Scott Brown was in buoyant mood after the 3-0 win over Hibs on Sunday and the skipper has backed an almost forgotten man to add to his side’s impressive firepower in the weeks to come, as reported by The Daily Record.
Leigh Griffiths was a surprise inclusion to the match day squad and his return is a timely occurrence with Albian Ajeti potentially out for the next couple of games.
He’s not had a great start to the season after coming under fierce criticism from Neil Lennon because of his condition when he reported for pre-season training, however, he now appears to have worked his way back into the gaffer, and the skipper’s good books:
“He [Griffiths] has been working hard and he knows what’s expected of him.
“Everyone knows what he can do on the pitch. His left foot’s a wand and he’s one of the best finishers I’ve ever played with.
“So we just need to make sure he’s match fit and get him up to speed as quickly as possible.”
As Brown rightly says, there has never been any doubt about Griff’s quality and ability, but it’s safe to say that he can be “easily distracted”, if he can get his head down and apply himself in a similar way to the start of 2020, he would be a valuable asset for Lennon.
Will Griffiths return to the starting line-up to make an impact?
Yes
No
With 3-5-2 now the preferred formation, having three strikers that can be rotated with no drop off in quality – and without having to shoehorn Ryan Christie in up front – would be a huge bonus, avoiding burnout or overuse, especially with two of them carrying niggly muscle injuries at the moment.
It would be typical Griffiths if he returned for the first derby after the international break, and even more typical if he hit the winner with that “wand” of a left foot.