Celtic boss Brendan Rodgers will be doing everything in his power to ensure his first campaign back in the Parkhead dugout ends with silverware.
With four Scottish Premiership matches left to play, his side sit three points clear of Rangers at the top of the pile heading into this weekend’s round of league fixtures.
In a tight affair at Dens Park last Sunday, James Forrest made himself the hero for Celtic, netting two powerful strikes to ward off a late fightback from the hosts; however, there will be an acknowledgement from supporters that a better performance is needed against Heart of Midlothian on Saturday.
Despite reinforcements in the wide areas this summer, Forrest has been a valuable contributor under Rodgers this season, registering six goals and one assist in 24 appearances across all competitions [Transfermarkt].
Labelled ‘one of the fathers of the great success this club has had’ by his manager, the Scotland international has been tipped to make a late break for Steve Clarke’s squad that will head to compete in EURO 2024 this summer by several pundits.
Nicolas Kuhn, Hyunjun Yang, Luis Palma, and Daizen Maeda are also fighting for places on the flanks; however, Forrest’s experience cannot be understated in the heat of a title race.
James Forrest’s ‘priceless’ qualities under Brendan Rodgers
Undoubtedly, Celtic can’t take their eye off the ball as they continue to pursue a domestic double, having brought themselves from five points behind to lead the way in the Scottish Premiership.
Per BBC Sport, journalist Alisdair Lamont has paid tribute to Hoops boss Rodgers for inspiring his side to re-compose themselves in the title race; meanwhile, he also praised Forrest for taking a leading role in our title push despite being on the periphery over the last couple of years at Parkhead.
He explained, initially citing the Bhoys’ consecutive league defeats against Kilmarnock and Hearts back in December: “Celtic appeared to be rocking back then, with that result following hot on the heels of another defeat at Rugby Park. It is to the credit of Rodgers and his players that they have regained their composure to once again control the destiny of the title.
“But while they are once again favourites to be crowned champions, performance levels are not of a sufficiently consistent high standard that anything can be taken for granted, least of all a victory over Hearts.
“However, the resurgence of James Forrest has been a timely one for his manager and the team, particularly in the absence of Daizen Maeda. Having been a peripheral figure in the last couple of seasons, Forrest has shown his qualities at a key point in the campaign.
If he can stay fit and continue in the same vein, that could be priceless for Celtic in their double quest and, as others have suggested, earn him a place in Steve Clarke’s Scotland squad for the Euros.”
Celtic have shown character to enter driving seat in the title race
Nothing has come easy for Celtic this season; however, there are promising signs of an exciting end to the season for Rodgers in his first season back at Parkhead.
Nevertheless, there is still plenty of work to be done, with back-to-back home clashes against Hearts and Rangers potentially proving decisive in our efforts to win the title.
On Saturday afternoon, Parkhead will be packed out as Celtic look to take one step closer to achieving their aspirations, and every single supporter has their part to play in helping the team get over the line.