Former Celtic goalkeeper and BBC pundit Packie Bonner has questioned the contribution of Hoops striker Albian Ajeti after his performance against Dundee United last weekend.
Speaking on BBC Sportsound, Bonner questioned what the Swiss striker brings to Ange Postecoglou’s Celtic side as he insisted that he doesn’t do enough off the ball.
“If he’s not scoring goals, what else is he doing? That’s the problem. What else is he doing? How does he lend himself to the team?
“Is he making those little runs away pulling people out of position?
“I think [David] Turnbull ran forward maybe two or three times in the game from midfield into areas where maybe you can play ball over the top and so on.
“They’re so reliant on the wingers now to be creative players.
“[Tom] Rogic with his dancing feet, we know what he does around the edge of the box now, but that movement off the ball at times just wasn’t happening.
“Ajeti’s maybe just given that instruction, ‘You stay in that position and leave the spaces for the wide men to exploit ‘, but they’re not doing it, and if they’re not doing it, then he looks as if he’s not doing any work.
“And he’s hoping that the balls going to come from the position where he can score a goal, walk off and say, well I scored my goal I’m okay, it’s up to the rest of them to do the other piece of the work.”
The 24-year old has come under criticism for some of his performances in recent weeks, especially off the back of a disappointing first campaign after joining the club for around £5 million last season.
Ajeti had arguably the best chance of the game to put the Hoops in front, almost instantly after Dundee United’s equaliser but squandered the opportunity in front of goal.
Since notching two against Ross County and Real Betis, his performances in the side have been disappointing.
But unfortunately for Postecoglou, he currently doesn’t have another out-and-out option to turn to with injuries to boh Kyogo Furuhashi and Giorgos Giakoumakis.
It will be interesting to see if Ange makes a call and sticks another player in the number nine position on Thursday night against Bayer Leverkusen.
If not, it will be a big night for Ajeti to try and prove some people wrong by turning his performances in front of goal around.
He never looks happy even when he gets a goal he is one that is not playing free flowing football he needs to take the ball and chain off and play with freedom…..