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Hartson names five Celtic players to move out in January

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John Hartson believes that Brendan Rodgers could lose five players in January without having any impact on his first team plans.

Finding clubs to take players who have barely played a game so far this season will be a tough task but Emilio Izaguirre and Gary Mackay-Steven have shown their ability in recent weeks despite long spells out in the cold.

Rodgers main focus will be in bringing in new faces but getting the squad down to a leaner more manageable level will help out in every way.

Having players around who are well out of the picture can’t make life easy with half of their former team-mates flourishing under the new regime.

Creating a 22 man squad where all of the players are in contention to play would be ideal although folk like Liam Henderson and Ryan Christie, both of whom are highly rated by the manager, have struggled to make the bench in recent weeks.

Hartson doesn’t pull any punches in The Sun, he knows how brutal the game is but when it’s time up at one club it’s time to start looking elsewhere rather than allow a precious career hit rock bottom.

KRIS COMMONS

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It’s hardly a surprise that Commons has been linked with Hibs, he played with Neil Lennon at Nottingham Forest before they teamed up at Celtic.

Hartson says: “Kris is a great lad, popular around the place and can hold his head high for what he has achieved and contributed but nothing lasts forever and he will know as well as anyone that his time’s up at Celtic Park.

As far as I can tell, there is no animosity between him and Brendan. The new manager just wants to go down a different route.”

EFE AMBROSE

Efe Ambrose

Hartson says: “Ambrose has given his heart and soul to the club over the last four years but he hasn’t featured since July. He has surely played his last game for the club.”

The errors just became more and more regular. Since that night at home to Juventus in 2013 the mistakes have become too frequent in Efe’s game.

With his contract up at the end of the season he’ll be well aware that his Celtic days are over.

NADIR CIFTCI

CIFTCI

Hartson says: “Ciftci has been a complete waste of money. Celtic paid £1.5million to Dundee United and have got pretty much no return.”

A brutal assessment but hard to argue with, the race to sign a player with the threat of a long term domestic suspension hanging over him seemed bizarre.

Deila tried his best to get Ciftci in the side, playing him ahead of Leigh Griffiths in European ties but the former Dundee United man never looked at ease although his four year contract should provide some comfort!

SCOTT ALLAN

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Scott Allan’s days are also numbered,” Hartson said. “He’s got talent but it hasn’t worked out and he wasn’t even a regular at Rotherham when out on loan.”

One of the recent great mysteries of the Scottish game, one chapter in his autobiography will make fascinating reading.

There were glimpses and flashes but nothing more, rarely a 90 minutes. He now appears to be back to the level he was at pre-Hibs of being in and around a struggling English Championship side.

DEDRYCK BOYATA

DEDRYCK BOYATA

The Hartson verdict: “Boyata? He played against Kilmarnock a couple of weeks ago but isn’t up to Celtic’s level. Put it this way, Celtic let Charlie Mulgrew leave and he’s TWICE the player the Belgian is.”

Again it’s hard to argue with that assessment, only the fact that he came from Manchester City suggested that the Belgian could make it.

Being compared to Jason Denayer was unfortunate but being a central defender for Celtic in Scottish football is a fairly straightforward gig which Boyata couldn’t handle.

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