As we continue to look at who deserves minutes for the final few games of the season, it’s a good time to reflect on the woeful mismanagement of Ismaila Soro at Celtic.
Soro is a player the fans have been calling on to return to the team for some time. The latest calls came before last night’s game against Aberdeen, in which Celtic stumbled to a 1-1 draw at Pittodrie. John Kennedy kept the under-performing Scott Brown in his team instead. A player who’s confirmed to be leaving at the end of the season.
That’s despite the fact that Ivorian Soro is the man who looks best quipped to replace him. Yes, when Brown leaves this summer, there isn’t a player at Celtic who deserves to take his place more than the 2020 Neil Lennon signing.
Soro joined the club from Israeli outfit Bnei Yehuda to a tune of £2million [Daily Record]. His first year at Celtic saw him feature in only 16 minutes before December. It was in that month he showed fans what he was all about under Lennon.
He was a standout against the likes of Lille, Kilmarnock, Hamilton, Dundee United, and Rangers respectively. He had a straight run of 10 consecutive starts for us before bafflingly dropping out for Brown at the beginning of February.
It was never made clear why Soro was dropped. Granted, Lennon and Kennedy have consistently praised the captain in recent months. But in terms of the actual decision and the deciding factor, it’s never been made clear as to why Soro was simply dropped and dismissed.
But what’s even more concerning about this saga is that there’s no pathway there for Soro. No carrot for him that represents a run in the team. He can put 100% commitment levels in during training and still be snubbed for the weekend.
Ismaila Soro has been given no pathway to a return to the Celtic first-team
It’s difficult to know whether Celtic see the rest of this season as a going away party for Brown. But the fact is Soro has started only one of our last nine league games.
That’s despite the fact he was more energetic, more aggressive, and a better passer of the ball than the captain. Yes, Brown will always be a legend, but players can’t be selected through sentiment. Yet that’s exactly what’s happened with Brown, and it’s ridiculously held Soro back.
Now, when we see the Ivorian come on for the odd 10-15 minutes here and there (or the two he got against Rangers), he isn’t getting the time to impress. It’s not like a striker. If Leigh Griffiths comes on, he can bag a goal and everyone is talking about him. Soro’s role doesn’t afford him that same spotlight – making it easier for Kennedy to play Brown again the next week without much fan anger.
But now we’re all waking up to the fact that it’s Ismaila’s time. He should’ve started last night against Aberdeen. He’s shown he can boss games against the best sides in Scotland. Heck, he was arguably our best player at Ibrox back in December before we went down to 10 men.
His treatment has been nothing sort of shambolic, and all because the management team is itching to give Brown his last few games.
There was always going to be a moment for Brown to make his last Celtic appearance. The last home clash of the season against St Johnstone looked like a great time for it. But that was only if Soro was going to be given the opportunities his attitude and performances deserved.
The former Bnei Yehuda man should be starting Celtic’s final three games of the season from here on out. Don’t hold your breath on it happening right enough.
In other news, Pat Bonner has argued a strong case for Leigh Griffiths to leave the club.
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