Liel Abada

I genuinely don't blame him. I didn't expect to see him in a Celtic shirt again. He should go and good luck to him in Tel Aviv or wherever he ends up.

 

He benefited from Ange’s system of cutbacks from the byline because he has a great instinct for being in the right place and he’s a good finisher.

In this system we’re better off with Mikey Johnston, Yang or Forrest and that says it all.

 

I hope Rodgers realises this and stops playing him. Would rather see how Vata gets on..

 

He's a good player when his heart is in it, though. In the end, you're right, of course; but I can see why Rodgers might be reluctant to accept that he's gone, especially given the quality of our current wingers. Ultimately, he'll have to accept it, though.

 

I think he'd be at his best as an inside forward in 3-4-3. The closer he is to the opposission box, the easier to capitalize on his finishing ability. He's lost on the wings. Can't beat a man to save his life.

Btw, 3-4-3 also heps with the fact we lack a reliable LB. I'd love us to give it a try. We struggle to create chances at the moment. Not sure whether it would help, but we should spice things up.

 

Problem is we don’t have two reliable centre backs, never mind 3. And a couple of them are constantly injured.

A back 3 of Scales, Nawrocki and Lagerbielke is the stuff of nightmares.

 

You also said

Again, it's undeniable his form has went to *, just trying to remind folk that for a good while his end product, finishing, assists, wing play, link up play, finding space...we're all immense. Especially for a boy his age.

I know all this will be ignored and swept under the carpet by his detractors, just wanted to remind those that are more open to reason.

 

His wing play was immense? What do you define as wing play?

To me, that’s where he struggles. His best work is done inside the box. As a traditional winger he’s rotten.

Jota is a proper winger. McGeady was a proper winger. Abada is essentially a centre forward playing wide because the only things he’s good for (previously) is popping up in dangerous areas and scoring. Ask him to use a bit of technical ability to skip past a defender and he’s hopeless.

 

We can use Johnston as a right-sided centre back. I believe that's where he plays for the Canadian NT. Another thing is, Maeda would likely thrive on a WB role. It's the perfect position for him to constantly run up and down the pitch. Bernabei would be less exposed defensively as well.


...........................Hart.............................
.......Johnston......Nawrocki.......Scales..........
Maeda.......O'Riley.......McGregor........Bernabei
.........Abada.........Idah...........Palma............

(or something along these lines)

 

I dunno, I had a look for a video with all his Celtic goals but there isn't one. The two videos I found though had examples of him beating a full back, getting balls across the goal, cutting in and scoring from the edge of the box with his left peg....lots of things that are now being denied he has in his locker.

Obviously playing under Ange and in his system was the biggest factor in how well he done that first season and a quarter, which also meant the confidence was ripping out him giving him the confidence to do it. All that has gone now though and he ain't getting it back in a Celtic shirt. I'd probably agree that trying him cutting in from the left was worth a try, but it's past that at this stage.

 

There were examples of it in the video you said you didn't need to watch.

 

Been reading through the thread and what an embarrassing post this is.

 

You made me re-live it..

 

I was looking for early opinions on him because I’ve never really rated him, but I shut up when he was scoring a fair few. Seems like folk were quickly pointing out a lack of technical ability though.

 

Think that's always been evident, he like most in the squad were better suited to the tempo Ange played. He doesn’t really beat a man one on one, just had a really good knack of being in the right place at the right time.. but even Ange went Jota and Maeda a lot.

 

And you’re saying I’m stubborn. Jesus christ.

Abada’s game has always and will always be about good movement to find pockets of space in behind and inside the box.

His biggest weakness by far (as a winger), is his inability to consistently beat a defender. How often does he put the ball through someone’s legs, or do a stepover and jink past someone? It just doesn’t happen.

Showing 2 or 3 examples of it in a video means hee haw. What the video won’t show is his regular trick of turning and passing back the way, or running straight into defenders because he lacks the ability to beat them.

Yang and MJ have probably dribbled past more players in their fleeting cameos this season than Abada has in 2 years.

 

You need to pay better attention to what you're watching then.