Controversial topic

It is very evident that he cannot continue to be a single deep lying midfielder in our system.

For me the bigger and less controversial opinion would be that we need a change of system, whether that is small to more a 4-2-3-1 or something more drastic to a back 3 is up for debate but the 4-3-3 with a single DM and two attacking midfielders isn’t working due to ageing and changing players.

It think if we move to more of a duo covering the deep lying roles McGregor would be absolutely fine covering the left side of this with a more mobile and physical right sided player. Engels could probably do this pretty well or even Bernardo.

I also think such a shape would better suit Hatate, Nygren and Balikwisha too as they could operate as a 10 in the way Rogic once did.

The argument for a back 3 to me is, can KT play as an attacking left full back or given the injury to AJ do we move to a 3 at the back and have either a traditional 3-4-1-2 or 3-4-2-1 shape. Personally I think the shape that would best suit who we have is the one Man City 23/24 played a 3-2-4-1, I just think given the personnel we have this would put 8 or 9 of our outfield players in a position that would play to their strengths.

 

Its not so much legs, its his brain wr could do with further up the park. Just look at The Wizard of Oz, if we had him back there itd be a problem.

Cal up park has a good shot and can pick a pass round box too, even his little * are good at times.

Now hes basically running between our centre backs, receiving the ball and immediately knocking it back to the same person whos passed to him or the partner and then points out to the fullback to get them to pass out there.

 

No. He’ll still have some good games in Europe but it’s been clear for a while now that he’s a problen.

 

Exactly this.
He constantly runs in front of players showing for the ball only to ping it straight back to them. I really can’t understand what purpose this is supposed to serve.
Thinks he kinda lost in this 6 role. Either drop him or move him forwards

 

This is the first season I've noticed how slow he's starting to get.

Didnt see it last year, he still had a bit of pace, but hes starting to look sluggish.

He desperately needs someone to properly rotate with.

 

I actually think he is generally superb on the ball in Europe, almost as if it sharpens his game. RBL probably the best midfield performance Ive seen from us in the CL.

However his deficiencies are highlighted badly defensively. If he isn’t spot on positionally i think he is actually like a wee guy chasing adults trying to get back goal-side at times and our shape can often leave him very exposed. Taylor going in the pitch helped a lot and i think he’s been a huge miss for Cal Mac so far.

 

The thing is, if he's done as a DLP at 6, he's certainly done as a B2B at 8.

I don't know if he's 'done' or not, I just don't think playing through him is working at the minute. I agree that he was never at his best at DM but for whatever resaon we've settled into playing him there through consecutive managers.

I don't see Rodgers switching things up and moving back to an AMC at this point, he's too conservative. He likes the endless and pointless possession.

 

I have always been of the mind he needs to stay as a 6 until now, i feel like he almost gets in the way now in the build up but I’ve still not worked out what we are trying to do in the first phase this season. I think him playing as an 8 would expose him less and add some much needed goal threat.

 

Playing him 60 odd games a season for the past decade or whatever probably hasn't helped tbh.

Notice when he came on against Livi, when you would expect opposition players to be tired, that he still looked slower than everyone else on the park. Not telling me we couldn't try Engels or Bernardo in there against teams like Falkirk and play Calmac further forward. I would like to see Hatate play a game in there against one of the lower teams in the league.

 

The hun game we lost at home last season Engels played the 6 and I thought he was actually decent. Our defence was a disgrace, but remember him passing forward far more than McGregor does most of the time. Think Rodgers has tried to turn him into an O'Riley/Rogic type and it's just no working.

 

No put him in the B team

 

It's a large part of the reason why we have lost the midfield in the last four Hun games.There are only two options I think available to stem the rot, and Rodgers has so far declined both, either move McGregor to the attacking No.8 role, or play a double pivot with either Bernado or Engels, options many of us on here have been crying out for in the last twelve months. I am really, really hoping Callum goes out with a bang at the end of the season, ideally with another League medal under his belt, to hang up in his jam packed medal cabinet.

 

Yeah he is. I think he has the mentality for it which is important. He just shouldn't be playing 50 games a season, playing 90 mins in almost all of them. I think he'd also be better paired with Bernardo or Engels, with Nygren or Hatate in front.

 

At the very least he needs a formation change with someone sitting next to him, bernardo to the right of him for example.

 

It’s mad how much he’s been misprofiled as a 6 in Europe he’s been so ineffective being a sole holding midfielder and the Huns have had all their joy in the derbies simply man marking him because he’s unable to beat their press and get us out

 

It's worse than that now. They don't even man mark him anymore, because they don't rate him as a threat now. It's going to take a manager with guts to sort this situation out, one way or the other.

 

Think he can still do a job in a more advanced position, but even the Huns nullify and boss him in a deeper position

 

I just checked his stats and last year was his 2nd best year with us with 8 goals and 3 assists. The only year he done better was 19-20 season with 9 goals and 6 assists. That threw me tbh.

 

I thought there was a season he had 10 or over goals

 

He's getting old and we definitely need a replacement. Other teams know how much we rely on him in games, he's too easily closed down now.

I had hoped McCowan would take his place for a couple of seasons but I'm struggling to see it now.

I don't think CCV is up to it either.

This is a problem that needs to be sorted this season. Tierney maybe but he doesn't do 90mins.