Reo Hatate's top Celtic form can be linked to a conscious tactical change the Japanese star made after realising his strengths under Ange Postecoglou.
The midfielder has been arguably the Hoops' Player of the Year this campaign, with stunning performances in high-pressure games including the Viaplay Cup final triumph over rivals Rangers in which Hatate set up the winning goal for fellow countryman Kyogo Furuhashi. Celtic have been blessed with quality in the Parkhead engine room this season with the emergence of Aaron Mooy as a regular starter and captain Callum McGregor being Mr Reliable.
But Hatate has now revealed what boss Postecoglou told him had to change about his game to be the most effective, as the 25-year-old insisted a decision for him to play more advanced has allowed him to reap the rewards in green and white. The former Kawasaki Frontale man went in to depth on how his game has evolved and what he hopes will continue to improve.
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He told Web Sportiva: "I have been thinking about and devising my own ways to improve the quality of my performance in front of the goal, an issue that Ange Postecoglou told me I needed to develop. I have been playing at the bottom of midfield with captain Callum McGregor this season.
"I felt that the team could perform better without me being more involved in the build-up and I decided to take a higher position and get involved in front of goal more often. In doing so, I also focused on my positioning. In the past, I often received the ball from the centre backs in a straight line toward the opposition goal, but this made it difficult to avoid pressure from the opponents.
"So what I have done is something I would describe as shifting sideways - what I mean is that I now try and receive passes from the central defenders at an angle. For example, if you receive a pass with your back to the opposition goal, you have to turn 180 degrees to face forward. But if you receive a pass sideways to their goal, you can turn only 90 degrees to face forward.
"If you receive the ball in a straight line, I am immediately under a lot of pressure, but if I receive the ball a little to the side, you have more speed and agility and you can strip them for pace in an instant.
"I also realised that at Celtic, the full backs were coming inside instead of going down the line, so if I opened up, there was space for me to receive the pass. Above all, because I am now in my second season at Celtic I was acutely aware that my opponents were marking me harder and harder every game.
"That is why a split-second move is so important. This is why I came up with the idea of receiving the ball from a different angle. I was able to record an assist in the League Cup Final as a result of this. As a result of this change, I have added more assists and goals to my game and the team are playing even better. A little ingenuity will change the scenario on the pitch."
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