Neil Lennon and the worrying lack of competitive football for Celtic’s young stars

Call them what you will, the Colts, the Seconds or Celtic’s projects, those on the periphery of the first team squad and more besides in Celtic’s reserve squad will no doubt be a little worried when it comes to competitive football this season.

To date the only professional league playing in Scotland remains the Scottish Premiership and with the difficulties around managing the risk of Covid 19 it’s perhaps unlikely that Celtic’s fringe players will get to see much football this season.

 

It’s not so much that Celtic wouldn’t be ready to play, more that local Scottish opposition may be limited at any level beyond our competitors first teams and the travel issues for games outside of Scotland, be it England or Ireland may be problematic. Reserve and youth level football has already been halted at smaller clubs so even picking up regular challenge games will be difficult in the months ahead.

The career progression of these kids and their immediate development can only be managed so far with day to day training. Without competitive football there is little doubt the impact of the pandemic may result in the stunting of their growth and have a long-term effect on those looking to push themselves towards challenging for a first team place at Celtic.

At a glance there are players within the first team squad who would certainly benefit from more exposure to first team football. Conor Hazard profited from time on loan at Dundee last season. It’s unlikely he’d see much first team action as Celtic’s number three goalkeeper.

The same could be said for Ewan Henderson or Luca Connell. Henderson was on loan at Ross County last season and if Connell is unlikely to see much in the way of first team involvement. Both he and Henderson desperately need fist team, competitive action.

Henderson impressed at the start of 2019

Connell in particular was already exposed to first team football at Bolton Wanderers, indeed it was his form at such a competitive level that attracted Celtic to his talents. This pre-season he was a standout performer in a 45-minute cameo against Hibs at Celtic Park. Yet since signing for Celtic he hasn’t played a minute of first team football. That’s over 12 months without it and Connell can’t afford another year at such a key moment in his development, where he can only be guaranteed bounce games with teammates at Lennoxtown. He needs more. There may be a way Celtic can offer Connell just that and we’ll touch on that in a later article but in the absence of first team football Connell needs to be playing somewhere this season.

Of the reserve squad ‘keeper Ross Doohan has headed out on loan to Ross County and defender Lee O’Connor to Tranmere Rovers.

Of those in the first team it is mainly players’ surplus to requirements or with work permit issues that are actually playing competitive football elsewhere. Maryan Shved and Jack Hendry are playing in Belgium, Vakoun Bayo in France while Manny Perez and Andrew Gutman remain Stateside unable to play for Celtic.

Players like Scott Robertson and Cameron Harper have recently been in Celtic’s match day squad but have yet to kick a ball and Neil Lennon and the coaching staff have been singing the praises for both in this week’s Celtic View.

Lennon has indicated Robertson – following his signing of a new three-year contract – would benefit from regular competitive games and with Cameron Harper apparently impressing everyone at Lennoxtown, it’s clear he’d also benefit from the same. The striker is unlikely to trouble the likes of Ajeti, Edouard, Griffiths or Klimala for a regular place in Celtic’s starting eleven so a short-term contract elsewhere would fit the bill.

Others such as Jonathan Afolabi and Armstrong Okoflex, Kerr McInroy, Daniel Church and even Stephen Welsh need to be playing football this season, all are at a time in their careers where a year out could have a detrimental effect.

With The Championship in Scotland due to start in October, the next few weeks of the transfer window and indeed the downtime the coaching staff will have during the International break, is likely to see some movement and planning for what Celtic intend to do with some of our fringe players.

With finances tight further down the Scottish pyramid – and indeed in some of the smaller sides in the top flight – it may be advantageous to Celtic, the players and the receiving club if Celtic were to forego loan fees and wages and offer some of our peripheral young players to Championship and League 1 clubs.

Such competitive football will help Celtic in the long run and keeping them relatively close to home will also be beneficial, given we’re all unsure what the pandemic has in store as we head for the winter months again. It may also assist financially challenged lower league clubs to ride out the Covid 19 impact.

One thing is for sure these players will need a road plan, pathway, call it what you will to ensure a regular diet of football is added to meal plans and training programmes. The risk of stagnation and resulting frustration is evident, we only need to look to Karamoko Dembele to see what a perceived lack of football can do to players who lose patience.

While we all wait with baited breath for the new big signing, the next few weeks of the transfer window could also be vital for the players knocking on the door for first team action. If players are unlikely to trouble the first team this season it’s vital, we get them opportunities elsewhere.

With budgets hit all over Scotland I’m sure many clubs would be willing to give our young Bhoys the opportunity to play competitive football. We just need to make it a financially beneficial arrangement.

Niall J

THROUGH THE WINDOW Parts 1 & 2 are available below…

PART 1 – A Look Through the Window at the Celtic Defence chasing Ten-in-a-Row…read HERE.

Part 2 – A Look through the Window – Celtic strong in middle with the best strikers in Scotland…read HERE.

AND DON’T MISS THIS…Patrick Welsh – rebellion, intrigue and his importance to Celtic FC and the Maley Family

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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