Brendan Rodgers explains why Nicolas Kuhn was pulled off at halftime for Celtic vs Hibs.

Brendan Rodgers explains why Nicolas Kuhn was pulled off at halftime for Celtic vs Hibs.

Celtic defeated Hibs 3-0 this weekend, increasing their advantage over Aberdeen at the top of the Scottish Premiership standings to nine points.

Brendan Rodgers’ side had to deal with a couple of early scares as Hibs set their stall out at Celtic Park with a couple of early opportunities.

However, Kasper Schemeichel was the Bhoys’ saviour, and as Arne Engels’ sixth-minute goal found the back of the Hibs net, there was only going to be one winner.

But it was the withdrawal of Nicolas Kuhn at halftime that got Celtic fans talking, and possibly scared about a potential injury, as the Hoops manager removed his most lethal goal threat against Hibs.

And here, Rodgers explains why, with some incredible praise for Celtic winger James Forrest.

Brendan Rodgers commends James Forrest as ‘the finest’ player he has ever collaborated with during his tenure at Celtic, following the victory against Hibernian.

In elucidating the Kuhn substitution, Rodgers conveyed to the Daily Record, “We were conceding possession of the ball excessively on the right flank; therefore, in order to regain control, it is imperative to maintain possession.”

James is arguably the most proficient individual I have encountered throughout my tenure in terms of retaining possession of the ball along the sidelines.

Individuals may characterize it as maturation; however, that is not the case, as he exhibited such behavior during my initial presence here in 2016.

He is the most proficient athlete at receiving the ball in constrained situations and maintaining possession.

This enables you to endure assaults. “We relinquished possession too frequently during the first half.”

James’ pursuit of the third goal was exceptional, culminating in a remarkable finish. Kyogo executes an exquisite first contact, subsequently pausing before concluding the play.

What is the frequency with which Nicolas Kuhn has been substituted by Brendan Rodgers, and what has been the effect of these substitutions on Celtic’s performance outcomes?

Nicolas Kuhn has exhibited exceptional performance for Celtic this season, having scored 11 goals and provided 11 assists in 21 appearances.

The Celtic winger is currently on the radar of Germany’s manager, Julian Nagelsmann, as the 24-year-old consistently garners significant media attention.

Nonetheless, the decision to substitute Kuhn from the game represents an atypical action by Brendan Rodgers, as it is not a scenario frequently encountered by Celtic supporters.

The effectiveness of the strategy was evident as Forrest made an instantaneous impression with his exceptional assist for Kyogo Furuhashi’s goal, which marked Celtic’s third.

In this context, 67 Hail Hail has undertaken an analysis of the frequency with which Kuhn has been substituted and the subsequent effects, if any, that these substitutions have had on Celtic’s performance during the current season.

Substituted in the 71st minute during Celtic’s victory against Slovan Bratislava.

There was no discernible impact, as the outcome remained unchanged. Substituted in the 74th minute as Celtic decisively defeated RB Leipzig.

Kuhn has already transformed the dynamics of the game, as the winger decisively overwhelmed the Bundesliga team. Participated in eight matches within the Scottish Premiership against teams such as Hearts, Rangers, Hibernian, and Kilmarnock.

It is not surprising to assert that Kuhn’s influence across all matches significantly contributed to Celtic’s unblemished streak.

The salient point is that this marks the inaugural occasion on which Nicolas Kuhn has been substituted due to a performance deficiency identified by the Celtic manager.

It is to be hoped that the message is duly acknowledged, as Celtic faces a significant match against Dinamo Zagreb on Tuesday evening, and Rodgers will require the winger to be performing at peak capacity.