WITH A BIT more effort and endeavour, Reo Hatate might have ascended to the depths of mediocrity against Livingston in midweek.
Blink and you missed any contribution from the Japanese midfielder after he had been summoned into action around the half-hour mark to replace the hirpling Arne Engels.
Everyone was fully aware this was a must-win encounter against the Premiership’s whipping boys where the champions also had the opportunity to give their goals for column a kiss of life, something which may be the difference between a fifth successive title or zilch at the completion of a fairly shambolic campaign.
Hatate trotted on and Hatate trotted off. The bit in between is a mystery.
You and I know the player has a whole lot more to offer than we witnessed against a workmanlike team of journeymen who came so close to leaving the east end of Glasgow with an unlikely point.
DOWN AND LOOKING OUT…a grim-faced Reo Hatate sits it out.
Hatate had a major influence in the emergence of a highly improbable scoreline with a glimpse of what had been evident since he had been introduced. There was a complete lack of concentration and awareness from the player as he swung a lazy leg at the ball as it dropped to him following a corner-kick.
Clearly, he hadn’t been switched on when Robbie Muirhead attempted to come in on his blindside. Hatate waywardly slashed at the ball, made the inevitable contact with his opponent and, equally mandatory, referee Calum Scott was swift to point to the spot.
It was a penalty-kick, no argument. Muirhead regained his composure and smacked it straight down the middle of the goal as Kasper Schmeichel obligingly got out of the way.
So, around the hour mark of what had been a largely one-sided affair with the attack displaying a worrying lack of guile, precision and killer touch – an annoyingly recurring theme in a turbulent season – the champions were on the brink of conceding two points.
If Hatate was doing his damndest to atone for his error in the remaining half-hour or so, I have to confess I missed it.
He looked more than happy to play with his back to goal, knocking one-twos around and making absolutely no impact on the pattern of the game.
To all intents and purposes, it looked as though he was merely going through the motions until it was time to head for a shower.
BIG NOISE…Reo Hatate celebrates scoring in Celtic’s penalty-kick shoot-out win over Philippe Clements Ibrox side in the Premier Sports League Cup Final at Hampden in December 2024.
Thankfully, Hatate – and Celtic – were bailed out by debutant Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who almost nonchalantly swept in a curling right-foot effort from the edge of the box for the stoppage-time winner.
Sadly, Wednesday evening was not be a one-off performance from Hatate, who has disappointed from day one this time out. Chris Sutton, who knows more about these things than I ever will, says it looks as though he is in a strop.
Why would that be the case? He has hardly been victimised, despite his obvious lack of input in a bewilderingly lacklustre personal campaign.
Hatate was in at the start when Brendan Rodgers named his line-up for the opening Premiership game against St Mirren at Parkhead in August, a date in the calendar that normally signals the annual event of Flag Day in the east end of Glasgow.
Interestingly, Hatate was withdrawn in the 78th minute of that confrontation with the hosts toiling for the breakthrough goal. Mercifully, it was provided three minutes from time by Luke McCowan who had replaced the Japanese ace.
Hatate was also in Wilfried Nancy’s teamsheet for the first game of the Frenchman’s ill-fated and chaotic 33 days in charge. He lasted the entire 90 minutes-plus of the former Columbus Crew’s head coach’s first loss of six defeats during his miserable eight-game career.
On this occasion, it was a wretched 2-1 home setback against Hearts, a result that may still come back and bite Celtic.
Hatate was also engaged for an hour in Martin O’Neill’s second comeback game, the 4-0 win over Dundee United at Parkhead on January 10. His replacement, Benjamin Nygren, claimed one of his 15 goals that afternoon.
TICKER-TAPE CHAMPION…Reo Hatate is smiles better as Celtic celebrate their fourth successive Premiership title triumph last season.
So, why is the 28-year-old playmaker giving a lot of people, including the straight-talking Sutton, the impression he has spat his dummy into orbit?
Could it be because he has discovered his fellow-countryman Daizen Maeda is picking up £5,000 per week more than him?
If you do not believe all players want to know how much team-mates are earning, I envy you your innocence.
Remember, please, Hatate is a soccer mercenary. He did not leave Kawasaki Frontale to join up at Parkhead in January 2022 because of any prior desire to don the green and white hoops. Celtic had never been the first result he looked for on matchday.
The player is here to earn as much as possible before his inevitable return to The Land of the Rising Sun. Plain and simple.
Hatate has already made noises of moving elsewhere and I do believe he is thinking of an upwards trajectory in his career. At least you have to applaud his honesty.
He also stated back in the summer that he had a dream. Celtic did not figure in this fantasy.
GLASGOW BELONGS TO US…Reo Hatate and Daizen Maeda dsplay their joy after Celtic’s 3-0 victory over Ibrox opposition at Parkhead in February 2022, a win that went a long way to the team’s title success.
His ambition was to be included in the Japan squad for the World Cup Finals extravaganza in USA, Canada and Mexico which kicks off in June.
On the evidence of what we have all witnessed this season, there is as much chance of Hajime Moriyasu giving Hatate the nod as Steve Clarke handing me the goalkeeper’s gloves to protect Scotland’s interests.
Could these factors have culminated in the player performing under a black cloud? I would never infer, even for a heartbeat, that a professional would not attempt to give his best for his team every time he stepped onto the pitch.
Having said that, I can only wonder what happened to that guy just over four years ago who exploded onto the scene like a spectacular technicolour illumination on a grey, cold evening in the east end of Glasgow back on January 17 2022.
Hibs were the opposition, Ange Postecoglou’s side required every point and Hatate strode through his 74 minutes with a majesty and energy that unarguably earned him the Man of the Match award. He was replaced by Yosuke Ideguchi while the third debutant from the J-League, Daizen Maeda, opened the scoring inside four minutes. The win cut the gap at the top to three points.
FLY THE FLAG…Reo Hatate celebrates his first title win after the 1-1 draw with Dundee United at Tannadice in May 2022 that sealed the crown.
Quite rightly, there was a welcome air of optimism within the Celtic ranks. Following the dreadful trophyless season – the first in 11 years – Postecoglou had guided the team to the League Cup the previous month with Kyogo Furuhashi claiming a double in a 2-1 success over the Easter Road side.
These were, indeed, exciting times and Hatate was playing a pivotal role in what was unfolding on matchday.
On February 2, just four games after his memorable introduction, the technically-gifted operator took centre stage when the Hoops beat Giovanni van Bronckhorst’s Ibrox outfit 3-0 to reach the Premiership pinnacle for the first time 18 months.
Hatate took the game by the scruff of the neck, scored two goals and set up a third for Liel Abada. The match was over as a contest by the interval.
There wasn’t a glimmer of that show-stealing form against Livi the other night; not even a flicker.
What we are witnessing now is a hollow shell of the performer who captivated us all four years ago.
It’s a genuine puzzler in Paradise. So, who is culpable for the demise in the stature of a player who should be the target for all the ambitious clubs throughout the globe with vast amounts of money to spend?
Who do we hold to account for this remarkable metamorphosis?
I have little doubt about the numero uno suspect.
Blame it on Reo.
ALEX GORDON
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report and best action images from Kilmarnock v Celtic this afternoon – only in your champion CQN.
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