When Celtic FC Women decided the club and the players would embrace professionalism, they entered a brave new world. The majority of the players, if not almost all, will now be on full-time professional contracts with the club, yet up to now much of what has been discussed and debated around the women’s team has been handled with a soft touch.
Initially you can put much of that down to respect or an element of allowing time to settle down but you could also describe some of it of being far too cagey. As things stand Fran Alonso and his side are now a division of Celtic FC who deserve as much scrutiny, respect and constructive criticism as any other facet of the club.
This Celtic side have made massive strides in recent times and last season they took the title race to the last day, a hell of an achievement considering Glasgow City at the time were 13 times winners of the title and ultimately stretched it to 14 despite the incredible post-Christmas efforts of Alonso and his team.
Celtic were also up against another Glasgow rival in theRangers who threw money at their project – some habits die hard – but ended up third in an apparent two horse race. Yet Celtic finished second and with a Champions League campaign that read two games and two defeats there has to be a light shone this season as to how Celtic kick on in the campaign ahead.
For the time being there is little criticism to be thrown the way of either the players or the manager -little but not none – however as a club there is more we can do to back something special brewing at Celtic and ensure our resources as a club are utilised to support it.
Celtic as a club need to waken up to the opportunities for the women’s game. And those of us covering this team also have to ensure high standards are expected and those expected to deliver them are held to account on and off the field.
We’ve covered some of the issues off the park and we’ll continue to highlight those, however on the field there are also issues that need debating.
Take the transfers of Sarah Ewens and Lisa Robertson. One Celtic’s top scorer, the other a leader on the field and the one Celtic player who bothers the national selectors. Ewens heads south on a permanent deal and we replace with Charlie Wellings. So far so good. Wellings has not only done well she possibly looks more of an all-round footballer than Ewens did. Yet four games into the season there is a gaping hole left when it comes to the loss of Lisa Robertson.
READ THIS….Fan Media Breakthrough at Celtic – The Celtic Star’s One-on-One with both Fran Alonso and Clarissa Larisey
Ewens transfer made sense, money exchanged hands, replacements were sought and with Kathleen McGovern, Clarissa Larisey and Charlie Wellings the future looks bright. Yet in midfield we are still finding our feet and Lisa Robertson left on a loan deal to Birmingham City. Now that’s fine in terms of the opportunity offered to the player, but had Callum McGregor fancied a crack at the EPL would we have authorised a loan deal? Not a chance, so why did we allow that for the women’s team?
On the park Celtic do sit top of the league and defensively and in attack there is a feeling things are settling down, yet the balance in those midfield areas remains out of kilter. That is because Fran Alonso, having added to his squad over the summer, was left to negotiate Champions League qualifiers and the start of the season without the one player, and I assure you the standout player, Alonso would have built his summer plans around.
Now Alonso himself can also be held to account. The tactical and selection nightmare in the opening 45 minutes against Glasgow City was predominately on him, the loss of control of the weekend’s game against Hibs was more down to the players, yet there is an argument a Lisa Roberston shaped rug having pulled from under him is still inhibiting the manager’s plans for the midfield.
READ THIS…Fran Alonso talks to The Celtic Star – Celtic plan to beat attendance records set by both Hibs and Scotland
There were then excuses there but now they wear thin. The current three at the back experiment leaves Celtic exposed and the square pegs in round holes of Jodie Bartle playing valiantly as a left sided central defender is at the expense of a balanced backline. Whilst four at the back allows Chloe Warrington to play as a natural left back -rather than the crazy decision to play her as a right sided wing back against Glasgow City – and Bartle or Chloe Craig as a right back and brings balance to the team with several central defensive options that can settle on the best two in form. Affording that defensive solidity would allow the midfield to bed in.
As it stands the insecurity in the backline compounds the problem when it comes to the midfield settling into a necessary rhythm. Shen Mengyu, Olivia Chance and Sarah Harkes can fill those gaps and settle into a working relationship, but they need time and games to do just that.
Harkes, we know is managing an injury but the other two need a series of 90 minutes to get up to speed. And while they do then the tinker man approach to pleasing all of the people of the time needs to be shelved by Alonso. After all It’s only just reached October, there is little need to rest and rotate players to the extent we do, and less need to include everyone as if it’s a youth club football team who require rewarding because they turned up for training on time and their boots were clean.
If Celtic are to win a title the best players need to be played most of the time and once points look secure bring in those on the periphery by all means. For now, in defence players can play two and even three games in a week. In midfield rotation can work better with late substitutions rather than wholesale changes to the starting line up, whilst in attack get your best players on the pitch and let them build up the relationships that will come to the fore when the business end of the season arrives.
Celtic are top of the league and find themselves in a great position to build from, but having watched Celtic this season and last the signs of a slip up are just around the corner and it need not be the case.
Fran Alonso was dealt a blow with the loss of Lisa Robertson, yet still the absence has yet to be filled, and it won’t be unless Celtic allow the best players in the engine room to get to know each other and build the relationships necessary to mount a sustained title challenge and afford them a settled and secure backline to support them. To do that Fran Alonso needs to be less Mr Nice Guy and more ruthless.
Celtic after all at any level are never underdogs. That may have washed last season but it is not a tune to play when last season the title went to the last day of the season.
The potential in this Celtic team is there, the squad is strong, yet the first eleven is not being allowed to settle. It’s time to realise a professional outfit has professional standards to uphold and that means playing your best players when they are available and in a formation they can both understand and facilitate.
Fran Alonso and his players are already in a great position, let’s not allow that to slip away with unnecessary tinkering at such an early stage of the season. The warning signs were there against Glasgow City and Hibs. It’s time they were heeded.
Niall J
READ THIS…Celtic are now so far behind the curve but that isn’t on Ange
Keep up to date on Twitter @HarryHoodBook
