Michael Walker: Adam Idah’s arrival at Celtic “he could become their hero”

Tsetim theophilus | March 9, 2024 | Celtic fc, FOOTBALL | No Comments

A player needs rhythm, managerial trust and, most of all, minutes. The Irish striker is starting to get all three under Brendan Rodgers

At Tynecastle Park in Edinburgh, Celtic lost 0–2 to Hearts when Adam Idah’s penalty kick was saved. Image courtesy of Andrew Milligan/PA WireAs Adam Idah got ready to attempt a penalty kick last Sunday at Tynecastle, that notion suddenly occurred to him. Even though Johnstone, Dalglish, and Larsson all wore seven, it may not be the most beloved Celtic number, but there is significance to Idah’s new shirt, honor, and duty.Idah’s increasing intensity created a sense of suspense that was unavoidable in this scenario, adding to the overall theatrical effect.It was made better by what transpired at Rangers the day before and the significance of this game for Celtic in a very close fight for the title. Rangers’ defeat by Motherwell at home created a chance for Celtic. Brendan Rodgers’ squad would have returned to the top of the Scottish Premiership with a victory.

We frequently give opportunities more weight in the latter stages of a game than in the beginning, presumably because of drama. But each one counts, particularly in minute 13, this one for Idah.Up until that point, your correspondent had only touched the ball once, if his eyes were functioning properly. It was a brief touch in the eighth minute, following a long ball from Cameron Carter-Vickers’ defense. Idah had received a ping from the ball. Hearts were lively and the game moved quickly. Idah maintained his place, and the drama went on.Hearts were given a penalty that they shouldn’t have received. So here was Idah, making his fifth start since his surprise January loan move from Norwich City, with only his second touch standing between him and his sixth Celtic goal?Although it appeared likely, Idah took a soft shot straight at Hearts keeper Zander Clark, possibly indicating that he had no prior involvement. It was not very convincing.Nevertheless, there was still time to make this right, but three minutes later, Yang Hyun-jun was sent out for a high boot, leaving Celtic with just 10 men after yet another dubious decision. After about seventy-five minutes of 11 v 10, the game took on a new look.Idah played his part, occupying two Hearts central defenders, but Hearts were awarded another questionable penalty shortly before halftime, and they converted. Hearts then had a nice-looking second disallowed for the majority of insignificant offside calls on a day of VAR interventions.Hearts did score their second goal, and Idah’s final action before the final whistle was to express his displeasure to the referee, despite Celtic coming back in the second half with their full complement of eleven players and saving a couple of shots. In a Celtic uniform, it was his first loss.Despite his obvious disappointment, Rodgers stated after the game that he “needed to lift it a bit more” in reference to Idah’s penalty. Anger was absent. Rodgers is aware that since his arrival, his new number nine has lifted a good amount of weight.

At Celtic Park Stadium last month, Adam Idah celebrated after scoring Celtic’s second goal against Dundee. Idah’s two goals at Motherwell the previous Sunday kept Celtic close to Rangers, proving he can score from the ground up. During his entire debut at Hibs in Edinburgh, he had really scored two penalty kicks. It implied that Rodgers was talking about Idah’s influence while Celtic were ready for Hearts, which was enough to push Kyogo Furuhashi to the bench.
This season, Celtic, Rodgers, and the large fan base have had a strained relationship, which has not been helped by the sluggish transfer window in January. When Idah was revealed at 10.29 p.m. on the day of the transfer deadline, it was met with a vehement sea of disagreement. The tag “third-choice striker for Norwich City” was applied to a man who was getting close to turning 23.
About the same time Rodgers disclosed his personal involvement in bringing Idah to Parkhead, Mark Lawwell announced his resignation as head of recruitment last week. While other English Championship teams were anxious to loan Idah to a competitor, Norwich declined.
Rodgers stated, “The agent knew I liked him as a young player.” I was thrilled to hear that he was free. The narrative or criticism that he was Norwich’s third-choice striker didn’t sit well with me. I’m aware of his potential there. He entered and had a great time.
Idah’s enjoyment in Scotland is not unrelated to his fitness and selection. A shift in surroundings and priorities can also be beneficial; Mikey Johnston, who left Celtic to play for West Brom in the Championship, is currently enjoying a similar revival.

Idah has suffered a great deal of bad luck since he made headlines in January 2020 by scoring a hat-trick in the FA Cup at the age of 18. It was three days following his Premier League introduction. Idah missed the majority of 2022 due to a serious knee injury.
This has resulted in Idah’s early career mirroring the recent ups and downs of Norwich City’s relegation-promotion-relegation-stasis. Before deciding to take on a fresh challenge at Celtic, Idah had managed three different clubs in three years: Daniel Farke, Dean Smith, and David Wagner.
Despite considerable skepticism in Norfolk regarding a player who has only 17 goals in 115 games, he still has a long-term contract at Carrow Road. However, just 12 of those starts—or 66% of the total—have lasted 90 minutes or more. The majority of those appearances have come from the bench.
There has been a recurring theme this season. Idah gave it all away at home against Hull City in the ninetieth minute with a goal. However, he didn’t enter the game until the 86th minute. Ashley Barnes, a 33-year-old Burnley signee, was being replaced by him, which did not inspire confidence in the Corkman.
Idah received three minutes on the Saturday after that, and ten the following week. He was once more used as a substitute in the season’s fourth Championship game, coming on at the 14-minute mark and leaving at the 85-minute mark. It was his first time scoring.
These may come across as justifications, but a player needs minutes above all else, rhythm, and managerial trust. Idah is beginning to get all three, and even though he contributed to Celtic’s loss at Hearts, he was also dedicated, vivacious, and had strong link-up play.As evident as Idah’s qualities are the advantages that a reinvigorated forward may bring to Ireland.He already has the look of a No. 9 Celtic player in Glasgow. Cameron Carter-Vickers responded to that by saying of Idah, “Yeah, I mean, he is.”He’s kind of funny, really. He is a fantastic character and makes the lads giggle.Livingston will play Parkhead on Sunday in the Scottish Cup final eight. Rodgers stated again that he wanted to win it. There’s a league championship to contend with.For Idah, Rodgers, and Celtic, the next three months are crucial. He could be a hero by May; he arrived to the sound of agony.

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