Leigh Griffiths

Bingo.

He will never ever be successful in any league above the quality of the SPL. Kris Boyd has scored more goals than any other striker in SPL history, did I ever want him at Celtic Park?? Did I *.

It isn't all about goals, Hooper might score less than Griffiths but he's a far superior player in every other aspect and he can still score 5 goals in one game and loved a goal agains the huns when they were a much better team than the tribute act we played on Sunday.

The poster who quoted me earlier was right about singling out other players before Griffiths if we want to talk about the group stages, which is why I think this team needs completely cleared out. The attitudes, the whole culture of the players in training/on the pitch is very unprofessional and void of any heart or passion.

 

Hooper could score from outside the box as well, just he preferred to pass the ball to people in better positions.

How many free kicks has Griffiths scored for us ? Boyd scored free kicks for the huns as well btw.

Debateable regarding the pace and acceleration.

The only one I would give you straight away is the work rate. Hooper is the superior player. It's not down to anything personal :smiley-laughing002: Do you really think me, and others who share the same opinion on him want him to be as limited as he is ?

 

What does Hooper have to do with anything?

 

This is it. I don't enjoy talking about the lack of quality of our players which I'm sure you don't either but we are Celtic for * sake, it isn't acceptable to play 6 matches in a Europa League group and not win a single game. At home, Paradise, the Fortress where Sir Alex Ferguson's world class team failed to beat us, AC Milan in their heyday feared coming to play us. Now teams like Molde come to our stadium and embarass us on our own pitch.

If we are happy with last season, and getting outplayed and outclassed by a championship side who spent less than a million quid on transfers then fantastic.

 

He's the level of striker we should be signing.

 

That was the original point I was debating. Who were you comparing him to, Kris Boyd ?

The comparison there is purely goals. They both score plenty in the SPL, but that's all there game is.

Obviously he's doing great on the scoring front but the way we play, if the striker can't hold on to the ball or link up play, we end up constantly on the back foot. Same reason Boyd got dropped for games against us and European games.

 

Its absolutely perplexing that their is criticism being placed on one of our players who has performed and produced this year. In his first full season its absolutely mental.
Griffiths would be my third name on that team sheet currently. So to reiterate my point, theres still a food few before him that id look at upgrading, if you like.

 

We had this a few weeks ago, it's quite desperate stuff when folk are turning on the wrong players for what has been a dreadful season, only Tierney, Svetchenko and this guy 40 league goals have given us any joy this season so there are far more worthy targets for the fans frustrations than this guy.

Sometimes I think there are a breed of our fanbase who are simply not happy until they are moaning, I've sat around them at games as well and I've questioned why they even bother going as they clearly go to not enjoy the experience.

Plenty of moaning is valid right now but turning on Griffiths stinks of not seeing the bigger picture and simply moaning for moaning sake.

Give us a break for * sake

 

good post

 

It's not a criticism of him. It's a criticism of where we are as a club right now.

He would be one of the first names on the team sheet for, probably, 99% of us with our current squad.

 

Should be if you are living in 2008 as you seem to be. Look at who we have had up front since Larsson left. JVH was decent for a season after Hartson left. Then we had McDonald as the main striker for two seasons, then Robbie Keane for a few months, then Hooper. Since Hooper we've had Commons carrying the team and now Griffiths. Every one of those strikers has been deficient in some part of their game. Strachan used a pretty one-dimensional McDonald, and this was at a time when we could still compete with teams in Europe financially. Now we are at the financial level of lower-end Championship teams, no matter who we go for, they will be deficient in large parts of their game. Griffiths is not the complete striker, but he has earned a bit of leeway this season, just as the just as limited Commons did a couple of seasons ago. If I was to bemoan the lack of quality in this Celtic team, I wouldn't begin at one of the only players to have excelled in his role in the team.

 

"did I ever want him at Celtic Park?? Did I *"

I think that comment and the peach "it's not all about goals" tell me that by your admission you have an agenda with the guy so I don't think we are going to get a lot of objectivity.

Were you one of those who stood in the corner and sulked with a banner when he first joined us out of interest?

 

Aye but you're talking about carrying a team domestically, the same team that managers 2 points out of 18 in the Europa League group stages. The team that couldn't win a game in 6 attempts. That's how good our team that Leigh Griffiths is carrying.

 

Go and look at the beginning of this thread. Think I made a comment on the 5th page.

My did I * want him at Celtic Park was about Kris Boyd, not Leigh Griffiths fs.

 

When he gets slagged for taking two shots to score in EU and gets called a * for hitting the post in another game you have to wonder if half those complaining have even had their balls drop yet.

 

Wasting your time honestly. Folk that can't see beyond stats are not worth debating with.

 

I understand he isnt to your taste but theres a bigger case for Griffiths than just stats.
He has a hunger and an appetite for goals and to win that just doesnt exist in other players within our squad. He never gives up and he was desperately unlucky on saturday with two off the woodwork. And that was in the absence of good service.

In a dysfunctional system he has just scored how many league goals? Everything is relative, your comparing Hooper who was in a team with far structure, creativity and quality.
Wherever he goes he scored goals. Thats a fact. We went a few seasons where our attacking mids were our top scorers. Now we have landed a 25+ goal a season striker for a million pound. We should be celebrating him.

 

I agree the team isn't great at the minute. And by inference, you also agree that without him we would be much worse off.

 

Baffling doesn't even cut it.

* deluded.

 

Fair point but look at it this way - a team full of average players can do well if they have a clinical and quality striker.

In Europe this season for example, we would have beaten Ajax and perhaps got a draw or more against Molde at home if we had a striker who has composusre and is clinical in the high pressure matches. Unfortunately Griffiths had a shocker in both matches because he's just not up to it.

Yes he's one of the first names on the team sheet. But a striker is so important in order to win matches, and when your striker isn't cutting it in the big matches then there's a huge problem.