Struggling Celtic star tipped to succeed by John Kennedy
By StevieMac
The Celtic defence has been leaky for most of the season. Injuries, loss of confidence and form have all contributed to their struggles at the back. The fact that they have not had a set number one between the posts throughout the course of the campaign cannot be overlooked either.
There have been a couple of clean sheets recently for Vasilis Barkas, which has raised hopes that he could have a first-team role come next season.
Of course, it might very well be temporary though, as Barkas managed to regain his place following Scott Bain’s injury. And in neither game did he have to do a lot or pull off world-class saves, with both of the opposition teams having a close eye on the upcoming Scottish Cup final.
Kennedy did reflect though that Barkas had done what had been asked of him on the pitch, which is always what a goalkeeper has to do. As reported by the Daily Record, he told Celtic TV:
"“It has probably been two games where he has not been overly tested, which is a good thing because it means the rest of the team are doing what they should be doing.“But he has been assured, good with the ball, doing his job as well as he could so it was good for him to come back in.”"
Should Barkas be Celtic’s first-choice goalkeeper next season?
Barkas, like most Celtic players, has had a rough season. His has probably been more demanding than most. A move to a new country in the middle of a global pandemic combined with the shaky defence in front of him, has not done the Greek international any favours. But Kennedy seems hopeful that he could turn things around next season. As reported by the Daily Record, he told Celtic TV:
"“He has had a difficult season, several players have, but especially someone coming in to replace Fraser Forster and there has been a change of culture, lots of challenges and he has had to deal with that himself.“He has had a period out the team, he comes in for the last couple of games and hopefully that sets him up well for next season.”"
The goalkeeper has to be a commanding presence in his penalty area, organising the defence in front of him and making great saves when called upon to do so.
We haven’t seen Barkas anywhere near his best ever since moving to Parkhead although his past performances do suggest that he is very capable of doing those things. Of course, a new manager will have his own views and a lot will depend on what he thinks of the Greek international.