Benjamin Nygren’s numbers this season demand attention, but they also expose a clear issue in how Celtic are using him.
The Swede has delivered consistent goals across all competitions for Celtic, yet Nygren’s role in the Hoops’ first-team has not matched that.
Nygren has become one of Celtic’s most reliable attacking contributors this season. His goal return places him ahead of every other option in the squad.
Across all competitions, Nygren’s 49 appearances and 19 goals underline his importance. That includes 15 Premiership goals, a return that should define his role.
And that has urged Frank McAvennie to tell Celtic boss Martin O’Neill to look at changing Nygren’s role in the starting line-up for the title run-in.
McAvennie tells Celtic they are wasting Benjamin Nygren’s strengths in midfield
The issue is not Nygren’s goal contributions for Celtic, it is where he is being asked to play by Martin O’Neill.
While Nygren continues to operate in midfield areas, his numbers are clearly telling McAvennie that his role in Celtic’s team needs to change.
McAvennie told the Daily Record: “I’d put him up front. I don’t know about centre forward but I’d just leave him up there because he has an eye for goal.
“That would allow you to match up in midfield because when he’s in there, he’s non-existent. If he doesn’t score he doesn’t do anything for us or he gives the ball away.
“He’ll be the player of the year this year with 19 goals but he’s not kicked a ball! That sums it up.”
The point is direct and it is backed up by the numbers. Nygren’s influence is almost entirely tied to his success in front of goal.
Celtic must make the obvious Nygren change now
The data supports that view without any need for interpretation. He has 15 goals and 4 assists in 1,987 minutes while also ranking highly for attacking output metrics.
At the same time, he offers just 6% defensive contributions from midfield, which highlights the imbalance when he is deployed deeper.
His positional history also shows flexibility, having played as a centre forward as well as across attacking roles. That makes the current setup even harder to justify.
With Sweden, the Celtic midfielder is often deployed in an advanced attacking role which shows in his three goals in seven appearances for the national side.
Right now, Celtic are weakening two areas at once. The midfield lacks presence while the attack is missing a natural focal point.
McAvennie’s suggestion has a solid base because it reflects what the numbers are already showing. Nygren is producing like a forward but being used as something else.
Celtic do not need to find a solution elsewhere. The evidence already points to one within their own team.
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