Kris Boyd has torn Oliver Burke to shreds for his performance in Celtic’s 2-0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox on Sunday afternoon.
An injury to James Forrest mean that Burke, 22, was named to start on the right-wing by Neil Lennon to earn just his fourth Scottish Premiership start since Brendan Rodgers left Celtic Park in February.
Boyd does not think that Celtic’s style of play suits Burke and has slammed him for an anonymous performance at Ibrox this weekend.
“For me, Oliver Burke has been non-existent in this first-half,” said Boyd on Sky Sports Main Event at half-time on Sunday [12:54pm]. “He’s got to be coming to feet there to take that ball in.
“The way Celtic have been playing in recent years is they get it into the striker and they get runners behind that.
“Oliver Burke’s looked to run in behind and we’ve spoken about it off camera, he needs grass in behind him, he doesn’t look like he likes any of the play at all.”
OPINION
Burke has had a miserable time since he returned to the UK when West Brom signed him from RB Leipzig in 2017. He struggled to get into the Baggies’ team in the Premier League and struggled even more in the first-half of the season despite being in the Championship. It always looked likely that he would leave The Hawthorns in January, but it was a shock that Celtic decided to sign him on loan, only for Rodgers to play him up front as the centre-forward. Overall Burke has been terrible for the Bhoys. Other than his pace, what does he offer? The £30,000-a-week [Spotrac] player cannot finish, he cannot cross and there are better players already at Celtic Park in his positions. On Sunday he was poor against Rangers and Boyd was right to criticise the former Nottingham Forest attacker, who looks like he’s barely good enough for the Championship south of the border.