The transfer window is over and supporters of football clubs across the land are looking back at the last few months and coming to conclusions about the business their teams have done.
For Celtic it was a summer of consolidation and evolution rather than changing Brendan Rodgers’ squad starting eleven massively. Key objectives heading into the window were keeping top performers like Moussa Dembele, fixing a defence that had struggled in Europe and adding quality to one or two select positions in the first team.
After achieving an unbeaten domestic treble, it’ll be hard for the Hoops to better their performance of last season in Scotland but in the UEFA Champions League there’s plenty of room for improvement, so it was vital that the club did the business required to progress.
So how did they do? What went right and what went wrong?
Here TWO positives and TWO negatives from their summer activity…
Positive: The signing of Olivier Ntcham
One of the big improvements Celtic had to make from last season, in the context of competing in Europe, was signing a midfielder who was composed on the ball and proficient in retaining possession, but also able to have an effect on the game in the final third.
Stuart Armstrong and Callum McGregor have progressed massively in their Celtic careers but lacked that composure in Europe last season, despite their hardworking efforts.
With the arrival of Olivier Ntcham though, it looks like the Hoops have found that classy midfield man they were crying out for. Still just 21 years of age, Ntcham plays beyond his experience, looking like a player who can both calm things down when need be but also play a piercing forward ball or even support the attackers with runs to the edge of the box.
A potential all-rounder both at domestic and European level, he has been the star buy in Celtic’s summer transfer window and supporters are quite rightly excited about what he can achieve at the Hoops.
Negative: No serious competition for Craig Gordon
One area of the pitch Celtic look a little fragile in right now is between the sticks. Craig Gordon’s resurrection as a footballer at Celtic has been nothing short of remarkable since he joined in 2014 and his shot stopping ability is undeniable.
However, there have been a few mistakes along the way since Brendan Rodgers came into the club, including a couple of goals conceded this season already. There’s certainly no need for panic but you get the impression Gordon would be at his best with credible competition that could focus his mind and allow him to reach top form.
Beyond Gordon there isn’t much depth with just Dorus De Vries being the recognised goalkeeper that can fill in if need be. That means Celtic are just an injury or two away from something of a crisis in goals and with the resources they have, could that be considered a risk?
Positive: Retaining all of their top talent
As noted in our intro, retaining Celtic’s most valuable talent was something supporters wanted to see most in the transfer window with players like Moussa Dembele, Kieran Tierney, Stuart Armstrong and Jozo Simunovic reaching form that made them potentially ripe for more cash-rich clubs to come in and turn their heads.
Celtic didn’t let go of a single player that wasn’t surplus to requirements this summer so this aspect was a big success. All of the top performers that made them such a formidable outfit last season are here for another season at least, including Patrick Roberts who they managed to get on a renewed loan deal until next summer.
These players are all young and improving and theoretically should be even better, fitter and more dangerous than 12 months ago. If they had excellent seasons last term, what can they do this season?
Negative: No defensive signings whatsoever
One of the big disappointments for Celtic supporters coming out of the transfer window will be the fact they haven’t strengthened at all in defence. In fact, with the departures of Kolo Toure and Emilio Izaguirre, who both provided cover and experience at the top level, they are arguably weaker in this department. For a team that shipped 16 goals in the group stages of the UEFA Champions League last term, that doesn’t bode very well.
The club did try to bring in a defender, agreeing a deal with Ajax Cape Town for South African international Rivaldo Coetzee before a failed medical sunk the move.
However, having had two transfer windows now to shape up for European competition again, the fact remains the Hoops haven’t got the business required over the line in this area and that could prove costly in the season ahead.
