PARKHEAD WINGER HAILS ICE-COOL EDOUARD
Edouard temperament puts him on another level as winger hopes Celtic hold on to star man
WHILE any bean counters on the Celtic board may not agree, James Forrest is hoping that the only major windfall coming the way of his club in the near future is a residual one from the continuing upwards trajectory of Moussa Dembele.
The winger has loved playing with both Dembele – linked again with a big-money move to England yesterday – and now Odsonne Edouard, as the young Frenchmen have made a huge impact up front for Celtic.
Though he feels any comparisons between the players based on what they bring on the field of play are flawed, he is all too aware that there are striking similarities between the pair when it comes to how their careers and profiles have sky-rocketed since arriving in Glasgow.
Edouard’s light is getting harder and harder to hide under a bushel, bagging his 25th goal of the season on the Europa League stage last week in Copenhagen before adding yet another in the win over Kilmarnock on Sunday.
Forrest accepts that he will be catching the eye of scouts in much the same way as Dembele did for his exploits in the hoops, but he hopes to be able to enjoy playing with him for a good while longer yet.
“It’s strange because they might both be strikers, but they are two totally different players,” Forrest said.
“If you ask any Celtic player, they will tell you that they have enjoyed playing with both of them, but I think Odsonne’s link-up play and his cool finishing is great and it’s a real credit to him the way he is going just now.
“He’s so cool. A lot of other players would maybe have beaten themselves up after missing the first two chances [in Copenhagen], but he finishes [his goal] so coolly and it’s a real credit to him.
“All the boys know that if he gets a chance, he is more likely to score it than not. He’s really good. Since he came in a couple of years ago, he’s been great.
“For wide players and attackers, he is good to play with, because his link-up play is good and he can go himself as well. He’s great to have in the team.
“I think that’s a positive for him and for the club [if he is attracting attention] and for the players as well, because you know you are playing with a really good player.
“He’s putting in performances in every game and every competition, he’s doing it in Europe as well, so it’s good for us that we’ve got him and hopefully he can just keep doing what he’s doing.”
There may be a hint of the bittersweet, then, about watching Edouard’s rapid rise to prominence both at home and on the continent for Celtic fans, just as there was among the players when they returned from Denmark last Thursday night with a creditable 1-1 draw in the first leg of their Europa League last-32 tie.
A draw in the first leg, and of course, that all-important away goal from Edouard, is a favourable outcome in anyone’s book ahead of this week’s return leg at Celtic Park, particularly as Fraser Forster had to keep out a Jens Stage penalty in the second half of the game to maintain parity.
Still, there is a nagging feeling that Celtic probably should have taken more from the trip to Copenhagen, such was the volume of chances they created, particularly during an opening period which they dominated.
“There’s mixed feelings,” said Forrest. “It’s a good result in hindsight because they missed a penalty, but we had a lot of chances in the first half and we probably could have killed it.
“Away from home in Europe to get a 1-1 is a good result, and we’ve got the second leg now at home, but because we played well on the break and
Dembele and Edouard are totally different
had a few chances, it was a bit of a mixed night.
“We got the away goal though which is really important, and we will be confident on Thursday.
“We know that if we can keep it tight against them, defend from the front and defend together as a team, like we did in Copenhagen, then we’ve got a lot of good players that can hurt them. We made a lot of really good chances over there and we could have scored more, and that is a real positive for us.” Forrest sat out of the win
on Sunday against Kilmarnock after picking up a slight knock in the Danish capital, but he should be fit for Thursday night’s game.
The break would probably come as something of a welcome relief to the winger, having already played in 47 games this season, scoring 16 times in the process.
Given the fact that Celtic are on a run of 11 games undefeated, though, there aren’t too many heavy legs around Lennoxtown these days as they continue to fight on three further fronts.
“It’s just the same as what it has been like since pre-season, you have games all the time and it doesn’t calm down,” he said.
“I think we’ve had really good performances and results since the break, though, and we’re going to keep looking forward to games coming up.
“The staff keep on at us all the time, and I think when you are still in Europe after Christmas and going for leagues and cups as well, then everyone is right up for it.”