Brendan Rodgers’ Celtic side moved one step closer to clinching a fourth successive Scottish Premiership title when they beat Kilmarnock 5-1 at Parkhead on Saturday.
The Hoops have won the last three league titles, bringing Scotland’s top-flight title back to Parkhead in every single campaign since their city rivals won it in the 2020/21 campaign, and they still have a chance to secure a domestic treble.
They face St. Johnstone, who they lost 1-0 to in the league earlier this month, in the semi-finals of the SFA Cup next weekend, as they look to book a place in the final of the competition.
Celtic, of course, already won the League Cup earlier this season, beating Rangers on penalties in the final, which means that they can clinch a domestic treble by winning the title and the SFA Cup in the next month or so.
With the league almost wrapped up, Rodgers decided to make some changes to his starting line-up for the clash with Kilmarnock on Saturday, to provide some other players with opportunities to impress.
One of those rarely-seen stars to come back into the XI was long-serving winger James Forrest, who went into the match without a single goal in all competitions this season.
James Forrest's performance against Kilmarnock
The 33-year-old forward was selected to start on the right side of the attacking trident for Celtic, as German winger Nicolas Kuhn dropped down to the bench to accommodate him.
It was only his sixth start in the Premiership this season and it was a chance for him to show Rodgers that he deserves more minutes between now and the end of the campaign.
Unfortunately, Forrest went on to make it 26 matches in all competitions without a goal to show for his efforts at the top end of the pitch, despite Celtic’s dominant performance and 5-1 win.
The Scottish forward, who scored seven goals in 28 games in all competitions in the 2023/24 campaign, had a fairly uneventful time on the field in the win over Kilmarnock, as you can see in the table below.
Minutes
60
Shots
2
Shots on target
0
Pass accuracy
98%
Key passes
0
Successful crosses
0
Successful dribbles
0
Duels won
1/2
Forrest ended his time on the pitch, which lasted 60 minutes, with zero shots on target and zero chances created, although he was slightly unlucky with the latter.
The Celtic academy graduate got in on the right side of the box and fizzed a ball across the face of the goal that a defender in the middle of the goal failed to properly clear, leading to Daizen Maeda scoring a tap in from a yard or two out.
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Some may argue that Forrest should have an assist for that goal, as it was his ball in that led to Maeda’s shot, but it did not officially count due to the interference from the Killie defender.
The experienced wide man, despite his lack of action outside of his involvement in Maeda’s goal, was not the worst performer on the pitch for the Hoops, though, as Adam Idah failed to take his chance to impress.
Adam Idah's performance against Kilmarnock
The Ireland international came in for just his 16th league start of the season and, like Forrest, had a chance to stake a claim for more minutes in the coming weeks.
Idah had come off the bench to create two chances and one ‘big chance’, winning five of his six duels, in the defeat to St. Johnstone, which convinced Rodgers to bring him in from the start for the clash on Saturday.
However, his performance against Kilmarnock from the start suggests that he is not ready to be Celtic’s go-to man in the number nine position heading into the final weeks of the campaign.
Minutes
60
Shots
0
Dribbles completed
0/1
Key passes
0
Pass accuracy
68%
Possession lost
11x
Duels won
1/6
As you can see in the table above, Idah offered very little in his 60 minutes on the pitch in the 5-1 win, with zero shots and zero chances created for his team, whilst also losing 83% of his duels.
He was even worse than Forrest, who at least completed 98% of his passes and helped to create Maeda’s goal, and must now be ruthlessly ditched by Rodgers for the SFA Cup semi-final clash.
Idah, whose last goal was the strike against Hibernian in March in the clip above, should be taken out of the team after his dismal showing on Saturday.
The Celtic star who should replace Adam Idah
Maeda started on the left flank, and scored, in the win over Hibernian and should be moved into the middle of the front three for the semi-final clash next weekend, replacing Idah in the side.
The Japan international has scored a staggering 31 goals in 45 matches in all competitions for the Scottish giants this season, which shows that he has the quality to be a consistent goal threat for Rodgers and that is why he should move back into the number nine role next time out.
That switch would, of course, open up a position on the left wing for the clash with St. Johnstone in the SFA Cup, and Jota should be given the nod to come in from the start.
The Portuguese forward, who joined the club from Rennes in the January transfer window, has enjoyed a strong return to Parkhead in the last few months.
Jota has scored four goals, created three ‘big chances’, and registered two assists in six starts in the Premiership this year, which shows that he has made a big impact at the top end of the pitch as both a scorer and a creator of goals.
Therefore, Rodgers must ruthlessly ditch Idah from the starting XI in order to bring the Portuguese speedster into the side on the left wing, whilst also moving Maeda back into a central position. This could improve Celtic’s attack and give them a greater chance of progressing through to the final of the competition.
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