A lot is still up in the air when it comes to Celtic’s Michel-Ange Balikwisha.
Brendan Rodgers pursued the Belgian youth international for a year before eventually securing his signature this August.
Balikwisha arrived at a turbulent moment for Celtic, signing just after the Hoops’ disastrous Champions League exit to Kairat Almaty.
This shouldn’t be held against the 24-year-old – had he been brought in earlier, his transition period would’ve been smoother and he could well have contributed to changing the result in that fixture.
Instead, he had to make his debut at Ibrox, and has started just once since. Amid debate over his best position, the manager who gave him his debut has offered an interesting take.
Philippe Montanier tells Celtic fans Michel-Ange Balikwisha’s position
Philippe Montanier has managed across Europe in the 21st century, from Rennes to Real Sociedad to Nottingham Forest.
Whilst at Standard Liege, he handed a teenage Balikwisha his first senior appearance.
READ MORE: Ex-Celtic man reflects on the Brendan Rodgers brunch visit that convinced him to sign
Photo by PREDRAG MILOSAVLJEVIC/AFP via Getty Images
Montanier is enjoying something of a victory lap after Ousmane Dembele’s Ballon D’Or win – the 60-year-old helped bed him into senior football as a youngster in Rennes.
And remarkably, Montanier sees similarities between the two. Speaking to the Scottish Sun, he explained the comparison, and his thoughts on Balikwisha’s position.
He said: “Mickey is good technically and has the capacity to play different roles. He can play left or right, and I also used him as a central striker quite a lot when I coached him.
“Mickey was good in that position because he also has the intelligence to drop deeper and play behind a No 9. He has a high IQ when it comes to football, and people always asked what his best position was.
“That can be a problem with versatile attacking players. They can help in various roles and they ended up playing all across the front line.
“Personally, I like Mickey as a No 9 where he can score goals and press from the central area, a little like Ousmane Dembele.
“I coached him at Rennes when he started out, and he then went on to play a lot as a winger for different clubs. However, I felt Ousmane always had the qualities to be a central attacker and he is showing that at PSG now.
“Mickey’s best position could also be through the middle because he has the pace, workrate and the intelligence to link the play. It depends on what the Celtic manager’s philosophy and game plan is, but he can definitely be successful in that role.”
Could Michel-Ange Balikwisha be a striker for Celtic?
Celtic’s attack has been playing musical chairs since the end of the transfer window.
Sebastian Tounekti has seemingly nailed down the left-wing position, but this leaves Daizen Maeda and Balikwisha in an awkward situation.
But Montanier’s suggestion is an interesting one. In Maeda, the Hoops already have someone who has played across the front-three this season.
Could we even see a return of the back three used in the second half against Braga, with Balikwisha playing off Kelechi Iheanacho? Who knows…