THE GRIFFITHS CONUNDRUM
Leigh is too honest for his own good... I can understand his ‘kick in the teeth’ comments
STEVEN NAISMITH suspects Leigh Griffiths has aroused suspicion over his reasons for pulling out of the Scotland squad by being too honest for his own good.
Last month the Parkhead striker was benched as Naismith scored the second goal in the 2-0 win over Albania.
And Griffiths described the subsequent admission from manager Alex McLeish that the Hearts forward was now likely to lead the line as a ‘kick in the teeth’.
Citing unspecified fitness issues as an explanation for pulling out of the squad to play Israel tonight and Portugal on Sunday, it is proving difficult to shift the perception that he is undergoing treatment for a bruised ego and a petted lip.
‘Some people will see it that way,’ Naismith acknowledged. ‘If anything, Griff is too honest for his own good sometimes.
‘He is a forward who wants to play. His comments about a “kick in the teeth” and all that, I can understand what he is saying.
‘He is not saying: “I am not going to try from now on”. He is saying: “It’s a blow”.
‘Every week at every club players take a blow. It is how you react to it.
‘He has worked hard and scored a few goals for Celtic. But if he has come to this conclusion about this trip, then that’s fair enough.’
Griffiths has played down suggestions his Scotland career might be over at the age of 28, insisting he remains committed to his country.
‘In a year’s time we might be sitting here thinking we are close to going to the Euros and Griff’s a big part of that,’ added Naismith ‘Why would you not want to be a part of it?
‘Since I have been in the international team, there’s been a few players that have taken time out. James McArthur has done the same. He thinks he needs to focus on longevity and it’s not in the press.
‘But because Griff is at the Old Firm and he is a goalscorer, it’s being talked about more. That’s it for me, to be honest.’
Naismith is the first to admit he can relate to the dilemma facing the Celtic striker.
A footballer turning his back on his country is one of the great taboos. Yet sometimes they do it because they feel unable to do themselves justice rather than a sudden desire for a week in Ibiza.
Naismith passed on the end-of-season Scotland trip to Peru and Mexico after telling Alex McLeish he didn’t feel fit enough to meet the required standard.
‘I can understand it,’ he added. ‘It is a situation where people will think: “That’s crazy. How can he do that? He should be grateful”.
‘But if Griff doesn’t think he can come away and give his best, then he is sacrificing himself to give someone else a chance and you have to appreciate and understand that.
‘Players go through these periods and it’s kind of like when I had something similar in the summer.
‘I spoke to the manager and said: “Look, I’ve got a bit of an injury. It wouldn’t keep me out of a competitive game but I don’t think I’d do myself justice or the team. If I sat it out, worked hard and came back…”.
‘There might be times when you need to work through an injury and play in a game, but there might be times when you might think I will do myself more damage in terms of reputation and the thoughts of the manager. It’s literally down to that. That is obviously Griff’s mindset.’
Playing down the idea Griffiths might decide he can live without international football on a permanent basis, Naismith pointed out: ‘Griff has been in a lot of squads where he has not played a lot of games, but he has continued to turn up — if anything, he is coming to a time in his career when he is reaching his peak.
‘Why would you want to miss out on international football when you are coming into that period?’
Bluntly, Naismith has more to gain from the absence of Griffiths than anyone. Dismissive of the picture painted of the two drawing pistols at dawn for a place in the starting XI, however, the former Rangers star rubbishes talk of the two being engaged in a duel.
‘I just don’t see that with us at all,’ said Naismith. ‘I don’t class myself as an out-and-out striker, anyway.
‘In terms of playing up front, what helped me is playing as a striker in my younger days. But as I got to professional and firstteam level, I think managers recognised that I could play in a few positions.’
The absence of Griffiths makes it likely Naismith will be asked to play a central striker role in a 3-4-3 formation. Uncomfortable with his billing as a ‘main man’, however, the 32-year-old is taking nothing for granted.
‘You are saying: “The main man” but I don’t feel that,’ he said. ‘I feel like I have said — and the manager has made it clear — that whoever is on form will play. ‘Oli McBurnie started great for Swansea and Johnny Russell has also come in. A lot has been made of me and Griff but Johnny played up front last month and had a great game. ‘I maybe got a bit more of the headlines because I scored but you can’t underestimate how well
Johnny played.’