Odsonne Edouard takes his chance to shine in Celtic spotlight
This wasn’t game three of a sequence for Brendan Rodgers’ side, but the aperitif to a main course they will get stuck into on Tuesday.
The Champions League encounter at home to Anderlecht that evening, wherein the Scottish champions will earn a Europa League berth as long as they avoid a three-goal defeat, is more important than any isolated league game they will face this season.
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Hide AdThere campaign will, though, pivot around whether they can reach, and make an impression in, the Europa League. That is why the side that Rodgers fielded on Saturday, in featuring Odsonne Edouard, Jonny Hayes, Kristoffer Ajer, Olivier Ntcham and even Tom Rogic, meant a number of key personnel were held in reserve for Anderlecht.
As it transpired, the unexpected unleashing of Edouard proved inspired. The 19-year-old hasn’t had too many singing his praises across the smattering of outings he has been given since arriving from Paris Saint-Germain on a season-long loan. A lethal hat-trick at the weekend, against a Motherwell with little left in the tank after their earlier exertions against opponents with 30 times their budget, changed all that.
The ankle knock that kept out Moussa Dembele and the decision to leave Leigh Griffiths on the bench caused a degree of disquiet in the Celtic Park stands before kick-off. By the end of the afternoon the mood was very different, with the Celtic faithful likely to be intrigued rather than troubled by Rodgers’ claim that Edouard had the abilities to start every week ahead of his more lauded frontline rivals. It is unlikely that the Celtic manager will put that to the test tomorrow – Dembele is expected to be fit – but with the glut of December fixtures, five of them in Glasgow’s east end, Edouard could find himself getting comfortable in surrounds he has said he would be interested in making a permanent football home.
His nose for goal at the weekend, that allowed him to pounce with pace and unerring accuracy, was certainly appreciated by team-mate Kieran Tierney, pictured left. “Odsonne was brilliant,” said the Celtic full-back, who said he could converse with the youngster in French when even “my English isn’t that good”. “He was up against physical centre-backs and I think he actually got the better of them physically. Cedric Kipre is really strong but Odsonne was brilliant against him. He has been great in training and working hard. He has obviously had limited chances but he is still young. He got a chance against Hamilton and got a goal before the hat-trick today. It was fully deserved and everyone is really happy for him. It shows the depth we have in the squad. Everyone is working hard and you know that is someone comes in and takes your place then it can be hard to get back in. That’s the way it is. Everyone works so hard in training to get that place on a match day.”
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Hide AdPlaces on matchday will be prized for the Anderlecht shoot-out that will follow the club’s biggest home league win this season. “‘It’s great for us in that respect, to score a few goals as well. It gives everyone a boost and we will all be looking forward to it,” said Tierney, who joked he had “kept his head down” amid all the brouhaha this week in being a local of Motherwell.
“We want to go out and win every single game. This will be a high-pressure game for both teams, but it is another challenge and another Champions League night at Celtic Park. That’s what the players love.” Love of another team-mate, in the form of James Forrest, is certainly growing among a Celtic fanbase previously ambivalent over the winger’s abilities. A double as a late substitute took his tally for a season to double figures for the first time in the 26-year-old’s career. The Scotland international’s raising of the bar means there is likely to be little impact from the loss of Tierney’s pal Patrick Roberts to a hamstring tear that will keep him out for up to three months. Not that Tierney won’t miss the on-loan Manchester City man, who has returned to his parent club for assessment.
“I have been there myself and being told you will be out for a few months is not easy to take, especially when you have just come back from a couple of weeks out,” Tierney said. “But that is what happens in football and he knows that. He is obviously disappointed but I’m sure he will come back stronger than ever.”
Forrest, pictured right, is a player currently stronger than ever. Tierney believes the capabilities have always been there but are just being now recognised now. “Ever since I started training with the first team, he has been brilliant,” he said. “And he is so hard to play against in training. I know how good he is. It shows you how hard he has been working to get that number of goals already this season. To come off the bench and score two was brilliant.
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Hide Ad“James has incredible fitness to get forward and back for a whole 90 minutes. He is always at it. I know myself that he is very hard to stop when he is running at you because he can go inside or outside. Defenders don’t like that at all.”
With the Celtic support’s choral repertoire covering so many of the first team, Tierney was asked if Forrest was deserving of a song. “Aye, I think there is actually is one for him. It doesn’t get sung a lot but I’m sure it will come back.” A win in midweek and the Celtic fans will be singing like linties.