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Leigh Griffiths

Discussion in 'Ex Players' started by Vertie Auld, Jan 31, 2014.

Discuss Leigh Griffiths in the Ex Players area at TalkCeltic.net.

  1. TheHappyLoss

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    Love the wee guy. One of my favourite players at Celtic just now, but this time sadly he is well in the wrong.
     
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  2. MacEwan Himmy Butler Gold Member

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    I know what you’re saying about tough love and Lennon basically feeling he has to say it how it is, but I don’t think it needs to be public. I don’t think it’ll help anyone.

    Griffiths has been unbelievable for us at times, his attitude has always been in question but we’ve never thought it affects him on the pitch. I really think there’s more to it, he might be falling out of love with the game completely and that’s not something he should be criticised for. He’s obviously dealing with more important things than football and if he’s got to leave the game to sort that then so be it.

    I’d like to know where his head is at. He needs to decide if he needs to step away or if he’s going to be ready for the start of the season. I’m not going to sit and slag him or speculate on a forum though, that’s what this comes down to.
     
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  3. MacEwan Himmy Butler Gold Member

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    As I’ve said we don’t know where his head is at.

    The mind is a strange thing. I wouldn’t question how much the 10 matters to him, but perhaps he’s got more on his plate. I’m trying to understand it just like everyone else. This simply can’t be a case of him being a lazy * and not caring.

    I don’t think he’s the difference maker for 10 in a row, but I’d really like him to be a part of it.

    Ultimately Leigh being happy comes first for me. Whether that’s with, or without football.
     
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  4. JC Anton Get yer, hats, scarfs badges & tapes

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    I hope Lenny doesn't abandon 3-5-2
     
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  5. MacEwan Himmy Butler Gold Member

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    It’s hard to impose something like “stay off social media” to one player though. One rule for one and another for the rest, despite it being a problem to that one. The club can advise him to stay off, they can’t force him off or punish him for being on it. That’s upto him.

    If I was him I’d stay off it, for numerous reasons.

    I’d of rather of given him an ultimatum behind closed doors before I went to public. I’d let him leave before letting the vultures in the media pick at him again.
     
  6. Dublin Celt

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    Think klimala could be more effective in that role with edoaurd, let's be honest it's all peaks and troughs with Griffith's , Griffith's in good form will be like a new signing again, I'd leave him out in the cold for now and I think if he is managed correctly and Lennon seems to know how to manage him he could turn good again maybe at the right time as the season progresses where the games are coming thick and fast. For what we would get for him financially he is more valuable turned around and firing for us. Interesting to hear Damien duff describe him as the best natural finisher he ever saw and he played with a fair few natural finishers in Keane and drogba in his day.

    Sent from my GM1903 using Tapatalk
     
  7. King of Kings

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    In so far that every decision or emotion stems from the brain, wether that be resolve to prove someone wrong, indifference towards your job, an inability to stick to routine, you name it, it’s all related to mentality. That doesn’t make it a mental health issue though.

    I think the very fact that Lennon and Brown have come out and publicly challenged him on this suggests that it’s not an issue with Leigh’s mental health. It is an issue with his mentality and they should be looked at through separate lenses imo.

    His lack of discipline as far as training goes has followed his career. The difference this time is that it looks like it’s last chance saloon, and for me at least, I wouldn’t like to take the chance that he does come good. By all means support him, but we also have to face the reality that one injury to Eddy (or him leaving) would leave us with two very unproven strikers to step in, because our second striker is nowhere near ready to play.
     
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  8. Garrymac1888 Gold Member Gold Member

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    It's not as simple as one being right and one being wrong, far too simplistic that approach.

    Neil is absolutely right to be furious and tear him to bits, doing it in public is unnecessary though.

    Leigh also needs to recognise he either needs constant help if he wants to fulfil his talent or else it's time to look for another calling in life if he wants true happiness.

    Why was NL wrong going public?

    Something Neil should understand, people are never more vulnerable with their mental health when it becomes common knowledge, perversely the best thing to do if suffering from mental ill health is to speak but the flip side is that is when people make rash destructful decisions.

    It's not as black and white as "he should have known better".
     
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  9. JC Anton Get yer, hats, scarfs badges & tapes

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    Not sure, would like to see it tried. Klimala strikes me as a counter attacking forward we may need to invest in a penalty box striker.
     
  10. MacEwan Himmy Butler Gold Member

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    But mental health can affect the things you’ve listed.

    I don’t think it’s for Lennon or Brown to decide whether it’s a mental health issue or not.

