It might be a tad early to be judging the players we have signed so far in transfer window but on the face of it this is been by far one our most successful summer recruitment campaigns since the dawn of the McCann era.
As fans I think we have all been on the same page in terms of what has been required and so far, Lenny, Nick Hammond and Peter Lawwell have delivered. But there is one area that still causes concern, the left back/wing back position as Niall J has already written about this morning on The Celtic Star, suggesting that Luca Connell could be utilised as a left sided wing back in a Celtic side with Shane Duffy playing in a 3-5-2 formation.
I am less concerned about finding cover James Forrest as I think we have sufficient cover internally if push comes to shove.
Like many of you I have been scratching my head about how we can solve this pressing headache. Let me get the awkward bit of the conversation out of the way first. I have a feeling that maybe Neil Lennon’s initial anger toward Boli Bolingoli has softened and we might not have seen the last of him in Celtic jersey.
Let’s be honest, the prospect of Lawwell writing off a £3million asset from the balance sheet is highly unlikely. And as someone far more clued up than me pointed out on social media the club would be leaving its self-wide open to other players pulling the same stunt to manufacture their departure from the club if they didn’t feel the management were playing ball.
So as opposed to dwelling on this I prefer to distract myself by looking at potential new talent that can come in and fill this void. I am sure a lot of you have your own ideas and suggestions and we would love to hear them. One player I have long been an admirer of and who is being muted as being available either on a permanent move or a loan is Fabian Delph. Carlow Ancelotti is making some significant moves in the transfer market and I cannot help but think this could play in our favour.
When I am looking at player, I love one that can give you options for example allowing the manager to alter formation with the least amount of disruption, Delph ticks that box. There definitely seems to be a change strategy in relation to where the club recruits from with a primary focus on the UK eliminating the obstacles such as work permits and potential language barriers. So again, Delph fits that criteria.
He really caught my eye during the 2017/18 season when he ended up deputising for Benjamin Mendy at left back for a large chunk of the season racking up 22 league appearances Guardiola transforming a seasoned midfielder into a more than capable left back as Manchester City were run away title winners. If you have not watched the series All or Nothing on Amazon Prime documenting Manchester City’s season give it a go Delph comes across very well in it.
He is no stranger to the big occasion having played on the Champions league stage with City and he was also a member of the England World Cup Squad in 2018. Appearances at international level have dried up since his move to Everton so maybe this could be the kickstarter he needs to reignite his international aspirations.
Paul Carroll
