Ange Postecoglou explains Celtic contract decision

It is safe to say that Leigh Griffiths has not been at this best for years now. And many would have expected him to be headed out of Celtic this summer. But it emerged yesterday that the striker has signed a one-year contract extension with the club.

Now, there is no doubt that on his day, Griffiths is still a brilliant striker. He showed that he could still deliver in the second half of the 2019/2020 season, when he appeared to rediscover his form.

Even last season, while he might not have played a lot of football, he was certainly effective when he was on the pitch. According to stats from Transfermarkt, he scored 7 goals and provided 2 assists while featuring for 901 minutes in total across 26 appearances. Thus, he was averaging a goal contribution about every 100 minutes.

While speaking on Celtic’s official YouTube channel and as reported by 67 Hail Hail, the manager explained the decision to extend Griffiths’ contract:

"“I try not to have preconceived ideas about anyone. Whenever I’ve gone into a new position I’ll always back myself to make my own assessments and with Leigh I just saw a footballer who I don’t think is old in football terms by any stretch.“He’s a goalscorer, which we all know is the most difficult position on the field to find players for. He knows Celtic, he knows the league and I had a good chat to him.“I think even himself he wants to make sure his legacy at this football club is a positive one right up until the end, he probably feels like he has some unfinished business. I’m more than happy to give him that opportunity, and with the kind of football we play I believe he can score goals.“I’m happy to add him to the squad.”"

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Can Griffiths rediscover his form for Celtic under Postecoglou?

There is no doubting the fact that Griffiths is a brilliant goalscorer, perhaps the best in Scotland, when he is on top form. Unfortunately, he has not been able to show that on a consistent basis for quite some time now.

Of course, there have been glimpses here and there. And as we already saw, he is still a very effective player. And with Odsonne Edouard also expected to depart Parkhead over the summer, the Hoops could soon find themselves short of options up top. As a result, the decision to keep Griffiths for another season is probably the right one.

If he can rediscover his best form in Postecoglou’s style of football, he is good enough to be a starter. If he cannot, he is still a good option to bring off the bench. One can only hope that he is able to remain fit going forward.