Opinion: Celtic need more goals from key area of the side

When it comes to finding the back of the net this season, Celtic have been reliant on the team’s attacking players.

As shown by Transfermarkt, only two players have reached double figures in goals so far this season, and they are both forward thinking players. Kyogo, who has scored 16 goals, and Liel Abada, who has weighed in with 10 strikes.

That is to be expected, as those players are usually in the right place at the right time when the ball is near the opposition goal.

However, there is one area of the squad where more goals should be contributed, and that is in midfield. Okay, those players might not technically be goal scorers on a regular basis, but they should still be looking to find the back of the net more often.

If the midfield had been able to score more this season, that could have turned some of Celtic’s draws into wins.

The only midfielder who has come close to double figures for the Hoops so far this season is David Turnbull, who has scored nine times, but it out for action for a few months with a hamstring injury.

The second top scoring midfielder is Tom Rogic, who has only found the back of the net on three occasions. Callum McGregor has scored twice, and Nir Bitton has one goal to his name.

Full-back Anthony Ralston has more goals to his name than any Celtic midfielder aside from Turnbull, he has scored five times. That is a statistic that has to be improved on in the second-half of the season.

Celtic can’t be relying on the same players to find the back of the net every week, more goals have to come from other areas of the squad, and one of those areas is midfield.

Perhaps Hoops boss Ange Postecoglou will encourage his players to have more efforts on goal. That is one way that the midfielders will be able to up their goal tally.

In Celtic’s last game before the winter break was brought forward, Nir Bitton scored an important goal against St Johnstone to secure the win for the Hoops.

Hopefully that is a sign of things to come in the second half of the season when it comes to Celtic’s goal scorers.

With so many attacking players having injuries this season, it is up to those that perhaps don’t score on a regular basis to pick up the pieces and start hitting the back of the net for the Bhoys.