We celebrated the 50-year anniversary of the Lisbon Lions with a season that made its own history. In fact, we may have to change the Scotty Sinclair song to squeeze in the words: invincible, infrangible,
But, as was said in the first part of this blog, we are good – the best in Scotland by as many country miles as separate Glasgow and Aberdeen, taking the scenic route – but not anything like the clichéd “finished product”.
That part is academic – the best teams never are.
However, the mind-boggling transformation of Celtic is, perhaps, lending credence to unrealistic appraisals of our squad. The upward curve of Celtic’s quality has been so sharp that it may seem to be pointing to the heavens.
But we all know the dangers of expecting moonbeams of success.
So, when the ecstasy gives way to cold, hard analysis (which will undoubtedly have been going on for the past 12 months), it’s a good time to look at what we may need to move to the next stage of development.
It can’t be all champagne and shamrocks. (I’ve already slapped my own face for that but can’t bring myself to delete it.)
So, realistically, who will be in and who will be out next season?
In Goal
No prizes for guessing that Craig Gordon will be our number 1.Craig has seen off the challenge from Dorus De Vries, upped his game in terms of ball distribution and been an exceptional performer for three years and, at 34, could play for six-to-ten years, based on current trends for goalkeepers, fitness and form permitting.
Less clear is who will deputise.
Brendan Rodgers knows De Vries well but there was little to suggest in his first-team spell that he still retained whatever it was that he once had. To be fair to Dorus, he was playing in a team that was still learning to defend properly but he had done little to inspire confidence.
Likewise, Logan Bailly has been around without ever seriously looking like an alternative between the sticks.
Brendan has alluded to some young goalkeeping talent in the ranks but you can expect either a promotion from within or a signing to provide assurance, should Gordon be injured or need rest.
Defence
Like squeezing the toothpaste tube, let’s start in the middle.What a transformation 12 months brings!
From a team that could attack but not defend, Celtic fans got – whisper it – confidence in the defence. That was thanks in no small part to Kolo Toure.
Kolo didn’t play so many games and he made a few mistakes, which he owned up to like the great professional that he is.
But, to this spectator, his contribution was the catalyst to that unbeaten season. If, as Brendan says, he was brought in to assist Scott Brown in leading the team, it was his sorting out of the defence that was, perhaps, the defining moment of Celtic’s season.
You wouldn’t have to be a football analyst to twig to the fact that the guy who had done it all and was directing less experienced defenders was making an enormous contribution. But his fleeting appearances lately suggest that his role next season will primarily be a coaching one, rather than on the field.
We have seen the most-improved player at Celtic Park Dedryck Boyata and Jozo Šimunović establish themselves as the first-choice pairing in central defence and they look to have huge potential.
While Jozo always looked like a class act, there were serious doubts about his fitness before this season. Dedryck, on the other hand, evidently had ability that was all-but negated by lapses in concentration.
What we now have is a central two who look like they can grow to be something special, Dedryck is the player most charged with bringing the ball forward from defence and he has evident power as well as being a threat when attacking corners.
Jozo appears to be one of those “low-pulse-rate” defenders who keeps calm when the pressure is on – well-illustrated by that precise challenge against an on-rushing Kenny Miller, which so troubled some minor Sky commentator.
But who else? Obviously, Erik Sviatchenko remains a significant part of the team and will challenge the two men currently in possession fiercely. Brendan is on record as saying that any player coming into the team will have a chance to keep the jersey and, if Sviatchenko’s stock has dropped a little in recent months, it is largely due to the technical improvements in Boyata and Šimunović’s games.
There is no reason to believe that Erik cannot up his game even further.
However, a gap remains. There will be an early assessment of Kristofer Ajer’s readiness to be part of the “four” (given that, favouring a small squad, Brendan Rodgers can be expected to roughly follow the “two players for each position” model.)
Ajer would be many fans’ first choice and, as long as his major lessons from Kilmarnock have been how to avoid flying elbows and nothing to do with nutrition, he has a real chance.
If the assessment is negative, the market awaits.
At left-back, the story is one of joy in that Kieran Tierney is a player to envy. At 19, we should spare him the hyperbole but let’s just say, in the language of cheesy martial arts magazines: “This guy’s good – and I mean REAL good!”
Young, already brilliant, getting better, abundant technique, Celtic through-and-through, already committed to us. We have a player!
But we also need back-up.
Emilio Izaguirre is loved by most Celtic supporters for a reason. His passion, his flying runs down the wing (especially when he first signed), his smile, his love of the club. He’s a damned good player and all-round good guy who will be fondly remembered at Celtic Park for many years to come.
But will he play much? Probably not.
Emilio has great qualities and deserves his place in the current squad but the positional sense as well as quick control and crisp short passing as well as crossing may not be his strong suit.
But how do you fill the role of challenger to one of the best young defensive talents in the European game? It’s a huge challenge.
Not to have an effective replacement risks making Kieran the sort of target that he was in the Scottish Cup Final – take him out of the game and you negate a huge part of Celtic’s potential.
For any Champions League campaign, a quality contender for left-back will be needed.
On the right, Mikael Lustig is another who has won hearts for his evident joy in playing and winning for Celtic. Mikael has been an excellent servant for the club and will most likely start the season in possession of the jersey, especially as he can play in the centre, too.
There have been times when his gallusness in Scotland have not been matched by his resilience in Europe – our last Camp Nou adventure being one – but Lustig is another who has improved his technical game under Brendan and the coaching regime.
However, he has also had injury problems over the years (though there should be a shout-out to Celtic’s fitness and medical staff for their work over the last year) and he isn’t getting younger.
Relatively little has been seen of Cristian Gamboa since his signing – though what we have seen is that he is incredibly fast – and this may reflect a sense that he is not yet up to the task of taking the right-back jersey, even to protect Lustig’s body.
