IT didn’t take long for Neil Lennon to be asked the question that was on the lips of every Celtic supporter in the wake of his side’s impressive 2-0 victory over Europa League play-off rivals AIK Stockholm at Parkhead last night.
How is he going to keep three top class goalkeepers content following the arrival of former England internationalist Fraser Forster in the East End on a season-long loan?
Lennon, who can also, when they are fully fit, call on Scott Bain and Craig Gordon, acknowledged he faced a major selection headache going forward. He stressed, though, that it is the kind of problem he is pleased to have.
“It will probably be difficult to keep them all happy,” he confessed. “But we have strong competition and that’s what I want. I’ve got three outstanding goalkeepers now and it’s a department that is very important.”
Lennon has had to name his compatriot Connor Hazard, the 21-year-old Northern Ireland internationalist, on the bench when both Bain and Gordon have been sidelined. The man from Downpatrick has a promising career ahead of him. But his manager is clearly keen to have more experienced back-up. Now he has it.
What, though, does the arrival of Forster, who was Lennon’s keeper during his first spell in charge of Celtic, mean for Bain and Gordon.
It is highly unlikely the 31-year-old has returned to Glasgow just to sít on the bench. He can do that at Southampton where he has fallen out of favour. The Premier League player will be getting paid good money, too.
“Fraser has missed out on a little bit of football in the last year or so, but we know he is an outstanding talent,” said Lennon. “He is a Premier League goalkeeper and is itching to play. He gives you that presence in goal, it’s unique. He was outstanding for me the first time here and I hope he replicates that this time. We will assess him on Friday and Saturday and see how he is."
When, not if, Forster does get in either Bain, who is currently out for a month with a dislocated finger, or Gordon, will drop out of the squad altogether. Will they be happy to sit in the stand for an extended period and pick up their wages? It is very doubtful.
Who will Lennon decide is his second-choice keeper? Bain has been exceptional since displacing Gordon at the start of this season. He kept a plethora of clean sheets and spent a spell as Scotland’s No.1 as a result.
However, the departure of Brendan Rodgers and arrival of Lennon has led to a change in tactics. The new man in the dugout is less concerned with his keeper passing the ball out from the back. Will that result in Bain, whose form this term has not been entirely convincing, slipping down the pecking order? Kicking is, as Gordon stated earlier this week, his forte.
“You have to say that it’s one of Scott’s biggest attributes, if not his biggest attribute,” he said. “He is a very good kicker of the ball, he passes it really well. If I’m being honest, he does that better than I do. That’s fine. It’s something I didn’t think I did badly, but he can do it better. So I’ve got to hold my hands up and say: 'Yeah, he does that better than me'.
“But he (Lennon) doesn’t want any chances taken. It’s a safety first policy. He still wants us to keep the ball out of the net, just like any manager I’ve ever had. There’s not quite as much focus on playing out from the back. It’s about adjusting to that. The ball gets forward a bit more quickly and we push on from there.”
Despite helping Celtic to win two consecutive trebles under Rodgers, Gordon has many critics in the Parkhead stands who would prefer either Bain or Forster to start ahead of him.
The former Hearts man should get the nod to start against his old club in the Ladbrokes Premiership game at Celtic Park on Sunday as Forster isn’t able to play in the second leg against AIK in Sweden on Thursday evening.
But could Forster, who helped Celtic win three consecutive Scottish titles and reach the last 16 of the Champions League in his first spell in Glasgow, be brought back in for the Rangers game at Ibrox on Sunday?
He has played just a single game of first team football in 20 months – a 3-0 defeat to West Ham at the London Stadium back in May – due to the emergence of Angus Gunn at St Mary’ Stadium.
It will be a big call by Lennon if he does, but it is one which the Northern Irishman is glad to have to make.
The chances are high that if Bain or Gordon is omitted from the Celtic match day squad then they will seek to move on, either temporarily or permanently, in order to get regular game time elsewhere.
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