In the aftermath of my last piece about Kevin Nisbett I was asked if all I can see is a downside to the idea. I actually think that’s a harsh interpretation; there are definitely aspects to it which are positive and I thought that I had listed them clearly.
He is a good player, and he would help us in terms of our European squad registration issue. He would not cost the Earth. He’s a known quality, and as a third choice striker there is nothing whatsoever wrong with the idea. More positives than negatives.
There is a rather large negative though.
If we’re looking to replace Giakoumakis he’s not the guy who would come to mind. Not the sort of player who would come to mind. Will he genuinely take us to the next level, as you would hope our next striker could?
And here’s where the guy who asked me that has a point because there’s actually something that I did not articulate properly and should have; Kevin Nisbett has shown that he’s very, very good at what we would call “levelling up.”
When he was at Raith Rovers and scoring goals, people automatically wondered if it was the level he was playing at which made him look like a good player. They were in League One.
Dunfermline were the club who moved for him next and they were playing in the Championship. So that was a big step up for him. But what do you know? He scored goals for them.
So good was he, that Hibs came in for him and they were not the only SPFL side who were in the running. Others will regret not pushing harder. The real question then was whether or not he could score goals in the top flight. And once again, he proved he can.
In short, Nisbett has shown that every time he’s been questioned, every time people have wondered if he’s “found his level” he proves that he can move to the next one and adapt to it.
He has proved perfectly capable of improving and rising to that challenge.
At Celtic, under Ange, would he find an even greater level than that which he’s already shown? And you know, the only honest answer that I can offer is that we don’t actually know.
My instinct says no, but I have been wrong before and might be this time.
Certainly, a player who has proved capable of rising through the ranks and impressing wherever he’s been is somebody who should not be simply overlooked. He’s better than that, and that’s where I am prepared to concede the point somewhat.
If he signed for Celtic he would, of course, have the full support of the whole fan-base and the news that the club would not even sanction a move until they had done a proper analysis on his game and whether or not he could fit into the style is more than just welcome … that’s how it should be done, and that’s part of why we’ve barely put a foot wrong lately.
So … yeah, maybe I was a little hard on him and on the idea.
Because if it happens it would happen because people at Celtic have seen how he’s proved that he can rise to every challenge and overcome the doubters … and maybe he would here.
I personally think we can do better, but that in itself is a bit of a naff statement because of course we can; with the right funding we could have had Erling Haaland himself.
The question is whether or not we can do better within the limits of what we can afford and based on who we’re scouting and where. I still believe it. But only time will tell.
Nisbet is probably the best Scottish striker at the moment.
What about shankland he knows how to put the ball in the pocky and don’t give us the Pish staned alkie nows he’s a hun our club takes anyone.
I’d be afraid that he would get injured putting on a training top ! He’s a bit like the inscription on an Italian wine case … Fragile …
The thing that was noticeable when he went tae Hibs was that he could score goals, tho very inconsistent and that’s as well as bein injury prone. Done well tae move up the ladder, credit for that, tho Hibs his limit imo. From what ah’ve seen anyway.
I can see Rab C and Skankland doubling up at sevco.
I can see you Scud Book in a padded cell with a straightjaiket on.
I hope you get better soon and don’t listen to the voices.
Kevin would be a great buy for us young can score goals and will get even better playing around good players get him signed and a Celtic fan knows what it would be to play for Celtic.
I think Nisbet would be a great addition. Lively, ambitious and knows how to finish. He reminds me of a young Andy Walker.
Nisbet has risen through the levels and aye he’s been successful at that and he’s Scottish. However if you have niggling doubts and can see better potential and value out there in the international arena, as we have just done, then go there, probably for a lower or similar cost to what Hibs will be asking for Nisbet. Shankland probably is better suited at the midden. Sure he does have a high goal scoring return but if he wants to maintain that record then I see him going there because many of his goals are from penalties and he’d get plenty there.
Worst case scenario is that we sign Nisbitt and he goes on to score a bunch of goals domestically while struggling to adapt to Champions League level. That’s essentially what we have in GG right now, so it’s hardly the downgrade some would make it out to be.
Honestly, I agree with James here. I think we can, and probably will, do better than Nisbitt. But Nisbitt has shown he can score in the SPFL, and with the number of chances he will get in Ange’s system he will score a ton for us domestically if we sign him. But the priority needs to be finding someone who can do that for us in Champions League.
Simply not good enough for Celtic, having a purple patch is all.His all round game no where near an Ange signing.
Celtic should replace Jonny Kenny with Nesbitt as I can’t see him making it at Parkhead.
Nothing to lose and much to gain, I reckon.