be laxalt at left back so we have proper balance and shape

we need brave not take a step back players against the huns and we know that of taylor gets the ball in the attacking third he aint getting past his man and will turn back with the ball slowing everything down and leaving us congested

 

Shows you just how unsettled we are as a team which, I think, is mainly down to our * recruiting policy. We still don't know our best GK, LB, RB, back four or three etc and formation.

 

Ya let’s just ignore the opponents we were playing in those games vs the others and also the other defenders in those games. You can’t simply look at a statistic like that and use it justify Taylor starting. What about nip picking one statsictic when laxalt carried our team vs Lille etc. Form what I can see Taylor is one of the worst Celtic players I’ve seen in years, he has such little qualities it baffles me he’s allowed near a Celtic shirt. He is like a little boy, no pace, no skill, no strength. Not sure what he is meant to offer

 

What are you talking about im not nip picking anything those are facts those are the stats like them or not i dont give a fk

 

Juco James has analyzed the data of both Taylor & Laxalt and in his opinion he'd be far more worried if Taylor started at Ibrox as opposed to Laxalt.

 

Just to diverge from everything else going now.
I have to say, fair play to Taylor. You can see his improvements in his gameplay and fitness.
He might not be the guy to take us to the next level but he's become dependable. You can tell he puts in the same hard work in training as he does on the park.

 

Played well through the week and I think he’s done enough now to convince us that he’s certainly a good squad player.

We absolutely need another LB who would be our first choice though.