Has Celtic's Idah Won Over His Doubters?

In immoderate senses, Sunday's Old Firm derby was a communicative of 2 number nines.

In nan bluish corner, Cyriel Dessers, nan much-denigrated Rangers hitman who spurns chances pinch maddening regularity but sticks plentifulness distant too.

In nan green, Adam Idah, who arrived pinch a reported £9.5m value tag and, truthful far, grounded to person sections of nan Celtic support he is worthy nan cash.

Idah was feted during his indebtedness spell from Norwich City crossed nan 2nd half of past season, plundering 9 goals, nan past and astir memorable of them sinking Celtic's metropolis rivals to triumph nan Scottish Cup astatine nan death.

Since moving northbound connected a imperishable ground this summer, nan 24-year-old's performances person been roundly criticised, peculiarly since nan mid-season departure of striking fulcrum Kyogo Furuhashi.

Fuel was added to nan occurrence erstwhile footage emerged of Idah appearing to beryllium sick successful a taxi connected a nighttime disconnected from training past month.

Idah is formed successful a very different mould to Kyogo, aliases chap Japanese rapier Daizen Maeda, who has netted an eye-watering 33 times this term.

He offers size, muscularity and gives Celtic a focal constituent should they move up their possession-based blueprint for a much nonstop approach.

And his output is hardly meagre.

Between nan extremity of November and precocious January, nan Republic of Ireland world went 14 games without scoring but was started successful only 5 of those matches.

He has still mustered 18 goals this term, 3 of them successful nan Champions League.

That equates to an awesome tally of conscionable amended than a extremity each 120 minutes connected nan pitch.

A infinitesimal of raging, end-to-end fare felt for illustration nan Old Firm striker saga successful microcosm.

With half-time looming, Idah was sent cleanable done connected goal. Having snatched astatine a mates of earlier chances, he changeable meekly astatine goalkeeper Liam Kelly. Ibrox roared.

Rangers went up nan different end, Vaclav Cerny's clever dummy group up Dessers, who bustled past Liam Scales and rolled calmly into nan Celtic net.

Idah, though, was undeterred. He mixed good pinch Maeda down nan left, linked nan play pinch accuracy and was rewarded pinch nan equalising goal.

His instinctive swivel connected nan separator of nan Rangers container and powerful finish, pinch nan assistance of a John Souttar deflection, yet prevented nan location squad winning a 3rd derby connected nan spin.

Former Celtic goalkeeper Pat Bonner believes his aged nine must enlistee different striker for adjacent play and besides questioned whether his countryman would beryllium much effective successful a beforehand two.

"They person spent astir £9m connected Adam Idah," he said connected BBC Radio Scotland.

"They could spell that precocious again, conscionable to get that out-and-out striker who is going to container goals.

"They person to get personification successful there. They can't trust conscionable connected putting Maeda successful location and Adam.

"Adam is young capable and scored today, but I don't cognize whether he needs thing alongside him to thief him."

Brendan Rodgers has spoken often astir Idah's attributes and nan Celtic head was erstwhile again effusive successful his praise astatine full-time.

"Adam doesn't get disapproval from us, we cognize his qualities," he said.

"This is his first afloat play here, he's only going to get better. He's a subordinate for nan large moments. He scores large goals, successful large games. He will get amended each nan time.

"People are judging him connected his value tag, but he doesn't group that.

"He's a existent fistful for america and has shown that astatine each level, he gets goals."

Idah's leveller delivered a satisfactory result for head Brendan Rodgers arsenic it prevented a 3rd consecutive nonaccomplishment to Rangers and maintained nan 17-point spread complete their second-top metropolis rivals.

"At half-time, I still felt we were astatine a bully spot successful nan game," Rodgers explained.

"Second half, we controlled nan game. When you travel to Ibrox, you sometimes person 10-15 minutes wherever you're nether existent pressure, backs to nan wall, but I ne'er really felt that.

"If I was to criticise, possibly our final-third play didn't lend america to creating opportunities. But our build-up was composed. We sewage nan goal, we deserved it."