Ryan Christie will likely start this Sunday’s Glasgow derby against Rangers in what would be a seventh appearance in the fixture.
Still, to this day, the out-of-form Celtic attacker still hasn’t netted against the club’s rivals in the derby. That’s despite the fact he’s played a grand total of 424 minutes of Glasgow derby action [Transfermarkt]. Since joining in September 2015, it’s been the goal that’s eluded him.
More often than not he’s been Celtic’s focal point of attack. If Christie is on-form and has his cutting edge on show, Celtic play well. That’s just how it tends to go.
Yet for some reason, whatever form he has leading up to this fixture appears to halt. His influence seems to wane and he becomes a passenger.
It’s not as if Christie has been unlucky in his previous outings vs Rangers. His performances have just been dreadful. Too often does he take pot shots when better passing opportunities are available. The same can be said for how often he looks to hold onto the ball when, again, a release is the better option.
Christie’s only direct goal contribution for Celtic against Rangers came at Hampden. Our 1-0 Betfred Cup final win against Rangers came courtesy of his free-kick delivery that Chris Jullien prodded home.
Glasgow derby performance massive for Christie; Celtic fans deserve a performance
It’s not as if those six fixtures were the only ones he’s been around for either. The former Inverness starlet has been at the club for seven other derby meetings but wasn’t selected for the matchday squad.
To allow 13 derby matches to pass by without making much influence isn’t on. Not for a player of Christie’s clear talents.
Even if he has struggled to impress supporters this season, Ryan still has 19 goals and assists in 38 appearances this term [Transfermarkt]. He can still do damage in this fixture if he has his head on straight and makes the right decisions in the final third.
John Kennedy will almost certainly start him too. If he does, we can’t afford to see him waste good positions by firing 30-yard efforts well off target. We can’t afford him to ignore the likes of Odsonne Edouard and David Turnbull when they’re in better positions.
Not netting in this fixture will frustrate Christie. But his lack of all-round impact in it will toy with the attacker even more.
This Sunday’s Glasgow derby at Celtic Park requires the entire team to put in an impactful performance. But given Christie’s poor history in this fixture, he needs it more than most.
In other news, the Celtic fans were left loving a former Manchester City star’s tweet yesterday.
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