Davie Hay: No big deal if James can’t see Forrest for the trees

When I first clapped eyes on a teenage James Forrest, I thought that he truly had a chance of becoming a great player. I think we all did. I know Celtic were seriously excited by him.

Potential, that word again, is only a guessing game in that nobody can say for sure how good a young footballer will be, no matter how promising they are. Forrest, however, hit the ground running and soon everyone was talking about this young man.

He was incredibly fast, direct, good on the ball and had plenty of skill. The talk at the club was that they had a terrific footballer on their hands. He looked the real deal, but he did not become one.

Not that Forrest is a bad player, far from it; it’s just that we all expected more and that did not materialise.

Now before I go on, it must be said that he has been unlucky with injuries and there seemed to have been times in the past when he played with niggles, when he should have been rested, and that set him back far too many times.

If you are injured, it is always better to take that extra week and make sure that next time you play, there is no chance of a strain. Too often with James he seemed to be carrying something that inhibited him.

When that happens, consistency is a problem for any player, and with Forrest consistency has become a real problem.

I was actually a bit surprised he turned down Celtic’s offer because he knows the club and it’s nice to be wanted – Ronny Deila is his biggest fan – but by the same token I do understand why he has come to this decision.

It is his life, it’s a short career and he is far from the first Celtic player who wanted to give England a good go. You can’t blame him for that.

Celtic will get a bit of money for him in the summer and it will be interesting to see which level he ends up at. He will want the Premier League and it wasn’t so long ago when Tottenham were sniffing around him.

So he is entering the final months of his Parkhead career and maybe it is for the best. I know some supporters are unhappy with him, they don’t like to see anyone knocking back the club, but Forrest’s Celtic career has probably come to a natural end.

Four seasons ago he was Young Player of the Year, he scored in big Champions League matches, a cup final and got into the Scotland squad. That all seems a long time ago. He hasn’t even been a regular this season and his form overall has been disappointing, although as always with him there are some great performances in there.

NOBODY knows what is going on inside his head, but I do wonder if he has come to the conclusion that after a drop of form and his injuries that whether it would be best to change and get a fresh start. That makes a lot of sense.

Such moves are not only about money, although considering the riches down south I am sure that’s a factor. Forrest has been in and out of the team, he’s copped a bit of stick off the supporters and as he turns 25 this summer, a fresh challenge may be just what he needs. A change of scene can work wonders.

Forrest has won plenty with Celtic and played his part in the club’s recent success. But would he play such a big role in the coming years? I’m not so sure about that.

I keep thinking back to his injuries. They were never too serious, but all those niggles on the calves and hamstrings are going to hurt any player, but especially one who relies so much on his pace.

Deila has spoken about selling players and that he had too many midfielders and yet he was ready to offer Forrest another few years at Celtic, which suggests to me the manager retains a lot of faith in him.

But this season hasn’t got going for him at all. He has been used as a substitute a lot and at his stage, that’s not good enough.

ON his day, Forrest is a dynamic and exciting player whose pace terrifies defenders. We have all seen him play really well and he had scored some good goals over the years, so I am sure he will have a few suitors.

I just wish Forrest could have stayed fit because if he had done then I believe Celtic would have a real gem. If he does go then I wish him luck and good health.

Ronny is spot on...don’t get stuck in mud

IN my day, there were times when we didn’t play on grass.

Alas, during the winter months, the pitches were basically mud. Not a bit of green on them. So don’t ask me to slag off artificial surfaces. I just wish we’d had them in the 1970s.

Ronny Deila has claimed that a few years from now that Celtic Park will have synthetic grass. I agree with him and think it’s the way to go.

The weather in this country is, as we all know, not great and more clubs are going to go plastic because it saves them an awful lot of money - and ensure the actual games take place..

Now I know there are some who say these new pitches cause injuries. I’ve never been convinced of that and, anyway, players do get injured on grass.

There will be clubs who would never consider moving away from grass, but I honestly believe that it won’t be long before most top level football is played on an artificial surface.

The condition of the new ‘grass’ is getting better and better. My only surprise is that more clubs are not looking into it.

In a few years’ time we will have an entire generation of young players brought up training on 4G pitches – or whatever they will be called – and playing on them.

Players who are used to grass will adapt, the pitches themselves are only going to improve and this means no call-offs and less money going on resurfacing throughout the season.

There are always going to be some who just won’t have it, but take it from a man that knows, plastic beats puddles of mud any day of the week.

Accies will be out for revenge

PRIDE is a big thing in football.

Particularly when that pride has taken a battering, as it did for the Hamilton Accies boys at Celtic Park recently when they had eight goals put past them.

They will be a determined bunch tonight when Celtic visit their home ground, plastic pitch and all.

Not a single one who played in the last game will have forgotten about it. They will want to show they are nowhere near as bad as they were that night.

You will see a very different game. It was close the last time the teams met at Hamilton and it might just be again.

In saying that, I am sure Celtic will win and take another step towards the title.

After the defeat at Aberdeen, the team have played a lot better, scored some good goals and the defence has been tighter.

If Celtic play well, they will win, although they won’t score eight times.

Your question for Davie Hay

MAX from Milngavie asks Davie: Can Leigh Griffiths score 50 goals this season?

If he stays fit then he absolutely can. Griffiths looks like scoring every game, his confidence is sky high and is playing well enough to break all sorts of records.

If you have a question doe Davie, just email him at daviehay@eveningtimes.co.uk and we’ll print the answer alongside the question.