The drama at Celtic this season has been unmatched.
From manager sackings, protests against the Celtic board, individual players like Kasper Schmeichel getting booed by his own fans, and eye-opening statements.
When looking back on it all, Gabby Agbonlahor stated that he doesn’t blame the supporters for protesting, as they did during Celtic’s defeat to VfB Stuttgart last week.
But he does condemn the booing of Schmeichel during that Europa League playoff match, as he expects the Danish star to be replaced as Celtic’s number one goalkeeper in the summer.
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Gabby Agbonlahor doesn’t blame Celtic fans for protesting
Martin O’Neill expressed his frustrations at the Celtic fans’ protest in the opening minute of their game against Stuttgart, where they threw tennis balls onto the pitch.
But Agbonlahor highlighted the decline of the Hoops during the past 12 months, and how they have gone from reaching the playoffs of the Champions League to being in their current mess.
The former Aston Villa striker put it down to the Celtic board and their call to ‘not invest’ in recent transfer windows, which has resulted in the chaos unfolding in recent times.
“Can you blame Celtic fans?” stated Agbonlahor on talkSPORT. “Last season, the players that they had, and then they lost.
“But getting to the playoffs (of the Champions League). Big games. The atmosphere when they actually reached the playoffs, the top 24. That’s what they want every year.
“Then, to not invest, don’t get me wrong, the team they had available should have qualified for the Champions League (against Kairat Almaty). The players’ fault.
“But to not replace these players, and invest. Celtic fans are thinking, ‘You know what, we could win the league this season. That’s not enough. We want to be in the Champions League, and we want to be fighting to get into that top 24, and into the playoffs again.’
“I have been to Celtic Park a couple of years ago. The atmosphere in that stadium is electric when they are on side.”
Agbonlahor expects Kasper Schmeichel to be replaced amid Celtic fans booing
Of course, as Agbonlahor mentioned above, the players can’t get away with this scot-free, as a number of them, including the experienced Schmeichel, have massively underperformed this term.
Whilst Agbonlahor doesn’t agree with the booing because of how it can affect players, he did state that Schmeichel can no longer go down to shots, and how he expects a ‘younger’ keeper to be signed in the summer to replace him.
“I don’t think it does (help booing Schmeichel),” admitted Agbonlahor. “I think Kasper Schmeichel has been a fantastic keeper in his career, especially for Celtic.
“Sometimes it happens, doesn’t it? Fans are frustrated with other things. Throughout that game (against Stuttgart), they have had the board on their mind and the protests. They are taking it out on Schmeichel, who doesn’t deserve that.
“I think Martin O’Neill backed his goalkeeper. He’s been fantastic for the club. Is he in his best form? No, he’s not.
“Is there a replacement that is good enough to take Schmeichel’s place? Probably not. But maybe in the summer, Celtic will look at a younger and better keeper.
“Some of the saves he has been making recently haven’t been good enough. It doesn’t look like he can get down to shots. I don’t know if that’s his age or confidence.
“But he definitely isn’t performing as a top goalkeeper”
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