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Pundit backs Celtic signing to get best out of “nuisance” player and rise to the challenge

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Image for Pundit backs Celtic signing to get best out of “nuisance” player and rise to the challenge

Former Premier League goal scorer, Kevin Phillips, is the latest to offer their opinion on the current state of mind of Leigh Griffiths as he looks to continue his solid start to 2020.

The former Sunderland man, speaking to Football Insider, reflects on the signing of Patryk Klimala and the effect it should have on the Scotland international.

So what has Phillips said?

When asked how he feels Griffiths will react to the signing of the Poland under-21 international, Phillips said:

“You’d like to think it will inspire him to get himself fully fit”.

“Get himself back to where we was a few years back banging and goes left, right and centre, being a nuisance to play against and he’s got talent”.

“He can hit a set play as well, as we saw against England for Scotland. He’s got ability but sometimes ability isn’t enough”.

“Your attitude needs to be right, your work rate, your fitness needs to be right, so maybe someone bringing in is going to challenge him maybe it’s the best thing that brings the best out of them”.

So is Phillips correct?

Since Klimala signed for the Parkhead side Griffiths has 2 goals and 1 assist in 3 games, decent numbers for a player considered by many to be surplus to requirements and on his way out of Celtic.

He has come under fire from both Charlie Nicholas and Kris Boyd already about how he has celebrated goals and his reaction to the recent criticism that he has faced but he has – in 2020 at least – let his feet do the talking.

Klimala has had to make do with a couple of cameo appearances as the £3.5m man finds himself currently as third choice behind Griffiths and Odsonne Edouard and his signing seems to have had the desired effect as Phillips rightly says.

Griffiths has had well documented troubles over the last 18-months but when he is fit and firing on all cylinders, he is exactly as Phillips describes, a match winner capable of not only scoring goals from open play and being a nuisance but by creating and scoring chances from set-pieces with his highly skilled left-foot.

Who should be Edouard's back-up?

Griffiths

Griffiths

Klimala

Klimala

Neil Lennon would have been hoping that Klimala hit the ground running but with Griffiths in his current form – at the moment – he will have to wait his turn to make an impact in the green and white hoops.

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