Talking point: Was Neil Lennon right to criticise strike duo?

Florian Kamberi saw his penalty saved against Livingston. Pic: SNS

However, the striker, who was such a revelation last term scoring nine goals in just 14 appearances, is making all the wrong headlines this time around.

Manager Neil Lennon felt it necessary to join assistant Garry Parker in singling out the Swiss, alongside striker partner Jamie Maclaren, as the Easter Road side’s key personnel who are not contributing enough to the team.

Their return of six goals is just a fraction of the 18 they managed during the second half of last season. It goes without saying their return to Leith has so far failed to live up to expectations. However, Maclaren, to be fair, has struggled with injury this term.

Lennon revealed following yesterday’s 1-1 draw with Livingston that he has sat down with Kamberi several times in recent weeks in an attempt to get to the bottom of his undercooked performances.

The Northern Irishman doesn’t believe it is a confidence issue with the 23-year-old. Look no further than his blistering finish that wrapped up a 2-0 victory against champions Celtic seven days ago. That said, it goes without saying he could do more.

Kamberi was the guilty party as he conceded possession that led to Livingston’s opener yesterday. He also missed a penalty. There is a lack of a cutting edge to his all-round play, no question.

But was it the right thing to do to come out and publicly castigate a player who was the subject of such scathing criticism just a few weeks ago? What message does that send out to the rest of the dressing room - and to the player himself?

Supporters have taken to fans’ forums and social media in wake of Lennon’s outburst, the majority believing he could have handled the situation better. It’s a delicate situation that’s for sure. It will be interesting to see how Kamberi responds to his latest criticism. A goal and a win at Ibrox would be a fitting way to prove his doubters - and his manager - wrong.