Craig Gordon: Number 1 or Number Up?

Craig Gordon seems to be the goalkeeping equivalent of marmite where the Celtic supporters are concerned doesn't he? Ask two fans their opinion on our number one and you're liable to get different answers ranging from "he's a liability" to "he's a great goalkeeper" There was a moment towards the end of the Betfred League Cup Final game on Sunday that totally epitomized the improvement in Gordon's game over the past few months. Aberdeen sent a ball towards the Celtic goal and as the last man he came rushing out to deal with it. Fans held their breath as he took possession with his feet and promptly dealt with it in a way that didn't cost us a goal or put us a man down. Evidence of improvement is nice to see but what about the long term? Is Craig Gordon the answer?

Before we really answer that question it is important to take a moment and marvel at the very fact that Craig is playing football at all. Being able to come back from the injury problems he suffered would have taken tremendous mental strength, especially when your coming back to play with the biggest club in the country at a level that requires unrivalled levels of concentration. Craig was so convinced he was finished that in 2012 he spoke to the media about going into coaching and few would have bet against it given the nature of his most serious injuries. Thankfully for the player, he did recover and signed for Celtic in 2014 as a first team replacement for Fraser Forster. Since then he has lost his first team place only once, a brief period under Brendan Rodgers when Dorus De Vries stood between the sticks.

Few would doubt that Craig has been a good servant for Celtic and some of the records he has set at the club are particularly impressive, none more so than the 2014/15 league cup campaign which saw Celtic eventually lift the trophy. When Dundee United were defeated 2-0 in the final, it meant Craig had not conceded a goal in any round of the competition. Less impressive was his culpability in Celtic's European home match against Inter Milan which saw him at fault for two of the three goals the Italians scored that night. In typical Gordon fashion he made up for those mistakes with an absolutely stunning late save from a Xherdan Shaquiri free kick, Amazingly after all the injuries which had plagued him, he won the Scottish Player of the Year in that season and was selected in the PFA Scotland Premiership Team of the Year keeping a total of 28 clean sheets in 52 games. Yet by this point fans were beginning to express a variety of doubts about their goalkeeper, particularly when he was asked to do any kicking. Pretty soon there would be a manager in the dugout who shared those doubts.

Brendan Rodgers came into Celtic and made it clear that he wanted to do things his way, this meant Craig being dropped to the bench to make way for the club's new signing Dorus De Vries. BR told how he liked his goalkeepers to be comfortable with the ball at his feet and CG was anything but. Unfortunately DDV was an unmitigated disaster for the Hoops and seemed hellbent on losing more goals in a few games than CG did the previous two seasons. BR quickly dropped DDV and restored Craig to the number one spot. Typically Craig vowed to adapt and improve with the ball at his feet to become the type of goalkeeper his gaffer wanted. As things stand he is well on course to achieve that goal.

So is Craig the answer? Depends on who you ask. Like any player he has his strengths and weaknesses with the former being shot stopping and the latter being positioning. Craig loses far too many goals at his near post and for a goalkeeper that is a big negative. Yet for every mistake he makes you can guarantee a world class save is just around the corner to make up for it.Remember this is the guy whose save for Sunderland against Bolton was voted the best in Premiership history! If you haven't seen the the footage yet, check it out on YouTube. Craig is a survivor as his injury problems and fightback against De Vries shows. Ultimately the decision will be down to that man Brendan and if Craig can adapt his game sufficiently there is no reason the manager won't stick with him for the foreseeable future.

What's your thought's Bhoys? Let us know in the comments below.

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