Since joining in the summer transfer window, there have been several different assessments of Carl Starfelts time as a Celtic player so far.
Whether that be fans or pundits, the Swedish defender has been on the receiving end of both good and bad plaudits in his first six months at Parkhead.
The latest to assess Starfelt is former Celtic defender Alan Stubbs, who went through a similar sort of start to the 26-year old, taking some time to find his feet at the club.
However, Stubbs wasn’t holding back in his comments, suggesting that with his performances under Ange Postecoglou, Starfelt’s time as a Celtic player could already be running out.
“I had high hopes for Carl when he arrived from Rubin Kazan,” he said, speaking to Football Scotland.
“He’d been capped by Sweden and had played in Russia, so you cut him a bit of slack at first.
“Unfortunately, he hasn’t progressed. Cameron Carter-Vickers has come in beside him and, even though he’s younger and much less experienced, he’s done well and now looks like the senior partner.
“It is disappointing for Carl because it just hasn’t happened for him.
“Scottish football can take a lot of getting used to, but how long do you wait for him?
He continued, “Celtic have mostly got the recruitment right under manager Ange Postecoglou – but Carl still hasn’t come to the fore.
“Ideally, you want your central defender to read the game, be quick, good in the air, comfortable with one-to-ones and able to use the ball. You need them to tick at least three of those boxes, but he doesn’t tick any.”
In my opinion, that assessment of the central defender is unfair, given his improvements in the side alongside Cameron Carter Vickers.
Yes, the Swedish internationalist might have taken a few games to settle in, but since then, he has been a solid addition to the squad and has proved his worth under Postecoglou in the first half of the campaign.
He and Cameron Carter Vickers have played a massive role in being part of the best defence in the Scottish Premiership so far, conceding 12 goals in the first 20 games of the season.
We have seen this harsh treatment of Starfelt come from other sections of the media, too, with Michael Stewart clearly not taking a liking to the defender with his comments during the Premier Sports cup final.
Before the break, a few mistakes did sneak back into the defenders game. But, to me, it just seems unfair to write off all the important work he has done because of that.
The break might have come at the perfect time for Starfelt, and I fully expect to see him in the starting line-up alongside CCV on Monday evening.
With the return of Christopher Jullien from injury, it will also offer Postecoglou even more quality options at the break and a potential warning for the likes of Starfelt, which can hopefully help improve the defence’s game as a whole.
Ultimately, after the majority of his performances in the side, there is no need to be writing his time as a Celtic player off at such an early stage of his career at Parkhead, and I’m sure Stubbs will know that from his experiences.
May come good yet but it was very concerning that months after arriving, he had a total shocker in the Final v Hibs. On top of his comical og v AZ Alkmaar, it has to be said he’s been disappointing on the whole
May come good yet but it was very concerning that months after arriving, he had a total shocker in the Final v Hibs. On top of his comical og v AZ Alkmaar, it has to be said he’s been disappointing on the whole