Celtic suffered only their second defeat of the 2024/25 Scottish Premiership season when they travelled to Hibernian and lost 2-1 on Saturday.
The Hoops had only lost one of their opening 26 matches in the division, a 3-0 loss to Rangers at Ibrox, but were stunned by a first-half double from Josh Cameron.
Hibernian’s attacking midfielder got the better of Cameron Carter-Vickers to finish past Kasper Schmeichel for his first, before he beat Auston Trusty in the air to head in his second.
A second-half poacher’s finish from Daizen Maeda, who scored his 23rd goal of the season in all competitions, was not enough to spark a comeback for the league leaders.
The Japan international has been in sensational form in the current campaign, as shown by his incredible goal return, and he should, absolutely, be in the starting line-up this evening.
However, Brendan Rodgers must consider dropping German winger Nicolas Kuhn to the bench for this evening’s clash with Aberdeen at Paradise after his off-colour performance against Hibernian last time out.
Why Nicolas Kuhn should be dropped
There is no doubt that the former Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig youngster has enjoyed a sensational season at Parkhead in his first full year as a Hoops player.
The left-footed magician has racked up 18 goals and 12 assists in 37 appearances in all competitions for the Scottish giants, which shows that he has provided a regular threat as both a scorer and a creator of goals at the top end of the pitch for Rodgers.
Kuhn, who scored three goals in the club’s ten-match Champions League campaign, has been a revelation for the Bhoys and they may have to battle to keep hold of him in the summer if his impressive form attracts attention from clubs across Europe.
However, all of this does not mean that the 25-year-old star is immune to criticism or that he is undroppable. In fact, Rodgers should ruthlessly ditch the forward from the starting XI for tonight’s clash with Aberdeen after his display against Hibernian.
Minutes
90
Shots on target
0
Dribbles completed
1/4
Pass accuracy
71%
Key passes
1
Big chances created
0
As you can see in the table above, Kuhn played the full 90 minutes last time out and struggled badly with his use of the ball in the final third against Hibs, as he did not cause many problems at all for the opposition defenders.
The Hibernian players found it far too easy to stop him, ending three of his four attempted dribbles, and Jordan Smith did not have to make a single save from the German attacker.
Kuhn has now scored one goal and provided zero assists in his last five matches in all competitions and should be dropped to the bench for tonight’s game to provide him with a rest ahead of the weekend.
Chalkboard
Despite being substituted at half-time in the loss to Hibernian, Rodgers should, however, keep Ireland international Adam Idah in the centre-forward position.
Why Adam Idah should start
Like Kuhn, the former Norwich City marksman endured a frustrating afternoon last time out in the Premiership, so much so that the manager opted to withdraw him from the action at the break.
Idah missed one ‘big chance’ and only completed two of his five attempted passes, without creating a chance for any of his teammates, in the first half before being taken off by Rodgers, as he failed to offer much to the team in the first half.
Despite that showing, the 6 foot 3 centre-forward should be provided with another chance to impress against Aberdeen this evening, as his recent form has been impressive – with five goals in six games before the loss to Hibs.
Idah is the only senior, recognised, centre-forward at the club, although Maeda can play there, after Kyogo Furuhashi’s move to Rennes in January, and Rodgers should hand him as many chances as possible to build his confidence and rhythm as the first-choice number nine.
So, instead of dropping Idah and Kuhn, the Hoops head coach should only ditch the German forward from the starting XI in order to bring Jota back into the side.
Why Jota should be unleashed
The January signing from Rennes, who returned to Parkhead 18 months on from his move to Al-Ittihad, should be brought back into the starting line-up against Aberdeen on the left wing this evening, with Idah in the middle and Maeda on the right.
Although it did not lead to any goals, the Portuguese speedster did provide a threat off the bench against Hibernian with one shot on target and two chances created – more than Kuhn managed in 90 minutes – in the second half.
The Celtic wizard, who was described as a “revelation” by Alex McLeish during his first spell at Parkhead, started the previous game against Bayern Munich in the Champions League and was incredibly unfortunate not to register an assist.
Jota created a ‘big chance’ for the team when he cut inside on the left flank and produced a fantastic cross for Kuhn, who brought the ball down and saw his weak cleared off the line.
Appearances (starts)
4 (2)
Shots on target per game
1.3
Goals
2
Big chances created
2
Key passes per game
2.0
Assists
1
As you can see in the table above, the former Benfica starlet has made a fast start to his return to the Premiership with two goals and two ‘big chances’ created in four outings.
His statistics in the league this season, as well as his form in his first two years at the club in the graphic above, show that he is a terrific option for Rodgers to call upon, and a player who could be perfect for Idah at the top end of the pitch.
The Irish centre-forward struggled against Hibernian but he did not play a single minute with Jota in that game, which is why the manager should unleash both of them from the start this evening to see how they fare alongside each other in the final third against Aberdeen.
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