James Forrest has been round the block numerous times – thirteen in total – in European campaigns with Celtic and reckons that this campaign, despite the disappointing results, has been significant in that Celtic have played their own style of football against all three Champions League opponents.
Ange Postecoglou opted to start with Liel Abada in the two home games against RB Leipzig and Shakhtar Donetsk but the Israeli winger, who is in line for an new and improved contract at Celtic, was uncharacteristically quiet in both those matches, each time being replaced by his experienced teammate who has an abundance of European football including Champions League action under his belt.
Whether Ange Postecoglou opts for Abada or Forrest on the right wing tomorrow night in the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium remains to be seem but if you consider the previous two Champions League games then perhaps it’s time James Forrest got the nod.
Speaking to the mainstream media including behind the Glasgow Times paywall, Forrest reflected on this season’s European campaign and made some valid points on previous years in Europe that should give the Celtic players some encouragement.
“We’ve played really well in every game in the Champions League this year,” Jamesy said. “We were disappointed to draw again against Donetsk, but I think we can take a lot of positives from our performance, as we have throughout this campaign.
“I think the next time we get into the Champions League, and hopefully that is soon, we can get the same performances and get results as well.
“I’ve said it to a few of the boys – in the past we have we maybe won games where we have got one cross, one shot, and then defended for 90 minutes. Sometimes you can get a result that way. But this season I have felt the boys were well in every game. We’ve had our chances, and sometimes we just didn’t manage to take them. But I think it’s definitely promising the amount of chances we’ve created in the five games in the Champions League,” Jamesy said.
Forrest accepts that there will inevitably be disappointment and frustration that there will be no European football after Christmas this season and admits that this is important for the club and indeed the Celtic support. “That is a disappointing factor as well, the club wanted to be in Europe after Christmas, I think it’s important for the players, the fans, the staff and everyone else as well,” the veteran Celtic winger stated. “Apart from the results, that’s maybe the biggest disappointment, but we still have the other competitions to go for and we need to focus on that.”
In Ange Postecoglou’s first season in charge Forrest was troubled by injuries but did score the crucial goal against St Johnstone in the League Cup semi-final against St Johnstone that paid the way for the new manager’s first trophy. And he’s recently been in fine form in those two European games and of course scoring a hat-trick against Hibs to make him once of only 30 players to have scored 100 goals for Celtic, and another against Hearts to follow it up last weekend in that dramatic 4-3 win at Tynecastle.
Ange Postecoglou knows a good player when he sees one and just like Kyogo and Giakoumakis – also in line for a new deal – are sharing the striking duties, the Celtic manager has two high quality right wingers in his squad and each will be making an impact.
“I said it when I signed, I know we’ve got a young squad, but I still want to work hard and keep contributing to the team. I know what Celtic is like, throughout the years it has never been easy, we are always signing new players,” Forrest said as he surveyed the new landscape at the club under Postecoglou.
“Obviously, I am getting older and we are signing younger players, but it’s always a great challenge and I am still working hard and fighting to play for Celtic. I just want to do that as long as I can.
“It’s obviously good for the other players as well, the manager can change the team so often and a quality player comes in for another quality player. You still can learn off the younger players as well, so I’ll just keep working hard.”
