Brendan Rodgers named his Celtic squad yesterday for the Champions League league phase and Odin Thiago Holm was the only notable omission on show.
The Norway Under-21 international didn’t make the cut on List A due to a combination of factors, with the Bhoys’ requirement to fill ‘locally-trained’ player slots one part of the equation.
Despite being born after the January 1st 2003 cut-off point to make List B, Holm missed out as he has not been at Celtic for a minimum of two uninterrupted years.
Someone had to make way, and it feels a tad unfortunate that the former Valerenga man ended up paying the price, especially after coming off the bench to feature three times in the Scottish Premiership this term.
Nevertheless, it is worth noting that midfield reinforcements Arne Engels and Luke McCowan weren’t in the building then. With increased competition for places in the Celtic engine room and his omission, where does Holm stand?
Odin Thiago Holm’s position at Celtic
Truthfully, it is hard to know where Holm stands right now at Celtic. Undoubtedly, he is a talented young man capable of showing composure in possession, but he has never really enjoyed a prolonged spell in Brendan Rodgers’ line-up.
Last season, he made just 13 appearances across all competitions, scoring once against Buckie Thistle and laying on an intuitive assist for Hyeongyu Oh at home to St Mirren.
Strangely enough, he was missing across a large portion of matchday squads in the second half of the campaign despite showing flashes of his ability within his initial involvement. In the public domain, at least, an explanation regarding why this became the case was never forthcoming.
Drafted back in for pre-season, there was hope that he could kick on with momentum generated via getting minutes under his belt during friendly matches. That notion didn’t exactly transpire the way anyone hoped, something that could also offer a clue surrounding his omission.
Brendan Rodgers’ assessment of Holm in pre-season
Speaking during pre-season, Rodgers made it clear that he expected more from Holm when out of possession. He also shared the same sentiment about Bosun Lawal, who was sold permanently to Stoke City weeks later.
The Irishman said: “They need to be a much higher level. If you’re going to play for Celtic, you have to be. Odin needs to do more. There’s something there, though, absolutely.
“And that’s why we persevere, and that’s why we stay with it, because he has talent, like Bosun Lawal, and that’s why we want to give them the opportunity, so I can see them in pre-season.
“But, it’s just running more. You have to run. Without the ball, you’ve got to run, you’ve got to be bright, you’ve got to be in good positions to press the game, then to get the ball and take the ball. I think the two boys that you mentioned have talent. But I want more. A lot more. Talent is not just enough. You can play in teams, but not in our team.”
Holm has featured in competitive action since, meaning something may have shifted in that regard. It is also worth noting that the Bhoys have a heavy fixture schedule to come, so there may be an opening for the Norwegian to make his mark.
That said, his omission from Celtic’s Champions League squad does feel a little ominous. It will be interesting to see how things play out for Holm over the next few months.
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