IF a fairly strict interpretation is applied to what constitutes a striker, then none of Celtic's have managed more than two goals after 14 games so far this season.
Yes, Kris Commons has four and Callum McGregor has managed that many too, but the former is a wide midfielder and the latter a floater who works best when playing in the hole. When it comes to out-and-out strikers (and that includes Amido Balde and Teemu Pukki, both of whom are so out-and-out they are out of the club altogether), none of them has managed more than a couple.
Of the men who have led the line, Anthony Stokes has managed only two goals in 11 appearances, Stefan Scepovic none from four and Pukki was on two from five before he was loaned to Brondby. Leigh Griffiths' figures are nothing to shout about either, at one goal in eight games, although he is another who usually operates wide or deep rather than around the centre-forward zone.
A plea in mitigation can be made for all of them on the basis that their appearances were in some cases as substitutes rather than an entire 90-minute run-out, but the overall end result has been unimpressive so far. Celtic have scored only 21 times in those 14 games across the SFPL Premiership, Champions League, Europa League and League Cup. One other bona fide striker added his name to the goalscorers' list on Wednesday night: against Hearts, there was a first strike for John Guidetti in his third appearance.
Strikers are nourished by goals and Guidetti has been starved. Illness and injuries took such a chunk out of his career that the goal he lashed past Hearts in Wednesday's 3-0 League Cup win was his first in a senior competitive game since scoring for Feyenoord against Excelsior Rotterdam in April, 2012. Guidetti is a bright, effervescent character and if his first goal breeds even more confidence Celtic might have landed a serious attacking force.
"That's what I've been missing for a long time," he said of his first Parkhead goal. "It was great to score of course but also great to win, a fantastic feeling. The feeling you have after scoring a goal and the team's won, and you're there in the shower, that's the feeling I've missed. So it's great for me.
"It was important to get my first goal here. I do it for the fans. I think they make the whole thing, they make a world of a difference. In [my] first game the Green Brigade weren't here, the second game they were here and it was a massive difference. They were back. I said 'hey, they weren't here the first time'. I love the fans. I've been like that since I was small. For me to give something back is great because of the reaction I got when I was introduced here and even when I've been taken off, the reception I've had has been fantastic. I want to give them something back.
"This is Celtic Football Club. It's about winning trophies for Celtic. Of course you want to score goals yourself but at the end of the day it's about winning trophies for Celtic and Celtic being on top, because these fans deserve it. That sounds like a cliche but it's true."
Guidetti (from Manchester City on loan) and Scepovic (from Sporting Gijon for £2.3m) were the heavy artillery brought in by Celtic just before the transfer window closed, supplanting Stokes and Griffiths in the front line. There has been speculation about how long the latter pair will last at Deila's Celtic.
Griffiths has been repeatedly linked with a loan move to Hibernian although both clubs dismissed that yesterday.
"Leigh Griffiths is our player, so there is no decision to make," said Deila. "We have control of the situation and I want to keep him here. In football, you never know but, right now, there is no offer and Leigh has a future with us."
Alan Stubbs, the Hibs head coach, seemed to underline that when he said: "I said all along, we tried to sign him. We enquired about him before the [transfer] deadline, I think that is common knowledge now. Apart from that, there is nothing to report."
Guidetti will surely start against St Mirren tomorrow given that Deila will want to give him as many games as possible and he cannot be used in the Europa League having been signed too late to be registered. With Guidetti, as with the squad as a whole, Deila is mindful of building morale and confidence. "I really like the atmosphere in our dressing room," he said. "Some of the boys have been here many years and they are good boys. They want to get good results for Celtic. You need a good environment and that is good.
"For the new signings, they have only been here three weeks - maybe only two if you take the international break into account - so we need to breathe a bit and let them settle in. In the end, that will make us fitter and stronger. We will also have the ball more. Now we also have to develop a pattern of play so we can open up defences."
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