‘I hope the boy can come through this’ – McAvennie frets about Celtic regular starter
Frank McAvennie suggests Celtic are badly missing Fraser Forster after Vasilis Barkas’ display last weekend.
The former Hoops and St Mirren striker, speaking exclusively to Football Insider correspondent Dylan Childs, pointed to Forster’s man of the match performance in last season’s Scottish League Cup final as to reason why.
Barkas has came under fire this week for his hand in the 2-0 loss to Rangers on Saturday, the 26-year-old’s first Old Firm since completing a move from AEK Athens in July.
The Greece international was signed as a replacement for Fraser Forster who returned to Southampton after a highly successful season-long loan spell at Parkhead in 2019/20.
McAvennie is confident that the summer signing will improve as the team does around him.
“Barkas definitely could have done better with the first one,” he told Football Insider.
“The second one you have to blame the defence.
“I would not put too much of the blame at his feet but there is a big difference between him and Forster. If you look at the cup final last year, Celtic got battered but Fraser was there. He saved them. That is what top goalkeepers can do.
“That is what Andy Goram did for years at Rangers. You can get battered and nick a 1-0.
“I hope the boy can come through all this. He has made a couple of rickets but I do not want to slaughter him because nobody played well. As Celtic get better I am sure he will get better.”
In other news, it can be REVEALED that Celtic are working on a cut-price deal for defender ahead of January.