With Scott Brown struggling to be fit for the Betfred Cup semi final, it looks like somebody different will need to lead the team out at Hampden. There may be a few different options to take over as captain, but James Forrest isn’t one of them.
According to The Sun via HITC, Neil Lennon thinks that James Forrest is too quiet to become captain so Callum McGregor might be the more realistic choice.
Speaking about the potential captain choice Lenny said: “Christopher Jullien could do it, Kris Ajer takes responsibility, James Forrest is a bit quieter and I don’t think he’d fancy it!”
It really comes down to what you look for in a captain. Some clubs just give it to their best player even if they aren’t the most vocal of leaders. Think Lionel Messi at Barcelona – it can sometimes be most effective to give it to your best player who strikes fear into the opposition.
Being captain of Celtic might be a bit different. Traditionally the job has gone to those who can be inspirational and vocal on the pitch .McGregor can be seen as the natural successor to Broony in a footballing and leadership sense, so he seems like the most logical choice.
You do also get the impression that Lenny is a bit old fashioned in some senses too. He will see the captain being that traditional “coach on the pitch”. Forrest might be a magical player but he’s unlikely to rally the troops if things start to go wrong.
It’s been a fantastic week for Forrest with him getting his new contract and the fans finally finding a song for him, but it doesn’t sound like he will get the captaincy to round it off.
Scott Brown still hasn’t been officially ruled out, but don’t be surprised to see McGregor leading the team out this evening.
