LET’S DELIVER A RUSH OF GOALS

Griffiths convinced Europe is the ideal hunting ground for Celtic to rediscover ruthless streak after stalemate in Paisley

UNDER Brendan Rodgers, Celtic have not so much as beaten sides as drowned them under a torrent of goals. In the Northern Irishman’s first two seasons in charge combined, they scored four goals 16 times, five on 12 occasions and hit six twice.

After five league games of his first term, they had scored 12 and improved upon that total by five when they reached the same juncture a year ago.

The flow this season has not yet completely dried up but, for a variety of reasons, it’s been reduced to a trickle. Just five times Celtic have hit the back of the net thus far on league business. Newly-promoted Livingston have already scored six.

The departure of Moussa Dembele without a suitable replacement arriving has been one factor in the drought as has the tentative way Odsonne Edouard has adjusted to life without his compatriot.

As evidenced by Friday’s goalless draw with St Mirren, however, it’s a lack of creativity as opposed to profligacy that’s the main area of concern.

Without the penetrating runs of Stuart Armstrong, the creation of space seems an issue. There’s also a sense that sides have got a handle on how Celtic play. No longer are they being cut open at will.

A growing concern over a lack of guile hasn’t yet spilled into the European stage. Rodgers’ side have scored in seven of their eight encounters to date, their only failure coming as they intentionally defended a lead in Trondheim against Rosenborg.

The visit of the Norwegians to Glasgow for a second time this season does come at a moment when questions are being asked of the double-Treble winners.

Get the Europa League campaign off to a convincing start and an indifferent opening to the Premiership season will be viewed as no more than a blip.

Fail to drag the Norwegian’s heads under water, though, and the notion will grow that it’s Celtic who are now treading water.

‘We want to get off to a flier,’ said striker Leigh Griffiths. ‘We know what we are going into on Thursday.

‘We have to make sure this game counts and we take advantage. It’s a difficult group and we are looking to get off to a good start.

‘It’s important to take maximum points from our home games and, hopefully, pick up results away from home.

‘The games come around quickly. We’ve got a big squad and are going to have to utilise everybody.

‘It’s a big game first up on Thursday. It’s good we have played them before this season.’

The comfort for Rodgers comes in the character his side showed to defeat the same opponents at the same venue in July. Back then, they rode out the storm of losing an early goal to take a 3-1 lead to Norway courtesy of two goals from Edouard and one from Olivier Ntcham.

For Celtic to emerge from a group also containing RB Leipzig and Red Bull Salzburg, it’s surely imperative they achieve the same outcome.

‘They are a good side and difficult to play against,’ warned Griffiths. ‘You saw it when they took the lead in the first leg at Parkhead.

‘We bounced back and scored three good goals. We deserved to go through in the end.

‘It’s different this time because there are points up for grabs.

‘I believe we can make an impression in the Europa League. It’s a tough group but, if we can get through it, there are some big teams we could be drawn against.

‘We have a good squad and we want to make a mark in this competition.’

The six-day wait to get back to business will feel like an eternity. At Paisley on Friday night, Rodgers’ side simply didn’t do enough to consign a well-drilled St Mirren to defeat.

For all the transformation Oran Kearney had overseen at the Paisley club in just a few days was commendable, Celtic singularly lacked the nous to get in where it hurt often enough.

‘We dominated despite playing a large part of the game with ten men,’ said Griffiths.

‘You’re not always going to get clear-cut chances but you need to put the half chances away.

‘Credit to St Mirren, they were very resolute. I thought I’d nicked it at the end but was maybe half a yard off.

‘Another split second and I would have been on and I had another chance earlier with my right foot I should have buried. It wasn’t to be.’

No one doubts Edouard has all the raw talent in the world. That, in time, the £9million spent on him may look like a shrewd investment.

But right now, the 20-year-old wears the look of a man in dire need of a goal. ‘The big man has done well,’ said Griffiths.

‘I can’t fault him. He’s got the shirt just now and I need to try to take it off him.

‘He played well again on Friday night and was unlucky with a few chances.

‘We have a big week together now to get ready for Rosenborg.’

The goal-scoring hero against Rangers, Ntcham was the villain of the piece in Paisley for being sent off for two avoidable yellow cards.

Irked at the performance of referee Andrew Dallas and his assistants, Rodgers lamented ‘a poor demonstration of officialdom’.

But on the late challenge on Stephen McGinn that led to Ntcham’s dismissal, Griffiths had no beef.

‘I called the second one straight away,’ reflected the striker.

‘I thought ‘uh-oh’. Sincy (Scott Sinclair) was sitting next to me and we thought he’d be off.

‘It was a striker’s challenge, if you like.

‘I don’t want to say too much about the referee though as I’ve seen other folk getting hammered.

‘At least if they try to cite me, they might get my name wrong!

‘These things happen. Olivier knows he’s done wrong but we played well with ten men.

‘I’m sure he’ll apologise to the boys, even if it’s in French. We knew what St Mirren would be like, regardless if we had ten or 11 men.

‘We had a lot of the ball but couldn’t break them down.’

For Griffiths, it made for a frustrating end to an otherwise joyful day.

Now tied to the club until 2022 after signing a new contact, the man who recently bagged his 100th goal for the club is relieved that the saga has at last been resolved.

‘I’m delighted to get the contract over and done with,’ he said.

‘It was a long time coming. I’d like to have capped it off with a goal but it’s nice I can just get on with things.’