OPINION
Celtic must have been disappointed with their display against Valencia in midweek.
After overcoming a stuttering start to the season, the Hoops have begun to look like their imperious selves once again, but the 2-0 defeat in the Europa League on Thursday night will have come as a juddering reality check to their current run of form.
A large part of their problem was that, beyond a bright opening few minutes, they simply didn’t pose enough of a threat in the final third.
In particular they looked as if they lacked a real focal point for their attack. Initially Brendan Rodgers went with Oliver Burke through the centre, before calling on Odsonne Edouard to try and inject some impetus into the Hoops’ play.
Neither really worked, but it was the lack of impact that Edouard made that will be most concerning for Rodgers.
The Frenchman has looked a little off the pact this season, and nowhere was that more obvious than at Parkhead on Thursday night.
Former Celtic striker Chris Sutton was quick to single out the striker as an illustration of the gulf in quality the Bhoys are faced with in European competition, and while his comments may seem a little harsh, they’re not entirely unfair.
Speaking on BT Sport, Sutton said: “The truth is you can’t play at this level in Europe without a recognised centre forward, and Celtic have got a problem.
“Edouard is a problem because he isn’t a natural number nine.”
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The fact that Rodgers elected to go with Burke over one of his actual strikers is telling enough, but for Edouard to then come on and do so little will have his manager genuinely concerned.
With the physicality and eye for goal he possesses, you would assume that the Frenchman would be an ideal centre forward, but he just hasn’t hit it off this year.
The worry will be that if he isn’t capable of leading the line, what is he supposed to do?