Chris Sutton has fired straight back at Odsonne Edouard’s critics and the body language experts slamming his display against Riga on Thursday night.
Multiple questions have been asked about the striker who has been below par since being booted all over the park against Dundee United last month. That resulted in Edouard missing two matches with Neil Lennon searching for the ideal formation and blend of players.
Apart from two months alongside Leigh Griffiths last season Edouard has virtually been a one man strike force for the last two seasons with Sutton backing the forward against the tide of criticism he has taken since Celtic’s 1-0 win over Riga.
Sutton told the Daily Record:
There are some Celtic fans questioning the attitude of Odsonne Edouard after his low-key performance in Riga. The only one I would be asking is, where was the service?
I’m not having this idea the Frenchman wasn’t interested the other night. I get he didn’t have the best of nights but it was a horrible game in Latvia.
Edouard has been the focus from the other night and I admit the mixed messages have created confusion. He had come back from injury and looks like he needs games, yet Lennon said he was tired and needed rested.
He wasn’t at the races in Latvia but there is absolutely nothing in the player’s character that suggests he’s about to down tools or look for a move away.
It could have just been an off night. Believe me, it happens. The bigger concern is the system is not playing to his strengths.
I go back to the short time when Celtic had Moussa Dembele and Odsonne Edouard playing together. They looked dynamite as a partnership and it was such a shame they couldn’t have teamed up for longer.
Then you look at the second half of last season with Leigh Griffiths. Edouard looks more comfortable in a two up top but for some reason Celtic went with a 3-4-1-1 the other night.
Leaving out Albian Ajeti was a strange one for me. He needs games to get fully fit and Riga was an ideal chance to get the two of them on the pitch. Let him get a goal and then give him a break after 60 minutes if necessary. Perhaps the question is if Lennon believes they can play as a pair.
Edouard lasted 82 minutes against Riga before being substituted by Moi Elyounoussi who scored the winning goal.
It was a flat performance from Celtic but it got the job done against a team with virtually no attacking intentions.
Lennon has three more matches over the course of eight days before the transfer window closes with a Glasgow derby to look forward to after the international break.