ADMITTEDLY, there is a fair amount of wishful thinking contained within the next few words.
There is nothing, absolutely zilch, a big zero, to suggest that four goals since arriving as a free agent in September is in any manner a positive indication that Kelechi Iheanacho could take centre stage in Celtic’s quest for a fifth successive title.
By my decidedly dodgy arithmetic, I work out that scoring rate as a goal every 170 minutes over his 16 sporadic appearances for the champions, a total naturally affected by persistent injury.
On loan at Middlesbrough for the second half of last season, Iheanacho claimed one in 15 outings.
After joining the La Liga club as a free agent from Leicester City, the Nigerian international collected a mere three goals in 11 games.
LET US PRAY…Kelechi Iheanacho takes a moment after his stoppage-time winning penalty-kick against Kilmarnock at Rugby Park in September.
This hardly awe-inspiring statistic persuaded the Spanish club to say an early adios to the player who still had the best part of a year to run on his terms.
His goalscoring rate will never make him a contender for the Ballon d’Or, I think you and I can agree on that.
And yet…
A fired-up and fully-tuned Iheanacho may just emerge as the difference between heaven and hell at the completion of a fairly crazy campaign.
The 29-year-old attacker added zest and oomph to the attack against Dundee at Dens Park the moment he replaced the stupefying Tomas Cvancara around the hour mark.
To be fair, Martin O’Neill did warn us not to expect an avalanche of goals from the beanpole frontman after he completed his short-term switch from Borussia Monchengladbach at the turn of the year.
The wily, old Irishman got that right. Devastatingly so. Cvancara’s feeble performance on Tayside forces you to question the calibre of defences in the Czech Republic top flight. Cvancara collected 24 goals in 49 games for Sparta Prague to persuade the German side to pay £9.2million for him in July 2023.
BLUNDER BHOY…Tomas Cvancara fails to net in a one-v-one situation with Dundee keeper Jon McCracken. This tame shot hit the post.
Alas, the towering attack-leader fell off a cliff in the Bundesliga and managed a mere four strikes in 58 appearances. A hasty temporary switch to Turkey was arranged, but Antalyaspor were not tempted to make the move permanent following two goals in 13 matches.
That sort of goalscoring ratio catapults Iheanacho into Messi/Ronaldo status.
Like it or lump it, Kelechi is our best hope in the run-in.
It appears Daizen Maeda has forgotten how to score goals. In late August I queried if someone somehow had replaced the previous season’s 33-goal man with a Daizen doppelganger and you can read that here.
After a solitary strike this year – and eight overall for the season – I believe I have to repeat the question.
So, if we are desperately searching for goals, scavenging in packed penalty boxes, there is nothing to suggest the Japanese striker is about to awaken from his puzzling inertia.
We can forget Junior Adamu. Remember him? I think it’s fair to say he has had his moment in the east end of Glasgow sun with his clever flick to rescue the team’s Scottish Cup hopes against Dundee in February.
Hopefully, we will get a glimpse of the possibilities of Callum Osmand between now and the campaign’s finale, but it’s more likely we’ll see the young Welshman’s capabilities in the next crusade.
PICK IT OUT…Kelechi Iheanacho thunders in the late winner at Dens Park.
That takes us back to Iheanacho. He looks the part, doesn’t he? As soon as he came on against Dundee, he gave the team more purpose.
His experience took him into channels as he timed his runs and he has the ability to bring the ball under control in an instant.
Iheanacho didn’t waste time on any frills when Marcelo Saracchi’s perfectly-delivered first-time left-wing cross dropped at his feet at Dens Park.
One touch to kill the pass, a split second to steady himself and then a drive of sledgehammer velocity that saw the ball a thunderous blur before it bulged the net beyond the static keeper.
That was textbook finishing. In an instant, you realise you are viewing a performer who knows exactly why he is in that position and has the quality to demonstrate and deliver.
Yes, there is an element of fantasy involved in the optimistic expectation of Iheanacho producing such cutting-edge decisive moments over the next few games, starting today, hopefully, against St Mirren.
But, hey, a guy can still dream, can’t he?
ALEX GORDON
* DON’T miss the unbeatable match report from Celtic v St Mirren this afternoon – only in your champion CQN.
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