Do we need to sign a right-back? Probably, yes.
Midfield
We have an abundance of riches in midfield and – ironically – arguably too much.
All three of this blogs regular readers know that it has been a steadfast supporter of Scott Brown, a position that has made its lowly editor and sole writer smugger than a hug in a bearskin (artificial) rug over the last year.
Brown is the main man and will be for some time to come. A blind man listening to Radio Clyde could see that the £3m-signing of a 19-year-old Eboue Kouassi was intended to pave the way for a gradual transition for Scott.
Gradually, if Kouassi lives up to the billing, he will play more and more games while Brown will be used for crucial matches and rested occasionally.
If Scott is going to stay with Celtic for the hoped-for ten-in-a-row, it is only natural to expect his appearances to decline in number but be focussed on very significant games.
Nir Biton, on the other hand, will go. Biton is the most frustrating type of player. We have all seen what he can do but can’t rely on him to do it when the going gets tough. His “hamstring injury” in the 2016 Scottish Cup semi-final was almost matched by his “invisible midfielder” showing in Barcelona. Lustig stepped up; Biton didn’t.
With Stuart Armstrong, the only real question-mark is whether he wants to stay or would like to try European pastures new. No one can criticise his personal desires but he has a great opportunity to be part of an outstanding Celtic side.
That probably cannot be said for Gary Mackay-Steven, who joined Celtic with Armstrong. GMS has great talent but an apparent lack of self-belief that has probably held him back from fulfilling his true potential as a player.
He’s almost certain to go.
Liam Henderson, on the other hand, is a trickier one to call. When given his chance, like Ryan Christie, he has looked capable of stepping up but the competition is fierce in Celtic’s midfield.
Both Henderson and Christie have impressed on loan spells to Hibs and Aberdeen respectively. The question is: can they challenge for a place in Celtic’s crowded midfield area? If the coaching staff think not, both will be major additions to whatever teams they join.
Callum McGregor, on the other hand, has kept his position, improved when it looked to many as if he would never cut it above Scottish Premiership level and been on the verge of a Scotland cap, which he deserves.
But, there is still a question-mark over McGregor. There was a hint of it (though perhaps unfair) in the Scottish Cup Final. Callum was never born to be a left-back but when under attacking pressure he made panicked passes, putting his team under pressure.
He will hope never to play that position again but perhaps it points to something about him that other teams could exploit.
Playing in an advanced role, he is a potent weapon. But, if defending in the opponents’ half, would he reliably make calm, safe passes? McGregor could be a surprise exit, though his qualities are such that he would seem to be well worthy of the opportunity of being part of the squad.
On the left – well, isn’t it great that sometimes first-class players have career dips and come to Celtic? The comparison hasn’t been made so often but there are obvious parallels between Henrik Larrson’s career stalling at Feyenoord before being “rescued” at Celtic by a coach who understood him and Scott Sinclair’s journey to Celtic Park.
Like Henrik, having tasted disappointment, Scott Sinclair may just go on to be an even more important player in our history than anyone (other than a balloon blogger) could realistically suggest after one season.
Sinclair is a player of the quality who would ordinarily never have considered coming to Scottish football but will very likely stay for the ride, now that he has found his place.
Thank heavens for rich clubs signing great players and ignoring them.
As a back-up to Scotty? Virtually impossible but may be where Ryan Christie comes in. Expect Scotty to play a hell of a lot of games over the coming seasons.
On the right, well, if Patrick Roberts can somehow be kept, there is no question to answer. James Forrest is a highly-talented player who this blog once suggested run away from the club.
But the potential continued competition between Forrest and Roberts would seem to end any speculation about the wide right position.
That said, Paddy is going back to Manchester City and he is quite right to do so. To be a fly on the wall between him and Pep Guardiola when they discuss whether or not Paddy will be a mainstay of City next season.
But, as Roberts is not our player, another wide-right with goal-scoring and creating ability is a major priority.
One player not filling that role will probably be Johnny Hayes.
Hayes is a very good player and deserves respect. That said, some people seem to think that anyone who hears some words from Brendan in his ear is a potential signing target.
Much like Barrie Mackay before a tabloid linked £6m of Red Bull Leipzig’s cash to a player who was rarely played in the later stages of the season.
This is unfair on Hayes, who can damage any team but should probably be looking at a move to a team in the top third of the English championship, rather than Celtic.
Brendan’s signings have largely been speculating on young talent he believes he can develop (Dembele, Kouassi), players who have potential but who have under-achieved (Sinclair) or players who bring real top-level experience and quality (Toure).
Johnny Hayes doesn’t seem to fit with Brendan’s “plan” but that is no negative reflection on him.
Forwards
We need a forward. Correction: we need two forwards.Moussa Dembele says he is staying and he can stay forever. This is not a blog that will advocate cashing in on players, no matter how much poppy is dangled.
If Moussa stays for the Champions League qualifiers, that will be great; for the European campaign, terrific.
But we need back-up and Leigh Griffiths has the potential to be that. Unfortunately, Leigh still seems to struggle with that propensity towards being a thorn in his manager’s flesh.
Never mind his whining about being substituted: what Brendan said a few months ago about conditioning in order to be ready to the intensity of first-team football has been almost lost in the feel-good around Celtic’s season.
Maybe I was the only one to wince when Leigh said that several people would celebrate the treble win for days and that he was one of them. A few beers after the season – sure. Talking on TV about benders may invite questions about professionalism.
We must sign at least two forwards – probably one young and one with top-quality experience.
Maybe someone who has done it all, doesn’t need the cash but would like to make a “football decision” before going to China?
Nah.
As you were, Celts.
Pt 1: Legitimate goals for the season ahead
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