WHEN Celtic signed Alexandro Bernabei from Lanus in his native Argentina for a cool £3.75m back in June, it was unclear what the future held for Greg Taylor at Parkhead.
Would Taylor be able to retain his place at left back in Ange Postecoglou’s side at home and abroad in the 2022/23 season? Or would Bernabei be preferred in the specialist position?
Speculation was rife among supporters that the expensive new South American import would, despite being just 21, oust the Scot from the starting line-up.
Postecoglou, though, was always confident that having cover in the specialist position would enable him to get the very best out of Taylor in the forthcoming campaign.
And so it has proved so far.
The 24-year-old has been excellent both in defence and attack in Celtic’s opening cinch Premiership victories over Aberdeen at home and Ross County away.
The former Kilmarnock player has his critics in the stands and some fans would like to see Bernabei, who is waiting to make his competitive bow for the Glasgow club, given an extended run.
However, Postecoglou is a huge admirer of the man who made 35 first team appearances for him during his double-winning debut campaign in this country and anticipates that great things lie ahead.
“Greg is going really well this season,” he said as he reflected on his side’s hard-fought 3-1 triumph in Dingwall on Saturday. “But he was also going really well last season too.
“The way we play with our full-backs is a little bit different and Greg has adapted really well to it. He was really strong for us last season and has continued in the first games of this season.
“Greg has been great. He started the season okay last year and then he got that shoulder injury. He had to fight his way back after that, but he had a real good run-in towards the end of the season.
“Greg has started really well again, but he wants to get better. That’s the important thing - he wants to improve.
“Greg is still a young man and I am pleased that he is continuing to develop his game. But I also think there are more levels to come from him.”
Taylor, Postecoglou is at pains to point out, is not doing so well this term because he is feeling under extra pressure to perform from the new arrival.
The Greek-Australian coach was short of cover at left back last season and had to field right back Josip Juranovic out of position on the other side of his four man backline on occasion – including in his opening game against Rangers at Ibrox in August - as a result.
He is optimistic that having Bernabei in his squad will help Celtic to perform to a decent standard on a consistent basis both domestically and in Europe and to avoid picking up injuries.
With Premiership, Premier Sports Cup and Champions League games to be negotiated before football shuts down for the Qatar 2022 finals in November, he will need to call on both men in the coming weeks.
The prospect clearly excites him.
“People will say I have brought in competition for Greg in Alexandro,” he said. “But I haven’t brought in competition, I have brought in a player who can hopefully allow Greg to be the best player he can be.
“You know, I look at last year and Greg was the only real left back we had at the club. We were playing Josip Juranovic at left back at times because of that.
“There is always the risk that you overburden players in the full-back areas. So Bernabei coming in is really good for us as a group. It gives us depth in a key area, in a really important position for us.
“With the way we play, full-back is a real key area and I now have four players there that I have the utmost faith and confidence in.”
Postecoglou, who was a defender himself during his playing days Down Under, raised eyebrows last season when he asked, as Pep Guardiola famously does at Manchester City, his full-backs to invert.
He has been pleased with how Taylor has embraced the new demands on him and with how quickly Bernabei has taken his instructions on board during training at Lennoxtown.
The 56-year-old won numerous honours with South Melbourne and represented his adopted homeland Australia on four occasions as well.
But he is doubtful that he would have been able to change his game in the way that both of his charges have.
“It’s the most overrated position on the field!” he joked. “That’s why I am trying to eliminate the full-back from the line-up with the way we play!
“Seriously, though, Greg is nothing like me. He is a much better player than I ever was. I was a frustrated left winger and I am much happier seeing him play the way he is. I wasn’t inverted. I just used to just take off down the wing and leave my defensive duties.
“The full-back positions are obviously quite unique in terms of how we play compared to other models. It is just about making sure we provide all the players who play in those areas clarity on the advice we give them.
“All the full-backs at the club, even Bernabei, who has just come in, they have adapted to it very quickly. I think that is because we are very clear for the reason we want them to play that way.”
