Are Celtic really getting bang for their buck from £9million man Adam Idah?

This time last year, as the winter chill really started to set in, Adam Idah caught fire upon his arrival at Celtic.

After signing on loan from Norwich at the end of January, the Irish striker received only a lukewarm reception and scored a number of crucial goals for Celtic in the second half of the season.

Such was his impact for Brendan Rodgers’ side that supporters clamored for the club to take control and sign him on a permanent deal in the summer.

They would get their wish. He paid a fee of around £9 million to bring him back to Glasgow on a five-year deal, which was a great move for Celtic.

The club had paid a lot of money for a 23-year-old striker with all the tools and raw attributes to go on and become a roaring success.

Rodgers viewed the signing as a statement of intent and openly stated that there was no reason why Celtic should not continue to aim high in the market.

But as we approach the 12 months since Idah’s first arrival at Celtic, it feels like things have cooled off somewhat.

Given the huge fee paid to sign him, it seems fair to ask whether Idah is really giving Celtic value for money at this point.

Without a goal in his last eleven games, he is in the middle of a mini-drought. Despite starting each of the last three league matches, Idah has not scored since the end of November.

In total, he scored eight goals in thirty games this season. But Rodgers insists he has no need to worry about the player’s form.

Given his long-term involvement in the team, the Celtic boss insists Idah’s all-round performances and skills will shine through.

Rodgers was adamant that Idah’s contribution will not be viewed purely in terms of goals and cited the 4-1 win over Ross County last weekend as an example of his ability to lead the attack.

“Once again I thought Adam did well this weekend but he still didn’t get his goal,” said Rodgers, whose side travel to Dundee tonight.

‘I think some players are better at rhythm and play. But there are certain positions you have to produce. That’s the reality of it.

‘But I was very happy with his contribution. I don’t need my striker to score forty goals a season, I really don’t.

“If you look at any of my teams, the goals are always spread out. What I need is for the players to be intense and aggressive. There were some great moments for him over the weekend.

“Yes, he didn’t get his goal, but he was there, he made a vital contribution, he set up the play for us and allowed other players to attack the space. He works very, very hard, Adam.

“I just think it’s one of those things, it’s going to fall for him at some point. But if we score four goals and your striker doesn’t score, then you take that.’

Asked if he is concerned about Idah’s lack of goals and whether it could affect the player, Rodgers added: ‘I don’t believe so. I think it’s his own pride, that you want to score goals.

‘As a striker you are there: to score goals, to score goals. But for me, as long as I see the work rate, the intensity and the mentality, I’m very happy with that.

‘The burden of scoring does not lie with one player, but with the entire team. As long as the team works well, I’m happy. And it works very well for him. The goals will come for him.’

The prospect of Idah taking charge at Celtic on a more regular basis is something that could come into sharper focus over the next week or two, depending on what happens with Kyogo Furuhashi.

Kyogo, the subject of much attention in MLS in recent weeks, scored twice in the win over Ross County in Dingwall this weekend.

It has been a relatively subdued season by his own high standards and with his 30th birthday just around the corner next week, there is still a possibility that Celtic are looking to cash in.

But after choosing to start the match with Idah and Kyogo in the same system, Rodgers was impressed with what he saw – and might want to play them together more often.

“With Adam it’s fantastic for us to have that different type of striker,” Rodgers said. ‘It’s good to have different options.

‘As we saw with Kyogo this weekend, his movement for the first goal is… ‘wow’. Just the number of runs he makes to make sure he stays onside, the timing, the cleverness and then of course the finish.

“So it’s very useful to have attackers like that who can give you different options within your squad.”

Asked if he could use them together more often, Rodgers said: “Maybe, maybe not. It just depends. Normally I play with wingers. That’s how I’ve always worked.

“But Kyogo, he rolls in really well and the shape just changes into a different structure. So yes, it’s something we can do.

‘I think it’s the flexibility. I have never been tied to one system. I have to use one style. The style and principles will always be the same, but the actual system has always allowed me to be flexible in the way the teams have played.”

With Idah playing up front and Kyogo operating from the left, it’s a partnership that Rodgers can unleash in Dundee tonight, while Daizen Maeda continues to take a hit.

Celtic will look to extend their 15-point lead at the top of the table, with the second half of the season already looking like a procession.

They will face a Dundee side who drew with Rangers in their last outing, with Tony Docherty’s side once again looking well set to challenge for another top six finish.

“It’s always going to be a tough game when you go there,” Rodgers said. ‘Probably not much different to our game next weekend, where I think Tony’s team will be tight, compact and low on the pitch.

‘You then have to start breaking them down. If you can do it early, great. If not, you have to keep patience. And it can happen like on the weekend, late in the evening.

“Tony has done a great job since he’s been there and has brought in some really good players. They’re all working, and you can tell they’re all playing for him. And it’s clear they’re just a few points off that top six.

‘They achieved a good result last time against Rangers. So we know that we will really have to fight for the result.’