Celtic - Reviewing the Rebuild

After the disheartenment of the 20/21 campaign, we knew there would’ve been inevitable transitions at Celtic this summer. Throughout the football club, this was the case. There was a new CEO (who has recently departed albeit), manager and several members of playing staff added. This is what I’ll be focusing on in this article. I’ll be reviewing each part of the team from goalkeepers all the way through to forwards and looking at which particular positions may need strengthened and which ones are already potent. Let’s begin with goalkeeper. 

Goalkeeper

One of the most debatable positions at Celtic last season was the one between the sticks. Three players were given runs in the team; Vasilis Barkas, Conor Hazard and Scott Bain their names. Neither was overly convincing and despite the fact they’re all still at Celtic, the club has turned to the transfer market to solve the issue. 75 time capped England International goalkeeper Joe Hart arrived in Glasgow at the beginning of August. The 34 year old has provided a real presence in goal for Celtic since his arrival. Hart’s experience and leadership has certainly added a new found confidence in the Celtic defence in their keeper. The Englishman looks like he will be nailed as Celtic’s goalkeeper throughout the remainder of the current season. Admittedly, Hart still has the odd error in him which was proved in the Europa League play off second leg against AZ Alkmaar but his saves and wisdom outweigh this negative. Hart has made saves Celtic goalkeepers of last season would’ve in all likelihood failed to. Because of this, Celtic and Ange Postecoglou look to have solved the goalkeeping quandary this summer. 

Defence 

The majority of Celtic’s problems last season stemmed from the defence. Just three players who were regulars in the back line last season remain at Celtic. Jeremie Frimpong left for a significant fee as did Kristoffer Ajer. Jonjoe Kenny, Diego Laxalt and Shane Duffy headed back to their parent clubs. There have been drastic alterations to the defence this summer though. 

At right back, Anthony Ralston seems like a new signing after his astounding development under Ange Postecoglou. The Scot has scored 2 goals and assisted 1 in 4 league games this season. Despite Ralston’s blossoming, Celtic still decided to bring in another right back, and rightly so. Josip Juranovic joined from Legia Warszawa for a minimal £2.7 million (Transfermarkt). This is a major coup for Celtic; getting a Croatian International with 13 caps to his name for such a fee is great business. Juranovic also disposed his versatility when he lined up at left back on his debut against Rangers at Ibrox. Right back looks now to be settled after a number of players occupied the position in past seasons. 

Carl Starfelt, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Stephen Welsh, Christopher Jullien and even Nir Bitton are all options for Ange Postecoglou at centre back. Stephen Welsh broke through last season, making 16 league appearances. The Scot has managed to keep his place in the team despite a shift in management. Welsh looks like one of the most promising Scottish centre halves out there. Carl Starfelt endured a shaky start to life at Celtic but has came through and gained praise for his cogent performance at Ibrox against Rangers. One frantic half from the Swede against AZ Alkmaar saw some doubts surface over his competence but he redeemed himself in the second half of that game and in the afore mentioned Derby. A clean sheet against Ross County would’ve also helped Starfelt build even more confidence. The 26 year old looks like he will be a non-starter in the Celtic defence throughout the rest of the current season. Christopher Jullien has been out injured since last December. The Frenchman though, has been included in Celtic’s Europa League squad for the upcoming group stage which indicates a return could be forthcoming. Cameron Carter-Vickers was man of the match on his Celtic debut against Ross County, scoring and helping his side to a clean sheet. The American International looks like he will bring a physical presence to the back line. The loan deal that brought the 23 year old to Glasgow includes an option to buy should he prove suitable for Celtic. Nir Bitton has filled in at the centre of defence in past seasons but it is not his natural position. The Israeli is definitely an option but one that is quite far down in the pecking order. When Christopher Jullien returns, centre back will arguably be one of Celtic’s strongest positions. 

Since the summer of 2019, Celtic have struggled to fill the void left by Kieran Tierney. We all know what happened with Boli Bolingoli and the less said about that debacle the better; the Belgian has yet to have a look in this season also. Johnny Hayes played with his heart on his sleeve and was somewhat of a fan favourite although the Irishman now plays for Aberdeen. This season, Greg Taylor has played at left back in the majority of Celtic’s games. Taylor though, rarely catches the eye and fails to stand out which isn’t the most encouraging. As mentioned Boli Bolingoli doesn’t seem to be in Ange Postecoglou’s plans which leaves two other feasible options at left back. Adam Montgomery is one of those. The 19 year old has made a number of blinding displays from the bench this season and looks to be one for the future. The final left back we’ll speak about is new signing Liam Scales. The Irishman can also operate in the centre of defence although he mainly played at left wing back in a back five for his previous club Shamrock Rovers. Scales will proved a different dynamic at full back with his 6”2 stature. The 23 year old scored 2 goals in 23 appearances for his former club in the League of Ireland for the 2021 season so he will surely provide a threat going forward. Despite the fact there are three genuine options for Celtic at left back, I still feel it is one of the tenuous parts of the team. This could be influenced by the fact we’ve yet to see Liam Scales in a Celtic shirt though. 

