Olivier Ntcham receives praise for Celtic display; could be key asset this season

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The French midfielder’s performance was praised by BBC pundit Pat Bonner.

BBC Scotland pundit and former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner was left impressed by the first half performance of Olivier Ntcham on Tuesday after the player was given his first start of the season (30/07 live match page, 18:41 & 19:43).

Ntcham has had a difficult summer at the Hoops, first missing the vast majority of pre-season training due to international duty then landing himself in hot water for controversial comments made to French newspaper L’Equipe.

Neil Lennon has been keen to move on from the incident though and brought him in from the cold last week against Nomme Kalju with a second half substitute appearance at Celtic Park.

Last night he gave the midfielder further minutes, unleashing him from the start away to the Estonian champions.

It was a decision that paid off, with the Frenchman able to find acres of space between the Kalju lines and impact the match positively. His slick turn, run and pass allowed Mikey Johnston to cross the ball for the Hoops’ opening goal of the 2-0 win.

Bonner was left impressed with his performance, especially in the first half, telling BBC Scotland (30/07 live match page, 18:41 & 19:43): “When Celtic have so much possession Ntcham can set up and find little pockets of space.

“It’s almost as if nobody can pick him up because Kalju have two in the middle of the pitch against Celtic’s three.

“Ntcham will be happy to get 80 minutes. He did okay. I thought he had a good first half, playing in that position off the striker. Good movement and a lot of good passing.”

Competition for places in the Celtic midfield is strong with Callum McGregor, Scott Brown, Ryan Christie, Tom Rogic, Nir Bitton, Luca Connell and Ntcham all competing for central positions when fit.

It’s a good selection headache for Lennon to have and if he can keep Ntcham healthy and happy then the Hoops have a key asset in their attempts to defend all three domestic competitions.

In Europe he’s often a unique talent too, compared to the rest of the squad, with his passing and vision providing the team with purposeful possession retention.

Whether a club tests the waters with a bid before the end of the transfer window remains to be seen, but for now Celtic can be happy that Ntcham is again a part of the team and looks motivated.