Celtic were cruising toward their ninth title in a row, but the Coronavirus pandemic has stopped football all across the world. The Hoops have looked up for the challenge, especially since the winter break. They went into the break with a defeat in the Old Firm derby, but that was probably a kick on their back just at the right time.
Lennon brought in plenty of players in the summer. Some of them have already impressed and have emerged as fan favourites. One such player is Jeremie Frimpong who arrived from Manchester City in the summer. The right-back has exceeded expectations with some of his displays, and he has even managed to impress former Rangers fullback, Alan Hutton.
Hutton praises Frimpong
Speaking to Football Insider, Hutton praised Frimpong and said, “I remember the Old Firm game, the big talking point was Ryan Kent against Frimpong – everything he’d done before that was amazing going forward and attacking.”
“I was thinking: ‘Here’s your first test defensively.’ He (Kent) didn’t get by him once. That’s a massive tick in the box. He’s answered a lot of questions; people probably said well can he defend – he looks quite slight? He’s stood up to the challenge, and he’s one I’m definitely looking forward to next season.”
Frimpong is seen more as an attack-minded fullback, and he did reasonably well in the Old Firm derby when he came up against Ryan Kent. However, Rangers were still able to win that tie which then seemed like a crucial win.
Where Frimpong needs to improve?
The fullback though, still needs to improve defensively before he can be counted as a dependable fullback. The 19-year-old has been found wanting in some tough encounters. Given that Celtic dominate most of their games in Scotland, he is hardly tested defensively. However, he has been found out in Europe and on other occasions as well.
Nevertheless, Frimpong is just 19, and he has lots of room for improvements. He seems to have the raw talent to thrive in the Premiership, but he needs to improve on his decision making on the defensive front as he gets caught in no man’s land far too often. Maybe Frimpong can even be transformed into an outright winger in the future from the right side as a backup to James Forrest.
Hatem Abd Elhamed will likely be the first choice right back when he is fit and available as he is a more balanced and experienced fullback. Nevertheless, Hutton is right that the Dutch right-back is the one to watch for in the future as he seems to have the ingredients to be successful at the top level.
