Celtic’s standards have been so high that one poor result can signal the end of the world.
That’s what it seems like, certainly. The Hoops’ 1-0 loss to St Johnstone last weekend saw Brendan Rodgers question his players’ mentality.
Too many Celtic stars underperformed and even in recent victories there have been some below-par showings from members of the squad who have been counted on throughout the previous six months of the campaign.
One such player has been Nicolas Kuhn who has smashed in 18 goals and provided 14 assists in all competition but those statistics have dried up of late.
Paul Slane says ‘something not right’ with Celtic’s Nicolas Kuhn
And while Kuhn has been accused of “over-trying” at times as he attempts to recapture his form, Open Goal personality and ex-Hoops kid Paul Slane feels there could be more to it than that.
“Something’s not right because the level he was playing at, it was actually before the Bayern game he came into his game then when he’s drifted off the performance levels he was at,” Slaney said on the podcast when asked about Kuhn’s drop in form.
“Against Bayern he was outstanding but since that game he’s gone back to that spell there was before it.”
Slane is not the only pundit who has questioned Kuhn this week in the aftermath of his poor showing vs Saints where he was brought off at half-time.
What other pundits have said about Celtic ‘anomaly’ Kuhn
Yang replaced him that day and Michael Stewart offered the suggestion that the German’s early season form was an “anomaly” because he has lost his edge since his goal scoring run.
“Look, the edge has gone out his game and for wide or front guys like that, when the edge is taken away it makes all the difference,” Stewart said on Premier Sports’ Scottish Football Social Club pod.
“I’ve said it before, the danger is that question marks then start to be raised with regards to were the first three or four months of the season an anomaly?
“Where is his general level? Struggled when he first joined last January, start of this campaign he was top man, incredible and in Europe as well, but it’s tailed off dramatically.
“He’s got a big end to the season.”
There is absolutely no doubt Kuhn is a special talent and it’s clear he’s gone off the boil in recent weeks.
We expect to see him back to his best soon enough with a Treble still to play for.
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