The Celtic manager has responded bluntly to Leigh Griffiths’ plea to be given more time on the pitch to help with his fitness.
Odsonne Edouard has not looked at his lethal best since Flag Day, when he managed to score a hattrick against Hamilton Academical. The Frenchman has scored 10 goals and provided 2 assists in 20 appearances for Celtic this season. And while those are not terrible numbers, they are not up to the mark when you consider his numbers over the years.
As a result, Leigh Griffiths might very well be the best striker that they have at the club right now. The Scot has found the back of the net 4 times despite playing just 205 minutes of football. And he has scored some very important goals as well.
Fitness has been a huge concern surrounding the striker though, which is a primary reason why the striker has not played much despite the Hoops struggling to score goals on a consistent basis. When asked about it though, Griffiths firmly put the ball back in Neil Lennon’s court, suggesting his match fitness will come only if he plays regularly.
Now, the manager has responded to the striker’s plea. Speaking with Celtic TV and as cited by Celts Are Here, he said:
"“This isn’t him and I falling out over anything, but I think he can get fitter.“Maybe he thinks he can get fitter by playing more of the games. But in between games or if he’s not playing as much, he can do a little bit more.“He may disagree with that, but it’s just a difference of opinion, probably!“Where can he get fitter? Both general conditioning and match fitness. I don’t know if he’s fit enough to do a full 90 minutes yet. That’s where I stand on it. He’s training every day, but I think he can push himself a little more.“But he’ll play and add something to the games as we go along. He’s a huge asset.”"
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It is time though that Griffiths is given a few opportunities to start. And if he is not fit enough to play 90 minutes, bring him off on the hour mark or some time in the second half.
Even last season, the side only clicked into second gear when they featured the duo of Edouard and Griffiths. There has always been the feeling that the Frenchman is better playing as a second striker instead of being the man leading the line.
On the other hand, Griffiths thrives inside the penalty box. As a result, that could be Lennon’s best hope going forward. They have never had the opportunity to rekindle that partnership due to one reason or the other this season. But right now, both seem to be fit and this is the perfect opportunity to give that formation another go.