Despite the old cliché “You can’t win them all!” the recent derby defeat to our bitter rivals has been a bitter pill to swallow.
For the first time in nearly a decade, we are not going to stroll to another league title. Nine-in-a-row is not a formality. As a result, the club’s quest for ten could be in jeopardy. If we didn’t know it before, we do now – we are in for a real battle to win the league title. That is the reality.
However, whilst some supporters and sections of the media are treating the defeat as catastrophic, it must be put into perspective. It is a disappointment and a set back but by no means decisive. That being said, it has definitely raised the stakes!
Give The Devil His Due
First of all, I will do something that is very difficult for any Celtic supporter to do and give credit to Steven Gerrard’s team. His side has come on leaps and bounds this season both domestically and in Europe. They hold a slight advantage in the title race (assuming they win their game in hand at home to St Johnstone). This is despite Celtic being 10 points better off than we were at this stage last season.
Despite the under-par performances of the last two Glasgow derbies – one we won and one we lost – Celtic have also improved since the summer. As well as having a greater points tally than a year ago, we have been very impressive in Europe. Furthermore, a number of summer acquisitions (e.g. Forster, Frimpong, Julien, El Hamed and Elyounoussi) have all added greater quality.
Whilst fatigue and injuries to key players like El Hamed, Elyounoussi and Edouard (in the cup final) were contributory factors, give the devil his due! Rangers were the better team in both games. Celtic were lucky to win the final and were comfortably (if not emphatically) beaten on December 29th.
Although we have made some improvement, the extent to which Rangers have improved has been greater than ours (from where both clubs were at) on the evidence of the first half of the season.
Where do we go from here?
In the film Batman Begins, Alfred asked Bruce Wayne “Why do we fall?” The answer is so that we can learn to pick ourselves up! This ties in with another football cliché that sometimes you can learn more from a defeat than you can from a victory.
Had Celtic scraped a point on the 29th, we would all feel more content and be siting more comfortably at the top of the league. However, it would have papered over the cracks and not addressed the urgent threat posed from across the city.
Following every hurtful defeat, whether it be a humiliating cup exit at the hands of Inverness Caley Thistle (2000); a 5-0 hammering against Artmedia Bratislava (2005); elimination in the Champions League qualifiers at home to Cluj (2019) or the recent derby defeat; there is the opportunity for soul searching and reflection.
What went wrong? Why did it go wrong? What lessons have been learned? How can we improve?
Everyone has their own opinion as to why we lost the game. This may relate to the manager’s team selection and tactics, a lack of investment in the summer, injuries to key personnel, not enough depth in certain positions (e.g. striker), players bottling it/not rising to the occasion, combinations of these factors etc.
Whilst a lot of the negativity/jubilation from both sets of supporters has been greatly exaggerated, what is abundantly clear is that Celtic must find the answers and quickly!
A ‘Do or Die’ January
First and foremost, the existing playing squad must use their winter break in Dubai to recuperate and re-energise. It has been a long hard season for them already and they deserve a lot of credit in spite of last week’s result. Aside from the ‘dead-rubber’ game in Cluj, this was the club’s first defeat in all competitions for over three months.
Secondly, this is without doubt the most important January transfer window in Celtic’s recent history. The first team squad needs more quality in key positions:
1. Striker
In terms of the squad, this is the most obvious area that Celtic lacks depth. As good as Edouard is, he cannot do it all by himself. He was not fully fit after his injury lay off and the team really struggled in forward areas as a result.
Unfortunately, Leigh Griffiths has had his personal problems and injuries. Since returning, he is yet to rediscover his sharpness in front of goal. Bayo is still injured and whilst he could be a good player in the future, he is still very raw. Perhaps a loan move to another Scottish club could help his development.
2. Centre-Half
The team also needs another centre-half to provide competition for Julien and Ajer with Simunovic out injured. Young Ajer is a very good player, but he is still not the finished article and was at fault for Katic’s winning goal last week. Previously, I wrote an article that Ajer’s best position could be in central midfield, which is a view that I still hold.
As a tried and tested short-term solution to the centre-back position, another loan move for Benkovic (a player that was outstanding last season) would be very welcome.
