WE’RE right back at it tomorrow after the two-week international break.
And all the talk at Celtic and Rangers is about right-backs.
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Alistair Johnston has signed a new deal until 2029 at Celtic.
But as the Hoops secure their No 2 for the long term, I do get the feeling that the baton is being passed to a Rangers right-back who signed his own big contract recently. Now is the time for Dujon Sterling to fulfil his potential at Ibrox.
Philippe Clement has taken captain James Tavernier out of the team at times recently.
Neraysho Kasanwirjo looks to be out for a long time with a serious knee injury.
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But even in the Dutch youngster’s absence, I really do wonder about Tavernier’s future.
I don’t get the feeling Tav is the manager’s go-to right back any more.
Yes, he’ll play some games because the fixture schedule is so intense between now and the new year.
But I reckon Gers need to get Sterling into the mindset that he can play regularly.
His Ibrox career so far has been one good game then two games out of the team.
He needs to get his mind and body programmed to play every week — and sometimes twice a week.
When Clement was asked yesterday about being without Kasanwirjo, he didn’t trot out the old line about having two quality right-backs already.
He insisted they’d look at it in the January window and see what they could do.
All that did was fuel the impression that Tavernier won’t be a first pick any more.
He’s coming out of contract next summer while Sterling has recently signed a deal until 2028.
Maybe I’m late to the party in terms of acknowledging it could be the end for Tav.
But listening to the manager this week was the first time I’d really thought it was heading that way.
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He’s been terrific for Gers and won everything, albeit not a level to appease all the fans. He captained the team in a European final and has more than 100 goals and 100 assists.
I can’t think of another player who has been written about as much as Tavernier — both positively and negatively.
He’s arguably the most talked about full-back in Scottish football history.
But I’ll be fascinated to see the teamlines from Ibrox at 1.45pm tomorrow to see if he’s in the team to face Dundee United.
After this two-week break, there’s no need to rest him.
He’ll have had plenty of rest and days off in that time.
So, if he doesn’t start then I just wonder if it’s the beginning of the end.
Across the city, Johnston’s Hoops career is just taking flight.
Celtic have had great success with rightbacks in recent times.
Mikael Lustig was a terrific servant.
Jeremie Frimpong and Josip Juranovic were both sold on for big fees.
And I really believe Johnston tops them all.
He was brought in for £3.5million and is another who could be sold on some time in the future for an absolute fortune.
He has all the qualities you look for in a right-back in the modern game.
And playing under Brendan Rodgers has definitely improved him. Rodgers is not shy in telling us how he makes players better — but this time we can genuinely see that’s the truth.
Johnston, 26, isn’t exposed as he was in the Celtic defence under former boss Ange Postecoglou.
He brings a lot to the Celtic team both defensively and going forward.
And it’s a great bit of business by Celts to tie him down for the long-term.
Going back to Kasanwirjo, the injury is a really huge blow for the lad.
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We’d had a glimpse of his attributes and he’d impressed right across the back four.
You felt as if playing with the pressure of having to win every week would have helped him in his future career.
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