Odsonne Edouard failed to make an impact as Scottish Premiership champions Celtic laboured to a 1-0 Europa League win at Parkhead on Thursday.
Odsonne Edouard has a lot to prove at Celtic this season – and not just because the Scottish Premiership champions paid a club record £9 million to sign him permanently from Paris Saint-German.
The deadline-day departure of Moussa Dembele to Lyon means that Edouard has suddenly become Celtic’s number one centre-forward. But the 20-year-old is yet to really make the impact Brendan Rodgers might have hoped for since making his loan move permanent in the summer.
Edouard has hit the net four times in 10 games this season but is now five games without a goal in all competitions.
He was subbed off with a quarter of an hour to go in Celtic’s Europa League clash with Rosenborg. It is little coincidence that his replacement, Leigh Griffiths, came on to score the winner late on.
And former Celtic striker Kenny Miller has now spoken out after Edouard struggled again on Thursday.
“I can understand why Rodgers is playing [Edouard], he’s paid a lot of money for him,” Miller told BT Sport (20 September, 7.30pm).
“The potential is there, he’s a fantastic talent, but I’ve watched the last few games now and when teams set up that deep block against him, there’s not a lot of involvement in the game.
“He had a few chances in the first half but if Leigh Griffiths would have played he would have taken those chances.
“In terms of his link-up and his other qualities to bring to the team, I don’t think we’re seeing as much of them in the game.”
Edouard managed just one shot on target in 76 minutes on the pitch against Norwegian visitors Rosenborg. And with Griffiths making the difference off the bench, it remains to be seen how much longer Edouard is included from the start.
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