Midfield

Midfield was one of Celtic’s strong points in recent years. At one point, Scott Brown, Callum McGregor, Tom Rogic, Stuart Armstrong and Olivier Ntcham were all at the top of their game and vying for a place in the team. Now, it is arguably one of the deficiencies of the side. Callum McGregor and Tom Rogic remain from the afore mentioned core of players. David Turnbull, James McCarthy and Ismaila Soro are the fresh faces. Soro joined in January of 2020 with Turnbull arriving in the summer of the same year. James McCarthy joined as a free agent in the most recent window. 

Callum McGregor is the key man in midfield for Celtic. The club captain is capable of playing in the number eight role as well as in  a slightly deeper, holding position. The 28 year old is a vital clog in the Celtic system having started every game in Ange Postecoglou’s tenure as manager. The same can be said for David Turnbull regarding game time. The 22 year old is predominantly a creative, attacking player but he has played as a sort of deep lying playmaker previously. Tom Rogic is limited to the traditional number ten role as is Ismaila Soro to the holding spot. James McCarthy signed a four year deal and has played just 42 minutes of football since his arrival. The Irishman, similar to Callum McGregor, can play in the holding role as well as further a field. With such an injury history that McCarthy has though, signing the 30 year old up on a four year deal is a precarious move, I believe. 

Five feasible selections in midfield sounds like a reasonable number but I feel Celtic are an injury or two away from being in an inconvenient predicament. For example, should Tom Rogic or David Turnbull be forced into a period on the sidelines, it would mean either Ismaila Soro or James McCarthy would have to come in and deputise and with the enervating fixture schedule that lies ahead, an injury of any kind, to any player in midfield could be problematic. There is of course the availability of players on the periphery of the first team such as Liam Shaw and Luca Connell but either have yet to see any competitive minutes for Celtic this season. Another midfield acquisition in the summer for Celtic would’ve been perfect.  

Forwards 

Similarly to the defence, Celtic’s attack has seen several comings and goings this summer. Four forwards have been added to the squad and if you include Ryan Christie in that bracket, four departed. To date, Celtic’s new attackers have a combined 9 goals and 3 assists in 19 games. They have all undoubtedly hit the ground running. 

James Forrest has been a stalwart on the right side of attack for a number of years for Celtic now. Forrest though, suffered a dreadful injury which seen him out for the majority of the last campaign. The 30 year has rarely featured so far this campaign also. That has left the door open for new signing Liel Abada to take the reigns on the right wing. The Israeli has been vastly impressive with 4 goals and 3 assists in 10 Celtic appearances across all competitions. The teenager has displayed his towering potential and looks like a player Celtic could make considerable profit from in the future. The right wing is a position which looks to be reconciled. 

Odsonne Edouard’s inevitable departure took place this summer. Despite the Frenchman being the SPFL’s top scorer last season, he just seemed, at least to me, passive and unsettled since the summer of 2020. This was proved with the fact he scored a double eight minutes into his Crystal Palace debut. The Frenchman though wasn’t even getting in the Celtic lineup ahead of new signing Kyogo Furuhashi in any case before his deadline day departure. Kyogo has hit the ground running in Glasgow, becoming a fan favourite at Celtic Park. The Japanese has scored 7 goals in 9 games but he will be missing for the next three to four weeks due to an injury picked up on International duty. It exhibits Celtic’s strength in depth up front with the fact the arguably third choice striker, Albian Ajeti, was able to come in and score two goals in the absence of Kyogo and new signing Giorgos Giakoumakis. The Greek signed from VVV-Venlo in the Netherlands where he was the Eredivisie’s top scorer in the 20/21 campaign. Giakoumakis has yet to feature for Celtic due to the fact he’s building up fitness having not played since May. Ajeti is not a bad third choice option however. The number nine position is one of Celtic’s strongest. 

A plethora of players have attempted to make the left wing spot at Celtic their own in recent times. Mohamed Elyounoussi, Mikey Johnston, James Forrest and even Ryan Christie have all featured there. It would have been enticing to see Elyounoussi feature under Ange Postecoglou but the Norwegian headed back to Southampton after his loan spell at Celtic came to an end in the summer. Teenager Adam Montgomery can play left wing but he’s featured mainly at left back in recent times. Mikey Johnston’s young career remains injury ravaged and he is getting to a point in his career where he needs consistent game time in order to continue to his development. Portuguese winger Jota has been brought in on loan with an option to buy. The 22 year old will decidedly be Celtic’s first choice option on the left wing this season. Jota recently made his debut against Ross County in the Scottish Premiership and was lively from the off. Should Jota suffer an injury or is unavailable at any point, Kyogo and James Forrest can deputise on the left. Even Liel Abada could play there in all likelihood if required. All of the above are not natural left sided players though so the reliability on Jota to stay fit is sizeable. 

Overall, I would say this summer has been a successful one at Celtic. As I alluded to previously, we knew there was going to be significant change. Much of the ‘deadwood’ was cleared with the likes of Maryan Shved and Bayo finding permanent moves away from Celtic and a new core of players has been established. A mix of experienced, acclaimed names, international stalwarts and enthralling, high-potential youngsters have arrived. All of this under the watchful eye of Ange Postecoglou who has made Celtic a thrilling, rousing and exhilarating football team to watch. There is still a long way to go until success returns to Celtic though. 

Thank you very much for taking the time to read this article. If you have any opinions or thoughts, leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Twitter @Josh_Footblog.