While Celtic’s decision to re-appoint Brendan Rodgers as manager during June was not unanimously approved by the fans, his detractors have not had too much to moan about, until yesterday at least.
After starting slowly during pre-season, the Hoops showed plenty of signs of promise when they faced Wolverhampton Wanderers in Dublin at the end of last month.
Kyogo Furuhashi put the Hoops in front early in the game and they were unfortunate not to extend their advantage after hitting the woodwork twice before the break.
Matheus Cunha’s penalty levelled things up for Wolves in the final five minutes, but Celtic’s sizeable Irish following went home happy with what they had seen. The result took on even greater significance when Wolves kicked off their Premier League campaign at Manchester United on Monday.
Gary O’Neil’s side took the game to the Red Devils and could count themselves extremely unfortunate not to have taken at least one point from Old Trafford.
Celtic clearly garnered confidence from their performance against Wolves with an impressive victory over Athletic Bilbao in their final pre-season outing.
Celtic off to a Flyer in the League
The Hoops went into the new Scottish Premiership campaign as the bookmakers’ favourites to retain the title and things have largely gone to plan up to this point. Victories over Ross County and Aberdeen have fired Celtic to the top of the standings and forced the top betting sites to cut their title odds.
An opening day defeat for theRangers at Kilmarnock was an added bonus for Rodgers as he reacquaints himself to life in the green half of Glasgow. While the Northern Irishman will be satisfied with Celtic’s results in their first two league outings, he is sensible enough to know there is still plenty of room for improvement.
It took time for the players to gel when Ange Postecoglou was first appointed and patience will be needed now Rodgers is back in charge. He will certainly expect to see defensive improvements over the next few weeks, particularly given that Celtic conceded less than a goal per game last season.
Defensive frailties allowed Aberdeen back into the game last weekend, but Celtic had enough going forward to ensure they safely left the north east with three points. Winning when you are not quite at your best is the mark of champions and is a factor that will serve Celtic well as the campaign progresses.
A key takeaway from the trip to Pittodrie was how unconvincing full-backs Anthony Ralston and Greg Taylor looked during the game. Shayden Morris gave Taylor a torrid time on Celtic’s left flank, with the former Fleetwood Town winger repeatedly leaving him standing.
With just a couple of weeks to go before the summer transfer window closes, Celtic must pull out all the stops to strengthen at left-back. They have been linked with a move for Kieran Tierney in recent weeks, and his acquisition would be a game-changer for Celtic.
It’s time for an emotional Homecoming
Tierney was left out of Arsenal’s squad for their season opener against Nottingham Forest over the weekend, raising further questions about his future. He played a bit-part role for the Gunners last season, with manager Mikel Arteta regularly preferring Oleksandr Zinchenko at left-back.
New signing Jurrien Timber started there against Forest, and he was replaced by Takehiro Tomiyasu when he sustained an injury. Tierney has clearly fallen out of favour at the Emirates Stadium and a move elsewhere will likely happen over the next couple of weeks.
The Gunners reportedly want to sell Tierney permanently, but their £30 million asking price could prove be a stumbling block, meaning a loan move is more likely.
Real Sociedad and Newcastle United have been touted as possible destinations for Tierney, although neither are likely to stump up the cash for a permanent move.
Heading to La Liga would be a risky proposition for Tierney, which leaves Newcastle as his most likely option if he stays in England. However, with the Magpies also eyeing moves for other full-backs, a sensational return to Parkhead is not beyond the realms of possibility.
There have been suggestions in some quarters that Tierney wants to stay in a ‘big league’ to keep himself in tip-top shape for the 2024 European Championships. While this argument may have some merit to behind it, the Scotland international’s emotional connection to Celtic should not be underestimated.
He flourished under Rodgers during his first spell with the club and could be attracted by the prospect of working with him again. The lure of playing in La Liga or the Premier League cannot be underestimated, but Celtic also have plenty to offer Tierney if he returns to the club.
Challenging for silverware is guaranteed, while the club will also be featuring in the group stage of the Champions League. Resurrecting his career in familiar surroundings may be a tempting proposition for a player whose time at Arsenal has gone pear-shaped.
Given their need for improvements at left-back, Celtic should pull out all the stops to bring Tierney home before the transfer window closes. And yesterday’s shock exit from the League Cup at Kilmarnock might just spur the Celtic Board into going the extra mile to bring KT home to Paradise.
Fantasy football pick.
Tierney won’t be back.
Time Scales was given a chance on the left side.
Aberdeen would have him as a first pick.
Time to realise that with new players and injuries manager has to make and mend in the short term.
Our captain not firing on all cylinders at present as newcomers settle.
Hail Hail.
Aug 9 : BR says ” past is not importance ”
Aug 21 BR says result ” magnifies the achievements of the past ”
One of them HAS to be BS.