James McFadden puts his Celtic manager cap on as flailing Hoops wingers offered advice

James McFadden went out of his way to explain how Celtic’s underperforming wingers can make defenders think twice about whether the oppponet attacks on the inside or outside.

The Scotland hero was specifically referencing the midweek win against Hibs when the Hoops escaped out of the capital with a vital three points in the Scottish Premiership title race.

Adam Idah struck two excellent penalties to save Brendan Rodgers’ side’s skin and remain at the top of the league ahead of arch-rivals Rangers.

Celtic put in a decent first-half display and led 1-0 at the break. But for all the possession they had in the game, they failed to really get at the Hibs backline particularly from wide.

Former Celtic star John Collins was extremely frustrated by this when speaking on BBC Sportsound after that match and called out players such as Nicolas Kuhn, Liel Abada and Luis Palma for their ineffectiveness.

Hibs then got back into the game in the second-half and showed Celtic how to really threaten an opposition goal.

The home side looked the more likely to go and get a second goal, but thankfully Idah’s stoppage time spot-kick spared Celts’ blushes.

McFadden was delivering his advice on the Open Goal podcast and told how – from his own experience – Celtic’s wingers should look to get past their markers in wide areas.

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James McFadden advice to Celtic stars

James McFadden said: “I say this all the time. I look at wide players with (Luis) Palma on the left and (Nicolas) Kuhn on the right, they want to come back onto their stronger foot.

“To do that, you need to threaten that you’re going onto your weak foot. You need to show that you’re willing to do it, whether it comes off or not.

“When it came to Kuhn – and Palma is guilty of it too – their first touch is back and then their next touch is back, then they have to eventually roll it back.

You’ve got a chance to face them up.

“I wasn’t quick. I was quick enough to get by people but I didn’t rely on pace, I would just run straight at the defender, straight at him.

Because he makes the decision ‘do I step to try and win it?’

“More often than not, you’re squaring them up and you can go either way.

People used to say I’ve only got a left foot but I would use my right.

“Sometimes I would just step onto my right and it would be blocked, but then the defender’s going,

‘everybody told me to show him on his right’. So then they’ll step off you and then you can come inside.”

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