The pre-season had been going pretty well for Celtic. Lots of players getting good game time. A few goals spread across the team. Two friendly trophies in the cabinet as they picked up the Cork Super Cup and then the first-ever Adidas trophy with a 4-0 win over Newcastle United. Plus, another win over Portuguese champions Sporting CP.
That was until the Como Cup came round and the opening match against Ajax on Thursday evening. Celtic played a decent first half and probably deserved the lead rather than the 1-1 half-time score. Brendan Rodgers could be pleased overall with the early showing.
But the match swung significantly to the Dutch side in the second half. A quick goal to take the lead, then more possession pushing the Bhoys back. In the end, a 5-1 defeat was perhaps a bit extreme, but Celtic had certainly fallen away badly in that second period.
As expected for a pre-season game, Rodgers made quite a few changes during the match. There was a desire to keep players on for longer, but in the end, only three played the whole game: Liam Scales, Anthony Ralston, and Kasper Schmeichel.
Celtic fans declare worrying views on Celtic starter
There was plenty of criticism and some praise for Celtic players. The match reinforced the need for more quality to be introduced to the squad. It also triggered a move from many fans to suggest that a regular starter for the club had gone past his best.
Fans focused a lot of concerns on Schmeichel and questioned his fitness and athleticism. That does of course follow on from the Scottish Cup final, where many were disappointed at his part in Aberdeen's equaliser. As a balance to that, several of the goals from Ajax looked like almost unstoppable shots. Any blame for the Dane may be misplaced.
Schmeichel not exactly covering himself in glory tonight. Give Sinisalo the position.
— G. (@GJS2010) July 24, 2025
Schmeichel is done.
Schmeichel starting to show age...reckon he will be back to his best soon but older keepers take longer to get back into the swing of things#Celtic
— Felix Bhoy (@FelixFitzsimmo1) July 24, 2025
Celtic going into this season with Schmeichel in goals 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨
— Alan Clark (@Alan_Clark77) July 24, 2025
As you can see from the small selection of fans' views above, they are unconvinced about Schmeichel. Questions on many posts are being raised about his age and whether he has recovered fully from that injury, with Denmark late last season. In many cases, the call is now for Viljami Sinisalo to take his place.
In other pre-season matches, we have seen Sinisalo make appearances. Initially sharing the position with new signing Ross Doohan, then half a game each for the former Aston Villa man and Schmeichel. That change didn't take place on Thursday, as it was the Dane who let in all five Ajax goals.
It raises a question for Rodgers and a decision to make. To be fair, with Saturday's second tie in the Como Cup now a meaningless match against Saudi side Al-Ahli, the focus will be on fitness and game time. The manager could easily switch to Sinisalo in goal without it being a signal of intent. Maybe he’ll go for the half-time swap again, and leave the bigger decision until after seeing and talking with Schmeichel. But with the Dane approaching 39, the situation might be worth keeping an eye on.