    However I agree that I don’t believe they’d speak publicly if they had a even a slight thought in their mind that it’s a mental health issue that’s causing further issues with Leigh.

    If baffled by the entire situation. I’m willing to let it play out and accept what ever happens.

    My only gripe was the way some idiots were posting about it as if they’ve been waiting for the “told you so” moment.
     
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  11. stubhoy07 Gold Member Gold Member

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    It's a fair enough reply. And I do agree, he has been unbelievable in the past. Think we all hope we will see that again one day
     
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  12. Seán Mac D Gold Member Gold Member

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    We have to trust Lennon's judgement on this, he knows the ins and outs of the situation far more than any of us on here do. Going by the statement he has already had private chats with Leigh and he's not done what he's been asked to do, either with the conditioning schedule or the staying off social media.

    If he's falling out of love with the game then he should be honest with Lennon about it.

    Lennon is right in what he's saying, we're paying him a lot of money to be fit and bang in the goals for Celtic, if he doesn't want to do what is asked of him to do that then that's his prerogative but Lennon is under no obligation to allow guys to do that, when his own neck is on the line.

    We need everyone pushing in the same direction this season. We can't have complacency, we can't have egos and we can't have distractions.

    Playing for Celtic should be a meritocracy; Christie done his loan stints, sat patiently and grafted like * to get in. Same with Ajer. Frimpong was seen as a development player until his effort in training was spotted. That should be par for the course at Celtic.

    We looked devastating in Scotland when we switched to the 3-5-2 and Griff was a big part of that but he shouldn't be resting on his laurels and thinking that purple patch cements his place in the team. He was still rusty in places and working up to full fitness, the shut down came at a bad time for him but ultimately to be a Celtic player you need to be delivering most of a calendar year, not just here and there when you're fit.
     
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  13. celtic warrior

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    His career seems littered with cases of poor professionalism and personal choice. This hardly seems to be something new for him.

    Every so often he seems especially prone to this, I would perhaps suggest he could have feasibly had battles with his mental health far earlier in his career then the one that was publicised recently.

    Unfortunately this just getting too much now he's getting older so even for high level athletes it only gets harder to stay at a level consistently, more so if you're not taking care of yourself.

    We can assume behind closed doors Celtic has given him adequate support, they have likely used their reach to help him find the best professional help he can get. There is very little more Celtic can do as Leigh needs to put the effort in as well.

    It's all very sad really because I'm sure all of the celtic fan base were chomping at the bit to see him come through and smash the league as we know he can and it be a sweeter GIRFUY to Scottish media and all the other * of everyone outside celtic.

    But again, this appears to be something that happens often throughout his career and while it sounds * harsh and unfair, Celtic can't be forever spending time and energy into helping someone who can't help themselves. As with any business there will come a time where it sadly just isn't viable anymore.

    He needs to get his head straight because it will kill his career in football.
     
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  14. scootz

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    I'm not a fan of hanging players out to dry, but if Leigh has really taken the *, then he'll just have to suck up what's coming his way.

    I think Lenny can be trusted on this.
     
  15. Seán Mac D Gold Member Gold Member

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    I think it's a relatively inconsequential request from an employer and manager who have done a * of a lot for him as an individual.

    Most employers have social media policies these days, you are seen as a representative of that organisation and you need to follow their codes of conduct.

    Social media isn't an issue for the likes of a Broony as he rarely uses it for any purpose other than to retweet Official Celtic posts or personal charity messages; if Leigh can't see the difference between using it like that and biting at WUMs, posting cheap jibes about the huns or posting tops off pictures in response to Lennon saying he's not happy with his condition, then I don't know how else it could be explained.

    I love Griff but no man is bigger than the club. He needs to have some humility, bite his tongue even if he thinks Lennon is wrong and do what's asked of him. If he doesn't then he won't be at Celtic much longer.
     
  16. Garrymac1888 Gold Member Gold Member

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    To be honest, the thing I'm surprised about is that this has surprised anyone.

    I said to my son when watching that * party game thing on Celtic TV on the Champions day he came across as a tad manic. Hand gestures, eyes all over the place, picking at his skin...Every bit of that segment was screaming out he needed looked after during lockdown and one 2 one care. Not one to diagnose people without a case study, but it had every trait of someone who is on the extreme spectrum of bi-polar.

    When he is good he is very good.....you know the rest of the saying.
     
