Celtic have not been at their best this season and John Collins has been unimpressed with the club’s recruitment strategy
John Collins has questioned Odsonne Edouard’s workrate during a season in which the Frenchman has repeatedly been linked with a move away from the club.
Collins, who spent six years in midfield for Celtic and went on to serve as assistant manager under Ronny Deila, also believes Scott Brown should have been replaced.
Edouard has been linked with the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham, West Ham and Juventus, with the Daily Mail putting his value at £35m.
The 23-year-old is widely expected to move on at the end of the season, but remains in Glasgow for the time being and scored in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Motherwell at Celtic Park.
Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Sportsound, Collins said: “Edouard, he wanted to go in the summer.
“Anyone who watched Celtic at the start of the season will have seen a player that was not motivated, was not sprinting and pressing down centre-halves and full-backs.
“The recruitment’s not been good enough.”
On Celtic captain Brown, who played under Collins at Hibs, the former Scotland international said: “I’m a huge admirer of him.
“I sold him to Celtic when I was Hibs manager, he’s been a great servant.
“But at 35 years of age, he should have been replaced.
“I was 35 and it came to me as well. The brain’s saying one thing but the legs don’t get across the pitch.”
Edouard has scored 16 goals in 27 appearances this season, but until recent weeks his form has been patchy.
Celtic are next in action on Wednesday night when they face St Mirren in Paisley. A win over Jim Goodwin’s men would cut Rangers’ gap at the top of the Premiership to 18 points.
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