Leigh Griffiths

Would be a good argument if he wasn’t constantly unfit for the last 5/6 years and getting called out by every manager he’s had for being unprofessional.

 

Larsson came to Celtic as slightly damaged goods is how I remember it. His time in Holland is partly why he stayed with us so long.

I'm sure we can all remember his first game and how that went. Definitely kicked on from there quickly but for me he continually improved as the years went on.

Favourite thing about him for me is that O'Neill practically had to wrestle him to the ground to stop him from playing ever game.

Celtic made him better and he made Celtic better is how I remember it.

 

It * me off that Griffiths gets paid big bucks to do a job that each and every one of us on this forum could only dream about doing, continually fecks up. Part of the make up of being a "professional" footballer would be to maintain a level of fitness which he has failed to do under several managers. Yes he scored goals for us and was one of my favourite players however, like a few of his teammates, he has let us down badly and should be shown the door.

 

I do realise this is an issue where people have their opinions and are unwilling/unable to shift them. Just wanted to put my take on it out there as I only rarely feel the urge to do

 

I know mate lockdown has been hard for us mere mortals not knowing if we will still have a job to pay our bills ect, my industry like many others totally shut down near enough where as Griff is still getting near 20k per week regardless. His only worry during lockdown was to keep fit.

 

Lennon has got a cheek to be critical of anything or anybody associated with Celtic after that absolute * show of a season. Lennon got his players back full time in the first week of June, Ferencvaros game rolled up on August 26th, and still Lennon claimed our strikers were all too unfit to come on and play. Patryk Klimala came to Celtic in January, no injuries at all yet he's still too unfit. Ajeti has never looked fit physically or seemed fit playing since he's signed.

Riddle me the Klimala situation, my main gripe with Lennon's nonsense at that game was we were playing absolute minnows who were basically like playing a stuffy SPL bottom half of the table side, they were going to sit in, let us have about 70% possession and hit us on the break when they could. We weren't playing Barcelona or PSG where we would be chasing shadows all night, every man pressing and constantly busting a gut, Lennon could have * picked 2 guys on this thread to sit up front and float about the box.

That annoyed me to no end, Klimala could have done 45 minutes, then Ajeti the other 45. No * looked fit this season, training was a shambles. I wasn't there, but it had to be. An unprofessional mess is what we became, headed up by a guy like Neil Lennon, who has epitomised a lack of professionalism.

That's before Leigh Griffiths comes into the equation.

Anyway, I thought he was out of contract next season. Seems like he is getting a new contract but I don't know what the source is. I can see Ange's logic as to having somebody at the club who is a proven goal scorer, but Griffiths should move on, the huns * despise him and so do a lot of our fans.

 

The players not being fit enough is Neil Lennons fault. You compare it to Brendan Rodgers side and it’s clear the same core group of players with a different coach have extremely different levels of fitness.

And I thought Griffiths contract is up but we have an option to extend?

 

100%. The fitness levels just plummeted, even our normally fitter players looked as though they were towing a caravan. The overal standard of attitutes/behaviors just went down the pan since Lennon came back in. I just think Neil Lennon should be getting his head down and getting on with his life quietly, and hoping the Celtic fan base forget and forgive him for what a * the last year or so has been. But instead he's being his usual outspoken, opinionated self, ranting about players being unfit and not good enough.

Pot, kettle mate. I had initially thought Lennon had matured and grown up since he left us back in 2014, went to Bolton and later Hibs, but he's still a * idiot.

 

I'm not against Griffith getting a new contract if that what it takes but it is a players responsibility to turn up for pre-season fit enough to get into shape for the season surely?

Lennon made a complete baws of most things but that one is Griffs responsibility. Not going to call it failure as lots of difficult circumstances surrounding it but none of them unique to him.

 

They thought he was a winger and Jansen knew he had a clause to get him cheap. He was ‘damaged goods’ but not as much as people make out, we just got in there early.

Much like Pep done with Thiago to Bayern, knew he had a clause if he hadn’t played 20 La Liga games he had to be let go for £20m odds, and only reason he never was through injury.



Rambling Larsson memories but can anyone remember his first game back after the leg break? Or one of his first back. It was when we played the youngsters who romped it, sure it was against Hearts. I’ve got a vivid memory of young players not tracking men, because they were bout 4 up and Henrik bursting his * to win a slide tackle in the box, turning around and telling those around him he shouldn’t be the one doing that.

That’s always summed up for me why Larsson was the best I’ve ever seen for us. He was naturally talented but I’ve seen players that probably naturally had a bit more, Larsson made sure that he was better than anybody around him by demanding the most of himself, studying the game and making sure anything he might have not been the best at, wasn’t a weakness.

Eto’o summed that up best when he said he thought he was a great player until Henrik taught him how to dissappear in the box.

Cannot explain how much respect I have for the man.

 

While this is 100% spot on, it was when he was away from Lennon he got that unfit. And Lennon judged him not fit enough, if a manager that lenient when it comes to fitness says that, how bad must it be? Especially when Ronny and Rodgers said the same before him.

Lenny regressed in that time, he was thankful for being here whereas the first time he walked because the board weren’t up to his standards. And I’m devastated with that because he was up there with Tommy for me. He’s ruined that not because of poor performance, because he’s doubled down on his ego.

 

Think he’ll be here next season but away by January

 

Aye I think this is what'll happen, we'll give him a year extention and if he doesn't show anything I think we'll punt him to hibs.

 

Looks like we have let him go. Removed us from his insta and added training vid with scotland kit now.
Not seen at training ground either.

 

Please

 

Getting fit is relatively easy, staying fit is another matter.

 

No doubt he'll get fit as * now he's blown it and come back to haunt us at Aberdeen or Hibs.

 

Only has himself to blame, but imo we should have kept him on reduced terms as a kick in the baws for his poor attitude throughout a lot of his time here, would have still been a great player to have in the squad as rotation for up front, especially domestically.

Wouldn't have offered him anymore than £10K a week though, the board were correct not to extend his contract on £19K a week, that would have been the wrong message to send out after his fitness issues.