Marian Shved’s time at Parkhead will have been nowhere as successful as he would’ve hoped it would’ve been by now.
He was last seen coming on in the closing stages of Celtic’s 6-0 routing of Ross County. He made next to no impact, but considering it was his first appearance since July – that’s understandable.
In total, those two outings have been all that Shved has been given this season. Neil Lennon hasn’t given him any further opportunities in the side, with no reason for his constant omissions anywhere to be seen.
Instead, Lenny has expectantly played James Forrest on a consistent basis. Forrest has once again produced for us this season. He’s managed to bag nine goals and 11 assists this term alone. He’s never started a season in sharper form.
But there are games where Forrest just isn’t required. When those matches arrive, we surely have to give Shved his chance to shine.
Shved is Celtic’s only natural right-winger when James Forrest is out
Forrest has a lengthy list of injuries to look back on at Celtic. Therefore, making sure he doesn’t burn out should be one of Lennon’s main priorities with him.
If Forrest does pick up a knock, Shved is the only naturally right-sided midfielder available. But, for some reason, he continues to be totally out of the picture.
He was overlooked for the trip to Pittodrie after his cameo against County. Instead, the likes of Jonny Hayes and Scott Sinclair were on the bench. Two left-wingers. Was that really necessary when we have Shved waiting to make an impact?
We could do with having a bit more clarity on just why this exciting young talent isn’t anywhere near the first-team. He finished last season as the third top-scorer in Ukraine. That’s despite the fact he actually wrapped things up with Karpaty Lviv a couple of months before their season ended.
His form from a wide position was scary. Shved bagged 15 goals and four assists for Karpaty. It was a fine return given he was hardly playing for one of the best sides in the division.
And he’s come to Celtic and faded away into obscurity as things stand. Hopefully we receive some clarity on what’s happening here, but for now, his lack of game-time is a massive concern.
From the outside looking in, he’s a huge prospect with plenty of development in him. So why isn’t he being utilised? It truly is anyone’s guess.
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