Swiss army knife Ajeti gives Celtic options in attack Lennon mixes things up but is left still searching for best chemistry in midfield
CELTIC left it late, but super-sub Albian Ajeti rode to the rescue with an 83rd-minute strike to clinch a vital three points for the champions against Dundee United on Saturday night.
Here are five talking points from a tough evening at Tannadice...
Ajeti arrived at Celtic with an impressive goalscoring pedigree from his time at Basel, and it seems he has lost none of his attacking instincts despite a difficult spell at West Ham last season.
He may not have had a lot of game time lately, but Ajeti looked pretty sharp when he came on as a substitute as Celtic toiled to make the breakthrough despite their dominance against a stuffy United.
He was the quickest on the scene as the ball bounced loose in the box following a Benjamin Siegrist save from Ryan Christie’s shot, keeping his cool to slam home through a sea of bodies with just seven minutes remaining.
Yes, he is still short of match fitness, but he showed enough to suggest he might be a real threat when he is up to full speed, his predatory instincts offering a different option to the guile and craft of Edouard.
What may be even more heartening for Celtic supporters is that the arrival of Ajeti opens up the possibility that Neil Lennon may once again revert to the 3-5-2 formation that worked so well in the second half of last season.
With Leigh Griffiths missing at the moment and Patryk Klimala still not trusted to start, Lennon has recently set his team out in the 4-2-31 formation he favours, with Odsonne Edouard alone in attack.
That he was able to bring on Ajeti and switch things around to win the match will be pleasing for the Celtic manager, giving his team the other string to their bow that they have perhaps been missing in the early stages of the season.
That Celtic were able to bring Elyounoussi back to the club in the summer was seen as a major coup by both manager and supporters, such was the impact of the on-loan Southampton man last season despite some troublesome injuries.
Now free of those issues, big things were expected of the player at the start of this season, but he has yet to hit his straps on domestic duty despite an impressive performance in the Champions League qualifying rout of KR Reykjavik last midweek.
It is not that he is playing badly, but he has yet to provide the magic to unlock defences in games when Celtic are struggling to break teams down, such as the draw at Rugby Park or here at Tannadice.
He was quiet at Tannadice, and it was no surprise he was replaced midway through the second half, with James Forrest coming on and impressing after surprisingly being left out of the starting line-up.
Sticking to the theme, Celtic seem to still be looking for the right chemistry in behind the front line, with Lennon mixing things up as Olivier Ntcham came into the side and Forrest dropped to the bench.
The move saw Christie drift over to the right, where he was able to find all sorts of space and rain shots down on Siegrist in the United goal as he cut inside, but the width Forrest normally provides was absent.
Had Christie been able to take one or two of his numerous opportunities then the changes would have been deemed a success, but as it was, there were still plenty of question marks around who the best personnel for the midfield actually is.
Tom Rogic looks set to leave, but a move for Motherwell midfielder David Turnbull may see the midfield options bolstered again, so Lennon faces a pleasant headache in finding the right mix week-toweek in the centre of the park as well as keeping all of those players happy.
Premiership, United have adopted a safety-first approach, perhaps understandably given they have had to make that step up without talisman Lawrence Shankland, who is missing through injury.
That philosophy has served them well with two wins, a draw and now a second defeat, and their organisation and desire to defend their goal took them to within just seven minutes of another decent result.
It helped of course that they had the outstanding Siegrist in goal, but the two experienced centre-backs in front of him are just as pivotal to the
United cause. Both Mark Connolly and Mark Reynolds performed well, cajoling and organising their younger team-mates, and partaking in some uncompromising defending when the occasion demanded.
Certainly, the winners of last season’s Championship have shown they will be no soft touch now they are back among the big boys.
relegated. But I wanted to come in and help out and be a positive attitude around the place like all the boys have.
“For me personally [the stability] has been huge. It is letting me concentrate on the football. At 28 I am at a good age and I want to help younger players like Lewis Neilson, Kieran Freeman and other young boys. I have experienced a lot in football, but I want to help these boys as well.”
Connolly says the fact the United dressing room was so deflated after the defeat to the