Celtic are once again well on course to continue with their domestic supremacy as another treble looks very much on the cards. But there are a few players who have failed to contribute much this campaign. One such player is Ukraine international Marian Shved.
There were a lot of expectations from the winger when he moved to Celtic from Karpaty Lviv. However, Shved had barely featured since his arrival last year. The 22-year-old has managed just three appearances for Celtic in all competitions so far.
Lviv’s Director talks about Shved
Lviv sports director Oleg Smaliychuk who organised the move for Shved to Celtic recently spoke about the winger’s situation. Smaliychuk said (Daily Record), ”When I asked Marian about Celtic he just told me he was trying as hard as he possibly could, but there are so many good players at Celtic. He told me they are a big club and have an excellent selection of players.”
”I thought he made the right choice (choosing Celtic over Genk), but how was he to know Brendan Rodgers would leave straight away. Celtic were also going to loan him to another club in Scotland but changed their minds too. Genk actually offered more money than Celtic, but we gave him the choice, and he chose Celtic. Looking back and knowing what we know now, he may have made the wrong choice.”
It seems like Shved has admitted at the personal level that he isn’t as good as the other options at Celtic. The fact that he isn’t getting in the match days squads as well suggests that he is still way behind the pecking order in Lennon’s eyes.
Can Shved get his chances?
Shved is primarily a right-winger, but he can play in various roles in the attacking third. James Forrest, Ryan Christie are the main right-wing option for Celtic at the moment. Dislodging them from first-team places isn’t going to be easy as they are proven players at this level.
However, with the departure of Scott Sinclair and Lewis Morgan in January, the competition for places on the wings has eased up a bit. We believe that Shved will get some chances in the future if there are injury setbacks to the Celtic side.
Shved arrived under Brendan Rodgers, and it is never ideal for a player when the manager who brought him in moves away. Lennon has now been using the 3-5-2 formation off late and in that system, we think it’s even harder for Shved to make an impact as he is not known for his defensive work. Forrest has been the preferred right wing-back for the Hoops this season. The road for a comeback for Shved looks long, but if there are no significant arrivals in the future transfer window in the wide areas, then he should get some chances to impress by next season.
