Power and pace in that midfield would sort some issues for Celtic

How many times must this be said and asked of the club? It really is starting to become concerning when you can clearly see an obvious problem that has been the cause of much consternation and anguish as supporters for a long, long time. It’s perplexing how not one person in the recruitment team for the last several years now can’t see what we all can.

The severe lack of power and pace in the central midfield area is glaring at this point. Even though we lost the great Aaron Mooy this summer, he was never that type of player either. We desperately need to go out and get a digger in that region of the pitch who will fight and sweat and graft like a demon to allow the McGregor, Hatate’s and O’Riley’s do their thing.

Rodgers mentioned it when he first arrived at the club and I am bemused at why it hasn’t been addressed yet again. I mean, the first few games of the season has just basically allowed the deficiencies in midfield to scream and shout out at us once more. Does anybody at Celtic Park actually watch the games I wonder? If they do, heaven knows why they can come away thinking we don’t need something different in front of the defence.

We have been rough around the edges lately and that can be down to playing a new way and that is understandable to a certain extent. However, getting in a strong, quick, athletic and powerful defensive midfielder would eradicate a multitude of issues with the team at present. For a kick-off, it would protect a defence that has come under significant scrutiny and give them some breathing space, particularly with our injuries at present.

And secondly, it would free up our other midfielders to go and impose their game on opponents. Since the beginning of the season Callum McGregor has not looked right and it’s as if he is confused with his role. If we brought in a proper defensive midfielder it would lift a weight off of our captain and let him get involved in attacking build-up play and help our forwards who seem to be under the cosh now too.

The problems are obvious.

Paul Gillespie