CELTIC GET THEIR WING CLIPPED
The former Hibernian star has impressed many since his switch from Easter Road and his performances in the Champions League have led to reported interest from a host of other European clubs. However, the knee ligament damage picked up at Tynecastle looks likely to lead to lengthy spell on the sidelines for Agathe, and with the visit of Rangers following hard on the heels of Celtic's daunting trip to the Mestalla stadium, his loss could not have come at a more inopportune time.
It will be Agathe's explosive turn of pace that Celtic will miss most in the coming weeks, as he illustrated during the Bhoys' Champions League campaign that his speed could trouble some of the best defences in Europe. The Frenchman's direct running style saw him set off on a total of 65 dribbles and runs in the opening group stage - more than any other player in the competition.
However, there is a theory that Agathe cannot justifiably be classed as a world-class performer whilst his final ball remains frustratingly inconsistent. All too often it seems that after beating an opponent, he manages to undo all the hard work with a poor delivery into the area.
Only Roma's Cafu and Real Madrid's Luis Figo sent over more crosses than Agathe's total of 42 in the Champions League this term, but significantly, both completed a higher percentage of them than his 19%. It is a similar story in the SPL too, as Agathe has managed to find a colleague with just 23% of his crosses so far.
It is not only in an attacking sense where Agathe will be missed though, as his hard work is well appreciated when his side are forced onto the back foot. In the Champions League the Celtic man went in for a total of 25 tackles - winning 60% of them - whilst no other player completed more interceptions than his 11. Again this is mirrored in the SPL, as Agathe has gone in for more tackles than any other Celtic player with 44 this season.
It is testament to Martin O'Neill's powers of motivation that he can get such a naturally attack minded player as Agathe to contribute so much defensively, yet it is a hard-working ethos right through the side which has brought Celtic so much domestic success.
The thought of Didier Agathe being linked with some of the biggest clubs in Europe may have raised a few eyebrows last week, but despite certain deficiencies in his game, there is no denying his importance to the Celtic set-up. O'Neill will be keen to get his wing-man back in action soon; preferably with the UEFA Cup still on the agenda.
