CHRIS SUTTON has continued the theme he started back on Wednesday night in his Saturday RecordSport Column. The former Hoops striker believes Celtic are lacking in one vital position in the Champions League to get them over the line.
After the 2-2 draw with Atletico Madrid midweek, the Englishman was quick to say Celtic missed Gorgios Giakoumakis.
The Greek frontman has been away almost a year, but Chris believes he hasn’t been properly replaced and if Oh was that man, Brendan Rodgers is showing signs he thinks the South Korean isn’t.
On Wednesday, Rodgers went to the bench and brought James Forrest on, rather than rely on Oh to get the ball up the field.
Sutton believes it’s vital Celtic have an out ball option when there legs go and Giakoumakis was that man once upon a time.
“If you can’t play through a team anymore because the legs have gone and you don’t have the back-up of the bench to boost the energy again without losing the quality in your play, you need a different way to relieve some pressure and get yourself up the pitch.
“Someone you can clip a ball 40 yards up the pitch and he’ll win you a free-kick or hold the ball up. Drag the opposition back and let your unit move forward and get a breath. Right now, Celtic patently don’t have that. Giorgos Giakoumakis could do it, but he left and Oh Hyeon-gyu might have been the one.
“But the fact he’s not playing much tells me he’s either being poor in training or the manager doesn’t fancy him because it was crying out for that type of striker. It’s not old fashioned, it’s not old school, it’s not route-one dinosaur stuff. It’s a valuable alternative.
“If you can’t pass your way out, you need another option because, no matter the game at Champions League level, you are going to face a spell when you are under big pressure. Celtic could not get out of their own half for much of that second half against Atletico and, when that happens, chances are you will concede at some point.
“Given the changes Rodgers made when Diego Simeone made alterations of his own, Kyogo and Maeda were up top after the hour mark, but they couldn’t do it. Playing with their back to the goal is not their game.
“The manager can’t buy anyone to play in the last three group games, so either Oh needs to get up to speed or this may keep happening. That’s a tweak and an adjustment I feel they have to make.”
It’s a tricky one, any player that comes into Celtic as a striker will instantly know they’re playing second fiddle to Kyogo. It was that very fact that meant Giakoumakis wanted a move. It’s hard to hold down to top players in that position when one of them isn’t going to be getting a lot of time on the field.
Oh has shown flashes of what he can do but Rodgers has used the big man very sparingly to this point. Could Celtic go into the market for another striker in January?
Celtic have the chance to kick on in the next 18 months. Rodgers must be ruthless in his assessment on the squad, if he doesn’t believe they’re good enough to come on to help win a Champions League game, then he needs to find players who will.
