Adam Idah is still searching for his first goal this season, but Callum McGregor has backed the striker to come good.
Idah led the line at Celtic Park in the Champions League qualifier but was replaced after a quiet display, as Brendan Rodgers looked to inject more pace into the forward areas. While the striker worked hard off the ball, chances were few and far between.
McGregor recognised the importance of confidence for a striker but stressed that the team must also take responsibility for not creating enough. The midfielder praised Idah’s effort and insisted the burden of scoring shouldn’t fall on one man alone.
Looking ahead to Saturday’s Premiership clash with Livingston at Celtic Park, McGregor expects Idah to be back in the squad, working hard in training and ready to get off the mark. The message was clear: the squad believes in him.
He said: (RecordSport), “I think everybody looks at strikers and they think they need a goal.
“The big man started well to be fair. I think he’s worked hard for the team, it just maybe wasn’t his night, but we’re just trying to go for something different there, a wee bit more pace through the middle of the pitch.
“So, the gaffer makes the tweaks and the players try and carry it out as much as they can.
“I think everyone thinks strikers need goals to be doing well. The big man will be fine.
“He’ll come back in, he’ll train over the weekend, we’ll get him on the pitch at the weekend and hopefully he can get that goal.
“It’s not just on Adam as well, the team have to function properly, get him the right chances in front of goal to get those goals.
“So, it’s a team thing, it’s never one individual that’s tasked with carrying the whole team on his shoulders. It’s a team thing.
“We have to be connected, we’ve got to get him the chances inside the box and then it’s up to him to then put them away. But we never done enough of that in the first half.”
McGregor’s comments point to a wider issue in Celtic’s recent performances, the lack of creativity in the final third. Idah’s movement and work rate were there, but the service was not.
With another important game looming, the team will be looking to create more clear chances and get their striker firing. The forward line, still adjusting after Nicolas Kuhn’s exit, has yet to find its rhythm.
McGregor’s words also serve to take the pressure off Idah’s shoulders, putting the focus on collective improvement rather than individual blame. It’s a message that speaks to the dressing room’s unity.
If Celtic are to reach the league phase and chase silverware this season, they’ll need Idah to hit form and do so quickly. But McGregor’s belief that the goals will come is shared throughout Lennoxtown.
