IF Scotty Sinclair doesn’t play tonight it’s got to the stage now that no-one would be the slightest bit surprised. But why has it got to the stage when an Invincible doesn’t play a regular part anymore and a great numbers of fans and commentators simply shrug their collective shoulders?
Are we smitten by newer faces breaking through?
We have Mikey Johnston establishing himself now but it’s yet to be seen if a left sided attacking role is a position we’ll see the best of him in. There have already been managerial concerns raised over his fitness, strength and the knock on effect it can have on lasting 90 minutes in a run of serious games. To lay the pressure on his young shoulders would be a gamble.
Lewis Morgan has returned from his loan spell at Sunderland looking like a man determined to make his mark. He’s shown up well in pre-season. His involvement so far has been nothing but positive but has he done enough to earn being in the team ahead of Sinclair?
Even the industrious utility man Jonny Hayes appeared to be ahead of Scotty Sinclair at the tail end of last season. That’s got to be a worry for the player and I must admit to having concerns myself if that’s how far he’s fallen in Lennon’s pecking order. As grateful as you are for the energy and endeavour from Jonny he simply isn’t close to the standard of Sinclair, nor does he contribute as much to the numbers.
Scott Sinclair 16/17@Scotty_Sinclair pic.twitter.com/4P1h1EAWUt
— John (@19jhodgkiss) June 17, 2019
Is it a clash of personalities with the manager or a message from the board?
This has not come about during Lennon’s tenure exclusively. It was also an issue for previous manager Brendan Rodgers. There were times Scotty found himself benched even when numbers in the squad were low. Though it must be said it appears he’s used far less by Lennon than he ever was by Rodgers.
If it’s an issue from either the manager or the board why did we activate the clause for the extra year? It was a summer for clearing out and with twelve having shuffled through the departure lounge on a one way ticket, how come Scotty picked up another year?
Was it sell him or to play him? So far with no bids and little game time it’s looking like another strange decision from a board lacking in an overall strategy. I’m pretty much fed up second guessing their intentions but an extra year doesn’t smack of wanting a high earner off the wage bill. Nor does it much look like we intended to sell. The only real interest appeared to be a rumoured £2million approach from English Premier League newbies Sheffield United but I don’t think that came to much. So it would therefore be fair to assume it was to play him. Yet we don’t.
Has the player stopped scoring or stopped creating, has he agitated for a move?
I get that sometimes he can look off the boil, sometimes perhaps his commitment to a 50/50 challenge is questionable. He doesn’t show a lot of emotion in a game and are we reading that as a lack of passion? Possibly. That said he’s a wide player, some inconsistency is a given all over the football world in that position. You are reliant on being fed, you have limited space outside you and inside you it’s often congested. You can’t always beat your man and create the space yourself. A degree of leeway has to be offered to wide players.
The fact of the matter is his stats speak for themselves. The brilliant Celtic by Numbers recently showed up just how good his return is and it seems it something we seriously undervalue. They wrote.
“Sinclair has a goal scoring record comparable to any striker to play for Celtic in the 21st century. Scorer of 60 goals in his first three seasons, he is behind the likes of Hooper (82), Larsson (70) and Griffiths (67)”.
“He has therefore finished 2nd, 1st and 2nd top scorer in his three seasons”.
“Assists have always been secondary in Sinclair’s performances to goals. In the last three seasons he has 14, 15 and 7 respectively. Still very high assist productivity”.
“It appears that Sinclair’s role changed this season under Rodgers. Told to attack the box more, along with Forrest, he would seem to have instructions to be the second (or third) striker where possible. Also, his defensive productivity has increased significantly. A systematic recalibration of his role in the team”.
“There has been a change of emphasis away from getting wide and getting crosses in. I don’t see this as under performance, more a change of emphasis and instruction”
So he’s up there with the best strikers this Century and he’s not even a striker. His assist rate is superb and even the slight drop in figures last season can be put down to a change in his role in the side. It must also be said a lot more time from the bench will also have contributed to this. We’ve also in our wisdom changed the role of one of the most effective performers in the last 3 years.
You can see all the Celtic by Numbers Stats HERE.
It’s a fascinating insight into a player who seems rather unfairly to be much maligned.
Sinclair is a goal scorer. He creates chances. He’s fast and effective, the opposition always double up showing opposition managers at least realise his threat to them and his worth to Celtic. We are surely taking a risk in leaving him out the side.
Let’s put it another way. Say we sold him for £2million and say hypothetically that Mikey Johnston doesn’t reach the heights or that Lewis Morgan being loaned out to Sunderland ended up being the right decision. Then what, the transfer market? Without sounding too repetitive on negativity to the board, would you have the confidence in them to find the same statistical return of goals and assists for the transfer fee we receive or we originally paid and for the wages we pay Scotty Sinclair? I wouldn’t.
It may be we are benching Scotty to show his availability and get something for him from someone before he leaves for nothing, but surely the best way to advertise his wares would be to have his boots out there beating men and kicking up chalk.
As for any behind the scenes issues. I like the fact he doesn’t complain. I’ve never heard any mutterings to friends in the press on social media or veiled murmurings of discontent when he’s interviewed. I wonder if he’s even the type to chap on the manager’s door and ask just what more he needs to do to regain the faith that would re-establish himself in his position in the team. He doesn’t strike me as an agitator in the slightest.
In Scotty Sinclair we have a Treble Treble winner and an Invincible. There will be players in the squad who can obviously claim the same accolades as their own. Are there many being discarded in the same manner as Scott? I can’t think of many bar Craig Gordon who’s dropped out of favour quite as much. The fact remains if Scott Bain was injured tomorrow Craig would be straight back in the side, if Mikey Johnston doesn’t play it looks like Lewis Morgan would, it’s possible Hayes will again be called upon. This isn’t looking like the cold shoulder. If it wasn’t for pop up appearances from the bench it would be cold storage.
Our side is showing signs of lacking a goal threat. We’re picking up wins but not by much, we’ve had a few games at the tail end of last season where you worried about that. Now it could be lethargy last season but it could be we’ve got a genuine goal threat picking up chilblains instead of assists with his backside perched on a bench.
When Forrest plays on the right and Sinclair plays on the left, tell me which right and left opposition full backs sleep easy at the thought of playing those two? Would they sleep better facing Morgan and Johnston? At this time and place I’d say they’d get a much more peaceful slumber.
I’ve heard it mentioned he’s a confidence player and that his lack of confidence means he’s lost his way a little. I get that.
I’d lack confidence if I’d won a treble treble, been player of the year, been the king of assists and supplied a regular enough supply of goals to make a striker blush with pride and then was dumped on my backside and told to earn back my place with a few outings from the substitute’s bench. Then even when I did produce goals and assists I was back there the following week.
The only way to give him his confidence back is pick him. When he scores pick him again, when he is a bit out of sorts tell him you have every faith in him, that form is temporary but that class is permanent and give him 20 games to get that confidence back up. And you know what if after those 20 games he’s not up there with the rest of the forward 4 in terms of goals and assists and he is a little boy lost then fine, give the new kids their head.
For now he’s earned trust and patience from all of us. The board, the management and the supporters.
Any chance that could start along with Scotty Sinclair tonight?
Niall J
