The wheels have turned this week and now starts the three week march towards the beginning of the season.
Celtic’s training camp in Portugal would have been a nice break in a relaxed setting, following a few gruelling days in Lennoxtown. Two games were played without fans present, to ease the Bhoys into things. Now it gets serious.
More than a marketing opportunity, the trip to Japan will mark a rise in intensity. We may also see some more high profile work in the transfer market now that key players have been tied down and some lesser known project players have been secured for small fees.
It is from this point that Brendan Rodgers will be assessing his best XI, ready to start against Ross County on 5 August.
Pre-season results often count for little, but we will see an increase in the speed of our play. The Bhoys will be making adjustments to their game as they transition from Ange Postecoglou’s cavalier, full throttle football with inverted full backs, to Rodgers’ possession based, yet aggressive style. It’ll be an important period for the Irishman to put his stamp on the team.
On returning from Asia, the friendlies conclude with an increase in the calibre of opposition as Wolves and Atletic Club Bilbao await. By that point, I expect to see one or two statement signings added to the squad, and the ball being zipped around with the kind of purpose and intent that will be needed to start the season well, particularly with trips to Ibrox and Pittodrie scheduled within our first four league games.
The sprint towards another season is about to begin.
Liam Kelly
