Celtic were back to winning ways yesterday night against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park. A breath of fresh air for the fans too following weekend’s home defeat versus St. Mirren, but the latest comments of Neil Lennon has cast doubts over the first-team future of Celtic star Leigh Griffiths.
The Scotsman was taken off at halftime against the Buddies and remained as an unused substitute this midweek. Albian Ajeti was handed a start, and the Swiss international made no mistake in grabbing his opportunity with a late strike. The manager, impressed with his presence alongside Odsonne Edouard in the attacking third, is now planning to hand him a run of games in the upcoming months.
“Hopefully he’ll get a run of games now. He looked very good, very strong tonight. He complemented Odsonne very well. It’s a good night’s work for him.”
Lennon (as quoted by the Daily Record) praising his £5m summer signing from West Ham United.
The 23-year-old marksman enjoyed a blistering start (5 goals in his first 6 league appearances, stats via Transfermarket) but faded off lately due to fitness woes. He needed a goal to regain his confidence and the Killie game last night must help him script a resurgence.
Harsh On Griffiths, But The Move Should Be Welcomed
Griffiths, meanwhile, regained his lost charm to some extent in recent weeks. He scored 3 and assisted twice in his past seven starts and attuned to various Setups (like 4-4-2, 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-2-1) as deployed by the manager to figure out the best possible formation in the middle of a dismal run of results. The 30-year-old was finally back to his earlier self overcoming mental health problems, but the decision taken by the gaffer should raise a few questions.
Although the dreams of a historic ‘ten in a row’ is almost over with Rangers stretching the lead every week at the top of the standings, the Hoops must focus on defending the Scottish Cup to avoid a title drought after four successive treble-winning campaigns.
Edouard is likely to part ways in summer amid persistent interest from an array of European heavyweights. The call for a replacement should only be addressed if Ajeti fails to live up to the hype during the remainder of the season. Celtic star Griffiths, being in his thirties as well as being involved in multiple disciplinary lapses, can’t be considered a part of any long-term project at Parkhead and the stance taken by Lennon, therefore, deserves backing.
