Is Chris Sutton right in his analysis of Scott Sinclair?
By Nick McAdam
The attacking core of Celtic is crucial to Brendan Rodgers heavy possession style of football, especially early on into fixtures.
One of those attackers that has played right into the system is Scott Sinclair. Recently, Rodgers’ tactics have only seemed to benefit the stats of Sinclair in the attack.
In 16 games for the England national, he’s been able to produce 8 goals and 3 assists for the Bhoys. At the moment, Sinclair’s goal tally is good for the top of the squad in that category.
Yet, Sinclair has been unable to provide the scoring touch in his last four fixtures, including the 4-0 loss to Hearts. This only led to football pundit Chris Sutton pointing out one flaw he believes is major downfall of Sinclair’s game; not producing in big games.
Scott missed a wide open net in the Glasgow Derby. The 28-year-old accepted a pass right in the box, but his shot went just wide of Wes Foderingham. It’s only right to believe that if Sinclair scored, it would have changed the whole course of the game.
Sutton spoke of that miss in his recent criticism of the attacker, which is noted by HITC.
"“They can’t escape too much criticism but it’s clear there are others who have gone off the boil. I don’t know what has happened to Scott Sinclair of late,” wrote Sutton in column for the Daily Record.“His goal return is still impressive but he has not produced enough in the big games and they don’t come much bigger than a Rangers game.“They might not be Celtic’s main title challengers but ask the fans what they see as the most important domestic clashes.“I couldn’t believe the chance he missed in the first half on Saturday. The sitter was bad enough but the one at the back post he simply s*** his pants.”"
The pundit does seem to be right in his analysis of Sinclair. Only 3 goals from Sinclair came against opposition in the top five of the Scottish Premiership. The striker did find the back of the net in the Champions League fixture with Anderlecht back in September.
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At the same time, Sutton’s criticism seems a bit unfair. His analysis of Sinclair came right after the Rangers game, and his statements seem to be based off of his glorious missed chance. But, Celtic as a team had a ton of chances that could have been buried in the derby. Fans can’t put all the burden on Sinclair’s shoulders.
Plus, the England national leads the team in goals as mentioned before. If he doesn’t score in some Premiership contests, Celtic have a totally different season on their plate. The 2-2 draw with Hibernian is a perfect example, as Sinclair’s brace is the only reason the Bhoys secured a point in the standings.
Overall, it seems that a lot of the criticism comes from the fact that Sinclair is the top scorer. Scott can’t produce in every match. He hasn’t been able to find his usual form recently, which is something all players go through.
For that matter, every Celtic player has struggled to find the back of the net in crucial games. Fans and Sutton alike need to take a step back and let Sinclair find his rhythm that has only contributed to Celtic’s success domestically.
Next: Can Celtic remain top of the table?
What do you think of Sutton’s analysis of Sinclair? Let us know in the comments below.