Premiership giants Celtic seem like a team that is finally getting back on track, after a rather calamitous last few months. Although they are second in the division, the fact that Rangers have pulled away by a pretty large margin will surely be on the back of Neil Lennon’s mind. Catching up to the Ibrox club will be easier said than done because some of the issues within the Parkhead club are actually quite deep-rooted. While there does need to be a few changes in terms of their play style as well as energy levels, the personnel themselves have done very little to help the manager’s cause this season.
There are a number of positions across the pitch where Celtic have struggled to maintain consistency. While it must be taken into account that they looked like an extremely strong side on paper going into the season, the football on the pitch didn’t quite play out the way it was expected. Not just that, Neil Lennon’s rather backwards tactics have done very little to help them gain momentum, while injuries have had their fair share of an influence as well. Picking three positions that Celtic need to strengthen over the winter was never going to be an easy task, but if they hope to achieve ten-in-a-row this season, then it’s something they’ll have to think about.
Picking Three Positions That Celtic Need To Strengthen Over The Winter:
Goalkeeper
The goalkeeping role has been one of reasonable concern for Celtic since the start of the season, and this is despite the big money arrival of Greek shot-stopper Vasilis Barkas from AEK Athens in the summer. Although the initial signs with regard to him were good, over time, the fans realised that he wasn’t what they made him out to be. Since then, both Scott Bain and Conor Hazard have had spells in between the sticks, but neither has done enough to nail down the role. Bringing in a keeper with the experience and quality required to retain the role of first-choice would immediately improve the Celtic squad.
Centre-Back
The summer loan arrival of Shane Duffy from Brighton and Hove Albion was received with much fanfare. However, the Irishman’s exploits in the heart of defence have actually had the opposite impact of what the manager would’ve hoped for. Despite starting the campaign as the first-choice and looking like a good signing, the weeks thereafter showed him in a different sort of light. Most teams approach games against the Old Firm clubs with the intention to counter-attack – the exact situation where Shane Duffy is at his weakest. With only Kristoffer Ajer and Christopher Jullien as realistic options (Nir Bitton hasn’t done enough) for the role, bringing in another centre-half would certainly be a good move.
Winger
James Forrest is a player who is yet to really nail down a place in the Parkhead club’s starting eleven. Despite this, it must be conceded that Celtic have missed his services massively since the start of the current season. The speedster injured his ankle a few months ago and is yet to make his return to the side. With Mohamed Elyounoussi as the only experienced wide option available to Neil Lennon, bringing in another winger is of the essence for Celtic. The return of Mikey Johnston will come as a boost, but not a big enough one to warrant not buying another creative source in the winter.