3. Central Midfield
Scott Brown and Callum McGregor have both been excellent for a number of years. They were also two of Celtic’s better players last week. However, we cannot expect them to continue playing the amount of games that they have been without a rest!
One of the telling factors in both of the recent derbies was that Celtic lost the physical battle. The man that we all want to re-sign is Kenyan powerhouse, Victor Wanyama. Whilst funding such a move could prove difficult, a marquee signing like this would give the whole club a lift and show a real signal of intent!
3. Left Back
In contrast to right back where Frimpong and El Hamed have both excelled, left back still has not been fully resolved. After a slow start, Bolingoli put in a number of good performances, including the victory at Ibrox in September. However, he still appears liable to lapses of concentration.
Johnny Hayes has also performed admirably well at left back but this is not his natural position, and Lennon has yet to fully put his trust in summer signing, Greg Taylor.
A player that Celtic should go back in for is Rosenborg’s Birger Meling – a player we were heavily linked with in the summer. As far as I’m aware, he has not signed a new contract with his club or anyone else. As he will be a free agent in the summer, we could probably sign him now for around £1m. Meling looks like an excellent full-back both defensively and going forward, therefore could be the man to finally replace Kieran Tierney.
4. Left Midfield
This is arguably a lower priority than the other positions discussed, but it is one that Celtic still needs to address.
Mikey Johnstone is a superb young talent that has time on his side, but he has struggled in the cauldron of a Glasgow derby (although the same could be said of Forrest and Christie in both of the recent games).
Elyounossi has impressed in this position since he joined on loan in the summer. Unfortunately, he has been ruled out by injury since November and we have missed his ability to score goals from midfield. Hopefully he will be fit again soon and get back to the form he showed before his injury lay off.
The question is: should Celtic sign Elyounossi permanently? Reports suggest that Southampton would be willing to sell him for £9m. Whilst he would undoubtedly be a good signing, it is a far greater priority to sign Fraser Forster on a permanent deal (as well as another quality striker), therefore it seems unlikely.
5. Goalkeeper
As stated, signing ‘La Gran Muralla’ Fraser Forster on a permanent basis is a major priority (either now or in the summer). He has been outstanding since he re-joined the club. He made vital saves in both games against Lazio in the Europa League and almost single-handedly won Celtic the League Cup Final.
Signing Forster would likely cost upwards of £10m and he will demand big wages. However, we must ensure that he stays with us, as goalkeeper is without doubt the most important position on the football field.
The Celtic Board’s Strategy
It is up to the Celtic Board to finance a permanent move for Forster, but also find ways to improve other areas of the team. Even with him in goal, there were obvious short-comings that were exploited in both of the recent derbies.
Should Celtic fail to win nine-in-a-row (and with it the dream of ten), the fans will inevitably blame Lawwell and co. There is money to spend, but it is more important to spend it wisely. From the position of strength the club has been in recent years, failure would be inexcusable!
Rather than signing long-term ‘projects’ as it has done in recent years, the board must focus on its short-term strategy to ensure that the league is won this season. The fans will never forgive them otherwise! If this means signing experienced players or bringing in loan signings until the end of the season, then so be it.
Rising to the Challenge
Whilst the derby defeat hurt us, it was also a clear warning shot. The battle lines have been drawn. The challenge has been set. However, as the dust settles in the aftermath of this result, a degree of perspective can now be gained.
It is not the travesty that many have portrayed it. Nor is it a shift in the balance of power in Scottish football and the end of our quest for nine/ten-in-a-row. We are (possibly) a point behind with half of the season remaining; one trophy is already in the cabinet, and we are still in Europe.
Rather than being ‘the end of our world!’ it is actually an opportunity for Celtic to rise and overcome the challenge that has been set. Yes lessons need to be learned and wise investment is needed in this window, but with money in the bank and a squad that boasts serial winners like Scott Brown, James Forrest, Callum McGregor, Odsonne Edouard and Fraser Forster, the club is more than capable of galvanising itself to winning a ninth straight league title in May.
By Mark Nicholas
themarkjnblog/football 