Neil Lennon has complete faith that Teemu Pukki will soon be back among the goals.
After scoring in his first two appearances the striker hasn’t found the net since scoring against St Johnstone on September 21.
Last week Lennon watched Pukki play for Finland away to France and is likely to select the former Schalke 04 striker tonight to unlock Ajax.
The Pukki-Anthony Stokes partnership hasn’t yet replaced the goals provided by Stokes and Gary Hooper but Lennon sees encouraging signs in his £2.5m signing.
“He played a lot better today,” the Celtic boss said after the 1-1 draw at Hibs. “He should have scored but I was pleased with him, I thought that started the game very very well.
“He needs another goal to get himself going again but he’s adapting to the British game, I was pleased with him.
“When you bring a striker in, especially at Celtic there is a big onus on them to score goals, but I think that the goals will come. As long as he keeps putting himself in the right positions then he’ll get more than his fair share.”
Tonight’s match with Ajax is a must win if Celtic are to emulate last season’s achievement of reaching the last 16 of the Champions League.
Back-to-back games with the Dutch champions will shape Celtic’s destiny for the season with Lennon well aware of the stakes tonight.
“It’s a must-not-get- beat game as I am confident in this team that we can perform away from home as well,” the Celtic boss said.
“Four points would give us a good chance. If we could take four out of six – which is a big ask but doable – we would have a home game against Milan that I think we could win.
“We need to pick up something away from home as we lost a game here.”
Celtic’s u-19 side face Ajax at Livingston today, kick-off 2pm
Well pukki tonight is the night. You can become a hero to the best fans in the world. As for the shite the Ajax players have been talking. You would think they were coming over to play a team of fuking terry hurlocks. Weve played better football than them in this champs league and we will prove it tonight. God bless. HH.
I love the butterflies, nervousness and anticipation of CL games against Barca, AC Milan and the like but the nervousness i feel about tonights game against Ajax is almost making me physicaly sick.
Maybe it’s because we are so very similar to them in many ways (world famous name, wilderness years, great players of the past, having to sell best players recently etc) that a defeat to them would be so very hard to take.
I agree totally with NL that Pukki will become a super striker. I have been very impressed with the space he finds in the box and in my opinion its the other forward players that need to find him which given time they will.
as usual I agree with pye in that if he could rattle in a couple tonight that would fast track him into super hero status.
cmon bhoys although the CL is not dead for us yet a good second prize would be another crack at the EL.
CCCCCCCEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLLTTTTTIIIIICCCCHAIL HAIL
It used to be a given that any new signing for any team needed half a season to settle in, the modern fan expects players to hit the ground running, usually fanned by presstitutes with an agenda.
Maybe the big difference to the fans in todays game is the money they cost and the wages they’re payed.
Maybe they’re right, but in reality the majority of players need at least a couple of months to gell.
Anyhoo, tonights the night!
COME ON YOU BHOYS IN GREEN!!!!!!!
HAIL! HAIL!
Ronald Waterreus said when talking about the atmospheres at ‘old firm’ games, ‘I don’t know if I’m allowed to say this, but Celtic Park was FAR better’.
HH
COME ON MA LITTLE BEAUTIES.
I think ronald the hoar should pay the tax he owes, to benefit the people less fortunate and society..