Those moving on in the summer
I’ve always cautioned against judging a player who has been out for an extended period but being hooked at halftime last night looks like an ominous sign for Derk Boerrigter, who sparkled for 30 minutes on his debut against Ross County earlier in the season but has come nowhere close to that form since.
Injuries stopped him in his tracks that day against County, and several times since, but whatever the reason, we’ve not seen anything like what the player is capable of, and at 27, he is likely to be looking for first team action elsewhere next season.
After last night’s game Neil Lennon spoke of the possibility of signing and losing players over the summer transfer window, which starts in three weeks. Buying well is crucial, and Celtic didn’t do that last summer, but getting those ‘no longer in the manager’s plans’ off the books as early as possible is also important.
Last August we offloaded Lassad, probably by parting with a bundle of cash in the process. This is not a precedent Celtic will have been keen to set, but it’s better to have the decks cleared than have an unproductive player linger around for a year.
Anyone starting less than a third of the games he is available for selection should be looking for pastures new, especially with new arrivals expected this summer.
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