John Kennedy has said that Leigh Griffiths can make a late claim for a place in Steve Clarke’s Euro 2020 squad if the striker continues his form in the final games of the season. Griffiths struck late to give Celtic a draw in Pittodrie last night in a game that once again highlighted Celtic’s weaknesses, which have blighted the season.
With the news that Oli McBurnie, who has spearheaded Sheffield United’s relegation drive, would be out injured for the tournament, Steve Clarke will now need to find a replacement and Griffiths, who has 22 caps, could very well force his way into Clarke’s thinking if he can get a few more goals before the end of the season. As reported by The Sun, Kennedy dispelled the myth that Griffiths wasn’t fit, albeit acknowledging that this had been a problem.
“Leigh is up there with Scotland’s best goalscorers. That goal is what he is all about – getting half a yard in the penalty box and finishing.
“Leigh is fit. He trains every day. He hasn’t had many starts but he’s fit. Can he make the Euros squad? It comes down to form and how Steve sees it.
“He has a few strikers to choose from now and has added extra ones like Che Adams. So Steve does have a decision to make but all Leigh can do is make himself available and put himself in contention.
“He had the issue when we came back for pre-season and his fitness wasn’t what it should have been. That took a bit of time for him to get going but I have had no issues with Leigh in terms of how he works.
“We don’t always play with two strikers, so that doesn’t always help him.
“But Leigh is what he is. He is a great individual for us and when we need a goal, he gets you it. We want him fit and well, and in contention to start games, and that is where he is.”
Griffiths has had plenty of time to get himself fit this season and in seasons gone by but there has been security of a contract. Although the player needs to prove that he is worth keeping. No player should be safe for next season and no player is above scrutiny. With that said, the player needs to have more chances if he is to earn himself a new contract. Cameos may not best reflect his abilities and the same can be said for the youngsters coming through, why are they not given game time with players like Odsonne Edouard, Jonjoe Kenny etc all seemingly heading for the exit.
The 30-year-old has endured a poor season after a very public issue with his fitness at the beginning of the campaign. The player has undoubted quality but fitness concerns have been highly disruptive for the club not being able to call upon a player that can, on his day, turn a game on its head.
Griffiths has scored five goals this season in eighteen appearances. The striker’s scoring record of 123 goals in 257 appearances represents an incredible return for the £800k paid to Wolves in 2014. The club need to make a decision on whether to retain Griffiths for another season or to allow him to leave for free.
Get Griffiths on from the start. McGregor as captain. Sorro in place of Brown. Dembele in place of Christie. Turnbull us a stick on. Welsh, Ralston, Taylor and a n other in defence and rotate the keeper, Even the pundits commentating on last night’s game were asking why Dembele was not brought on sooner making the remark “Has Kennedy only just realised after 81 minutes that there is no width going forward on that side of the park.” How is having these youth players on the bench and not using them acting in Celtic’s best interests? He’s just built thr hopes up to then disappoint them and once again he’s wasted 90+ minutes by having the 2 biggest saboteurs Eduoard and Christie on the park both of whom were spectacularly poor again. How is that acting in the club’s best interests?