FROM Tallin to Cluj, Motherwell to Stockholm, Celtic’s summer has been turbulent and tasking. We have witnessed a turnover of dramatic proportions, yet Celtic’s victory at Ibrox on Sunday and new signings have Celtic going into the International Break on an incredible high after the despair of the self inflicted disaster against Cluj that cost us a place in the Champions League.
So that now the dust has settled from the transfer window being slammed shut, we can this morning take stock and reflect on what has been a busy and eventful window for Celtic. As a club, Celtic were in a difficult position following what was another successful season last year, the manager and the board knew that they had to get it right as scrutiny over the appointment of Neil Lennon and Nick Hammond remained.
Exit from the Champions League at home to Cluj and a lacklustre response at home to Dunfermline in the League Cup left the team, management and board at the mercy of critics. Supporters felt that the club were allowing their Glasgow rivals to make ground due to the speed of their business, media support and general confidence emanating from the Ibrox outfit.
However, the fallout of Cluj were banished from the minds of the Celtic support as Odsonne Edouard slid the ball under Allan McGregor before Jonny Hayes concluded a professional and comprehensive win over Steven Gerrard’s side.
Firstly, I must admit to being a cynic of the way Celtic is run at times: the timing of Neil Lennon’s appointment in May, Kieran Tierney’s sale mid-game in Cluj caused some eyebrows to be raised, especially as Celtic appeared to dither in regards to recruitment ahead of the return leg. Remarkable team selection, clueless defending and shoddy goalkeeping saw Celtic lose, as we all remember, and questions began to be asked of the entire club.
On Sunday, I was ecstatic as Neil Lennon showed me why I was wrong about his appointment, a mature and intelligent execution of a game plan in a hostile environment proved him to be worth his weight in gold. New signings performing excellently, Scott Brown proving the doubters wrong once again, Mikey Johnston banishing his Ibrox blues from last season and Celtic winning in such an emphatic style. I was in the Celtic end in May, and what the 800 that made the journey to Govan saw was miles apart from what I witnessed at Ibrox in that 2-0 defeat.
Good business by the end of the transfer window ????????
Chris Jullien ????????
Boli Bolingoli-Mbombo ????????
Hatem Elhamed ????????
Fraser Forster ????????????????????????????
Moritz Bauer ????????
Mohamed Elyounoussi ????????
Greg Taylor ????????????????????????????Luca Connell ????????
Lee O'Connor ????????
Jonathan Afolabi ????????
Jeremie Frimpong ????????
Leo Hjelde ???????? pic.twitter.com/621ogPDmFK— Everything Celtic (@aboutceltic) September 3, 2019
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