CRAIG GORDON is not worried in the slightest about the imminent arrival of Fraser Forster. He understands how the game works and also knows that tonight he’s got the goalkeeper gloves and it is in his own hands to ensure that that’s the way it will remain.
Possession is nine tenths of the goalkeeper’s law and if he performs well then he should retain his place in the Celtic side.
There is however always an exception to the rule and he knows that to his cost. On 29 December Gordon was Celtic’s star man at Ibrox yet Brendan Rodgers saw fit to drop him when football got underway again in the New Year after the winter break.
But Neil Lennon has replaced Rodgers and has insisted that he wants to play the keeper who is best at keeping the ball out of the Celtic net. Scott Bain’s injury, coupled with recent indifferent form, has weakened the case for him regaining the gloves when his thumb injury allows.
And Fraser Forster, who admittedly hasn’t played much football recently, comes back to Celtic (medical permitting) with a huge reputation at the club. But Craig Gordon will figure, if he does his job then the returning hero will have to wait patiently for his chance.
That’s the way it works with goalkeepers, most of the time anyway. Gordon spoke to the Media yesterday ahead of playing against AIK Stockholm in the Europa League Play-off round this evening, and was asked if he was concerned about Fraser Forster’s expected return at the club
“It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who is in here. I want to play. And the only way I can do that is by playing well. If he does bring in another goalkeeper, then I’ll need to play very well to make sure I’ll keep my place. If I don’t, I’ll have to live with that.
“I don’t mind, I’ll happily fight anyone for their place. That’s the mentality I have, no matter what. I’ll do my best to get in the team, concentrate on myself and my fitness. If I’m doing as well as I can and I get picked, great, I want to play,” Gordon said, as reported by Evening Times.
Gordon also spoke about the difference between Neil Lennon and his predecessor Brendan Rodgers regarding the goalkeeper passing the ball to teammates. Bain was regarded by the former manager as being better with the ball at his feet and that won him a place in the team, at Gordon’s expense.
“He (Lennon) doesn’t want any chances taken. It’s a safety first policy. But he still wants us to keep the ball out of the net, just like any manager I’ve ever had.
“There’s not quite as much focus on playing out from the back. It’s about adjusting to that. The ball gets forward a bit more quickly and we push on from there.
“I didn’t think I was that bad at it before! It just seemed to be a snowball effect, something everybody wanted to talk about.
“But it wasn’t too big of an obstacle. It was something we did and did particularly well. We managed to win three Trebles and I played in two-and-a-half of them. So there must have been something working, especially to keep the clean sheets that we did,” Gordon noted.
“It wasn’t just passing for the sake of it. We were trying to lure opponents out from their 18-yard box. There was method in it, just like there’s method in what we’re trying to do now. It’s a slight change of approach, but it has its benefits.
“You have to say that it’s one of Scott’s biggest attributes, if not his biggest attribute. He is a very good kicker of the ball, he passes it really well. If I’m being honest, he does that better than I do. That’s fine. It’s something I didn’t think I did badly, but he can do it better.
“So I’ve got to hold my hands up and say: ‘Yeah, he does that better than me’. But that was the manager’s decision, to go ahead and play him for that reason. And, at that particular time, it worked well. So you have to give him credit for that decision.
“But I certainly don’t think I was bad or poor in any way. He was just slightly better in that department.”
You can watch Craig Gordon’s Media Conference below, curtesy of Celtic’s You Tube channel…
Also on The Celtic Star…
‘La Grand Muralla’ – Deal agreed to bring Fraser Forster back home to Celtic…see HERE.
Redemption Day for Celtic v AIK – Adversity can bring a new cohesion and a bunker mentality…see HERE.
Players BLAMED, Fans BLAMED but ‘the abuse Peter Lawwell gets is very unfair,’ says Lennon…see HERE.
If you know the history – Celtic at birth, August 1888…see HERE.
