James Forrest

He's doing ok this season but his end product still lets him down way too often. Beating men is no problem for him but poor delivery into the box is a big failing in his game.

 

Tonight was his 43rd European appearance for us, some experience in Europe considering hes 24. If he remains with us for the rest of his career he could play over 100 games in Europe.

Same number of European games as Paul McStay.

 

I agree we far too many number 10 type players but Armstrong has struggled even when being played in the middle.

Him and GMS are the most bizarre fall from graces I've ever seen at this club.

Didn't want either of them when they signed yet I was so excited about them after the last few months of last season.

 

Aye, more than ever he's not trying to aimlessly whip one in, hopefully. He's cutting them back when we've got overloads outside the box (like tonight) and has more of a purpose. His little flick that almost rounded the right back, on the volley, showed class and confidence..

Genuinely our best outlet by far just now..

 

Seems to have his touch and control back to.

For a while it looked the the ball was a second away from bouncing off his shin or something.

Starting to rate him again.

Need to see how he bounces back from having a mare at some point, always was a weak point, confidence easily rattled.

 

Thought he looked impressive when he came on. Had their full back worried. Does lack that wee bit of awareness when it matters. Should have slipped Rogic in but shot wildly over. Games like last night suit him much more than packed defences where there is no space for him to run into. Problem is most of the time we are up against packed defences.

 

Manager Ronny Deila has confirmed that Celtic are keen for James Forrest to sign a new contract. The 24-year-old's current deal at Parkhead is due to expire at the end of the season, when he would become a free agent. However, Deila has revealed that the Scottish champions want to tie Forrest down to fresh terms. "James is definitely the next that we would like to get in and sign a new contract and get it out of the way.


James and I speak all the time and we would be hopeful that he will agree new terms to stay because he is another important player for us," he told reporters. "We have started to see the form he is capable of this season and when he is fit and pain free he is a great talent. We would love to get him signed up. Hopefully that will happen. He is happy here and we are happy with him. "He wants to stay and we want him here so it should not be a problem. He can be a big player for Celtic because he is very talented.

We just need to keep him fit and injury free." Scotland international Forrest came through the ranks at Celtic and has made over 150 appearances for the club.

 

Cant say im pleased to hear his deal is up this summer. The fact that this is being leaked to the media by the club is probably a positive and hopefully not a negotiating tactic. It does feel that it was ages ago he signed his five year contract. The truth is we should have extended his contract 18 months ago. If he signs we will have gotten away with it as we have been stung by this very thing before and seemingly have not learned from it.

 

He's been posted missing for the 2 seasons before this one so not really a surprise the club didn't sign him up imo.

Now he looks confident and back to his best, I can honestly say he has been one of our best players so far this season imo. I'd be happy for the club to give him another long term deal, this time last year I wouldn't have missed the boy.

 

Well I am a big advocate of better the devil you know so I have to disagree with you there. I would think would a cheap replacement be better than Forrest? You do have a point in the sense that if his injuries persisted then perhaps we shouldn't pull the trigger on a new deal. I wouldn't agree with that either but I can see the logic of that point of view. I think the way James's fitness was handled by Deila is one of his few successes. I think he deserves credit for bringing him back to fitness.

 

Deserves it on this form..

Been a big positive, particularly in Europe and our best outlet (only really) since Sammy, at getting us right up the park..

Clever from us that we've waited to see how his injury problems are, and we seem to have managed him very well the last year..

Doesn't strike me as the type to act up over a new deal, so it should be pretty straight forward..

I'm pleased about it. Think we'll see far more from him over the next couple of year's..

 

I wasn't so much meaning his fitness the last 2 years, which was woeful, it was his alround play. Even when he was fit and in the team he was rank rotten imo. This could partly be down to his contant injuries and so not getting a run of games though.

This year he as really changed my opinion on him, looks electric anytime he's on the ball now with pace to burn. Hopefully he's finally going to live up to the bags of potential he no doubt has.

 

I think he will. I also think that is the reason some men were hard on him i.e. they were annoyed with the fact he wasn't the player he should have been by that point. I'd tie him down to a five year deal in a heartbeat as he has done it at the top level and can really be a top player for us in Europe even if he does not reach his full potential.

 

I firmly believe that since he seems to have mostly sorted his injury problems out he has been outstanding for us. I always liked him and always wanted to see him succeed at Celtic, as I'm sure all fans would want for any of their team's players.

He just looks a lot more driven and focused, more determined and comfortable on the ball. His end product might not always be great but to me he looks a lot like a McGeady type player and we remember how his final ball was on many an occasion.

Deserves a new contract and I'm sure he will keep going from strength to strength.

 

Do we have an exclusively male support now?

I disagree about giving him a 5 year deal given his injury record. A 2/3 year deal with an additional year triggered depending on reaching a certain number of appearances would be more sensible.

 

He bought a new soundboard :smiley-laughing002:

 

Can't believe his deal is up this season.

Time flies.

 

He should take Jim Craig up on his offer about telling him what a full back doesn't like a winger to do.

The skills are there for all to see but he seems to lack the confidence to go past the final player between him and goal quite regularly. Instead he will pass it to the nearest player, maybe signalling that he is afraid to take the risk at the final hurdle.

On the occasion that he does say * it and barrel past the entire opposing team, is great to see as he is exciting when he does so.
More of it laddie.