Former Celtic star turned pundit, Kris Commons, has had a go at the Hoops faithful for having the audacity to expect better from their players with an impassioned defence of Greg Taylor.
Writing in his Daily Mail column, reported by The Daily Record, Commons pinpoints why he feels an element of the support is targeting the left-back.
So what has Commons said?
The former Sky Sports analyst feels that the Scotland international has big boots to fill and that is the reason he has become a target for the online boo boys:
“Greg Taylor must feel like he’s being left to drown in the aftermath and that’s regardless of what he actually does on the pitch.
“It’s starting to feel like he can’t do right for doing wrong. Hardly a week goes past now without some Celtic fans getting on his case and slaughtering his performances.
“They view him as an easy target. They criticise him purely because of the fact he’s not Kieran Tierney. Sorry, but that’s a cheap shot and an easy stick to beat him with.”
So is Commons correct?
Every club has a whipping boy, a player that fans feel either isn’t up to the standard required or aren’t a suitable replacement for a previous favourite, and in this case Commons may have a point.
It’s safe to say that Greg Taylor is not Kieran Tierney, but in fairness, he already has a goal and four assists to his name this season and September is not yet out, he is at least achieving par if not surpassing what should be expected of him, similarly, because he doesn’t have the flair or pace of Jeremie Frimpong, he suffers in comparison, incidentally the Dutchman has just one goal and one assist.
Is the criticism of Taylor unfair?
Yes
No
With three centre-halves playing behind him, he also shouldn’t carry the sole responsibility for any chances that are created from his side should he get caught out attacking, the midfield should be helping him out a lot more.
Neil Lennon has identified that he needs another left-back, even before Boli Bolingoli left for Turkey, whether or not this will see Taylor shrink into his shell or rise to the challenge, only time will tell.