Is it on Rodgers? Is it on Mark Lawwell and his team? Is it on the board? For me, it’s on the recruitment side and the facts are this market seems to be more complicated for Celtic than it ought to be.
Rodgers has spoken about quality and not adding to the squad for the sake of it. That’s fine if you are talking
regarding advancement. However, he said last week that Celtic needed to be aware of a loading issue involving Taylor, which concerned backup and assistance.
Are you saying that, under the constraints of the Celtic model, there isn’t a single left-back available who is superior to Bernabei? Give it up. There’s no justification for falling short domestically, but Taylor doesn’t play well defensively in the Champions League, so you need constantly be looking to better every position for that.
I’m not sure how to feel about the quality. Prior to the window opening, Rodgers stated that he desired it, but on January 27, he would only have one in the door. What has transpired throughout the previous six months? Where are hints of the backstage activities?
We all understand the model and Celtic were moving in the right Champions League direction last season but they aren’t now and are also now causing themselves unnecessary issues at domestic level. That’s worthy of fans’ concern. Why are the club not on the right side of the signings? What’s changed on that front since Ange Postecoglou left?
The Taylor situation is case in point and, when looking at the likes of signing Gustaf Lagerbielke, Marco Tilio and Nat Phillips, you have to ask what’s gone awry.
Liam Scales can go to left-back but he’s not going to be able to give Celtic the attacking poise Taylor does. He makes passes and runs, gets assists and scores the odd one. Compare the right hand side. I’m not out to get after Alistair Johnston, but I read recently he hasn’t had a single goal and barely an assist this season.
That’s a dismal return for a Celtic right-back, especially considering how much the full-backs need to step up and deliver.
Taylor somewhat mitigates that, but if he’s not available, that eliminates another alternative, and it’s not really acceptable that someone isn’t contracted and prepared to play right away.
The second important position was that of striker, but as I’ve already mentioned, that’s not an easy sell since you’re either asking a good player to come in and sit behind Kyogo Furuhashi or spending enough money to acquire a better player. It’s not that difficult to find a left-back to compete with Taylor, in my opinion.
That’s why I get the fans’ frustrations, although looking through the rest of the unit, I’m not sure why some
Gamers are in a panic. Joe Hart is doing well. There’s no need to fear because the defense is led by Stephen Welsh, Carter-Vickers, Scales, and Maik Nawrocki. You could get a better backup. It’s not quite Champions League caliber, but it’s good enough for the remainder of this domestic season.
With Callum McGregor, Matt O’Riley, Paulo Bernardo getting comfortable, and Reo Hatate getting fit again, Celtic are loaded in the middle. Regarding O’Riley, Celtic was unable to let him go and accept any offer from Atletico Madrid. That was really absurd. Thus, he remains, and once more, absent extravagant expenditures, who is eliminating McGregor, O’Riley, and Hatate from the team? Bernardo is also demonstrating his ability as a backup.
The wings are interesting. In theory, Luis Palma, Daizen Maeda, Liel Abada and Nicolas Kuhn are four strong candidates for two spots. But that’s just the theory. Palma and Maeda yes, but I’ll wait until the window shuts before I’m totally convinced over Abada.
I don’t need to go into the challenges which the lad has been facing in the past few months. Celtic are adamant he’s staying and if so fine because a flying Abada is a proven performer. But will he be right at it? That’s hard to say. Rodgers says Kuhn is quality, but he’s going to have to prove it. If he’s not, Celtic have an issue.
In attack I don’t mind Oh Hyeon-gyu. I think he’s got something as a back-up, but he’s not ready to take over full-time from Kyogo. Anthony Ralston can cover Johnston on the domestic scene, but left-back is glaring and it’s poor that it’s not been sorted with less than a week left.
I’d suggest much of any punter panic is down to the fact Rangers don’t look as though they will go away. Hibs aren’t great but Philippe Clement’s team dismantled them in a fashion which Celtic could not in Leith earlier this season. Rodgers’ team are back there on Wednesday week four days after going to Aberdeen. This is a difficult period and Celtic have to get through it.
In the main, I’d say they have the quality currently in place to do it, but they are sailing close to the wind. Really, this window didn’t need to be so complicated. So why is it?
