THE fact that Benjamin Nygren is Celtic’s top scorer with four goals merely emphasises the team’s massive backfire this season.
The attack has been more toothless than ruthless as can be witnessed in firing five blanks this time around, the same amount as the entire previous campaign.
Sherlock Holmes qualities are not required when it comes to detecting why the champions should be in this sorry state of affairs.
Kyogo Furuhashi (12), Nicolas Kuhn (21) and Adam Idah (20) contributed 53 goals last term. None, of course, is currently displaying their penalty-box prowess in the east end of Glasgow.
The club’s bank balance was boosted by £35.2million in reported fees for the departing trio.
STRIKE ONE…Sebastian Tounekti scores his first Celtic goal with a low drive past Partick Thistle keeper Kevin Budinauckas in the 4-0 Premier Sports League Cup win at Firhill.
There has been an outlay of just over £12million in recruiting attacking options Nygren (£1.7m), Sebastian Tounekti (£5.2), Michel-Ange Balikwisha (£4.5) and Shin Yamada (£700,000).
Some excellent financial wheeling and dealing we can all agree, but, at the moment, the team appear bankrupt where it matters most to the supporters – out on the football field.
Maybe free agent Kelechi Iheanacho, with three goals already, will provide the answer when he gets up to speed. No-one can be sure when that day will arrive.
So, for the time-being, all eyes are on Daizen Maeda, who netted his third strike of a slow-burning campaign with the stoppage-time winner against Motherwell at the weekend, one-time £20million man Iheanacho and Nygren.
Anything from elsewhere will be seen as a bonus.
Nygren has made an impact since his summer arrival from Nordsjælland and claimed a double against Livingston (3-0) and an eye-catcher against Aberdeen (2-0) before his equaliser against the Fir Park club to help send the Hoops into the international break in a slightly more optimistic frame of mind.
GAME ON…Benjamin Nygren cuts short his celebrations to get back to the kick-off after his equaliser against Motherwell. Kelechi Iheanacho is following the Swede’s lead.
Reflecting on the nerve-riddled triumph over Well, the versatile Swede admitted: “We haven’t come up to our top level yet, so we need to use this as a springboard.
“It was an important victory. I haven’t checked the table too much, but it’s a long season and the focus is on ourselves. We need to put in strong performances and, if we can do that, then we will be at the top.
“We need to use this result now and keep on going. It’s the international break and when we get back we need to build on this and really come up to our top level.”
Clearly, Nygren was delighted to get on the scoresheet for a fourth time and, speaking to the Daily Record, continued: “It was a very nice feeling. It was a difficult game, but we really showed a lot of mentality and heart in the second-half to chase the win and we got it.
“We really showed our character and how we stick together as a team.
“We do that always, but we showed a great team mentality out there.
“When myself and the others went on, we said we need to go for a goal every time because we were chasing the game at 2-1 down. I think we took over immediately after we came on and, thankfully, we got the goals.
“The goalkeeper made a good save, but I managed to get the goal soon afterwards.”
EURO STAR…Benjamin Nygren congratulates scorer Kelechi Iheanacho after his strike in the 1-1 Europa League draw with Red Star in Belgrade.
Nygren also applauded last-gasp hero Maeda who dived full-length to get on the end of a clever cross from Balikwisha and added: “I was very pleased for Daizen. I was so happy for him and for the whole team and all of the fans.
“I love to hear that Daizen song!
“The fans are really behind the team and we could feel that out there. They were with us in those last 30 minutes when we were chasing and it really helps.
“I was pleased for Michel-Ange, too. I was also running to him. I was happy for him that he made such a great pass for Daizen to win the game.
“Every player in the team is important.”
The admirable all-for-one-and-one-for-all spirit will be crucial in the weeks and months to come.
