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Came off after an hour with again seemingly little impact. Whoscored gives him 19 touches - next lowest outfield player was over 50. 13 shots in total, of which he had one.
I know you can prove anything with stats these days Kent, but unless you're Erling Haaland (who seems to be a poacher supreme and little else), I just don't think you can get away with being so little involved as a striker for Celtic.
10 blanks in a row is a terrible record, he seems to be miles off it at Celtic this season.
He never looks like the most confident of footballers, going on loan to Celtic probably suited, going as a 9m (!) transfer probably didn't. He has plenty of potential but doesnt look like he has the mentality to push on unfortunatley.
Idah has never really been a prolific striker and he is still relatively young, but you'd be expecting more from him at this point in his career. I tend to take a dim view of Celtic as a destination for Irish talent generally, but the stage was nicely set for him to kick it up a gear and he... hasn't (yet).
Given he hasn't really had a full season without injury I think it's nearly as important that he just stays fit for the full season at this stage. He still has great attributes and I still think it's going to click for him at a high level in the long run. While he's had two starts in a row now his minutes had been pretty limited coming into that. Overall his goals per minute ratio is still not awful. We can all see he's a confidence player, he needs one to go in off his backside while he's still getting minutes and hopefully then he can go on another good streak.
He's been pretty poor all season, but last night was his worst performance so far.Quote:
Originally Posted by pineapple stu
He looked disinterested last night, hardly any movement or energy. He looks devoid of any confidence.
I'm starting to think Norwich robbed Celtic blind.
He played 53 games in all competitions last season. 29 so far this season - so close on two years injury-free when you take the end of 22/23 in as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by passinginterest
I think that excuse is starting to bolt in fairness. He's just not very good.
Interesting to look back at the beginning of this thread (27 August 2019). An air of optimism because Idah, Connolly, Molumby, Obafemi and Barrett were all starting for their respective clubs, Coventry, Collins and Knight were on the benches, and it was hoped that Kilkenny and Shodipo would be starters the following night.
I actually paid the £5.99 to watch the game live on PPV as there was sod all else to do on a cold early January midweek night. Although it was a nervy second half Celtic were utterly dominant in the first and were really quick out of the traps. Idah made a few nice layoffs and one terrible one straight to a blue shirt. I’d like to see him be a bit more selfish and try to set himself up for a change, or hold onto it and use his strength to draw defender out of position rather than always lay it off first time. I think it betrays a lack of confidence.
I used to criticise him for lacking the instincts that Ferguson displays in the box. He never seemed to be where the ball landed or where a square ball was played. Then last year he confounded my expectations and scored some good and important goals from getting on the end of square balls for a tap in having made clever runs. On Wednesday Celtic must have drilled 5 hard low balls across the 6 yard box in the first 25 minutes and he didn’t get on any of them. His marker was always one step ahead. Idah never got across his marker to get there first, like he did decisively at Motherwell last year. He could have had a first half hat trick given the number of low square balls that went abegging.
Interestingly though, Kyogo replaced him on around 70 mins and I don’t think he even touched the ball.
Celtic defender Stephen Welsh, 24, this week joined Belgian club Mechelen on loan for the rest of the season and Rodgers indicated midfielder Odin Thiago Holm, 21, and "maybe one or two others" would also go out on loan.
And, in terms of incomings, Rodgers is confident of making signings and is keen to increase scoring options.
"We're very hopeful that we can get players in that we would like, but availability and the affordability of players is always something that is a challenge in this month," said Rodgers.
"But I'm fairly confident that we will be able to bring in the necessary changes to the squad that can help us."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/a...s/cy48ydjeq0lo
Not surprised at that at all. Kyogo is hit and miss, Idah is almost entirely miss, understandable that they would want another option for the second half of the season.
Johnny Kenny straight back out on loan I guess?
Would imagine so, they might try to get him to another SPL club or a lower league club in England if there are any takers. If not, he'll go back to Rovers.
Starts again v Ross County.
Former Republic of Irishman Ronan Hale the opposite striker.
Johnny Kenny makes bench for Celtic, with Scales.
I think Idah is playing very well here. Usual caveats apply about opposition and the output. He has teed up some great chances to Hatate and Furuhashi.
He hasn't had any great chances but his touch and passing have been good and he's setting lads up.
He wasn't great in second half. And maybe his first half was good but the early chance was better than I thought.
Went off shaking his head. Lame and limp tap of the hand for his replacement - Johnny Kenny.
Idah was a little better today. He was involved in the opening goal with a lovely flick with McGregor.
Replaced by Kenny who showed much more energy and workrate to get into scoring opportunities. He had a great chance but the ball got caught under his feet and couldn't get much power on his shot. He also was involved in the 4th goal for McCowan.
It's saying something when he's being outshone by Johnny Kenny. Even if he scores a couple in the next few weeks that will still only be 1 in 12, 2 in 13 etc. - so it's going to be hard for him to rescue his season from here.
Just on Kenny - now that he has played for Celtic does that mean he can only either stay at Celtic or go on loan to Shamrock Rovers now? Or can he play for a third club in the same season? It depends what season they count his SR games as being part of I guess.
Idah was very good yesterday tbf. As Ole Ole said, some really nice touches and flicks. Lovely contribution to Celtic's opener. If it was your first time seeing him and with no skin in the game you'd think there was something about him. I think a couple of his better moments might have been called back for offside if they had been finished.
“As an exception to this rule, a player moving between two clubs belonging to associations with overlapping seasons (i.e. start of the season in summer/autumn as opposed to winter/spring) may be eligible to play in official matches for a third club during the relevant season, provided he has fully complied with his contractual obligations towards his previous clubs. Equally, the provisions relating to the registration periods (article 6) as well as to the minimum length of a contract (article 18 paragraph 2) must be respected”Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
Three!
