Celtic’s Mess, what Rodgers can do – Academy, Formation and Want-Aways

What can Brendan Rodgers do to sort out the mess we’ve found ourselves in? James French takes a closer look…

Brendan Rodgers looks on during a press conference at the Olympic Stadium in Rome, on November 27, 2023, ahead of the UEFA Champions’ League group match between Societa Sportiva Lazio and Celtic F.C. (Photo by FILIPPO MONTEFORTE/AFP via Getty Images)

Back-to-back losses domestically, stemming from poor performances in the league this season leaving fans with an inkling feeling Brendan Rodgers side may not be up for a title fight, accompanied by backlash towards the Celtic board has altogether contributed to a tumultuous couple of weeks in the East End of Glasgow.

Addressing Celtic’s problems on the pitch will be the priority for the majority of fans, with the January transfer window serving as an opportunity for the club’s recruitment team to redeem themselves as Rodgers targets players who will add “quality” and his own stamp to this Celtic side.

In the short-term, Rodgers will have to make do with what he has at his disposal, but what can he do to freshen things up as his side looks to bounce back on Saturday?

1. Promote some Celtic Academy talent

The solution of giving opportunities to the club’s academy talent in the mist of a mini-crisis is one which might not be popular among much of the Celtic fan base, or so the manager and his assistants might think.  However they might be surprised as the Celtic support has always got a kick out of seeing emerging talent given their opportunity.

Mitchel Frame of Celtic makes his first team debut during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and Feyenoord at Celtic Park on 13 December, 2023. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Celtic’s B team have had their own struggles domestically this season, as they sit mid-table in the Lowland League. However, that’s not to say there is not plenty of talent progressing through the ranks at Celtic. Mitchel Frame, who has been widely talked about as an exciting prospect for a while now made his debut for the club just under a week ago.

The 17-year-old impressed in his secondary position on the left wing for Celtic and provided a much-needed spark on the left-hand side of the pitch. Frame, who is a natural left back, should be given further opportunities in the coming games considering the recent performances of Greg Taylor and the news Alessandro Bernabei will almost certainly move on in January.

Celtic v Motherwell – cinch Premiership – Rocco Vata during the cinch Premiership match at Celtic Park,  Saturday April 22, 2023. Photo Steve Welsh

Celtic have been lacking a spark in recent games, both on and off the pitch. Promoting further young talent such as Rocco Vata, Daniel Kelly or Mackenzie Carse would provide a youthful spark which this team is sorely lacking at this moment in time.

Rocco Vata was in and around the first team last season but had the likes of Jota ahead of him. Now we’re seeing Yang and Mikey Johnston keeping him out the team.  If we had to run a poll on The Celtic Star asking supporters which of those three they’d like to see starting on Saturday against Livingston then you’d have to think that Rocco would be the clear winner.

Vata is desperate to stay at Celtic and make the breakthrough, yet he has NOT been offered a contract (unless that has happened recently). Mikey Johnston has had a chance and shown that he is not the answer, sadly. Yang has failed to impress despite one or two promising moments. And Daizen Maeda looked well short of match sharpness during the second half of that terrible performance against Hearts.

Celtic FC v Athletic Club – Pre-Season Friendly Hyun-Jun Yang of Celtic FC in action during the pre-season friendly match between Celtic FC and Athletic Club at Celtic Park on August 1, 2023, Photo Ricardo Larreina

Often having academy graduates involved in the first team can also lift the fans, and give them too an added sense of energy, which would be a welcome change considering the toxic atmosphere which has taken over Celtic Park in recent games.

2. Change of formation

Brendan Rodgers has strictly stuck to a maiden 4-3-3 this season, other than briefly switching to a 4-4-2 on occasion when his side chased a goal. Celtic’s wing play has been extremely below par this year when compared to last year, with Jota’s presence sorely being missed in this Celtic side.

Photo by Robert Perry/Shutterstock – Kyogo Furuhashi scores goal. Celtic v Dundee, Cinch Scottish Premiership, Football, Celtic Park, Glasgow, UK – 16 September 2023.

Kyogo Furuhashi has been one of the victims of such poor creative output from Celtic’s wingers, with the Japanese international struggling to stumble upon chances as consistently as last season. Kyogo could also be protecting his shoulder subconsciously, think of that chance he missed at the start of the second half at the weekend.

Luis Palma of Celtic celebrates after scoring their team’s first goal during the UEFA Champions League match between Celtic FC and Feyenoord at Celtic Park Stadium on 13 December, 2023 . (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Luis Palma has arguably been Celtic’s best signing this season and has shown he possesses a certain level of quality in the final third. However, his lack of pace and dynamism hinders him at times, with the Honduran’s profile probably more suited to a central role. He could be a revelation as a number 10.

A change of system to a 4-1-2-1-2 could prove to be much more effective considering its suitability to this current Celtic squad. A backline which picks itself with Johnston, Carter Vickers and Scales. A switch at left back would make sense considering Taylor’s inclinations to invert, Mitchell Frame would suit the profile of a more athletic left wing back in this system.

David Turnbull of Celtic reacts after missing a penalty during the Cinch Scottish Premiership match between Celtic FC and St. Mirren FC at Celtic Park Stadium on November 01, 2023. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

Celtic’s abundance of options in midfield make the argument to switch from the 4-3-3 even more convincing, McGregor sitting at the base of the midfield with O’Riley on the left and one of Bernardo/Turnbull*/Holm on the right makes the most sense.

Luis Palma sitting behind a combination of Kyogo and Maeda/Oh is a tasty preposition, allowing for greater focus centrally which would ideally result in more chances for Kyogo.

Whether Brendan Rodgers switches formation or not, the argument for a narrower system is a strong one and suits the current Celtic squad the manager has at his disposal.

Celtic v Ross County – David Turnbull celebrates scoring the first goal of the game during the cinch Premiership match at Celtic Park, Saturday August 5, 2023. Photo Steve Welsh

3. The return of the Celtic Want-Aways

*It very much looks like David Turnbull is set to sign a pre-contract with an English club in January, having resisted the temptation to put ink on the Celtic contract he’s been offered.

If this information is correct then Celtic should look to move him on in January and you’d have to question the commitment dimension to all of this who thinking about the must win series of games we are facing ahead of the window opening. 100% commitment to the Celtic cause is a minimum and anyone with their next move on their minds should not be considered.

We have been here before and know how it ends. Hopefully someone has told Brendan.

James French

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1 Comment

  1. Can we trust Rodgers in transfer window? I don’t think so
    He can’t look at the field when its going wrong and make a change to fix it! He puts on like for like.
    Last season we couldn’t wait for the next game to come because it was entertaining this season with him its apart from 2 or 3 games utter dross we’re watching. He hung around Glasgow towards the end of last season as they knew ange was leaving and he was snapped up because out of work and more importantly for his ego out of the limelight. We were lucky they persevered with beale longer than they did..