Celtic’s excellent start to the league season came to a halt in the last two league games. The Hoops drew 1-1 with Hibs, then lost 2-0 to Livingston.
In taking one point from the last six available, the Hoops lost top spot in the Premiership. Now that is not too much of a concern. Celtic are more than good enough to get back on track in the league, by putting together a string of wins.
What was noticeable about Celtic’s performances in those games though, was the lack of involvement from James Forrest.
Player makes Celtic tick
Forrest, when is he on form, makes Celtic tick. Already this season, he has scored seven goals and has nine assists.
However, he was quiet against Hibs, and even more so against Livingston. In fact, he was substituted in both games, which shows how little impact he had in each fixture.
The fact that Celtic seemed to not play well when Forrest didn’t play well will be a concern to Neil Lennon. The Hoops have so many talented players that they should be able to cope when a key man has an off day. That didn’t seem to be the case in the last two league games though.
Could be rested for next league game?
Perhaps Forrest could do with a break in Celtic’s next league game. That could be something that Lennon could consider. Leaving the player on the bench could backfire though, especially if Celtic are struggling to break down Ross County.
It is perhaps telling that Celtic turned in some of their best performances of the season when Forrest was scoring regularly. This included both Europa League matches against AIK.
However, in his last seven appearances for the Hoops he has managed only one goal. That is nothing to be concerned about at this stage of the season. But Neil Lennon will want Forrest back to his best sooner rather than later.
Receive a digest of our best Celtic content each week direct to your mailbox
