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So far this season Stefan Johansen has come under plenty of criticism from Celtic fans.
But is it fair?
The 24-year-old excelled in his second season at Celtic, scoring 13 goals, assisting 10 goals and making 56 appearances. Johansen was rewarded for his efforts and won the PFA Scotland Players’ Player of the Year award.
He was instrumental in helping Celtic lift a domestic double and reach the last-32 of the Europa League.
But why is Johansen, so to speak, being thrown under the bus by fans?
In comparison to last season, I along with many others can see he isn’t performing at the same level, but he is still having a big impact. Fans just can’t see it.
This season in 13 appearances, the Norwegian has scored four goals, joint second in the whole team with Nir Bitton and behind Leigh Griffiths. He has also got five assists this season – more than anyone else in the team.
Yes Johansen has been wasteful in possession this season and given the ball away, but who hasn’t? Fans are looking at players in the same position and lauding them for nearly doing something well, or trying.
Johansen is still delivering goals and assists while not even playing that well. Surely that deserves some credit, no?

Goals are the aim of the game, and here we have a player who quite clearly isn’t performing at the level of last season, but as had a hand in nine goals for Celtic this year.
If you want to be stringent with the Norwegian and kick him while he is down, how will that help the team? It’s not like he is purposely not performing to annoy us fans. It is frustrating when he has bags of ability, but sometimes it just doesn’t come off.
It’s the same with Boyata and Ambrose. They are two scapegoats for Celtic fans to blame when things go wrong – even if they aren’t at fault. Boyata, in particular, is a surprise considering he has just joined the club. Everyone knows Efe is shaky in defence, but I don’t see many praising him recently.
Celtic fans also need to cut Johansen some slack.
He’s not playing well right now, but if he has more assists than anyone else in the team and he’s the second highest goalscorer playing ‘terribly’, imagine what he will do when he’s back in form.
Johansson is going through a rough patch of form and needs to give way to someone who is playing better.
Jock Stein, more than once, dropped Jimmy Johnstone for that reason.
Time to leave out Johansson until he returns to form.
I would not have given him plyer of the year last year.For me he spends a lot of energy running back and forth accross the pitch,it looks good,but in my eyes his ball control is poor,his pass distribution is poor too.If he can improve these two things,in my opinion he would become a great player.