There’s nothing but pride left to play for in Celtic’s season, but it could be interesting to see if the coaching staff try to look after their own interests in the final few games.
It’s not clear if John Kennedy will leave when the new manager comes in and he’ll want to go out with a strong record to put on his CV, but it’s also important for the club to know what they have going forward.
There’s going to be some serious turnover this summer with loanees returning to their parent clubs and it’s very possible that Ajer and Eddy will move on, but there are a few young players who are stuck in-between the first team and the U23s.
This is the squad selection for the game tonight, and there are three players on that bench who need to be looked at:
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Conor Hazard – The young keeper showed some promise when he was given a run in the team earlier in the season, but he also had some worrying moments that suggested he may not be reliable. You have to hope that a new keeper does come in this summer, so it leaves a fight between Hazard and Bain for that number 2 role.
Hazard may benefit from a loan spell where he can be the number 1 somewhere else next season, but it would still be preferable to see him have a run of games now to gauge just how far away he is.
Anthony Ralston – The young right back initially looked promising when he burst onto the scene, but he was largely dreadful for St Johnstone in a loan spell last season and hasn’t done anything to break into the team this year.
He’ll turn 23 next season so he’s getting to that point where he needs to establish himself or leave, so it would be a good idea to see him get some game-time to determine if he has any place in this squad next season.
Karamoko Dembele – Touted as a wonderkid and a star of the future for a few years now, Dembele did turn 18 earlier this year and it’s time for him to start making the step into senior football.
He may have the issue where he has a very slight frame and that will worry coaches, but he’s also shown that he’s immensely talented when given a chance and there will be a fear that he moves on in the summer if he doesn’t start to feel valued.
Another one who may need a loan spell to gain experience as a regular starter somewhere, it would also be exciting to see him get a chance.
There’s nothing else to learn about the likes of Jonjoe Kenny or Scott Bain so they don’t need to play in these games, and it would be useful to see if any of the peripheral squad members have any worth.
