THIS year is not going to go down in the record books as a high scoring one for Celtic.
So far we have played 39 competitive games and have scored 65 goals.
The goals number is enhanced from games against some minnows and a turkey shoot against last season’s Rangers side, especially in April.
Brechin, who didn’t win a match all season, lost 5 at Celtic Park in January. We scored 3 at Ibrox on the first Beautiful Sunday in March – which you could classify as a competitive game, then hit the back of the net 9 times in April against the sorry Sevcovians. Add to that Alashert, who lost 6 goals to Celtic in the Champions League qualifying matches in July. These games substantially boost the stats.
So if we put these games to one side we have scored 42 goals in 33 games.
In TEN of the 39 competitive games played so far in 2018, Celtic have failed to score while they have scored single one goal in 9 games – so that is 19 games, Celtic have scored only 9 goals!
The one goal a game thing has got much more obvious in August and so far in September with this accounting for 6 games where we have scored one single goal.
It’s ‘One nil to the Celtic’ right enough!
Celtic have scored 5 goals in a competitive game on two occasions this year – against Brechin and Rangers and have scored 4 times in one game, also against Rangers.
Brendan Rodgers looked at last season’s stats and concluded that Celtic needed to score more goals. He has talked about that on several occasions including a few times this week.
He pleased us all in the summer when he stated that he’d be altering the tactical formation to play 2 up front. But instead Moussa Demeble forced a transfer and the manager has been reluctant to go with Griffiths and Edouard as a striking partnership. Why?
Surely it should be tried?
The other factor that is worth mentioning is the new playing surface at Celtic Park – it looked magnificent last night but it is not delivering in terms of higher goals scored with only Livingston, Rosenborg on their first visit this season and Alashert all conceding 3 times each.
The Rosenborg result and performance was excellent, the other two games were more run of the mill – although Livingston have gone on to do well in the league after that opening day loss to the Champions.
Kilmarnock have been particularly good at frustrating Celtic this year, winning 1-0 at Rugby Park in February and drawing 0-0 at Celtic Park in May. Steve Clarke seems to know how to set up his team to stop Celtic scoring so why not try something different on Sunday?
With the Celtic defence now rock solid since Dedryck Boyata’s return to the side, we can surely afford to play two strikers and try something different on Sunday?
Leigh Griffiths and Odsonne Edouard together, two strikers, a partnership – let’s give it a go!
It’s about time that Steve Clarke gets the chance to see Celtic scoring!
