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Manager: High expectations have not helped Celtic striker
By Harvey Byrne
Celtic loanee striker Nadir Ciftci has failed to impress with Polish club Pogon Szczecin and his manager believes expectations may have been to high on the player.
The 25-year-old Turkish player was sent out to Poland in February until the end of the season after failing to have impact for the Hoops since Brendan Rodgers was appointed.
He would have looked to use the move as a way to impress and try to fight his way back into the Glasgow giants’ squad.
However, he has failed to find the net in five appearances for the Polish top-flight side and manager Kazimierz Moskal has shared that they may have expected too much from the Celtic man.
“Nadir’s problems here are because he hasn’t played football properly for a long time and is lacking match fitness,” told Moskal to Polish media, as quoted by the Daily Record.
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“But with each passing week here and the more he plays, it should work in his favour.
“It would have been helpful if he arrives here fully fit and ready to play, but we knew it would take time with him.
“Expectations were high when he arrived, perhaps too high.
“He wants to play and help the team, but for now we have to rebuild his fitness and confidence.
“I believe that Nadir has the skills and will show them in the end, although I accept it hasn’t looked good so far.
“But I still maintain he can be a bargain. He can play as a striker or out wide and he gives us more options.”
Ciftci made the transfer to Celtic in the summer of 2015 from Scottish side Dundee United.
He had impressed with the Tangerines and scored 33 goals while providing 20 himself in 82 appearances for the club.
However, at the Hoops he has returned just four goals and one assist in 26 encounters and with just two years remaining on his contract at the club, his future in Glasgow could be nearing a premature end.
In other Celtic news, Hoops fans have reacted on Twitter Griffiths’ brilliant putdown to a Rangers fan on Sunday.
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