Nobody was more delighted with Kieran Tierney’s return than the Celtic supporters.
After Tierney left Celtic for Arsenal in 2019, he returned to his boyhood club in the summer as a free agent.
There were positive signs from Tierney in pre-season, as he locked down that number one left-back spot straightaway.
But has the all-action full-back performed or produced performances like the Celtic fans were hoping and expecting?
Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty ImagesKieran Tierney’s return to Celtic
Brendan Rodgers has regularly subbed off Tierney, and it’s fair to say that it has caught the eye of supporters and the media.
Gordon Dalziel thinks it’s ‘alarming’ that Tierney hasn’t played 90 minutes since his return, and he hasn’t looked the same player from his first spell.
There is a long way to go, but unfortunately, there are several Celtic fans who have voiced such opinions also.
“We are all fans of Tierney,” said Dalziel. “He is a brilliant footballer. Loves the club and everything about it. When he signed for Celtic, everybody was excited that he was coming back, and rightly so, he loves being a Celtic player.
“We are into September, and he struggles to play 90 minutes just now. That’s alarming, not just for Celtic, but for Kieran as well.
“He must be thinking, ‘hold on a minute’, and he has pulled out of the Scotland squad because I don’t think he would have played in any of the games for Scotland. Everybody thought, ‘oh, he would go back to a back five because Tierney would play left centre-back.’
“We watched him against Rangers, he was a mile off it. Absolute mile. That’s what I am saying (he had a full pre-season). I don’t care who you are as a professional football player. You should be up to speed by now. We are in September. If they played next week, he probably wouldn’t last 90 minutes as well.
“Look, we are all fans of Tierney. I think he is a brilliant footballer. I really do. But it’s alarming that you have brought somebody in, and probably big wages as well, and you can’t last 90 minutes.”
Number of times Tierney has completed 90 minutes in the last three seasons
Patience is needed with Tierney, yes, fans probably expected more, but it’s only a month into his return, and there is a long way to go.
Plus, it also needs to be noted his injury record, and how Tierney has only completed 90 minutes four times during the last three seasons.
You seriously can’t expect a player like that, who also has had muscle issues, to then start racking up 90 minutes after 90 minutes.
Plus, with Tierney playing for a dominant team like Celtic, Rodgers can afford to bed him in as slowly as possible, and even wrap him up in cotton wool, if need be.