Potentially one of the most polarising players in recent Celtic history, Carl Starfelt has had his fair share of criticism aimed at him this season. His move from Rubin Kazan to Celtic in July was one that was met with fanfare and optimism given the defender’s pedigree and stats at his previous clubs.
The Sweden international – who has just been called up for his nation’s World Cup Playoffs tie against the Czech Republic and potentially Poland – has been a player who certainly split opinion in the Celtic support over the past eight months or so, with many fans sharing the viewpoint that he was clumsy and unreliable when playing for the club, with a mistake in him every game.
That assumption rang true in the early months of his Celtic career, with shaky performances against Hearts on his Hoops debut and AZ Alkmaar forming many fans’ opinions of the new defender. In truth, it was not a great start for the ball-playing centre-back, who was facing an uphill battle to win over the fans at his new employer. A first impression is very difficult to shake off, and it seemed that a lot of minds were made up early on in his time at the club.
Fast forward to the end of March, however, and it seems like Carl Starfelt has won over the vast majority of supporters in the heart of the Celtic defence. Alongside fellow summer signing Cameron Carter-Vickers, the defensive partnership has been extremely solid for the Parkhead outfit, boasting the best defensive statistics in the league with regards to goals conceded – a total of just 18.
It is clear that Starfelt has certainly benefitted from having a steady and reliable defensive partner alongside him. Carter-Vickers – who will surely be in many discussions for ‘Player of the Year’ – has been immense for Celtic this season since arriving on loan from Tottenham Hotspur. Having this sort of imposing figure next to the more athletic Starfelt has allowed the Swede to express himself on the ball more, which is a key component in how Ange Postecoglou wants his side to play football.
Amazingly enough, despite CCV’s continued solidity in defence, it can certainly be argued that Starfelt has been just as good – if not better – than his defensive partner over the past month or so.
This is testament to how far the performances of Starfelt have come along since the winter break. Stand-out performances both home and away have ensured that Starfelt’s standing within the Celtic support has certainly improved recently.
Admittedly, there are still mistakes in Starfelt’s game from time to time, but that is to be expected when playing out from the back when the team has so much possession of the ball. What matters is that these mistakes are happening less and less as we go into the business end of the season, and that the Swede is a much more reliable option in defence now than he was at the start of the season. Overall, Ange Postecoglou will be delighted at the development of his big summer defensive signing, with certainly more to come from the centre-back in the future.
