Celtic made six summer signings this window, but they faced severe headaches in keeping hold of their major star players. Moussa Dembele’s last-minute exit from the club would have dampened the mood, but it was soon back to sheer joy for the Celtic fans as the Hoops went past Rangers 1-0 in the derby.
Dedryck Boyata’s commitment and performance on Sunday would have been a big sigh of relief for the manager and fans alike. The Belgian centre-half was linked with a move away from the club, and he even made himself unavailable for selection earlier in the transfer window. Such acts would have concerned the manager, but he would be delighted that the centre-half has left all that behind and people are now talking more about his football and performance in the Old Firm derby.
With the late departure of Dembele, Brendan Rodgers didn’t get much of an opportunity to replace him, but we still believe they have a strong lineup and after an initial setback at the beginning of the season, the Hoops can once again go on to showcase why they have won the league title seven times in a row now. Here is what their best eleven would look like when everyone is fit.
Formation (4-2-3-1)
Defence
The experienced Craig Gordon would be expected to start in goal every week even though they signed Scott Bain for free from Dundee United. At the back, we believe Filip Benkovic makes a good case for himself having joined from Leicester City on a season-long loan. The Croatian centre-back could have been brought in as a cover for Boyata in case he would have left the club, however, now the two can form one of the strongest centre-back pairings in the league. Suddenly Celtic’s defence which was under the scanner at the start of the season looks formidable.
Out in the wide region, there is no one replacing Kieran Tierney as he continues to be the best left back in the Premiership. On the right side of the defence, Mikael Lustig remains the best bet for Celtic.
Midfield
The pairing of Scott Brown and Olivier Ntcham ran circles around the Rangers player last weekend and showed why there is still some way to go for the Gers to catch hold of their major rivals. The duo suit each others’ game well as Brown usually sits back and keep things moving and tight which allows Ntcham to have the freedom to bomb forward and influence play now and then from attacking positions.
We believe Tom Rogic is the best No. 10 the Bhoys have at the moment. Down the right, young Peter Forrest has been a revelation of a sort, and there seems to be no one challenging him for his spot in the playing eleven at the moment. For the left flank, new signing Daniel Arzani would make a case for himself but he is still quite far from being a finished product, and he is likely to get little cameos here and there at least in the first half of the season. Scott Sinclair should be starting down the left.
Attack
After the departure of Dembele, Celtic’s record signing Odsonne Edouard would have more responsibilities. He showcased his talent last season when he was on loan at Celtic Park, but now Rodgers would be heavily depending on him to deliver with goals.
With just one new signing making it to the playing eleven, it just showcases how strong and settled the Hoops’ lineup is at the moment.
