Celtic star assessment turns into 'bashing' of ace as pundit senses he's 'unwilling' to make key style change

A Celtic star has been told he needs to make stylistic changes to get the best out himself.

James McFadden played as a winger in his career for Motherwell, Everton and Scotland amongst others, and analysed Sebastian Tounekti’s performance last weekend against Rangers. The Tunisian international was a shock starter at Ibrox but was subbed off in the 3-0 Premier Sports Cup quarter-final loss without much impact.

There have been criticisms of his displays from punters and the Scotland hero senses Tounekti isn’t keen on changing up his play sheet. McFadden told Sportsound: ”If it's Tounekti, it’s pretty simple for him. Drag it down the line, half a yard, deliver. Cut inside, half a yard, deliver. Because Kasper Hogh makes that run to the back post. It's not a difficult ball with either foot.

Sebastian Tounekti at Celtic instead

“All you have to do is clip that to the back post, miss the first man, take the goalkeeper out of the equation, you've got a striker there, not for a tap-in but he's ready to go and attack the ball. It is really simple. But for whatever reason, they don't have that option. Tounekti is unwilling to do it.

“I wouldn't say unable. He's unwilling to do it. Even when he comes inside, it's almost like he's waiting. Instead of half a yard, he wants a full yard. He wants another touch. He wants to get a shot. You never even really see him popping inside and playing a pass and going, a give and go, or playing it into the feet of a Benjamin Nygren who's advancing.

“It's all about trying to get more space. He wants more space. He gets a bit of space and he wants more space, and then he goes to make the decision. Instead of just shift it, deliver. You don't have to beat the man. He always comes to feet. The other thing for me with Tounekti, it's turned into a Tounekti bashing, but I'm looking at that in the position I played.

James McFadden on Sebastian Tounekti

“I was not blessed with speed. He stands in a position where he's a bit deeper than the full-back, so he's always in the full-back's eyeline. The full-back can look in the pitch and he can see Tounekti in his peripheral vision to his right-hand side. He makes a movement towards the ball. He doesn't get it. He makes another one towards the ball. Then he wants to turn and run. It's old as time with football. Take him short, spin him in behind.

“Go long to come short. He's never out of the eyeline of the full-back, and sometimes you just need to run. Just run in behind. Stand behind him. Look at Kyogo when he played as a striker. How often do you say, ‘oh, look at him, he's offside.’ I mean, it's really clever, because there's a problem now for the defenders. They don't know where he is and that's the same principle as when you play in the wide area. If you keep coming to feet, and you're always in the eyeline of the full-back, that full-back's absolutely delighted.

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