Celtic is in a good place, but we just need a little more quality in certain positions.

In the aftermath of last night’s game, I wrote a match report that I felt was balanced and fair. It didn’t delve into history, didn’t get overly confident, and didn’t veer towards negativity.

It reflected my feelings and said what I wanted to say, but there are a couple of delicate issues I’d like to explore further. I’ll tread carefully—not because I’m worried about upsetting others, but because I’m wary of frustrating myself.

Last night, I thought our defensive performance was excellent. The ball-winning in midfield and our pressing game were tremendous. They barely got near our goal, which is a major triumph for this team. But I also felt we were lacking in a couple of areas, specifically in the middle to front part of the side.

We are undeniably a much better and more stylish team than before, with more substance too, which is exciting to see. However, there are still missing pieces, and we need to identify and address them. A couple of players stood out last night as not quite hitting the mark for what’s required at the highest level.

I’m not here to be overly critical, but Maeda and Hatate seemed a bit off their game.

We know Maeda is missing just a few elements to his game, or he’d be an elite player we’d struggle to keep. He’s one of the major players in this squad and probably my favourite in the current team. But does that mean he should start every match? Or are there times we’d benefit from someone with more guile and a slightly different skill set, especially in games like these where creativity is at a premium over raw energy?

Hatate, meanwhile, is a player who can frustrate like few others.

On his day, he’s one of the best in the country and would walk into any other side without question. But on nights like last night, it’s fair to ask if he’s really the best we can do at this level. He’s a tremendous squad player to have but I think we need someone better, with a harder cutting edge, and if we’re going to be this honest about where improvement is needed, three positions come to mind: his, left-back, and left-wing.

Don’t get me wrong—I’d keep all three players, Taylor included, if he signs a new deal, as squad options. Maeda, in particular, would feature in a lot of games. But there are nights where we need more, a different dimension that he doesn’t always provide. Hatate is a good attacking midfielder, but he’s not Matt O’Riley, and we missed an O’Riley type last night.

The encouraging thing is we’re not far off.

In fact, we’re tantalisingly close, especially considering Rodgers has effectively only had one proper transfer window to work with. The summer window will likely bring significant changes to the squad, with key players either departing or seeing their roles adjusted.

I’m not criticising Maeda or Hatate as players. Both have been immense servants to this club, and their contributions have been outstanding. I fully expect them to continue delivering for the rest of this campaign and beyond. But we do need something different, something more.

I suspect the manager knows this well. He’s surely already planning for the January window, and his decisions will tell us a lot. There’s been talk of spending £4 million on Lennon Miller. If he’s willing to come, he’ll need to adapt quickly, as that’s a hefty sum for someone unproven at this level.

As for the left-wing position, I think the decision has already been made—not because Maeda has failed us, but because he can’t play every game. We have no realistic backup for him at the moment, so signing someone there is almost certain.

The choice of that player will reveal a lot about Rodgers’ vision. But whatever the plan is, I’m confident Rodgers has the right ideas.