Rodgers needs to drop Kasper and a rest would be good for Calmac

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The Celtic Star

·4 octobre 2025

Rodgers needs to drop Kasper and a rest would be good for Calmac

Dropping Callum McGregor would be ridiculous, but I reckon that a rest would do him and the team the world of good and Kasper Schmeichel really does need to drop to the bench…

Callum McGregor post match media, Celtic v Sporting Braga, 2 October 2025. Photo The Celtic Star

There are not any Celtic players at his moment who can claim that they are worthy of a place in the first team, including our skipper Callum McGregor and our goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel. They offer experience and leadership on the park in every match but sometimes leadership from the dugout needs to recognise the need for changes and perhaps for taking senior players out of the team.

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Kasper Schmeichel is heading closer to the end game as far as his playing career is concerned as Mother Time is doing him no favours at all and there is an increasingly strong argument that he no longer should be the first pick Celtic goalkeeper.

Callum McGregor arrives at Celtic Park ahead of the UEFA Europa League 2025/26 League Phase MD2 match between Celtic FC and SC Braga at Celtic Park on October 02, 2025. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

And Callum McGregor, like the rest of his teammates hasn’t exactly impressed this season so far, and despite holding the captaincy he too shouldn’t be bulletproof when it comes to facing a spell out of the team.

That said the tactical approach that the manager insists on regardless of match outcomes is clearly taking a heavy toll on his captain who is left isolated in that number six role since the double eight pairing of Benjamin Nygren and Reo Hatate were deployed further forward.

Benjamin Nygren and Kasper Schmeichel of Celtic after the match Crvena zvezda v Celtic, UEFA Europa League, Football, Rajko Mitic Stadium, Belgrade, Serbia – 24 September 2025. Belgrade Rajko Mitic Stadium Serbia photo Nikola Krstic Shutterstock

Benjamin Nygren was a much hyped signing but his form has dipped after a decent start and he increasingly looks like a player who is unsuited to playing for Celtic.

I took some stick for an article last night on Paulo Bernardo, with many saying that he’s not had game-time and I appreciate that totally, The point was that he’s shown himself NOT to be ready yet as he needs more game-time to get up to speed. So for the here and now against Motherwell tomorrow I’d expect to see him on the bench.

I’d actually consider playing Arne Engels as the six tomorrow and playing Reo Hatate and Callum McGregor as the two eights.

Arne Engels with Brendan Rodgers at Firhill. Partick Thistle v Celtic. Premier Sports League Cup. Sunday 21 September. Photo Vagelis Georgariou (The Celtic Star)

However in saying that, dropping our skipper and even stripping him of the captaincy as some have suggested would be a ridiculous decision to make as he still very much contributes to our side in a massive way.

Obviously Brendan Rodgers doesn’t listen to the supporters when it comes to his team selection, but it wouldn’t be the worst idea to give the skipper a rest for a game or two in a bid to not only recharge his batteries, but bring something of a freshness to our midfield. However I can’t see that happening but as something needs to change in the middle if the park the suggestion above may well be on the manager’s mind.

Similar to Kasper Schmeichel needs to be out of the firing line for a game or two, not only for their own good, but that of the team.

Celtic captain Callum McGregor looks frustrated at full-time. Final score Celtic 0 Hibernian 0. Celtic v Hibernian, Scottish Premiership, Celtic Park, 27 September 2025. Photo Stuart Wallace IMAGO Shutterstock

Both our on-field leaders are undoubtedly class acts, but sometimes even the best of players need a little stint on the sidelines. For me tomorrow that certainly means Kasper and possibly Callum too but I don’t think Brendan Rodgers will see it that way.

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Celtic in the Eighties and Willie Fernie – Putting on the Style both by David Potter. Photo The Celtic Star

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Celtic 3-0 St Mirren, Scottish Premier League, Celtic Park, 15 May 1982.Celtic captain Danny McGrain collects the championship trophy as Roy Aitken looks on. Photo The Celtic Wiki

Danny McGrain signing copies of Celtic in the Eighties by David Potter. Photo: Celtic Star Books

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