Celtic’s Young Guns, a pathway and an opportunity in games like today

A last 16 match at home to Ross County in the league cup would in normal circumstances be a welcome oasis in a long hard arid desert of a season. An opportunity for a Celtic manager to rest three or four players who have been asked to return to the well too many times, coupled with an opportunity to bring in some young players champing at the bit to take their place, stake a claim and show their worth.

As we await Neil Lennon’s line-up for today’s defence of the Betfred Cup however you get the feeling it is unlikely the manager will risk taking experienced players out of the firing line, or endanger his own position any further, by blooding any of the youngsters.

Whilst that is understandable it must be frustrating for those who are on the periphery and desperate to show they can step up. In recent days we have seen Celtic’s young colts play against Partick Thistle and then against an experienced Hamilton side and some have performed well enough to suggest a game like today’s would not be beyond their reach.

Luca Connell and Cameron Harper in particular have remained with Celtic whilst other such as Scott Robertson have gone to seek top team experience on loan at other clubs. For those we chose to leave behind you can only assume the club felt they would be needed for the season ahead yet there have been little opportunities afforded.

The pressure of a 10-in-a-row campaign can easily be used as an excuse, but it’s a void argument in my book. If a young player is ever going to make it at Celtic being exposed to pressure and evidencing their ability to thrive in that environment is a prerequisite, to hide them away from any such exposure could surely be counterproductive, to both the player and the club, should we ever have to rely on them at a future date.

It’s not as if the opportunities are not there. The League Cup is a perfect time to add at least two, or three even, to the mix while using the substitute rule to perhaps add a few more. In the league that five sub rules would be the perfect opportunity for gradual exposure to the rigours of first team football and with a couple of now dead rubber European encounters to come the opportunities are very much there should we want to take advantage.

It is very much beginning to be a case of ‘use it or lose it’ for Celtic as we are seeing with both Karamoko Dembele and Conor Hazard apparently stalling on any future contract, as a pathway to the first team seems blocked. The worry now is the likes of Cameron Harper and Luca Connell may not be far away from reaching that point, possibly watching Ewan Henderson in training and wondering if they too will simply have to run down their contract or seek alternative employment.

A pathway for young players is important, not only for the players on the books, it is also an attraction when selling Celtic as a club to youngsters here, in England and beyond, choosing between many suitors. The player himself, his parents and representatives will be asking what that managed pathway to the first team looks like and asking for examples of who has made it through of late.

Bar Mikey Johnston , there have only really been glimpses of others, with Stephen Welsh the obvious one. Though you assume that one was a needs must rather than a managed development plan, given he played against theRangers and AC Milan back-to-back . If we’re concerned by exposing players to pressure as a reason for holding back this season, Welsh is a fine example of why we need to gradually expose players rather than throw them in at the deep end.

When fielding questions on Celtic’s form dropping like a stone this season, Lennon defended his players with the old nugget that form is temporary but class is permanent. Yet there is another clichéd phrase that Lennon may wish to consider when it comes to the likes of Cameron Harper and Luca Connell being given more first team exposure. If you’re good enough, you’re old enough.

Neil Lennon has already publicly questioned the number of games Ryan Christie has played, in Scotland matches in particular, this would be a good opportunity for young Harper to fill in, whilst Callum McGregor could do with giving the mind a rest if not some weary limbs. Luca Connell could fill that shirt today.

If a home tie against Ross County in the League Cup isn’t a good point to throw a couple into the mix and and see how they perform, then you’d have to ask if such a strategy is not only too risk averse but also causing problems for Celtic when it comes to retention and recruitment of young players further down the line.

It will be interesting to see both the starting lie-up and the substitutes bench today, to see how our young guns are utilised. They’ll be looking to a game like this themselves and considering if they are valued enough to be considered. It may have an impact on their decision making in the weeks and months ahead.

Niall J

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About Author

As a Bellshill Bhoy I was taken to my first Celtic game in the summer of 1987. It was Billy McNeill’s return to Celtic Park as manager and Celtic lost 5-1 to Arsenal . I thought I was a jinx, I think my Grandfather might have thought the same. It was the finest gift anyone ever gave me when he walked me through Parkhead's gates.

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