Former Celtic midfielder Murdo MacLeod believes new manager Brendan Rodgers could be looking at replacing captain Scott Brown and top goalscorer Leigh Griffiths if he can find players that can come in for them them.
The Bhoys legend feels that the new manager will have his own ideas about the squad and that nobody will be safe if he believes he can improve the standard of players at Celtic Park.
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He told the Daily Record:
“You have to assess the squad and if he can bring in players of a better standard, you’ve just got to go with that. Whether it’s Scott Brown or Leigh Griffiths, if you bring in a better player you change him.”
The future of some current players will be depend on who Rodgers decides to bring in, according to MacLeod.
If certain players move down the pecking order after new arrivals come in, the already bloated squad must be cut down and some notable players, including club captain Brown, may see their game time severely reduced.
“It depends who he brings in. The size of the Celtic squad has to be trimmed down – you can’t have 18 players sitting doing nothing week in, week out. They have to make some money by getting rid of some of the players and being able to finance better quality. The manager has just got to make a decision on whether Scott Brown is going to play in the team. It’s all about his opinion.”
Brown struggled for form and fitness at the end of last season but Rodgers has already had a face to face meeting at his home in London to discuss his plans for the club with the player.
The Northern Irishman is, however, no stranger to making big calls on players.
He reduced Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher’s playing time before the defender decided to retire, and told Steven Gerrard to expect less game time before the club icon opted to move to Major League Soccer.
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