ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE
Celtic’s care and attention for forgotten Southampton star Elyounoussi pays off
I know how hard last year was for him. He’s now like a different player
WITH an agreeable climate and an enviable location on England’s south coast, Southampton, as a football club, have never had to work too hard to sell themselves.
Matt le Tissier famously arrived in 1986 and, despite receiving numerous life-changing offers, never left the place. The contentment the man from Guernsey drew from knowing he was the first name on the teamsheet each week was something he steadfastly refused to put at risk.
This is why all the remuneration in the world was never going to leave Fraser Forster and Mohamed Elyounoussi feeling fulfilled at St Mary’s.
Proud professionals who believe in working for their corn, walking the streets of a one-team city while inactive on matchdays never sat well with them.
Forster played just one game in 20 months prior to moving back to Celtic on loan. Elyounoussi, a £16million signing from Basle, featured sporadically in his first year but didn’t kick a ball in anger under Ralph Hasenhuttl this term prior to joining the goalkeeper in Glasgow.
For both players, redemption has been sweet and swift. Forster’s heroics against Lazio reminded the watching world precisely why Southampton paid £10m for his services five years ago.
And Saturday at Hampden was the time and place where Elyounoussi underscored his credentials. After he scored two goals, had a helping hand in two others and struck a post as Neil Lennon’s team brushed Hibernian aside, it was pertinent to wonder how many other multi-millionpound internationals are gathering dust at Premier League clubs.
He wasn’t just involved in all bar one of Celtic’s five goals on the day. His pace, touch and intelligent running off the ball were like implements of torture for a Hibs side with plenty of heart but insufficient quality.
Asked last week if he’d given any thought to trying to secure Elyounoussi on a permanent deal, Lennon’s answer might well have been construed as him being underwhelmed by the Norwegian international winger’s contribution to date. Were that so, it’s unlikely to now be the case.
‘I’m delighted for him,’ said Forster. ‘He had a tough year last year as well. It is amazing what a bit of love and confidence can do for you.
‘Ever since he scored that first goal, he hasn’t looked back. He keeps chipping in and contributing and it’s fantastic for us that he’s doing that.’
That’s seven goals in his last seven games for the 25-year-old. The kind of return Forster always knew he was capable of once full fitness brought his confidence to the fore.
‘It’s just a positive, multiplying effect,’ explained the keeper. ‘Last year, he did not really play much football at all. He has come here and you need that run of games in the team — it’s hard to come in and be expected to do it from day one.
‘But he’s come in, had a few 90 minutes under his belt, scored, had assists and his confidence can only grow and grow if he is doing that.
‘I am delighted for him. I know more than anyone how hard it was for him last year. And he just looks like a completely different player.’
As if Celtic weren’t dangerous enough beforehand, Elyounoussi’s emergence has given Lennon’s side an extra attacking dimension.
Although exceptional on the day, neither Odsonne Edouard nor James Forrest scored, although the latter also struck the upright.
With a Scott Brown double coming after Callum McGregor had claimed Celtic’s second, how pleasing it was for the Betfred Cup holders to remind the competition of the potency they have running throughout the team.
‘We are just so clinical at the minute, lads are popping up all over,’ added Forster.
‘Even Broony got two — that’s a collector’s item. And Mo (Elyounoussi) got another couple as well.
‘It’s good everyone is chipping in with goals all over the park and it’s only a good thing. Hopefully we can keep that going.
‘We have a lot of quality all over the pitch. Look at the attacking positions. It’s just good we have lads firing on all cylinders all over.
‘Mo has got excellent quality and so have the other lads; it gives the manager a headache, but it’s good for us.’
When Lennon rode to the rescue in February, the 24-game unbeaten domestic cup record he inherited from Brendan Rodgers might well have been seen as a burden.
Saturday’s win ensured a scarcelybelievable 30-mark was reached — and the ball will remain in the air until December 8 at least.
‘It is good to keep that going,’ said Forster. ‘It’s a fantastic achievement and it’s good to get the job done and get to the final.
‘They are tough games, anything can happen in a cup competition. I don’t think league form comes into it.
‘There were spells in the game when Hibs got the ball down and moved it around very well. ‘We had a lot of chances and probably could have killed the game earlier. It was going backwards and forwards a bit but it was good to get the job done. That’s all that matters in a cup competition.’ Top of the Premiership and their Europa League group and into the final of the Betfred Cup, it’s hard to imagine how Celtic could possibly feel better about themselves as they prepare for Lazio in Rome on Thursday. ‘That’s the key thing — momentum,’ explained Forster. ‘It was another good performance and we scored a few goals and it just keeps it ticking over. ‘It will be a tough game on Thursday. We want to go there and put in a good performance and keep doing what we have been doing in the Europa League.’ Asked if he felt this side have the ability to emerge from Rome with a positive result, Forster replied: ‘Why not? Look at what we have done so far in the competition ‘There is nothing to be scared of if we play the way we know we can play. ‘We are under no illusions how tough it will be. They have some fantastic players so there is nothing to be scared of. We just have to go and do our thing. ‘It will be a different game for sure. We’re expecting them to have a lot of the ball and, hopefully, I am not busy — but you never know. It will be a good test. We will see where we are at.’