Everyone knows about our defensive shortfalls, especially our opposition. Shane Duffy’s performances, the openness of the back line and the goalkeeping conundrum has been discussed at length. However, I’ve noticed two other concerns and I’m beginning to wonder if Soro and Griffiths can provide the resolution.
Firstly, there seems to a lack of any holding midfielder. When teams break on us we are far too open and just get exploited. Whether you play with someone specifically as a holding midfielder or not shouldn’t actually matter. Even in a flat midfield four, one of the central midfielders should have the wherewithal to cover when the other goes forward. Playing a midfield five with players assigned to the holding role makes our openness in the middle of the park baffling.
Neil Lennon played in this role himself. He sat in front of the back three under Martin O’Neill and was a focal point for starting attacks. Not only that, he was there as protection, breaking up the play when the opposition went on the attack. Every good team has someone who does this, from Claude Makele at Real Madrid and Chelsea to Busquets or Xavi at Barcelona.
Scott Brown has dropped depper to fulfil this role in recent years. He has been an essential cog in the Celtic machine, on top of all his leadership qualities. However, that role wasn’t fulfilled last night. Prague were able to get at our back line at will. This cannot happen and, therefore, I wonder if Soro should be given the opportunity to sit in front of the back four.
At the other end of the pitch, our goals have not come from strikers apart from Griffiths. Odsonne Edouard looks disinterest and devoid of movement or enthusiasm. He may have been good last season, but this time around he hasn’t provided any threat. Albian Ajeti and Leigh Griffiths might not be as good as Edouard in terms of all round play, but the primary duty of a striker is to score goals. Edouard isn’t doing that this season. Klimala hasn’t done it when he’s started, but Ajeti and Griffiths have.
Leigh Griffiths is an outstanding finisher. He is up for every game, he has pace, movement and best of all an enthusiasm to get invovled. He probably touched the ball more than Edouard yesterday, despite playing significantly less minutes.
I was calling for his introduction to the game after 30 minutes last night. It’s something I did against St Johnstone and Aberdeen the other week. Both times he delivered goals. Last night was no different. As I’ve said before, bleep tests don’t score goals, goalscorers and top strikers do. Griffiths’ goal per game and goal per minutes ratio is incredible. I think we would do well to play him up front with Rogic just behind. The two combined for last night’s goal.
It’s getting to that stage where I take to twitter and suggest that Lennon brings Griffiths on to provide some effort speed and spark
— Liam Kelly (@cfcliamk96) November 5, 2020
Besides, it’s all well and good being fit, but if you don’t apply that fitness then it’s futile. Griffiths at 50% brings more threat than others on current form. Certainly he and or Ajeti should get a start in my view.
Neil Lennon and the staff will have their own ideas. I’m just a fan airing an opinion, but I think that the holding role and getting our two main goalscoring strikers on the pitch are additional probelms to the obvious concerns over the defence and goalkeeping situation.