Can Kenny play in the champions league?
After the league phase, I think.Quote:
Originally Posted by tetsujin1979
Reports today that Celtic are trying for Louis Barry. Could see him coming in ahead of Idah and Kenny straight away on current form.
Starts again tonight, away to Dundee. Another underwhelming half though, with Dundee getting an equaliser shortly before halftime, so Rodgers may make changes earlier than he otherwise might
Off after an hour and yet another blank. If you were being extremely charitable you could say he assisted the second goal, but that wasn't what he was trying to do. Unsurprisingly looked utterly deflated walking off.
Judging by online comments the support base are turning on him now unfortunately. £9.5m is an awful lot of money for Celtic.
13 touches in his hour on the pitch. Next lowest total for Celtic was 34. He really struggles to get involved far too often.
I'd say he sees his dream move going badly wrong at this stage. You feel for guys like that in fairness. But with every goalless week, he's further and further from being a legit option for us
Hard to know what to say. He got his run of games. If his confidence is an issue then he just can't be relied upon. I always felt bad for him at Norwich and blamed injuries and confidence and stuttered game time. No injuries, plenty game time and confidence stunting output. Doesn't really work.
This is the thing. If the Celtic jersey is too big for him then he can't be trusted to play international football at present. The competition for the Ireland jersey up front is far stronger than what he's competing with at Celtic. Right now he'd be behind Ferguson, Szmodics, Cannon, Parrott and Robinson at least. I'd probably play Armstrong ahead of him as well as he'd at least make a nuisance of himself even if he wasn't scoring goals (Armstrong could be a player who's more useful at international level than club level).
The only thing that might keep Idah in the next Ireland squad is injuries as we have a few forwards currently out of action.
Funny thing is, Celtic were markedly worse after he went off. Causation vs. correlation and all that....
The breakaway in the first half would have been a wonderful goal. He busted a gut to make up ground and Kyogo played a lovely ball in. The keeper did really well and left Idah with (I think) little option but to try to get a delicate touch to lift it over him. I think a firm touch - the easy option - would have been smothered by the keeper. It's not easy to sprint and then get a soft touch but it's definitely a big chance missed - and would have won the game I'd say. Bernardo's miss was poor too.
Idah does a lot of donkey work for Celtic that doesn't get him in a position to score - and he doesn't get enough credit for it. It can be seen when he is not on the pitch.Quote:
Originally Posted by Stuttgart88
I don't disagree with these points regarding his all around game. He definitely offers something - I thought he had a very good first half Saturday v Ross County. But that good first half was impacted by a failure to hit the target and missing a fairly straight forward chance when put through.
He is a very good focal point. His touch and his link up is good and it is improving - albeit, he has shown flashes in games for Ireland.
Big feature on the BBC site today on how he's not really performing. Fairly unusual sort of article I think.
Would say that's fairly standard fare for Scottish football coverage to be honest. Idah's fee is huge by Scottish standards, so there will inevitably be scrutiny when he goes almost two months without scoring a goal. Given the advantages Celtic strikers have over strikers at almost any other club in Britain (better players in a better team getting more chances against particularly weak opposition by comparison) he should be banging them in.
Finally got a bit of luck !
There's no way he's claiming that!
I'll say this, thank God that it would have been a penalty if it didn't go in so his confidence has that to fall back on. Delighted for him regardless!Quote:
Originally Posted by Buckett
Incredibly lucky it goes in but the run was good and strong and he let the ball run across his body. Only way to finish first time was the way he did and hope the keeper doesn't put his leg out - but he did. Otherwise a touch to go around the keeper but might have ended badly.
Either way, he gets an assist for the goal. And I don't think he even saw how it went in but got the release and relief when he went to celebrate with the fans and teammates.
I'm about to say "well that is the confidence mended" but he really needs to find a way around those goalless streaks. It has happened too much.
Ah here... he's claiming it and I get why given his lack of form, confidence and standing with the support - but after a good initial run he fluffed the one on one and got lucky with the defender knocking it in for him.
On the BBC highlights programme they're literally laughing at him trying to claim the goal in his interview afterwards and I can understand why. The stats will show he's goalless in 14 games now, so hopefully he can at least convince himself that his "goal" is the turning point for him. But he still needs to start actually scoring goals himself from those kind of chances.
I think you are doing him a bit of disservice - he did everything pretty much right with the exception of actually putting the ball in the net and in situations like that you need the bit of luck with the bounce of the ball (which he didn't get with the shot but did with the rebound). Irrespective of whether he actually scored the goal or not - he was responsible for it - and he has now been the key figure in scoring two crucial goals for Celtic in the past few months. Last night's goal guarantees Celtic a minimum of £1m bonus as well as a further £800K for improving the league position. It is still possible for Celtic get get seeded for the knockout which would significantly improve their chances of progressing and getting to the last 16 is worth £11m. Idah repaid a nice chunk of the transfer fee last night.Quote:
Originally Posted by Eirambler
Now - none of this takes away from his lack of goals - but Idah was and never will be a prolific goalscorer. His best attributes are the rest of the stuff he does, when he has the motivation he gets through a tremendous amount of donkey work - and it is consistency in that department that I think is more important than scoring a stack full of goals from his perspective.
Very unfair to say he fluffed it. He took the pass well, used his strength to get ahead of the defender and keep his balance, and got a good shot away. I've looked at replays and I think the keeper did exceptionally well, his positioning and anticipation were superb. Idah had no space to try to round him and very limited room to put the ball anywhere that wouldn't be saved. I think Idah deserves credit, and the luck he got.
Back to this old chestnut: what was the post shot XG? If it's high I'll lose all faith in that metric :). Looking at the replays the keeper made himself the favourite in the situation imho.