Rodgers Puts Trust In Trusty And Valle, As Scales And Taylor On The Bench

Brendan Rodgers has made two massive calls on the left side of defence this evening against Aberdeen, with Auston Trusty starting over Liam Scales and Alex Valle starting over Greg Taylor.

For one, it highlights the depth in the squad that Rodgers can make decisions like these.

Secondly, it shows that the Irishman wants to take the team to the next level, with Trusty and Valle being two real standouts over the last fortnight.

Rodgers is throwing down the gauntlet to Scales and Taylor to step up another level.

The question is: can they do it?

For all the criticism they have both faced domestically, they are two of the best defenders in the country.

However, the harsh reality is that so are Trusty and Valle.

Valle over Taylor is arguably the more interesting choice, especially with no option to buy in his loan deal from Barcelona.

With Taylor’s contract up in the summer of 2025, it will be intriguing to see what happens with the left-back position over the next year.

Kieran Tierney is always linked with a sensational return, and the longer the months go on, the more likely it appears that he will return home to Celtic

With Trusty, his reported transfer fee of around £6 million was a signal of intent, the second highest fee paid for a defender by the club.

Given his standout performance against Atalanta in Bergamo, it is clear why Rodgers has opted for him this evening.

While it is harsh on Scales, that is Football, and the Irishman will learn from this minor setback