Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers will not have been pleased with the lack of ruthlessness in his side in the 0-0 draw with Hibernian in the Scottish Premiership last weekend.
The Hoops failed to convert any of the seven ‘big chances’ that they created at Parkhead, and the goalless draw meant that they dropped to second in the table.
Celtic have now had four 0-0 draws in all competitions, if you include the second leg that they lost on penalties to Kairat, and it is clear that they have an issue in the centre-forward position that needs to be addressed.
Why Celtic have an issue in the centre-forward position
Kelechi Iheanacho was signed on a free transfer to replace Adam Idah the day after deadline day, and his start to life at Parkhead has been a mixed bag.
The Nigerian marksman, as shown in the clip above, scored an excellent goal against Red Star Belgrade in the Europa League, after scoring on his debut against Kilmarnock in the Premiership.
However, Iheanacho missed two other ‘big chances’ in the 1-1 draw with Red Star and two ‘big chances’ in the 0-0 draw with Hibernian, per Sofascore, firing over from close range in the first half and missing a header at the back post in the second half of the latter game.
Unfortunately, Johnny Kenny came off the bench against Hibs and also missed two ‘big chances’ to find the back of the net, without completing a single pass in 16 minutes, per Sofascore.
Celtic clearly have an efficiency issue in the number nine position, and the solution could be to look to summer signing Callum Osmand in the coming weeks.
Why Celtic should unleash Callum Osmand
The Scottish giants swooped to sign the Welsh forward from Premier League side Fulham in the summer, and he has started his career in Scotland with the B team.
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Osmand has already scored two goals in two games in the Challenge Cup for the B team, including one last week in a 2-1 defeat to Edinburgh.
He has made a fast start to life in the academy system at Parkhead with those two goals, and Brendan Rodgers should take notice of that and look to bring him into the first-team set-up.
Osmand, who was hailed as “lightning quick” by Fulham expert Jack Kelly, is not part of the squad for the Europa League, which means that he is unable to be selected for the clash with Braga on Thursday, but he could be used against Motherwell on Sunday.
Kenny and Iheanacho have missed six ‘big chances’ and scored one goal in the last two matches combined, which suggests that the Hoops need a centre-forward who offers more of a clinical edge in front of goal.
24/25
22
11
4
23/24
29
21
6
22/23
21
11
2
21/22
1
0
0
Total
73
43
12
Osmand, as you can see in the table above, is a prolific number nine who has consistently scored goals at an impressive rate throughout his youth career, which has been extended by two goals in two games for the B team in Glasgow.
Including his brief spell with the Hoops so far, the Welsh striker has scored 45 goals and provided 12 assists in his last 75 matches at youth level, which is a terrific return for the 19-year-old star.
These statistics suggest that the teenage forward may have the clinical edge that the Hoops are currently lacking in front of goal, which is why it may be worth unleashing him in the first-team, even if that is off the bench to start with, to see if he can translate his form into the first-team.
Celtic, certainly in the Premiership, are a dominant team that create chances at will, as evidenced by the seven ‘big chances’ that they created against Hibernian. This means that, in the league, they need more of a clinical finisher than an all-round centre-forward.
That is why unleashing Osmand, who appears to be a natural goalscorer, over Kenny and Iheanacho may make a lot of sense if the team continues to struggle for goals.