Neil Lennon has decided to keep Scott Bain as his first pick goalkeeper on the basis that the Scotland international keeper has the gloves, is performing well and deserves to maintain his place in a settled Celtic team. So Bain will play in the must win Europa League match against Sparta Prague at Celtic Park this evening.
This news is conformation for summer signing Vasilis Barkas that he has now dropped down the pecking order and will be on the bench watching games as he waits on either a loss of form or perhaps an injury to Bain before he’s going to be given the gloves back.
Barkas has endured a difficult start to his time at Celtic after completing a summer move from AEK Athens in a transfer valued at around £4.5million. He has been unconvincing in his early matches, having been thrown straight into the side after watching the opening day win against Hamilton from the bench.
Barkas bizarrely ended up either picking the ball out the net and other than that having next to nothing to do. What as was lacking was any particular stand out saves and he had to hold his hands up for his part in the opening goal in the Glasgow Derby last month – although the defence was equally as culpable on that occasion.
Bain got his chance after a shoulder issue to Barkas and took his chance, his stand out moments include saving a spot kick in Lille a week ago and keeping Celtic’s first clean sheet in a while at Hampden on Sunday against Aberdeen.
Bain’s reward is a vote of confidence from Lennon ahead of tonight’s game.
“He’s played in the team in the last few games and he has played very well and I don’t see any reason to change that at the minute,” the Celtic manager said yesterday, at his pre-match media conference (watch below).
“We kept a clean sheet in the semi-final and he was very good, very reassuring.
“So Scott has done nothing to warrant being left out of the team at the minute.
“That may change as the season goes on but at the minute I am quite happy to go with Scott because he is playing very well.”
