Celtic interim boss John Kennedy will undoubtedly pick Odsonne Edouard on Sunday.
The Frenchman is as close to a sure-fire choice as it gets. Yes, he’s had his critics this season, but I will willingly spend days defending him. He’s still our best player, for my money.
It seems likely that Kennedy will try to emulate the good parts of Celtic’s last Glasgow Derby outing. More of the high-intensity, chance creation stuff, and less of the shambolic defending of counter attacks and panicking. At the very least, Kennedy will have a stronger side to choose from than Lennon did last time. The standards of this season are now so low that I essentially mean Nir Bitton not playing centre-back is somewhat exciting.
That includes two up front, so yes: it’s Odsonne Edouard +1. That +1, though, is completely up for grabs. Klimala, Ajeti and Griffiths have all had differing fortunes, which is a polite way of saying that they haven’t been nearly good enough. Admittedly, there’s context for all three, but still. It’s hardly encouraging.
So, assuming that Kennedy doesn’t throw some mad curveball, like Owen Moffat, Adam Montgomery or Ryan Christie starting up front, let’s consider the options.
Odsonne Edouard and Leigh Griffiths is a proven Celtic combination
It’d be nice if the Griffiths/Edouard combination of last season were available. The two scored 30 goals between them in the league last season. Granted, 21 of those were Edouard’s [Transfermarkt].
Griffiths, when he’s in the zone, offers more than just goals, though. He’s a constant nuisance; an 18-yard box marauder who can drag defenders way out of position. He can play a dummy or, more directly, can contribute with assists and key passes.
Unfortunately, we just haven’t seen much of Griffiths’ best, if any, this season. Injuries and fitness concerns have put him in a rough spot, with the delayed Euro 2020 around the corner.
That said, if Griffiths can play the Glasgow Derby, he’ll play his heart out. He loves these games, even when supporters aren’t there to enjoy his provocative antics. If we got even 50, 60% of Griff at his best, he can open up lanes of space for Edouard, or even get on the scoresheet.
It’s an interesting thought, but Griff would represent a gamble.
Patryk Klimala
It’s hard to know, even now, what Klimala’s attributes are.
When he signed for Celtic, he looked like a pacy finisher, something of a long-term Griffiths replacement. Eyebrows were raised in Poland when the Bhoys parted with millions for the striker, though. He’s never been particularly prolific, even if he still has time to improve his lot.
Is he a useful shadow striker, who can distract opposition defences? Is he a focal point for Edouard to work off? We’ve seen Klimala put in a shift against Rangers before, but he wasn’t able to make much of an impact whatsoever. It was a shame, and it was bad luck for Klimala that his Glasgow Derby debut couldn’t have been in more fortuitous circumstances.
Klimala has been utilised recently, but hardly to barnstorming effect. With his physical presence, he could disrupt Goldson or Balogun in the Rangers defence, allowing Edouard to carry the goalscoring burden.
It doesn’t sound perfect, does it?
Albian Ajeti
This could be a huge game in the Albian Ajeti Redemption Arc, if it happens. Ajeti’s season has been bizarre: he started the season off on fire, but faded to the point of anonymity. He’s only started four games since the end of November.
It looked for all the world that Ajeti was coming back into something resembling a game. In a win against Kilmarnock in February, he was absolutely everywhere, winning a penalty and scoring late on to cap off a good performance. There hasn’t been enough since then to indicate further progression, though.
So, if he was to start on Sunday, he’d need a big game. To be straight-forward about it, he doesn’t shoot the ball enough. He averages 0.7 shots per 90 in the Premiership [WhoScored?]. That’s fewer than Shane Duffy.
If he gets opportunities, though, he’s proven he can score. He’s got 6 from 19 appearances, a mix of starts and late-game cameo roles. Is he best left as a “super-sub” to throw on if the game’s tight in the latter stages? Perhaps.
For me, though, he’s the best option out of the three, currently. Ajeti has enough to cause Rangers issues. He’s prone to winning fouls, and he’s surprisingly prolific given the number of opportunities he gets. Given that Celtic could struggle for clear-cut chances from open play, you need to go with whoever’s most prolific with the fewest opportunities, and that man is Albian Ajeti, technically.
In any event, it’s clear that Celtic need to invest in the front-line this summer. Odsonne Edouard will leave Celtic, and the options in the squad must step up.
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