Griffiths can see the bigger picture amid his frustration
IF there’s no questioning the veracity of the wisdom that every top striker needs a selfish streak in order to succeed, there can also be no place in team sport for those who view themselves as first among equals.
One year ago, a 40-goal season, the Premiership title and a stack of individual awards in his sights, Leigh Griffiths seemed to be the epitome of the man who had everything. Certainly, no one was of a mind to question the blinkers the 26-year-old often seemed to be wearing as he tormented goalkeepers across the land.
This season has been the equivalent of the third album syndrome. A string of injuries and the emergence of Moussa Dembele have conspired to limit the Scot’s opportunities in front of goal with the net bulging just 14 times as a consequence.
The perfect storm left the player with two choices: To curse his luck and sulk at the unfortunate turn of events; or show a maturity and an appreciation for the common good in a manner that may have been beyond him a few years ago.
‘You want to play as much as possible and to score as much as possible,’ Griffiths said. ‘But it’s not about you — it’s about the team and what success it can get. I’d rather win three trophies with 14 goals than one with 40 goals. It’s not about individual accolades. You want to win as many trophies as you can. Team success comes before your own although you can’t help but want to get individual awards, too.’ Griffiths is smart enough to realise that football rarely goes to plan. He was almost anointed last season. Not only was he the first name on Ronny Deila’s team-sheet, he just could not miss in front of goal.
It’s almost like the footballing gods have intervened this term. Dembele’s impact has been Earth-shaking. Griffiths was plagued by calf problems even prior to Slovenia keeper Jan Oblak’s extended knee fracturing a bone in his back while on Scotland duty last month.
‘It was the fourth bone up from the base of my spine but, to be honest, that wasn’t the sorest bit,’ explained Griffiths. ‘That was the nerves as they were giving me spasm and the most pain.
‘I tried to run it off in the tunnel (at half-time) and jog towards the pitch but that’s when it was sore.
‘Scott Brown was actually giving me a bit of stick, saying that I was faking injury a bit because of the two chances I’d missed.
‘Then when I crumpled to the floor he said: “Come on we need you, we’ve got 45 minutes to go”. He was still giving me stick on Monday and Tuesday, but then his face dropped when he found out I’d fractured a bone in my back.’
THE diagnosis put the tin lid on a forgettable personal night in dark blue. Typical of the new mature Griffiths, though, the missing of those two chances that ought to have ended his drought for the national team didn’t detract from a fine night’s work for Gordon Strachan’s side in his eyes.
‘I was angry at myself at half-time, especially for the first chance. Any other time that goes in the back of the net,’ he recalled.
‘The second chance, where I hit the post, I can’t really hit that ball any better. I did everything right but it was just one of those things.
‘I was glad big Chris (Martin) pulled me out of a hole. It was a vital three points for us and we need to go again in June.’
While the involvement of Scott Brown for the June 10 game against England presents a quandary for Brendan Rodgers, Griffiths’ situation is straightforward.
A hitherto frustrating campaign to date has left him with much fuel in the tank. Respite from club duties in May is the last thing on his mind.
‘I’ve hardly played. I will do well to get a medal at this rate,’ he smiled.
‘I want to play as much as I can. Broony, Stuart (Armstrong) and others deserve time off as they’ve played most of the season and have done really well.
‘Towards the end of the season they might fizzle out a little, so the gaffer will maybe look towards Scotland and the job they can do for them. They’ll get time off but I want to play as much as possible between now and June — and then if there’s time off before pre-season, I’ll be delighted. For me, it’s just about getting back into the team, scoring goals and playing well.’
Ousting Dembele from the side in the interim is the tallest of orders. The young Frenchman’s debut season for Celtic has been spectacular. The 32 goals he has struck have made a mockery of the £500,000 Fulham were paid for his services.
If Griffiths does harbour a shred of resentment for the man who has stolen his thunder, he certainly hides it well.
‘I got injured before the (5-1) Rangers game and he came in — and stamped his own mark by scoring a hat-trick which was the first time it had been done in 40 or 50 years,’ he said.
‘Of all the strikers who had been here before, none of them had done that. He came in, probably the first or second game he’d started, and did it. He’s a massive talent, he’s only 20 and still has a lot to learn.
‘You can see out on the pitch what he can do. That’s the reason he’s been touted for a big-money move.
‘You want the best players available for your club regardless of whether
you’re going to play or not. He deserves to be playing. I’ve no qualms about not playing. Moussa deserves to be playing just now but if he does have a blip in form then, hopefully, I’m there to step up to the plate.’
With as many as eight games to go, he still retains hope of ending a trying season on a high. Were Celtic to leave Dingwall unbeaten tomorrow, it would be the 40th straight occasion that has happened.
Becoming just the fourth Celtic team to win the Treble would be historic enough. Surely never again, though, will a side arrive in mid-April with the chance of pulling off such a feat while remaining undefeated.
‘We’ve got six or seven games left to go and make our mark as heroes — and everyone is going to go and get their chance to do that.
‘The gaffer has stressed to us that he wants to make his own mark here, he doesn’t want to live off the back of other teams.
‘It (going unbeaten) would be really special. It’s been talked about since we started winning games.
‘It will be Rangers’ mission to try and stop us winning the Treble. Everybody will be fired up to beat us.’