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  17. oh bhoy

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    If Griffiths is acting the ballix Lennon shouldn't be complaining about it publicly ,nobody should have mentioned he wasn't going to france , get him sold and get somebody else in no drama .he's a good player but if he lets one of the senior players act like that it won't be long before the younger guys see that and do the same. Don't think there is a way back for him can't see Lennon giving him a big kiss
     
  18. Officer Doofy Come to me, human man Gold Member

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    He's not wrong at all. It seems like this conversation has been had in private on a few occasions and it's not sinking into Griffiths.

    He's taking the absolute * and it's not the first time. Every manager he's had at this club has criticised his attitude when it comes to keeping himself in shape and being an athlete, and that's going back 5 or 6 years. He just never * learns.

    And he's spot on about Griffiths on Twitter, and his general behaviour at times. He acts like a teenage lassie. Regularly replying to wee fannies on Twitter instead of just ignoring it. Hitting out with "inspirational" quotes to show he's not finished. Oh and I almost forgot the Tik Tok videos.

    What is the best way to manage him then? By having another word behind the scenes? It's clearly doing nothing.
     
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  19. Gioventu UTLR Gold Member

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    Can’t believe folk are slating Lennon on this. Lennons suffered from mental health issues in the past so would have understood Leigh’s issues last season. I doubt any other manager would have supported him as much as he would have or even given him a chance for that matter. Leigh’s a professional and that’s a bad enough reason for returning out of shape, but to do it after the support he’s had from the manager, players, club and fans is just sheer stupidity and disrespect. If he knuckles down again I don’t have a problem with giving him another chance although I’ve got a feeling it would again just be a waiting game for the next * up to happen. No wonder the club are looking for another striker.
     
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  20. Scotia Gold Member Gold Member

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    Seething Neil Lennon read Leigh Griffiths the riot act after his patience snapped with the striker.

    The Hoops boss slammed Griff for putting on weight in lockdown and blasted his social media ‘nonsense’. Lennon insisted the Scotland star had let his team-mates down and the hitman is now fighting for his Parkhead future.

    Lennon said: “I’m not happy. I think that’s fairly obvious by the fact that we’ve left him behind.

    “He’s come back out of condition and overweight. Any physical work we asked him to do he was coming out of saying he was injured. That’s going to be the case because he’s out of condition.

    “It would have been absolutely pointless bringing him with us. We had an extensive week in Loughborough and he wouldn’t have been fit to play the games here.

    “The ball is firmly in his court in terms of getting in the right condition.

    “He needs to stop all the social media nonsense with all these slogans he puts out there.

    “The boys here are all top professionals and I have a great staff who are all professional as well. They deserve better and he should know better.

    “He needs to get his head down and get fit because that’s what we pay him for.”

    He said: “Did I have words with him? I did, yeah. I told him he wouldn’t be coming on the trip and that we were bitterly disappointed in how he’s come back.

    “Since then I’m
 disappointed with his reaction on social media when we’ve asked him not to engage on it because it just becomes a downward spiral.

    “We’ve done everything we possibly could. He’s had a long lay-off, he came back and he got back into the team. For me he was still a bit short fitness-wise but enough to get through the Scottish games.

    “But if he wants to have a future here at the club it’s down to himself.

    “We’re not prepared to do a lot more for him. Everything’s there for him. He’s let himself down and he’s let us down.

    “You can never say never about chances but he’s got a lot to do to get back around it. It shouldn’t have come to this. He shouldn’t have been out of condition and shouldn’t have been heavier.”

    Lennon aimed his ire at Griffiths but praised his players for hitting the ground running in their first match for 131 days in Lyon.

    Sub Patryk Klimala got off the mark in the draw with Nice and the Celtic boss insisted there’s more to come from the Pole.

    Lennon said: “The players were really sharp and I was really pleased with that. I was delighted with the performance as I couldn’t have asked for any more.

    “It’s great for Klimala to get his goal as you can see he’s worked really hard throughout lockdown. He looks in better shape than ever and we know he’s a work in progress.

    “His goal showed what he’s good at, he’s aggressive and determined with his pressing, and he got his reward for that.

    “He’s come to us from a totally different style of play where he’s used to chasing things over the top on the counter attack.

    “Now he’s come to a team that has a lot of possession so he has to adjust to that. We’ve seen improvement in him in the last few weeks.

    “I think he’ll be fine as we go on.

    “As he goes on he’ll be an asset for us but he’ll need to adapt to the way we play rather than us adapting to him.”



    Longest final written warning I've ever seen .. ( no that I ever got one , other boys showed me theirs )
     
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