Celtic will be gearing up for some big challenges in the 2025-26 season, and the team appears to have some grand ambitions beyond the Scottish Cup Final on 24 May…
Preparation is everything, and Celtic’s approach should serve it well in both domestic and European competitions next season.
With a packed fixture list ahead, the team’s ongoing moves will likely echo throughout the rest of the season. Brendan Rodgers is now in his second spell at the club, and the team seems to have benefitted from his leadership so far, growing more sophisticated. Broadly, Brendan Rodgers’ approach has been to introduce:
- Innovative tactics
- Modern sports science
- Greater focus on player development
Here we’ll explore the recent developments of Celtic, as well as what moves we might expect them to make in the near future.
Tactical Evolution Under Brendan Rodgers
Rodgers has introduced some formations and playing styles that he clearly favours over those historically used by the club. In the past, Celtic has used an approach that prioritises quick transitions and maximised possession. However, Rodgers’ tactics have evolved to meet the demands of modern European football more elegantly. This includes better emphasis on defence, flexibility and ball retention.
According to sources, Rodgers has implemented these changes through intense tactical drills and exercises that mimic real in-game situations. It appears that these exercises are favouring dynamic play and fast decision-making, which should elevate Celtic’s play further next season.
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Physical and Mental Conditioning
Rodgers appears to appreciate the importance of both psychological and physical preparation, conditioning players through the use of tailored fitness regimes and mental recovery programmes.
The mental wellbeing of players obviously has a strong impact on their physical performance, and Celtic’s team knows this. If their confidence takes a knock, so too might their play. Conversely, if their confidence gets a boost, their performance might improve. Such a boost can come from anywhere, whether that’s from a happy home life or being named Britain’s hottest footballer!
There’s also extra focus being placed on injury prevention, to develop a fresh resilience amongst players, as well as increased levels of focus and confidence on the pitch. By employing sports psychologists and mental resilience specialists, Rodgers is hoping to build up the internal strength of his players, as well as their physical fitness.
Emphasis on Player Development
Youth development is important to the long-term success of the club, providing strategic, financial and cultural advantages, and Rodgers knows this.
There are a few young players, namely Jude Bonnar and Sean McArdle who have emerged in 2025 and shown themselves to be of great value to the club. This not only bolsters the team, but demonstrates the value of the Celtic FC pipeline through the Celtic Academy that has previously delivered players like club captain Callum McGregor and the most decorated Celtic player of all time, James Forrest. Those two have 50 winners medals between them so Celtic must be doing something right.
By having younger players be mentored by veteran players like McGregor and Forrest, Rodgers can distribute the experience of his squad.
Data Analytics and Opposition Scouting
Keeping a modern team on the cutting edge means making use of advanced data analytics, especially where match preparations are concerned. These tools include things like:
- GPS tracking to monitor player movements and speeds
- Daily analyses of match data to look for patterns
- Opposition scouting, including analysis of footage for weaknesses
- Personalised game plans based on player statistics
- Simulations of strategies and statistical modelling of outcomes
By employing all of the above, Brendan Rodgers is bringing Celtic Football Club up to speed into the modern era of elite level professional football, worth of a UEFA Champions League participant.
Adapting to a Busy Fixture Schedule
Rotation strategies are crucial to avoiding player fatigue, but this means ensuring that there’s a deep squad to draw from, and that takes planning and forethought.
Rodgers will be aiming to ‘spend’ his players wisely, spreading them across the year’s busy fixtures schedule. This means not pouring too much of the club’s power into either cup, league or European matches, and instead finding a healthy balance.
It will also be necessary to plan for recovery schedules. Allowing players a chance to regenerate, instead of pushing them through intense drills, is vital to long term victory. The Celtic manager looks to have at least two first team ready players for every position on the park.
Fan and Media Engagement
Engaging with the media and fans of the club is a big part of managing expectations and pressures, which can have a direct impact on players as well as the club in general. Running things like open training sessions and community events can help to boost the morale of the club and fans, many of whom will be lending their support from the sidelines. The value of morale cannot be overlooked.
Celtic has one of the most vibrant fan media portfolios in the UK but is unwilling to go beyond token recognition, preferring to maintain their long associations with the mainstream media.
Equally, it might be necessary to manage the media. Players have been known to get themselves into controversial waters from time to time, and Rodgers will likely want to keep the public focus on the team more generally, rather than on the private lives of its players.
Key Player Overview
Let’s look more specifically at some of the players who Rodgers will be preparing for a big season, and how 2025/26 could shape up for them.
Player Profile and Expectations
Viljami Sinisalo – The young keeper, bought from Aston Villa last summer, was recently given a run in the first team due to Kaper Schmeichel’s should injury. The Finland international keeper performed brilliantly and looks to be the Celtic goalkeeper for the long term.
Kieran Tierney – After six season at Arsenal Kieran Tierney returns to Celtic in the summer and will add quality and experience to the back four.
Cameron Carter-Vickers – A powerful defender with the ability to dominate the backline, to keep up his leading of role as Celtic’s ‘Big Strong Man’ and to remain solid under pressure.
Liam Scales – A versatile defender who has proven quick to recover from injury and continues to provide varied support and reliable defence with a real goalscoring threat at set-pieces.
Callum McGregor – A midfield anchor and the club’s captain, McGregor is a disciplined leader who sets the standards and leads by example and for his teammates and everyone at the club.
Arne Engels – Currently Celtic’s record signing after his £11m transfer last summer from Bundesliga side FC Augsburg. With a satisfactory debut season under his belt, the Celti support is expecting great things from the Belgium international midfielder next season.
Daizen Maeda – A reliable forward who can play across all three positions in the Celtic attack. With a knack for scoring goals quickness and excellent crossing creates numerous assists. He is the Player of the Year in Scotland and Celtic’s most improved player under Brendan Rodgers.
Adam Idah – Celtic spent £9.5m bringing the Ireland international strike to Celtic last summer from Norwich City after hugely successful loan spell which ended with Idah scoring the winning goal in the 2024 Scottish Cup Final against theRangers. Like Engels, Idah will look to be better next season.
Conclusion
Celtic is currently devising and using a comprehensive preparation strategy which spans many different methods of player prep. The overall goal is to repeat some of their recent successes, but in a more consistent and sustained fashion, both at home and abroad. Celtic FC has earned its reputation as a modern team, largely thanks to the above training preparations.
