Celtic’s Olivier Ntcham has been one of the Hoops’ best players since the team returned to action after the winter break. He helped the Hoops go on a run of victories which has the team clear at the top of the Premiership.
That is why he shouldn’t be harshly criticised after his error helped lead to Copenhagan’s equaliser in the 1-1 draw between the teams in the Europa League clash on Thursday.
The Hoops midfielder lost the ball, and seconds later Dame N’Doye found the back of the net. However, none of the Celtic team played particularly well in the second-half of the game.
Arguably the likes of Odsonne Edouard and Callum McGregor share as much blame as Ntcham for Celtic not winning the game, as they missed some great chances in the second-half.
Midfielder could be key to team in weeks to come
Neil Lennon knows that Ntcham can bring to the Celtic side, and he won’t be critical of the error. Indeed, Ntcham’s importance to Celtic could increase significantly in the weeks ahead.
That is due to the calf injury picked up by Scott Brown in the game against Copenhagen. The last thing Celtic needs is Brown to be out of action for a period.
However, that is what could happen. Therefore, Ntcham might have to take Brown’s place as the holding midfielder for the Hoops, a position that he has played in before.
Needs more backing than ever
Should that be the case, he deserves more backing than ever as he will have to help the Hoops navigate what could be a tricky spell without arguably the team’s most important player.
Ntcham has thrived for the Hoops since the winter break, and that shouldn’t be forgotten about because of one mistake.
Indeed, he will quite possibly be determined to make up for the error, and it would be no surprise to see him turn in a man of the match performance in the second leg versus Copenhagen.
Just how important will Ntcham be in Scott Brown’s potential absence? Can he make up for his mistake in the second leg? Share your thoughts below with a comment in our new discussion forum…
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